11/08/2012
PRI’s The World: 11/08/2012 (China, Egypt, Afghanistan)
China’s Communist Party opens a Congress that will appoint a new set of national leaders. Maronite Christians in Israel bring Aramaic back to life. And Afghan religious extremists can’t stop one young female rapper from singing her songs.
Choosing New Leaders in China
The Chinese Communist Party opened a pivotal Congress, which will usher in a new set of Chinese leaders. Anchor Aaron Schachter speaks with The World’s Mary Kay Magistad in Beijing.
Egypt to Ban Internet Porn
Egypt’s public prosecutor this week ordered internet service providers to block pornographic websites. The move is popular with resurgent religious conservatives, but is being condemned by liberals who fear increasing censorship. We speak with reporter Noel King in Cairo.
Devastation in Cuba Following Hurricane Sandy
Hurricane Sandy hit Cuba hard. The storm ripped through Santiago, in the southern end of the island, damaging an estimated 230,000 homes and leaving 11 Cubans dead. Sandy also wiped out thousands of acres of staple crops. Now concerns are growing that food will become scarce.
Effort in Israel Underway to Bring Up the Altalena from the Deep
Israel’s Begin Center in Jerusalem is raising money to commemorate a painful but pivotal episode in Israel’s history. In 1948, a Jewish group headed by Menachem Begin brought in a cache of weapons aboard the Altalena, a ship carrying Jewish refugees. The fledgling state’s leader, David Ben Gurion, ordered the army to attack the ship, arguing that Begin’s group, the Irgun, was a rogue militia.
Corksphere War Blog to Wind Down
Bill Corcoran, author of Corksphere, a blog that tracks America’s wars, talks about why he’s winding down the blog after 5 years– there has been a sharp decline in readership, and he’s finding it harder to get the information he needs.
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.
Aramaic Revival in the Holy Land
Israel’s Maronites don’t like being labeled as Arabs. They have gone to court for recognition as ‘Aramaic.’ The problem is, most of them don’t speak much Aramaic. So now the language is being re-introduced.
Women’s Soccer Scores in Afghanistan
Sajia Sahar, the 21-year-old captain of the Afghan Women’s National Soccer Team, reflects on how the sport has grown in her country despite many challenges.
Soosan Firooz: Afghanistan’s First Female Rapper
Soosan Firooz is a female rapper in Afghanistan whose life has been threatened by extremists. Despite these threats she has the support of her family and says she will keep on singing. Anchor Aaron Schachter tells us more.
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