Latest Editions
PRI’s The World: 05/03/2013 (Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Jamaica)
In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, relations between Moscow and Washington appear to be improving. But is it really the start of a new friendship? Also, the final chapter in our China Past Due series takes a look at political reform. And e rocksteady with Jamaican reggae star Ken Boothe.
Alleged Boston Bombers’ July 4th Plot
The suspected Boston marathon bombers didn’t originally plan to attack the sporting event, focusing instead on the city’s 4th of July celebrations. That’s according to law enforcement officials familiar with what the surviving suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, allegedly told FBI agents in the days after his capture. Anchor Aaron Schachter speaks with Frontline and The World’s Arun Rath for an update on the investigation.
Kazakhs Respond to Boston Bombing Arrests
Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov were university friends of Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. They were charged this week with attempting to destroy evidence. Reaction in Kazakhstan has been mixed, according to Rose Kudabaeva, with the BBC’s Russian Service. Kudabaeva speaks with anchor Aaron Schachter about what people are saying about the arrests of the Kazakh nationals.
What’s Fueling the Buddhist-Muslim Clashes in Myanmar
There is every expectation that Myanmar’s reformist President Thein Sein will be invited to the White House this month. If it happens, it will be historic: the first state visit by a Burmese leader since 1966. But amid the anticipation is deep concern over a sharp spike in communal violence between Buddhists and Muslims in Burma. It started a few months ago in western Myanmar, also known as Burma, but has spread to the central part of the country.
Member of a Jewish Holocaust ‘Revenge Squad’ Tells Story
A few weeks ago, Israel commemorated Holocaust Memorial Day. The World’s Middle East Correspondent Matthew Bell met a man there with a unique Holocaust story that he was somewhat reluctant to talk about. It’s a story about revenge.
Iron Man 3: Blockbuster in China, Not Coming Soon to a Theater Near You
Iron Man 3 is set to open this weekend in the US. It already hit blockbuster status when it opened in China this past Wednesday. However, American moviegoers will not be seeing the Chinese blockbuster. Hollywood filmmakers altered the film for Chinese audiences.
China Past Due: Political Reforms
China’s Communist Party has grown used to governing unchallenged and unchecked, and it likes it that way. Censors erase critical language, courts do what the Party tells them to do, and protests are quickly put down. But a growing chorus of voices, including some in the Party, are saying that Chinese society has changed, and China’s political system needs to change with it.
School Year Blog: Making Sandwiches to Help Disabled Children
Some girls at COSAT get sick of all the junk food at their school, and decide to start selling healthy sandwiches. The money starts rolling in, and they decide to spend it in an extremely noble way.
Music of Rocksteady Star Ken Boothe Re-Discovered by NYC DJs
For Friday’s Global Hit, we take a look at the music of Jamaican reggae singer Ken Boothe. Boothe is one of Jamaica’s great “rocksteady” stars from the 60s. His music was re-discovered by two New York City DJs from the Dig Deeper project, which tracks down forgotten musicians and brings them back to the stage.
PRI’s The World: 05/02/2013 (Canada, Greece, North Korea)
Lebanon-based Hezbollah vows to keep Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad in power. Also, China can’t let go of state-owned enterprise, even though it is stifling growth – part 4 of our series China Past Due. Plus, young Greeks go abroad to find work and their diaspora is being tracked online.
Hezbollah Comes Clean: It Stands With Syrian Government
The leader of the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group this week declared that friends of Bashar al-Assad would not let the Syrian president fall. The World’s Matthew Bell reports on Hezbollah’s role in the Syrian conflict.
The Debate Over Intervening in Syria
Reports of chemical weapon use in Syria have reignited the debate over a possible US or Western intervention in Syria’s civil war. But even Syrian opposition supporters can’t agree on the way forward. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with two Syrian emigres, Dr. Rim Turkmani in London and Professor Amr al-Azm in Ohio.
Canadian Jihadist Linked to Accused Boston Bomber
William Plotnikov was a Russian Canadian who converted to Islam and joined an insurgency in the Russian republic of Dagestan. Plotnikov was killed last year in a raid by Russian security forces.There have been reports in the media that Plotnikov may have been in contact with deceased Boston Marathon bombings suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev.
Bangladeshi Cartoonists Draw on the Garment Factory Tragedy
People around the globe have seen the heart-breaking images from the scene of the garment factory collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh. But Syed Rashad Imam Tanmoy, a cartoonist for The Dhaka Tribune, says it’s gut-wrenching to see it up close. His cartoons celebrate the outpouring of help from Bangladeshis rich and poor, but they also call out episodes of political opportunism.
North Koreans Sentence American to 15 Years of Hard Labor
North Korean officials have sentenced American Kenneth Bae, a tour operator from Washington state to 15 years of hard labor. If the past is any guide, North Korea is hoping the sentencing will trigger a high-profile US mission to negotiate Bae’s release, as former Obama advisor Jeffrey Bader explains to anchor Marco Werman.
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