Entire program – September 3, 2009

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Today on The World: Iran’s new Minister of Defense causes an international stir; Also, a new report blames a warmer Arctic on increased greenhouse gas emissions; And a look at countries where what Americans see as the future of high speed rail is already a reality.

Fallout from Afghanistan’s elections

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Anchor Marco Werman discusses the fallout from Afghanistan’s contested elections with Rory Stewart, director of Harvard’s Carr Center for Human Rights Policy, and Max Boot of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Disillusionment with Karzai’s government

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To understand the growing disillusionment among Afghan’s with Hamid Karzai’s government look to the case of Ghulam Yahya. Yahya used to be a member of the Karzai government. He used to work hand in hand with western officials to help rebuild Afghanistan. And he used to fight the Taliban. Now Ghulam Yahya has JOINED the Taliban. Anchor Marco Werman speaks with Wall Street Journal reporter Yaroslav Trofimov, who travelled to Herat to profile the man who switched his allegiances and took up arms against US and NATO forces.

Europe’s high speed rail

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President Obama’s stimulus plan includes billions of dollars to help jump-start a new network of high-speed trains. But the future of rail is already a reality in other parts of the world, including Japan, China… and… as Kathleen Schalch reports, the European Union.

Maps of planned US system and high speed rail links in Europe

Arctic warming

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Arctic temperatures in the 1990s reached their warmest level of any decade in at least 2,000 years, despite a gradual cooling trend over that time as the Earth cycled further away from the sun. A new study being published in Science Magazine tomorrow concludes that the cooling was reversed because of increased emissions of carbon dioxide and other green house gases. The World’s Katy Clark reports.

UN secretary general visits the arctic

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Marco Werman speaks with Norway’s Environment Minister Erik Solheim about his trip to the Arctic this week, accompanying UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

Bangladesh changes dress code

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This week, the prime minister of Bangladesh re-wrote the government’s dress code in hopes of easing the country’s energy shortage. She ordered male government employees to stop wearing jackets and ties. Just trousers and shirts are fine, and no need to tuck shirts in either.

Controversy over Iran’s new defense minister

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Iran’s new Minister of Defense is wanted by Argentina for the 1994 bombing of a Jewish cultural center that killed 85 people in Buenos Aires. The World’s Laura Lynch has the story.

Advertising in North Korea

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The World’s Alex Gallafent describes some new advertisements airing on North Korean TV. The ad is long, colorful and features a floating piece of ginseng root.

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Geo Quiz

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Our daily geography puzzler.

Geo answer

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The answer to our Geo Quiz today MAY be the site of a historic shipwreck. It’s a treacherous stretch of the Atlantic Ocean called Long Shoal (one of the Nantucket Shoals) located between Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts. Underwater explorer Barry Clifford tells anchor Marco Werman about the early China trading vessel called the Semiramis that sank in 1804.

Si Para Usted

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Psychedelic mambo from Cuba is featured in our Global Hit today. Anchor Marco Werman tells us about the second volume of music to be released by the band Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna. Download MP3