Music Heard on Air for March 10, 2011

Tunes spun on The World between our reports for March 10, 2011. Artists featured are: Baka Beyond, Nostalgia 77, Loreena McKennitt, Ali Farka Toure, Ry Cooder, Yoshida Brothers.

The Kingdom waits

The young men sitting on a plaza outside a café in Riyadh represented two important sides to the story that is unfolding in Saudi Arabia. As they sipped coffee and scanned a laptop computer, they derided those who are calling Saudis to take to the streets tomorrow [...]

Robert Fatton on Jean-Bertrand Aristide

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On this edition of How We Got Here, political scientist Robert Fatton of the University of Virginia helps us understand Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s place in Haitian politics and history. Ever since former dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier returned to Haiti in January there’s been speculation that former President Aristide would return as well. His lawyer even flew to Port au Prince to collect a passport for him. So far there’s no sign of his return though, and it’s clear the United States and the Haitian government would prefer him to stay away at least until Haitians have voted in presidential runoff elections on March 20th. But all the speculation got us thinking about Aristide again, and wondering about the historical currents that led to his overthrow and exile, not just once, but twice, in 1991 and again in 2004. Download MP3

Gaddafi’s troops advance against rebels

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Forces loyal to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi have been continuing a major offensive against rebels in the western city of Zawiya. There are also reports of more shelling in the oil port of Ras Lanuf. Anchor Marco Werman gets the latest from BBC correspondent Jon Leyne who is in Benghazi. Download MP3
Live updates from the BBC

Reforming Tunisia’s justice system

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Moves to restructure the justice system in Tunisia are hitting a roadblock: members of the former regime still control the judiciary and are stalling the work of an anti-corruption commission. Reporter Megan Williams has the story from Tunis. Download MP3

Warming climate alters Antarctic ecosystems

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Eric Niiler reports from McMurdo Sound in Antarctica on how rapid changes in the climate are affecting some of the continent’s species and changing its ecosystems. Download MP3

Slideshow: Warming climate alters Antarctic ecosystems

Kosovo reaction to Frankfurt shooting

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The man suspected of killing two American airmen in Frankfurt, Germany last week is from Kosovo. As Nate Tabak reports, people in the Kosovan’s hometown are horrified that one of their own allegedly attacked the US military. Download MP3
BBC video: Frankfurt airport shooting

Spanish chart-topping artist Mercedes Peón

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Anchor Marco Werman introduces us to the Spanish artist Mercedes Peón whose latest CD S.O.S. has held the number one spot on Europe’s World Music Charts for the past two months. Download MP3

Slideshow: Mercedes Peón
Video: Mercedes Peón’s Paralá

Cashing in on corruption

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Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Daniel Thelesklaf, Co-Executive Director of the Basel Government on Governance in Switzerland, about ways that corrupt rulers use public funds to line their own pockets. Download MP3

Is Libya in a civil war?

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Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Mohamed Husein of BBC Monitoring. Husein has been listening in on the news media in Libya and weighs in on the question of whether what’s going on in Libya constitutes a civil war. Download MP3

Palestinians take on Thailand for Olympic Soccer spot

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Anchor Marco Werman speaks with the BBC’s Jon Donnison about the soccer game the Palestinian team is playing today against Thailand to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. Download MP3

Ancient art from Iraq

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Follow the Tigris River in the Geo Quiz. We’re traveling upstream of Baghdad. The northern Iraqi city we’re looking for is on the banks of the Tigris in the province of Ninawa. The ancient city is 20 miles or so southeast of the city of Mosul. Download MP3

PRI’s The World(03/09/2011: Antarctica, Kosovo)

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Tunisia’s attempt at reform after the revolution is getting mired in the corruption left over from the old regime;then, to Antarctica, where the effects of climate change are visibly altering the landscape and wildlife; also, a visit to the Kosovo hometown of the gunman accused of killing US soldiers in Germany last week, family and friends are still in shock. Download MP3

Music Heard on Air for March 9, 2011

Tunes spun on The World between our reports for March 9, 2011. Artists featured are: AfroCubism, Moriba Koita, Baaba Maal, Anastacia Azevedo, Walter Wolfman Washington and the Roadmasters, Proem.

Consciousness, Poetry, and Bilingual Babies

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In this week’s World in Words podcast, we take a trip inside the mind. Rhitu Chatterjee takes us through some of the recent research into the bilingual brain. Also, theoretical psychologist Nicholas Humphrey gives us his take on consciousness, and why language may be only a small part of it. Then we consider poetry, which offers a bridge between consciousness and language.
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