Corruption in Afghanistan

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Afghanistan is rife with corruption, and the country’s leader admitted as much in a conference on the topic today. Jean MacKenzie, a Kabul-based correspondent for Global Post-dot-com, tells anchor Marco Werman that the US is actively engaged with Afghan officials that are known to be corrupt.

Arabs moving into Jewish settlements

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Jewish settlements in and around East Jerusalem have good municipal services. That’s attracted some Arab families to the settlements. And as The World’s Aaron Schachter reports, some Jewish residents aren’t happy about it.

Geo Quiz

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Our daily geography quiz.

Geo answer

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Our Geo Quiz today asked for the name of a proposed NEW state in India. The answer is Telangana. Anchor Marco Werman explains that Telangana is currently part of the state of Andhra Pradesh.

New Indian State?

Its time to update your maps of India for today’s Geo Quiz. A new state is set to be squeezed into the world’s second most populous nation. India is a country of 1.2 billion people.

Music Heard on Air for Decmeber 15, 2009

Tunes Spun On The Word Between our reports for December 15, 2009. Artists featured are Kila, Ali Farka Toure, Ry Cooder, Orchestra Lissanga.

Romance and Freedom… Making Sales

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The Global Economy Podcast was recently voted one of iTunes top podcasts for 2009! Quite an honor. Thank you, good folks at iTunes.

Some of the themes on this edition of the podcast: love and freedom. Or rather, using love and freedom to sell products. How can you not tune in for that? Now you see why this is one of the year’s best podcasts!

The Noughties: what we’ve lost

Question: what do Concorde, the Buddhas of Bamiyan, and Michael Jackson have in common? Answer: they were all lost to us in the past decade. You’ve probably got your own ideas of what the greatest losses were. This BBC World Service discussion, with accompanying slide show, brings together an international panel of cultural commentators. As the decade draws to a close, they reflect on The Noughties – on what we’ve lost, and what we’ve gained. Photo: AFP

• The BBC discussion and slide show

Music Heard on Air for December 14, 2009

Tunes Spun On The Word Between our reports for December 14, 2009. Artists featured are Zelal, Cem Yildiz, Bela Fleck, Hassan Erajji, Ali Farka Toure, Ry Cooder, Tinariwen, Alien Chatter.

Global Political Cartoons: Dec 5 – 11, 2009

The World’s Carol Hills picks out her favorite political cartoons from the past week. In this episode: polar bears float on ever-receding floating ice chunks; Copenhagen climate change delegates blow a lot of hot air; the Nobel Peace Prize winner wears Army fatigues, and the sexy new look of Tiger Woods’ golf clubs.

• Click here to start the slideshow
• Subscribe to our Multimedia feed on iTunes

Entire program – December 14, 2009

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Today on The World: The challenge facing US forces when it comes to policing and protecting civilians in Afghanistan; Also, men protest against the Iranian government by wearing head scarves; And world book picks for the holidays.

Fighting the Afghan insurgency

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The commander of foreign troops in Afghanistan, US Army General Stanley McChrystal, says the American military now understands counterinsurgency better than it ever has, and has made it a centerpiece of the new Afghanistan strategy. Reporter Ben Gilbert has been embedded with American forces in Afghanistan. On today’s show he is taking a look at how the counterinsurgency doctrine is being implemented on the ground in Afghanistan. Download MP3 (Photo: Tauseef Mustafa/AFP/Getty Images)

• Background brief:Taliban insurgency
• President Obama’s Afghanistan plan
• BBC coverage of the Afghanistan conflict

Challenges facing climate migrants

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Droughts, floods, and sea level rise caused by climate change could displace millions of people from their land. Where will these climate migrants go? The South Asian nation of Bangladesh is grappling with that question. Joanna Kakissis reports. Download MP3 (Photo: Ross Taylor)

• The World’s coverage of the Copenhagen Climate Conference
• More environment coverage on The World
• Dan Grossman’s story: “Raising Bangladesh”

Holiday Books 2009

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Chanukah has begun. Christmas will be here before you know it. And we’ve got four gift ideas for the readers on your list. Our book critic Christopher Merrill is at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Marco Werman speaks with him. Download MP3

• Holiday Books 2009 book list
• The World Books page

Catalans stage mock secession vote

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Yesterday, 166 towns in Spain held a vote on whether to secede from the country. It all took place in the semi-autonomous region of Catalonia. The voting was purely symbolic, because secession votes are actually illegal in Spain. Catalan separatists organized the mock event because many Catalans are upset with the central government in Madrid. The World’s Gerry Hadden reports. Download MP3 (Photo: Gerry Hadden)

• Video: Catalans weigh in on independence
• BBC coverage