12/26/2012
PRI’s The World: 12/26/2012 (Nigeria, Poland, Norway)
Russia’s parliament votes to ban Americans from adopting Russian children. Also, why Western ministers, even fake ones, are in high demand for Japanese weddings. And a Polish duo performs music at the touch of their fingertips.
Russian Parliament Passes Measure Banning Americans from Adopting Russian Children
The Russian Parliament Wednesday unanimously passed a measure that bans Americans from adopting Russian children. New York Times Moscow correspondent David Herszenhorn speaks with Host Lisa Mullins about the political motivations and implications.
A Russian Orphan Fights to Stop Ban on Adoptions
Alexander D’Jamoos is one of the many Russian children who have been adopted in the United States in the past 20 years. D’Jamoos has written a letter to President Putin asking him not to sign the law banning Americans from adopting Russian children.
German Couple Take Self-Portrait Every Christmas Eve Documenting Changes in Life and Country
From 1900 until 1945 a married couple in Germany took a self-portrait on Christmas Eve. The series of photographs charts dramatic changes in their life, and in their country.
Islamists in Africa Destroying Religious Mausoleums
Sunni Muslim extremists recently seized control of Timbuktu and the rest of northern Mali earlier this year. Now they’re destroying the religious relics, calling them idolatrous.
Russia’s New Required Religion Class for 4th Graders
This year Russia required fourth graders across the country to take a religion class. There are six choices: Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, secular ethics or world religions.
A Gay Couple’s Decades-Long Immigration Struggle in US
Massachusetts was the first state to legalize same-sex marriage in 2003. But about 30 years prior, a handful of couples got legally married in Boulder, Colorado. Australian Tony Sullivan and Filipino-American Richard Adams were among them. Adams passed away earlier this week, but his partner’s immigration status remains up the air.
Popularity of Western-Style Weddings in Japan Creates Demand for White Officiants
Western-style weddings are so popular in Japan that wedding companies can’t find enough ministers to fill the demand. So they hire anyone who fits the profile.
Tragic Fireworks Explosion in Nigeria
There was a deadly fire Wednesday in Nigeria’s biggest city, Lagos that killed at least one person and injured 30 others.
Norway Postcard: The Gateway to the Fjords
For the Geo Quiz, we are looking for a sea that borders Britain, Holland and Denmark and has long been the site of important European shipping lanes as well as a major fishery.
From Poland: The Mesmerizing Tones of GlassDuo
The origins of the glass harp can be traced to Benjamin Franklin, who developed one of the early versions of this instrument before it fell out of fashion for about a hundred years. Today, two classically trained musicians from Poland are touring the world with a glass harp of their own. The couple performs under the name GlassDuo.
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