Entire program – June 9, 2010

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Today on The World: In the wake of the Gulf oil spill, some are starting to boycott BP, but will it make a difference? Also, doctors working in Nigeria discover extensive lead contamination that’s killed at least 170 people. And how soccer highlights the complicated relationship between the United States and England.

The backlash against BP

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President Barack Obama has strongly criticized BP’s chief executive Tony Hayward over the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In an NBC interview, Mr Obama was asked about comments Hayward made in the wake of the disaster, such as “I want my life back” and the President said: “He wouldn’t be working for me after any of those statements.” The World’s Katy Clark reports on how citizens are grappling with the oil spill disaster. Some are now boycotting BP. But do such actions really make a difference? (flickr image: infrogmation) Download MP3

• BBC coverage
• BP’s tarnished image
• Global oil spill accountability

Haiti update

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It’s now nearly five months since Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake. Reporter Amy Bracken is back in Port au Prince. Marco Werman gets her impressions about progress there since January’s earthquake. (Photo: Amy Bracken) Download MP3

• Amy’s Haiti notebook (March)
• Decentralizing Haiti reconstruction

Pacific Island of Tinian awaits the Marines

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The Pacific Island of Tinian has played an outsized role in US military history. Now, as a US territory, it’s about to take on a new role – as the site of shooting ranges, when some 8,000 US Marines and their dependents move from Okinawa to Guam by 2014. Many Guamanians aren’t wild about the US military expansion, but Tinian welcomes it. The World’s Mary Kay Magistad visited the island. (Photo: Mary Kay Magistad) Download MP3

• Photo gallery
• Guam people ponder their identity
• Mary Kay’s journal from the Island of Yap

The language of soccer

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The US men’s soccer team will start its World Cup campaign on Saturday against England. It’s the first time the two teams will have met at a World Cup tournament since 1950. On that occasion, the US beat England 1-0 in a major upset. Now, as The World’s Alex Gallafent reports, the English are forced once again to confront the complexities of a special sporting relationship. (photo of Red Bulls fans: Alex Gallafent) Download MP3

• World Cup coverage on The World
• US soccer
• How We Got Here: World Cup history

Lead poisoning disaster in Nigeria

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Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Richard Fuller of the Blacksmith Institute, an organization that is helping to clean up a toxic mine in northern Nigeria where at least 170 people, mostly children under five, have died after being exposed to high levels of lead.

New sanctions on Iran

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The UN Security Council has voted once again to sanction Iran. Washington Post correspondent Colum Lynch tells anchor Marco Werman the sanctions tighten financial restrictions on Iran, toughen shipping inspections and expand the arms embargo, but Lynch says there are plenty of loopholes.

• Colum Lynch’s blog

Stalin sculpture angers Virginia town

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Bedford, Virginia is home to the National D-Day Memorial. But a recent change at the memorial has residents up in arms. A bust of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin was placed alongside those of FDR and Churchill. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Bedford resident James Morrison.

Geo Quiz

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Our daily geography quiz.

Geo Answer

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For today’s Geo Quiz we’re looking for the two Canadian cities that are playing host to two global summits this month. The answers are Toronto and Huntsville. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Toronto Sun columnist Lorrie Goldstein about one of the meeting venues that’s upset some Canadians.

Sway Machinery

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What happens when a Jewish rock band from Brooklyn travels to Mali and starts a collaboration with local artists? An album with the working title, “The House of Friendly Ghosts.” Anna Boiko-Weyrauch has the story from Bamako.

Music Heard on Air for June 9, 2010

Tunes Spun On The World Between Our Reports For June 9, 2010. Artists featured are, Ali Farka Toure, Ry Cooder, Lorelei Loveridge, Praful, Garaj Mahal.

World Cup History

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How We Got Here takes on soccer this week. We speak with Duke history professor Laurent Dubois, author of Soccer Empire: The World Cup and the Future of France.

Soccer spread so quickly. A lot of sports spread along the sinews of empire, you can think of cricket or rugby or even baseball in the U.S. case. What happened with soccer is it did spread via English–it was created and codifed in England and it spread with English people who crossed into other countries but very quickly it took root in those other countries. France is one case among many where in the early 20th-century English communities brought it there and then very quickly it became just part of the social fabric of every day life and very quickly it became an extremely important pastime for many many people. – Laurent Dubois

Dubois explores the roots — in Empire — of the diversity of the French national team, long celebrated but also maligned for its preponderance of players of African and Caribbean descent. And he profiles two players in particular, Lilian Thuram and Zinedine Zidane, in his tale of how soccer and French identity are intertwined. Download MP3

Canadian host cities

Canada is getting ready to host a diplomatic jamboree. Scores of diplomats and thousands of international journalists are expected to descend on two venues in Canada later this month. They’ll be attending the G8 and G20 summits. Can you name the two places in Ontario hosting the summits?