Entire program – January 21, 2010

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Today on The World: A report from a US Navy hospital ship that’s taking in some of Haiti’s most seriously wounded; The furor in Japan over a bill that would allow non-Japanese citizens to vote in local elections; and the music of a 19th century Russian composer comes alive in the hands of Chinese piano virtuoso Xiayin Wang.

US Navy hospital ship helping Haitians

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The US is sending another 4,000 Navy sailors and Marines to Haiti for the earthquake relief effort, diverting them from deployments in the Gulf and Africa. The Pentagon reported on Wednesday that the Navy hospital ship Comfort, had received its first Haitian patients. WAMU reporter Sabri Ben-Achour is onboard the USNS Comfort and sent this report. Download MP3 (Photo: Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty Images)

• BBC coverage of the Haiti earthquake
• BBC flickr picture gallery
• US Navy homepage

Haiti’s vodou religion

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The earthquake in Haiti was recently blamed on a ‘pact with the devil’. Anthropologists say the claim has a long history, going back to centuries-old misrepresentations of Haitian vodou. And they say the currency of such ideas will make a difference to Haiti’s future, too. The World’s Alex Gallafent reports. Download MP3

• BBC photo journal: Vodou in West Africa
• Trailer for 1932 movie “White Zombie”

Clinton outlines global Internet freedom policy

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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has harshly criticized China and other countries for restricting Internet access. Mrs Clinton said there had been a recent spike in threats to the free flow of information. She was speaking at the Newseum in Washington, DC in a wide-ranging speech on Internet freedom. Cyrus Farivar reports. Download MP3 (Photo: US State Department)

• Full text of Clinton’s speech
• BBC coverage
• Video: Clips from Clinton’s speech

Japan’s “foreigners”

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Japan’s parliament is considering letting “permanent foreign residents” vote in local elections. That basically means people of Korean descent, some of whom were born in Japan and have lived there their whole lives. It’s a politically sensitive issue and, as Akiko Fujita reports, the bill has sparked a fierce public debate. Download MP3

• Koreans in Japan

Treating the wounded on land

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Anchor Marco Werman speaks with reporter and Doctor Sheri Fink, who is at a field hospital set up by the US government in Port au Prince.

Whiffling and other linguistic gems

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Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Adam Jacot de Boinod about his book “The Wonder of Whiffling and Other Extraordinary Words in the English Language”.

“The Wonder of Whiffling” by Adam Jacot de Boinod

Aid frustration in Haiti

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Anchor Marco Werman speaks with the BBC’s Adam Mynott in Port au Prince, about the obstacles and frustrations surrounding efforts to get more aid to earthquake survivors in Haiti.

France debates a ban on burqa

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John Laurenson reports that a parliamentary committee in France is considering a national ban on the burqa, the full-body covering worn by some Muslim women.

Geo Quiz

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Where will our Geo Quiz take us today?

Geo answer

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Today’s Geo Quiz focused on two mountain resorts in and around Vancouver, Canada. The answers are Whistler Mountain and Cypress Mountain. Both are venues for the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. Some are worried that there isn’t enough snow at the resorts. Anchor Marco Werman gets the scoop from CBC sports reporter Rick Cluff in Vancouver.

Xiayin Wang

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The music we’re listening to is a composition by the late 19th century Russian composer Alexander Scriabin. It comes from a recording titled “Scriabin: Piano, Poems, Waltzes, Dances.” The pianist is the immensely talented young Chinese virtuoso Xiayin Wang.