Reporting US health care reform abroad

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The House of Representatives has passed the landmark healthcare reform bill at the heart of President Barack Obama’s agenda. The bill was passed by 219 votes to 212, with no Republican backing. David Baron talks with Mitch Potter, Washington Bureau Chief of the Toronto Star, and Gregor Peter Schmitz, US Correspondent for Germany’s Der Spiegel, about how they are covering healthcare reform for their home countries. Download MP3

• Gregor Peter Schmitz: “US Health Care – Good for America, Bad for the World?”
• BBC coverage
• Video of President Obama’s reaction
• Health coverage on The World

What’s in a street name?

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In the hothouse of Israeli-Palestinian relations, deciding what to name a city street can be a matter of great pride or biting offense. The World’s Matthew Bell reports from Jerusalem. Download MP3

• Illustrated feature for this story
• Matthew Bell on the East Jerusalem issue
• Israel and the Palestinians

Bullfighting in Korea

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Spain is famous for bullfighting although some parts of the country are trying to do away with the sport. South Korea has bullfights, too, but they’re a little different. There’s no matador and no swords. It’s just bull against bull and there’s a lot less blood. The fight rarely ends with one of the bulls dying. Jason Strother recently visited the annual bullfighting festival in the village of Cheongdo. Download MP3 (Photo: Jason Strother)

• Video of a bullfight at Cheongdo
• Cheongdo Bullfighting Festival

Healthcare reform passed

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President Barack Obama is celebrating a huge legislative victory today–the passage of health care reform that he made the central goal of his presidency. The bill expands health care coverage to an estimated 30 million more Americans. As The World’s Jeb Sharp reports, that puts the United States much more in line with other industrialized countries.

Joint patrols in northern Iraq

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Despite this month’s parliamentary elections and the drop in violence this month in Iraq, the northern part of the country remains divided among competing ethnic groups. Ben Gilbert reports that US forces there have organized joint patrols to get the rival groups to work together. (Photo: Ben Gilbert) Download MP3

• Picture gallery
• Ben Gilbert’s election coverage from Kirkuk

Forming Iraq’s next coalition government

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The complete results from Iraq’s election are not in yet. But the jockeying to form the next ruling coalition has already begun. The two front runners reached out today to other political parties to form alliances. The concern is that violence could increase as the political jockeying hits high gear. Anchor David Baron speaks with Roger Hardy, the BBC’s Middle East analyst.

Geo Quiz

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Our daily geography puzzler.

Geo answer

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Today’s Geo Quiz takes us to Nebraska’s Platte River where an estimated half a million Sandhill Cranes stop in his time of year along their annual migration route north. As Alicia Hardin of Nebraska’s Game and Parks Commission tells anchor David baron, the large, gangly birds are headed for points north including northern Canada, Alaska, and Siberia – the answers to our Geo Quiz.

Soulico

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A wide array of Israeli artists have been getting greater international attention in the past couple of years. Bands like Soulico. But it wasn’t an easy outing for Israel’s first cultural diplomatic presence at South by Southwest. Marco Werman reports from Austin.

Sandhill Cranes

[Audio clip: view full post to listen] Download MP3 An annual rite of spring figures in today’s Geo Quiz. If you happen to live anywhere near the Platte River in Nebraska, this is a familiar spectacle. Sandhill Cranes have been coming this way, noisily, for millions of years. “They’re pretty incredible, they’ve got a very [...]

What the troops are listening to

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We’ve asked US troops stationed in Iraq what they’re listening to on their iPods. Producer Jake Warga was embedded with the Third Infantry Division in Baghdad and plays us some of their playlists.

Music Heard on Air for March 22, 2010

Tunes Spun On The World Between Our Reports For March 22, 2010. Artists featured are Jan Garbarek, Lamine Konte, Ali Farka Toure, Ry Cooder, V. Didulya.

Entire program March 19, 2010

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Today on The World: A former U-N official says the arrests of Taliban commanders have halted secret talks aimed at ending the war in Afghanistan; Also, immigrant activists gear up to keep immigration reform on the national agenda; Plus, they’re still competing for gold in Vancouver — we’ll get an update from the Paralympic Winter Games.

Former UN envoy criticizes Taliban arrests

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The UN’s former envoy to Afghanistan, Kai Eide, has strongly criticized Pakistan’s recent arrest of high-ranking Taliban leaders. Eide told the BBC the arrests had completely stopped a channel of secret communications with the UN. Pakistani officials insist the arrests were not an attempt to spoil talks. Jason Margolis reports. Download MP3

• BBC interview with Eide
• Taliban conflict
• Richard Holbrooke on the fight against the Taliban

British Airways cabin crew strike to go ahead

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A strike by British Airways cabin crew will go ahead after talks between the airline and the Unite union collapsed. A three-day strike begins on Saturday, with a four-day strike scheduled to commence on March 27. BA’s CEO Willie Walsh said the strike was “deeply regrettable” while Unite’s joint general secretary Tony Woodley claimed that BA “ultimately wants to go to war with this union”. Laura Lynch reports from London. Download MP3

• BBC coverage