Music Heard on Air for February 18, 2010

Tunes Spun On The World Between Our Reports For February 18, 2010. Artists featured are Ali Farka Toure, Ry Cooder, Badmarsh & Shri, Kila, Robert Miles, Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba, Harouna Samake.

Henning Mankell

Today’s Geo Quiz is also a matter of international intrigue. Your first clue to unravelling this mystery is the name “Henning Mankell.” He’s a well-known crime novelist from Sweden. You may know his mysteries featuring Inspector Kurt Wallander. We’re looking for the author’s hometown. Henning Mankell says it’s a small village — dwarfed by its surroundings.

Entire program – February 17, 2010

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Today on The World: The mystery of who killed a Hamas military commander in Dubai; Also, we speak to a gay activist in Uganda, a country that’s considering harsh anti-gay legislation; And, telling a Japanese fair tale using the idiom of modern jazz opera.

Murder mystery in the Middle East

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Last month, Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, a military commander of the Palestinian group Hamas, was killed in Dubai. Hamas blamed Israel. This week, Dubai police released names, photos, and passport numbers of 11 members of an alleged hit-squad. Dubai said they carried European passports, but most of the identities appear to have been stolen. And at least seven of those identities matched up with Israeli citizens. We hear from Ronen Bergman, the security and intelligence correspondent for the Israeli newspaper, Yedioth Ahronoth. Download MP3

• BBC coverage of this story
• BBC history of Israeli covert killing

Being gay in Uganda

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It’s already against the law to be gay in Uganda. But some legislation being proposed there would drastically increase the existing penalties. One version of the bill even called for the death penalty in certain instances. We hear from Long Jones (pictured), an openly gay Ugandan living in the capital Kampala. Download MP3

• BBC coverage
• BBC: Forum on Uganda’s homosexuality bill

Japanese Jazz Opera

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The standard view of Japanese popular culture, at least here in the US, is that it’s wacky, chaotic and impossible to fathom. For instance, there’s a video doing the rounds online that features actors dressed up as peasants singing American jazz standards, with Japanese lyrics. The World’s Alex Gallafent finds out what it all means. Download MP3

• Video: “Momotaro: Modern Jazz Opera”
• Subscribe to our Global Hit podcast on iTunes

US sanctions in Syria

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Relations between the United States and Syria are starting to improve after some tense years. But as Lina Sinjab reports from Damascus, Syrians are still unhappy about U-S sanctions that affect their daily lives.

Bin Laden tapes

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In 2001, Osama bin Laden’s personal collection of audiotapes fell into American hands. Anchor Katy Clark talks with Flagg Miller about the collection of more than 1,500 cassettes.

International stimulus packages

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Katy Clark talks with economist Simon Johnson about how OTHER countries’ stimulus packages have fared.

Comparing international stimulus plans

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When the world’s economies were collapsing last year, governments across the globe passed stimulus plans to help jumpstart their economies. Is it possible to say if one county did a better job than another? The World’s Jason Margolis has been in British Columbia where he looked at one area of the Canadian and U.S. stimulus plans — stimulus money for home renovations.

Geo Quiz

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Our daily geography quiz.

Cleaning graffiti in the Eternal City

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The answer to today’s Geo Quiz is Rome in Italy. These days, the walls of the ancient city are covered with graffiti and city officials have been fighting back. One American expatriate is also doing her part to help the anti-graffiti effort. Megan Williams has the story.

Ancient Mediterranean City

Today’s Geo Quiz is taking us to an ancient Mediterranean City. This city is crammed with magnificent monuments, many of them over a thousand years old.

Music Heard on Air for February 17, 2010

Tunes Spun On The World Between Our Reports For February 17, 2010. Artists featured are Ali Farka Toure, Ry Cooder, Kekele, Christopher Hedge, Tuh Pa Warez, ETHOS.

Entire program – February 16, 2010

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Today on The World: Reports that a top Taliban commander has been captured in Pakistan. Also, why Afghan civilians are scared of US efforts to stop the use of roadside bombs by insurgents; And a restaurant in Haiti that offers a free lunch to earthquake survivors.