Archive for 2010
New corruption rankings out
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The watchdog group Transparency International has published its annual survey that ranks 178 countries according to how corrupt their public officials and politicians are perceived to be. Anchor Lisa Mullins tells us more about the 2010 Corruption Perceptions Index. Download MP3
Sudan split over oil
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An oil-rich area on the border between northern and southern Sudan is adding to already tense relations that exist between the Sudanese government and southern leaders. Anchor Lisa Mullins finds out more from Rebecca Hamilton, who’s reporting from Sudan for the Pulitzer Center. Download MP3
Eurasian peninsula
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It was hard enough to pronounce the name of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano which grounded trans-Atlantic flights earlier this year with its ash and smoke. Now another multi-syllabic volcano is sending plumes into the sky. Smoke and ash clouds from the Klyuchevskoy volcano are drifting 700 miles out over the Pacific. The question for our Geo Quiz is where is the Klyuchevskoy volcano? Download MP3World Books podcast: Gish Jen
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The title of Chinese-American writer Gish Jen’s latest novel, World And Town, suggests the story’s international resonance. Set in a small town in New England, the book examines the growing pressures — global and local, religious and technological — on the rural American experience. World Books editor Bill Marx spoke to Jen about what her novel says about the impact of the world on the American small town in the new millennium. Download MP3Entire program – October 25, 2010
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Today on The World: Afghanistan’s president concedes he gets bags of cash from Iran, but he says it’s nothing unusual; Also, the debate in Israel over ultra-Orthodox men who study the Torah instead of working; Plus, New Zealanders rally to demand that a movie version of “The Hobbit” be filmed their country. Download MP3
Karzai confirms cash from Iran
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Afghan President Hamid Karzai has acknowledged that his office has received cash from Iran, but insists it was part of a “transparent” process. Karzai was responding to a report in the New York Times that Tehran had been passing bags stuffed full of cash to Karzai’s aides. Lisa Mullins gets the latest from the BBC’s Quentin Summerville in Kabul and a reality check from Pamela Constable, former Kabul bureau chief for the Washington Post. Download MP3
Sony retires cassette-tape Walkman
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Sony has confirmed it will stop selling its once ground-breaking portable music player, the cassette-tape Walkman, in Japan. It’s already stopped production there, and the current stock held in stores will be the last. In 1979, the Walkman changed lifestyles by popularising music on the go, paving the way for today’s MP3 players. Clark Boyd has more. Download MP3
When did you get your first Walkman? What was the first tape you bought for your Walkman? What was the first song you recorded? We’d love to hear about it! Share your story with us in the comments.
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Welfare support for Israel’s ultra-orthodox Jews
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The World’s Matthew Bell reports on the debate in Israel over the tens of thousands of ultra-orthodox men who spend their days studying the Torah instead of working. It’s an arrangement often subsidized by the state, and some say it’s setting Israel up for an economic disaster soon. (Photo: Daniel Estrin) Download MP3>>>Photo gallery for this story
Alexander Scriabin
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The Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York is hosting a show titled: Spectral Scriabin. Alexander Scriabin was a composer from Russia, part of the so-called Russian Symbolist movement. The show includes Georgian pianist Eteri Andjaparidze and American lighting designer Jennifer Tipton who create a music-theater work in which the Russian composers music merges with an intricate color and light interplay. The World’s Alex Gallafent reports. (Photo: Chris Lee) Download MP3Video: Alexander Scriabin Towards the Light
Hobbit rallies in New Zealand
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The World’s Carol Zall reports on a push in New Zealand to make the country the filming location for the “Lord of the Rings” prequel, “The Hobbit.” Earlier plans to film in New Zealand were jeopardized after actors protested over working conditions. Download MP3
Wikileaks reveals more signs of instability in Iraq
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The latest Wikileaks release of US military documents suggests the US military turned a blind eye to the abuse of civilians by Iraqi security forces. Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with Jane Arraf, Iraq correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor. Download MP3
Iraqi monuments still standing
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The majority of monuments erected in Iraq by Saddam Hussein have been destroyed or defaced, but some still stand. The fate of those remaining monuments has pitted preservationists against Iraqis eager to forget the past and move on. Susannah George reports from Baghdad. Download MP3
Tartini’s Balkan home
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We head to south-central Europe for the Geo Quiz. The country we’re looking for shares borders with Italy, Croatia, Hungary and Austria. One of its coastal city is Piran, the birthplace of composer Giuseppe Tartini…Download MP3Music Heard on Air for October 25, 2010
Tunes Spun On The World Between Our Reports For October 25, 2010. Artists featured are Ensemble FizFuz, Praful, Ali Farka Toure, Ry Cooder, Nomo, Badfinger, Polka Kingas.
Entire program – October 22, 2010
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Today on The World: French unions and students vow to continue their protests as the French Senate approves raising the retirement age; Also, why Peru is giving land-locked Bolivia a small chunk of coastline; Plus, an Oscar-winning Japanese composer goes unplugged for his new CD. Download MP3
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