Grada’s Natural Angle

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The opening track on the latest CD by Grada might lead you to believe that you’re in for a set of Irish jigs and reels but the quintet has more on its collective mind than traditional Celtic music. The World’s Ken Bader spoke with three members of Grada in today’s Global Hit. Download MP3

• Listen to Grada’s “Pretty Polly” and “Abe’s Axe”
• Grada page at Compass Records
• The Global Hit on Facebook

Rome’s new art museum

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Italy is one of the world’s premier art curators. The country is well-decorated from first century frescoes in Pompeii to Michelangelo’s David sculpture in Florence. But there seems to be precious little space left for contemporary art. That may change with Italy’s first national museum dedicated to modern art and architecture. Nancy Greenleese checked it out. Download MP3

• Maxxi homepage (English)
• Photo gallery

North Korea and a NJ rib joint

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Robert Egan runs a barbecue restaurant in New Jersey. He also has a rare, direct line of communication with government officials in North Korea. He speaks with Anchor Marco Werman.

Technology time capsule

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Digital documents and photos could prove unreadable in a few decades. The World’s Technology Correspondent Clark Boyd reports on what technology experts are working on now so people in the future can open those digital files after the gadgets that made them are gone.

• Technology podcast

Afghan peace council

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Afghan president Hamid Karzai says he has a plan to woo people away from the insurgents. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Afghan tribal chief Ajmal Khan Zazai. Zazai doesn’t support Karzai, but he supports the president’s idea of reaching out to insurgents willing to make a deal for peace.

Colombia’s presidential election

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Reporter John Otis profiles Antanas Mockus, one of Colombia’s most unusual politicians and a front-runner in Sunday’s presidential election.

Geo Quiz

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Our daily geography puzzler.

Geo Answer

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The answer to today’s Geo Quiz is Rwanda, the original home of a small and rare African water lily. The World’s David Leveille has the story of its rescue from extinction.

• Kew Gardens
• Geo Quiz archive

Home of the smallest water lily

The world’s smallest water lily is the centerpiece of today’s Geo Quiz. It’s not easy to find one these tiny yellow flowered waterlillies. They’ve disappeared from the wild. They use to thrive in the Great Lakes Region of Africa…especially in the landlocked country we want you to name.

Entire program – May 25, 2010

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Today on The World: US officials up the pressure on China to get tough with North Korea; a new report says the decline of the euro could mean an upsurge in investment in Africa; and government forces and gangsters battle over an alleged drug lord in Kingston, Jamaica.

China’s quest for soft power

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China’s power has been growing in recent years – its economic clout, its military capacity, its political influence on the international stage. But there’s one kind of power China’s leaders still crave – soft power. This is the informal influence a country has – through the attractiveness of its culture and values. The World’s Mary Kay Magistad reports from Beijing. Download MP3 (flickr image: d’n'c)

• Mary Kay’s award winning series ‘Created in China’
• Shanghai Expo is China’s new showcase to the world
• Clinton urges China on North Korea

Zimbabwe’s ‘blood diamonds’

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The discovery of diamonds in Zimbabwe has led to more misery in a country that’s already seen a lot of hardship. And despite claims to the contrary, Zimbabwe’s government insists the diamonds are ethical. But on a recent trip to the country, Laura Lynch found disturbing evidence that the gems are destroying the lives of many. Download MP3

• BBC Zimbabwe coverage
• Picture still gloomy in Zimbabwe
• Laura’s coverage from Southern Africa

Tech Podcast: Digital genome goes underground

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In this week’s technology podcast, we hear about how, and why, a team of archivists and technologists have buried our “digital genome” underneath a Swiss mountain. You’ll also hear about Google’s Europe woes, and about the Pakistani government’s decision to deny access to Facebook. Plus, two homages: one to the man who invented the ATM, and the other…to Pac-Man. (Photo: Planets Project)

• Download this episode (22:46)
• Subscribe to the Tech Podcast via iTunes
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Jimmy Cliff

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“The Harder They Come” remains a film classic. Its outlaw theme, and reggae soundtrack owed much to its star, Jimmy Cliff. He joins Marco Werman to talk about the film, about the early days of reggae, and about Jamaica’s music scene today. (Photo: Aram Kilimli) Download MP3

• 1972′s “The Harder They Come” trailer
• Jimmy Cliff’s official website

Translating disaster and disastrous translations

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In the latest World in Words podcast, our top five language stories of the past month: translating Iceland’s economic collapse, document by document; magnificently bad translations in Shanghai and at the Eurovision Song Contest; a language for communication with extraterrestrials; Arizona moves against accented schoolteachers; and Costa Rica’s new president Laura Chinchilla is one of millions of people who are named after animals.
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