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Gerry Hadden
Blue fin tuna in trouble
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Europe has joined the United States in a call to suspend commercial fishing for Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna. Many experts say the Blue Fin is seriously over fished. But as The World’s Gerry Hadden reports, opponents have pledged to ignore any ban.
Portugal’s soft war on drugs
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Ten years ago Portugal decriminalized drug use. We’re not just talking marijuana, but all drugs. From cocaine to heroin. Back then, Portugal had a big – and visible – heroin problem. The idea is to treat drug users as sick people, not criminals. Most feel that decriminalization is working, even though drug use isn’t down. The World’s Gerry Hadden reports from Lisbon. Download MP3 (Photo of drug rehab artwork: Gerry Hadden)
Iceland’s debt clouds country’s future
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Iceland’s population is only about 317,000 people. Many are worried that the country’s current debt crisis will force the best and brightest to leave Iceland in search of work. Unemployment in Iceland has risen from one to ten percent just in the last year. But some young Icelanders, like Oern Haroldson (pictured), aren’t waiting for the government to get its economic house in order. The World’s Gerry reports. Download MP3
Iceland’s desire to create save haven for journalists
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Iceland is considering legislation aimed at making it a legal safe haven for journalists, publishers, and even companies that host websites. But it’s not clear how much protection the proposed measure would actually provide outside Iceland’s borders. The World’s Gerry Hadden reports from Reykjavik. Download MP3 (Photo: Gerry Hadden)
Portugal says it’s not Greece
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As Greece struggles with its mounting debt, some other struggling European economies are trying to assure investors that they’re not the next Greece. One of those countries is Portugal. The World’s Gerry Hadden reports from Lisbon.
Congolese singer sings Serge Gainsbourg
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Last week we had French actress and singer/songwriter Charlotte Gainsbourg on the show. She told us that she didn’t write songs in French, because of the legacy of her late father, Serge Gainsbourg. Serge Gainsbourg is considered the father of modern French music. His controversial lyrics and inimitable delivery have made him a tough act to follow. Following in papa Gainsbourg’s footsteps is a challenge for any performer. But an unlikely artist is giving it a shot. Little known Congolese singer Jean Paul Wabotai recently acquired the rights to ten Gainsbourg lyrics never before put to music. The World’s Gerry Hadden has his story. Download MP3
Clandestine dining in Spain
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The police in Barcelona recently raided a suspicious looking dry cleaners. It was late at night and something fishy was going on. People were going in. But they weren’t coming out. It had all the makings of a front for some illegal business. Turns out it was a front. But the cops didn’t find anything nefarious. Just people eating dinner. The World’s Gerry Hadden explains. Download MP3
Health care in Spain
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Health care access isn’t a right in the United States. But it is in many other countries… including Spain. Recently two Spanish towns began to chip away at that. They started by denying benefits to undocumented immigrants. The World’s Gerry Hadden reports from Vic, Spain.
France’s aid effort in Haiti
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French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been trying to defuse a potentially embarrassing quarrel with the United States over claims that France is being sidelined in the aid effort in Haiti. France’s International Co-operation Minister Alain Joyandet complained that a French plane carrying a field hospital was turned back by US troops. The World’s Europe correspondent Gerry Hadden reports. Download MP3
Flu vaccine overstock
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After this year’s rush to stock up on the vaccine against the H1N1 Flu, some European countries are now trying to unload millions of doses. Countries such as Spain, Germany, The Netherlands and France have found themselves with huge stockpiles because far fewer citizens than expected sought the vaccine out. Governments are hoping to cancel orders or sell the excess vaccines to developing nations even as they’re being criticized for overreacting and overspending against the disease. The World’s Gerry Hadden reports.
Catalonia to vote on bullfighting ban
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Animal lovers in one corner of Spain ended the year on a happy note. The Parliament of Catalonia has agreed to vote on whether to ban bullfighting. It is already relatively unpopular among Catalans but activists had to fight for years just to get the issue before legislators. The World’s Gerry Hadden reports. Download MP3
Zapatero and Bean: Separated at birth?
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Visitors to Spain’s European Union presidency website have been greeted by an image of hapless fictional character Mr. Bean (right?) instead of Spain’s Socialist leader (left?). An unidentified person briefly hijacked the site on Monday, replacing Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero with that of the bumbling comedy buffoon, played by British actor Rowan Atkinson. The World’s Gerry Hadden has our story. Download MP3
Antoni Gaudi, architect … and saint?
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In Spain, an unlikely candidate is being championed for sainthood. It’s Antoni Gaudi, perhaps the country’s most famous architect. Gaudi is best known for his modernist masterpieces such as the still unfinished Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona. Those who want him canonized say he was also a devout Catholic, and that his works actually convert people to Christianity. The World’s Gerry Hadden reports from Barcelona. Download MP3
Catalans stage mock secession vote
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Yesterday, 166 towns in Spain held a vote on whether to secede from the country. It all took place in the semi-autonomous region of Catalonia. The voting was purely symbolic, because secession votes are actually illegal in Spain. Catalan separatists organized the mock event because many Catalans are upset with the central government in Madrid. The World’s Gerry Hadden reports. Download MP3 (Photo: Gerry Hadden)
Global Hit: Paganini
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For today’s Global Hit, we tackle a very serious subject: classical music. Or maybe not so serious, if you’re checking out Paganini, a comedy string quartet from Spain and Lebanon. The group’s mission is to get the world of classical music to lighten up. The World’s Gerry Hadden went to one of Paganini’s shows in Spain. Download MP3
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