Kim Jong Il, “fashion icon”

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A North Korean website says the “Dear Leader” began a global fashion trend with his zippered jumpsuits. Many North Koreans apparently believe it. North Korea watcher and author Barbara Demick explains how authorities there have mastered the art of propaganda. Download MP3

• BBC profile of Kim
• “Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea” book info

Thai leader under rising pressure

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Foreign tourists ducked for cover in Bangkok this weekend, as bullets flew in the Thai capital’s old quarter. The violence in the streets was the worst in Bangkok in nearly 20 years. The protesters want the prime minister to resign. And today, Thailand’s election commission recommended that charges of financial irregularities be brought against the prime minister’s party. Simon Montlake reports. Download MP3 (flickr image by motoyen)

• BBC coverage
• In pictures: Bangkok clashes aftermath
• FAQ: Thailand protests

Nuclear summit opens

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President Obama today welcomed world leaders at the start of the nuclear security summit in Washington. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Dr. Bernard Lown, co-founder of the group International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War.

Mexico cell phone story

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This past weekend was the deadline for cell phone owners in Mexico to register their identities with a government database. Anchor Marco Werman has details.

Israel’s nuclear ambiguity

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One leader who’s not at the nuclear summit in Washington is the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. The World’s Matthew Bell reports on how Israel’s policy of nuclear ambiguity works.

Poland’s president in exile

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One other person on board that plane was 90-year-old Ryszard Kaczorowski. He was president of Poland’s government in exile from 1989 to 1990. The World’s Jason Margolis has more.

Geo Quiz

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Our daily geography puzzler.

Geo Answer

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The answer to today’s Geo Quiz is Damascus, the capital of Syria where a group of Palestinian and Iraqi refugee children had the unusual opportunity this weekend to perform in a circus show sponsored by the UN and Danish government. Anchor Marco Werman gets details from the BBC’s Lina Sinjab in Damascus.

Circus school

For our Geo Quiz today — there’s no circus big top, no elephants, not even any high flying trapeze artists. But there is a circus show…

Google Translate, accent phobia, and job titles

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Our top five language stories this month: Why Google Translate rules, and why human translators shouldn’t feel threatened; a weight-loss company advertizes for Product Testing Associates, whose sole task is to eat more food — not the first time an employer has over-egged the job title pudding; there’s evidence that certain accents are less welcome than others in corporate boardrooms; India’s economic rise and linguistically mixed marriages mean that fewer young Indians speak the languages of their parents; and French citizens vote on new words for “buzz”, “chat”, and “newsletter.” Download MP3

Ben Frost

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We end today taking you on a musical voyage between two cities, two cities that are as almost as distant as you can get from each other. In the case of artist Ben Frost, these would be his two homes of Melbourne, Australia and Reykjavik, Iceland. Ben Frost is an Aussie who has lived in Iceland since 2002. Download MP3

Tech Podcast: Sats and nukes, CO2 turned to fuel, and Tweetspeare

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In this episode of The World’s Technology Podcast, we talk about the role of satellites in monitoring known, and supposed, nuclear sites worldwide. We also have an in-depth look at online extremism. And what are we going to do with all that CO2? Some British scientists want to find a way to turn it back into fuel. We’ll also revisit the Apollo 13 mission 40 years ago, and hear about an updated version of Romeo and Juliet that’s being performed…on Twitter. (GeoEye Satellite Image)

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Music Heard on Air for April 12, 2010

Tunes Spun On The World Between Our Reports For April 12, 2010. Artists featured are Ali Farka Toure, Ry Cooder, Tor Dietrichson, Kila, Lisa Carbon.

Talking Travel: Iceland – more volcano, less stripping

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In this episode of Talking Travel, we go to Iceland. The north Atlantic island nation has been ravaged by the recent global economic troubles, and it’s got a volcano, pictured, which is currently threatening one of the country’s most well-known glaciers. But we focus in on the Parliament’s recent decision to ban striptease clubs. Take a listen, and we’ll take you there with the help of Lonely Planet’s Robert Reid and Tom Hall.

• Download this episode of Talking Travel (15:04)
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Entire program – April 9, 2010

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Today on The World: The US-led effort to keep nuclear weapons from falling into terrorist hands; Also, water problems in the American Southwest threaten to destroy a key Mexican wetland; Plus, religious vigilantes in southern India try to enforce keeping young people from different religious backgrounds apart.