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“MI6: A Century in the Shadows”

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MI6Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, known as MI6, is usually pretty tight-lipped about its role in the shadowy world of international espionage. But BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera recently got access to senior intelligence officers, agents, and even the head of MI6 himself. We interview Corera about the making of his radio documentary, “MI6: A Century in the Shadows.” >>>Click here to read and hear more about Corera’s radio documentary.

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On the Road to a Climate Deal: Bismarck, North Dakota

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The World’s Jason Margolis tells us why Bismarck, North Dakota has such a major role in determining US legislation on climate change.

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Taking you “Inside the Taliban”

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Inside the TalibanThe World, in conjunction with GlobalPost and The PBS NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, team up to give you an amazing glimpse into the past, present and future of the Taliban. Veteran reporter Charles Sennott journeys to Pakistan and Afghanistan to document the rise, the fall, and the rebirth of the movement. Click on the player above to hear or download our four-part series “Inside the Taliban.” (Photo: Seamus Murphy/VII for GlobalPost) Also, be sure to check out GlobalPost’s “Life, Death and the Taliban,” and The PBS NewsHour’s “Profiles of the Taliban.

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Afghanistan’s new national park

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For our Geo Quiz today we’re looking for the name of Afghanistan’s new national park. It’s nestled in the Hindu Kush mountain range of Central Afghanistan.

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Geo Quiz

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Our daily geography puzzler.

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Geo answer

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It’s nestled high up in the Hindu Kush mountain range of Central Afghanistan. Jessica Weinstein — says getting to this national park from the capital Kabul was a long and winding journey.

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World Books Review: I Want to be a Showbiz Solipsist

AnonymousCelebrityVeteran Brazilian writer Ignácio de Loyola Brandão expertly lampoons the vapidity of celebrity culture, the tyranny of the photo-op, in his latest novel.

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DDT use provokes political battle in Uganda

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DDTwebThe pesticide DDT, long banned in the United States, has made something of a comeback in Africa. DDT can be an effective weapon against malaria. The U.S. government, and the World Health Organization are encouraging African countries to use the insecticide, and say it is safe when handled properly. But in the East African nation of Uganda, DDT has provoked a fierce political battle. Reporter Alison Hawkes traveled to northern Uganda.

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Reality check on DDT use

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hi001069345So what’s the reality when it comes to DDT? Is it really necessary for fighting malaria? How dangerous is it to people? We run those questions and others by May Berenbaum, head of the department of entomology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She studies the relationship between insects and people. (Photo: Sinclair Stammers/Science Photo Library) >>>Ask May Berenbaum about DDT use in our latest World Science Forum.

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A DDT debate in Uganda

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In Uganda, a government program to battle malaria using the pesticide DDT has provoked a fierce backlash. Farmers, politicians, and villagers fear the government is poisoning them. Yet many public health experts say the risks of DDT are far less than the risks of malaria. Alison Hawkes traveled to northern Uganda and sent this report.

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An entomologist’s take on DDT

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So what’s the reality when it comes to DDT? Is it really necessary for fighting malaria? And how dangerous is it to people? Anchor Marco Werman gets some answers from May Berenbaum, head of the department of entomology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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Global Political Cartoons: August 1 -7, 2009

67487_600This week’s cartoons reflect the shifting political ground under President Barack Obama. We see his approval ratings slip, more negative chatter about his ‘beers-at-the-White House’ as a teachable moment about race, and the seething debate over how to reform healthcare. But then the dramatic release of two American journalists from North Korea and cartoonists pick up their pencils and brushes to rehash former President Clinton’s reputation as a charmer.

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What are you doing to conserve water?

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366826369_2a21456a46Seawater covers 71 percent of the planet. Fresh water is a much more precious commodity. So, a Brazilian environmental group has come up with a novel proposal for conserving clean water. SOS Mata Atlantica is urging people to urinate in the shower. Doing so could save households more than a thousand gallons of water a year in toilet flushes. Leave your comment…(photo: flickr.com/photos/gehat)

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Geo Quiz and Answer

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The answer to today’s Geo Quiz is the Ionian Sea. It’s the site of a environmental battle over endangered loggerhead turtles. The BBC’s Malcolm Brabant reports from the island of Zakynthos

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Going in the shower to save water

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A Brazilian environmental group, SOS Mata Atlantica, is campaigning to conserve water. It says households can save more than a thousand gallons of water a year by cutting back on one toilet flush a day. So it’s running ads urging people to urinate in the shower to save water. Anchor Lisa Mullins has details.

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