Clark Boyd
North Korea pardons US reporters
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Former president Bill Clinton’s surprise visit to North Korea appears to have won the release of two American journalists. North Korea’s news agency says Laura Ling and Euna Lee have been pardoned. They were arrested last March and convicted of violating North Korea’s border. Clinton arrived in a private plane in Pyongyang today to try to win their release. He was greeted warmly and had a meeting with North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-Il. The announcement of a special pardon from Kim himself came several hours later. >>> Click here for the latest from the BBC.
Restoring Indonesia’s mangroves
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Mangroves were once widespread throughout the world’s warm coastal areas. The maze of tangled trees along the shore are a crucial ecosystem and a buffer against erosion But over the past few decades, mangroves have been disappearing around the globe. Now there’s growing recognition of their importance, and renewed efforts to restore and preserve them. Reporter Ari Daniel Shapiro visited one such project in Indonesia. >>>Click here to see more of Ari’s photos.Download MP3
Gary McKinnon extradition update, and Pirate Parties go global
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Once again, the technology podcast delves into the strange story of Gary McKinnon, the Briton accused by the US government of committing “the biggest military hack of all time.” McKinnon admits hacking (quite easily) into critical US systems in the weeks following 9/11, but that his intent was never malicious. Today, a British High Court ruling brought his extradition to the United States to stand trial one step closer.
Apollo 11 computers, net cables for Africa, and bamboo bicycles
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Finally, Technology Podcast 251 is ready for your earbuds. We have a great line-up. First, we hear about the “beatniks and little old ladies” who, quite literally, wove together the Apollo 11 computer systems 40 years ago. We’ll also take an in-depth look at the undersea fiber-optic cables that went live in East Africa, and how it might affect Internet access on the continent. And we’ll end with bamboo bicycles from Zambia.
Albinism worldwide
Albinos lack pigmentation in their skin and their hair. It is for this reason alone that albinos have been the victims of mutilations and ritual crimes, especially in Africa. Human rights advocates have documented the slaughter of more than 40 albinos in Tanzania, Burundi, and Kenya. Phillip Martin reports on global efforts to show albinos in a more favorable light. (Photo by Rick Guidotti of Positive Exposure.)
Global Political Cartoons: July 18 – 24, 2009
Cartoonists find poignancy in the timing of the 40th anniversary of the Moon landing and the death of veteran newsman Walter Cronkite. President Obama goes in for some image polishing, North Korea’s Kim Jong-Il and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have a long-distance war of words, and rumors of doping haunt the Tour de France.
Pirate Parties Go Global
The Pirate Party began in Sweden. Its political goals are to reform copyright and patent laws, and to campaign for citizen privacy, both online and in the real world. Now, the movement’s gone global. Cyrus Farivar reports. >>>Listen to the story
Tech Updates on Iran and China, the Codex Sinaiticus, and Hal and the Big 5
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On this week’s podcast, one of the world’s oldest bibles finds a new home online. Also, technology updates on the post-election violence in Iran, and the violence in western China. And we’ll end with a story of global online musical cooperation. Rock on.
Global Political Cartoons: July 4 – July 10, 2009
Europe features large in this week’s political cartoons. We see President Obama and Russian President Medvedev try to flatter and dare each other into reducing their nuclear arsenals and this year’s G8 summit host, Italian president Silvio Berlusconi, appears to be preoccupied with his life outside of government. In other images, Sarah Palin has a plan to get to the White House and Barack Obama embraces his own plan to gradually withdraw from Iraq.
Ghanaians Await President Obama
President Barack Obama arrives in Ghana on Friday. The World’s Laura Lynch is already in the capital, Accra, getting a sense of how Obama-mania has gripped the West African nation.
Global Political Cartoons: June 27 to July 3, 2009
The on-going political turmoil in Iran provides inspiration for cartoonists this week. They also tackle the coup in Honduras, Bernie Madoff’s 150-year prison sentence. Oh, and yes…Michael Jackson.
All’s A-Twitter in Iran, Kiwanja’s Ken Banks, and Skype Wedding
On this week’s Tech Podcast, we have an in-depth discussion with Ken Banks of Kiwanja and FrontlineSMS. Ken’s helping folks around the world use cell phones for all sorts of amazing things. Also, updates on Twitter in Iran and Green Dam, Youth Escort software in China. Listen
Three Questions for Femi Kuti
Afrobeat star Femi Kuti stopped by our studios recently to tell us about his new album, Day by Day. Host Marco Werman asked him three questions about one of the album’s tracks, called “You Better Ask Yourself.” Click here to see the video.
Ambuyat: Brunei’s Signature Dish
Reporter Nancy Greenleese goes in search of a dish favored by the locals in the southeast Asian nation of Brunei. It’s called “ambuyat,” a gelatinous concoction made from the insides of a jungle palm. Click on the Continue Reading button to see more pictures and a video.
Artist Ross Bleckner in Uganda
American artist Ross Bleckner is the first artist to be appointed a Goodwill ambassador by the United Nations, with the brief of highlighting the problem of human trafficking. In January he travelled to Gulu in Northern Uganda to work with a group of young people aged between the ages of 12 and 18. He helped them make pictures which tell the stories of their terrifying experiences.
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