Chris Woolf
Britain Named Most Prolific Invader
A new book claims that Britain has invaded more countries than any other. In fact, according to “All the Countries We’ve Ever Invaded: And the Few We Never Got Round To”, by Stuart Laycock, there are only 22 nations which never suffered British attack. Anchor Aaron Schachter discusses the claim with the World’s News Editor and resident history buff, Chris Woolf.
The US and Syria After the Election
The day after President Obama’s re-election, one foreign policy issue is crying out for attention: the civil war in Syria. In a sign of growing international concern, Turkey today announced that NATO is to deploy Patriot missiles along the Turkish border with Syria. Anchor Aaron Schachter discusses what options President Obama has on Syria with Steven Cook, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
China Braces for New Leadership
The Chinese People’s Congress meets this week to select a new set of leaders for the country. The decisions will all be made behind closed doors. Security is massively tight. As The World’s Beijing correspondent Mary Kay Magistad tells anchor Aaron Schachter, it couldn’t be more different from what’s happening in the US.
Tsunami Reconstruction Scandal in Japan
As the US begins its recovery from Superstorm Sandy, Japan is gripped by a scandal over the money set aside for reconstruction from the earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of that country last year. Much of the allocated funds have been diverted into pork-barrel projects, far away from the disaster zone. Anchor Lisa Mullins gets the details from Hiroko Tabuchi of The New York Times.
HMS Bounty Falls Victim to Hurricane Sandy
Two crewmen are missing at sea after the tall ship, HMS Bounty, was abandoned off Cape Hatteras. The ship was built in 1960 for the Marlon Brando movie, “Mutiny on the Bounty”. The captain abandoned ship after the pumps failed in heavy seas. Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with former sailor, Kelsey Freeman.
Battle for Aleppo Rages as Ceasefire Looms
Syrian rebels appear to have taken three important neighborhoods in the country’s biggest city, Aleppo. The city is key to the survival of the regime. Anchor Marco Werman analyses the balance of power in Syria with Joshua Landis, of Oklahoma University, and Syrian opposition activist, Professor Amr al-Azm of Shawnee State University in Ohio.
‘Horses and Bayonets’
The most tweeted line of the debate was President Obama’s zinger that the military has fewer horses and bayonets as well as fewer ships than it did in 1916. So where are bayonets from? Anchor Marco Werman gets the answer, plus the history of bayonets and horses in the military, from The World’s resident military history buff, Chris Woolf.
Okinawa Outrage Over Rape by US Sailors
Tensions between Japan and the United States flared up this week after two U.S. sailors allegedly raped a young woman on Okinawa.
Cuba to Lift Travel Restrictions on its People
Cuba announced today it will lift most travel restrictions in the New Year. Pretty much any Cuban who wants to will be allowed to leave. It could be a stunning change for Cubans. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with the BBC’s Sarah Rainsford.
“Taliban” Khan in Trouble over Girl Shooting
The popular Pakistani politician, and former world-class cricketer, Imran Khan, has criticized the attempted killing of young activist, Malala Yousufzai. But he won’t pin the blame on the Taliban, and says the insurgency in Afghanistan is justified under Islamic law.
The VP Debate and Foreign Affairs
Foreign policy issues are expected to come up at Thursday’s vice-presidential debate between Paul Ryan and Joe Biden. Anchor Marco Werman explores the foreign policy credentials of both candidates with James Traub, a fellow at the Center on International Cooperation, and Ted Bromund, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation.
Mexico’s Navy on Point in Drug War on Land
As the Mexican Navy tries to explain how the corpse of a top druglord it killed was later stolen by gunmen, we focus on a different question: what’s the Navy doing fighting druglords in the first place? It turns out the Mexican Navy has been taking the leading role in the fight against the top cartel bosses for a while now.
FBI Engages Social Media in Terrorist Manhunt
The FBI offered a $50,000 reward this week for information leading to the arrest of a US citizen wanted on terrorism charges. The suspect is Ahmad Abousamra, who fled his home in Massachusetts in 2006.
Myanmar’s ‘Frontier’ Investor
Myanmar is going through some rapid transitions. In just the last year, the country’s military dictators have freed Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest, and allowed elections to be held. Now the country is opening up to foreign business as well.
Memory and Vengeance: Indian General Stabbed in London
Memory is long, and vengeance is often served cold. The attempted murder of a retired Indian army general in London may be connected to his role in the crushing of a Sikh revolt in India in the 1980s [...]
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