Roundup

Koizumi apologizes for Japan's World War II legacy (4min)

Japan's Prime Minister marked the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II with a statement, approved by the Cabinet, containing an apology. But in a nationally televised address at a memorial ceremony, Junichiro Koizumi's words were more muted in the presence of Japan's emperor. Exactly sixty years to the minute after his father announced Japan's surrender, Emperor Akihito bowed his head for 60 seconds of silent prayer at a national memorial ceremony. The emperor and Empress Michiko stood fa

Hiroshima is 1st of 6 places that changed the world (45min)

The use of the atomic bomb, which helped to bring such a devastating end to the conflict in the Far East and a final conclusion to the Second World War. Debating the event are former NATO General Secretary Lord Robertson and former Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Koji Watanabe. This is the 1st part of a series tied to the 60th anniversary of VJ Day and examining the global consequences of crucial events in six places around the end of the Second World War. Presented by Gavin Esler, who is join

Aging PoWs tell new generation about WWII Japanese internment (7min)

Reporter and producer Bob Walker in Staffordshire talks to veterans marking the 60th anniversary of the end of the war in Japan.

August 15th 1945 -- Allied nations celebrate VJ Day (1min)

Japan has surrendered to the Allies after almost six years of war. There is joy and celebration around the world and 15 August has been declared Victory in Japan day. The end of war will be marked by two-day holidays in the UK, the USA and Australia. After days of rumour and speculation, US President Harry S Truman broke the good news at a press conference at the White House at 1900 yesterday. He said the Japanese Government had agreed to comply in full with the Potsdam declaration which demands

Poland observes Solidarity's 25th anniversary (24min)

Sunday August 14th 1980 was the day the Gdansk shipyard strike started, paving the way for Solidarity, the first independent mass political movement to emerge in the Soviet bloc. Two weeks later, on August 31st, Polish government representatives signed an agreement with striking shipyard workers, authorising the establishment of a new trade union free of communist control. Tim Sebastian, who was the BBC's Warsaw-based correspondent at the time, returns to Poland to assess Solidarity's legacy and

Settlers pray & pack as Gaza pullout deadline hits (4min)

Israel's government now deems it illegal for civilians to be in the Gaza Strip, as part of its planned withdrawal. Monday, Israeli soldiers will begin knocking on doors with evacuation orders; Wednesday, they plan to use force against those who remain. Thousands of settlers held an emotional prayer vigil Sunday, distraught over losing their homes. Others say they plan to resist the pullout.

A Palestinian resident of Gaza discusses the Israeli pullout (4min)

Correspondent Jennifer Ludden talks about the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza with Khalil Bashir, a Palestinian who lives next to one of the settlements. Bashir has had to share his home with Israeli army troops for the past five years and explains why he hasn't moved, despite safety concerns for his family.

Former Sinai settler looks back to Egypt's pullout (6min)

More than two decades ago, Israeli settlers living in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula were forced to leave their homes in accordance with the 1979 Israel-Egypt Peace Treaty. As the world watches the current withdrawal from Gaza, correspondent Jennifer Ludden talks with former Sinai settler Hadas Ragolsky about her memories of the withdrawal.

Historians & scholars overlook plight of Allied children and young people in WW2 Japanese internment camps (42min)

Host Sue MacGregor meets five survivors who, as children, were confined in Japanese internment camps during World War Two. This programme tells the story, largely overlooked by historians and scholars, of the children and young people who had their freedom snatched away from them for the duration of the war. Used to the splendours of colonial life, they had to adjust to an existence that was at best cramped and fearful, at worst a living hell of abuse and deprivation.To mark

Clergy, educator & ethicist discuss interplay between faith & science (1hr 34min)

In a roundtable archived in Kansas City on June 22nd 2005, the conversation focuses on science and faith. How can these systems of inquiry and belief enhance each other and strengthen our lives? How can we articulate a vision that embraces both? Evolution and intelligent design, stem cell research, as well as the truths that spring from both science and religion, are discussed by Myra Christopher, president and executive director of the Center for Practical Bioethics; Jack Krebs, a member of the

Camille Paglia attacks politicizing of American universities & maligning of Western civilization by Europe-focused theorists (1hr 31min)

In an address archived on May 5th 2005, Camille Paglia talks about the culture war, focusing on the politicization of American universities and the maligning of Western civilization by campus theorists "addicted to French or German ideas that have no relevance to American culture." She also discusses the need for students to study the Bible in order to understand great art and literature; the mediocrity and triviality of current popular culture, which is the entire cultural landscape o

Kosovar refugee recalls flight from Serbia (28min)

The war in Serbia and the subsequent displacement of Albanians has become a savage epilogue to the 20th century. Tens of thousands fled their homes for the refugee camps in neighboring countries. The camps, giant tent cities, housed twenty to thirty thousand people in overcrowded conditions. Heat, starvation, long lines and fatigue epitomized the tragedy of their nation. As NATO troops entered Kosovo, Operation Safe Haven was launched as a humanitarian effort, to evacuate thousands of refugees f

Vietnamese War refugee returns to Saigon & Hanoi (28min)

"A Refugee Returns" examines the Vietnam War's bitter legacy for one divided family. For many Vietnamese the war remains an open wound. Though Vietnam is now unified, there is still a gulf between the North and the South. So too, many families remain divided by the decisions they made during the war. This is the story of one such family and Hung Le, a Toronto businessman, as he returns to Vietnam for the first time since his escape in 1979. This program comes to us from the Canadian Br

Progressives take issue with Justice Sunday II, 1st of 2 (1hr)

In the 1st hour of a special show, Pacifica national affairs correspondent Larry Bensky counters "Justice Sunday II: God Save the United States and this Honorable Court!," a television spectacle happening also this Sunday, where the Religious Right is beaming out their own special brand of TV-style religious manipulation to try to garner support for Bush and the New Christian Right members of Congress and government. Listener call-ins are included from stations KPFA/Berkeley, KFCF/Fres

Progressives take issue with Justice Sunday II, 2nd of 2 (1hr)

In the 2nd hour of a special show countering "Justice Sunday II," Pacifica national affairs correspondent Larry Bensky shines light on the Religious Right in this country, and looks at how they came to lay claim to "ownership" of morality, integrity, and religion in America. He is joined by the general secretary of the National Council of Churches, former Congressman Bob Edgar; along with Bill Goodman from Cornell University's Theocracywatch.org; the Reverend Pete Laarman fro

Former members of Congress Gibbons, Cleland & Pitts recount combat experiences (3hr)

This weekend we continue with interviews with former & current members of Congress who are military veterans. These interviews were conducted by the Library of Congress staff for their Veterans History Project, which is an effort to collect oral histories from all of America's veterans. Participants: Fmr. Rep. Sam Gibbons (D-FL, 1963-97) on D-Day, when he parachuted into France with the 101st Airborne Division. Fmr. Sen. Max Cleland (D-GA, 1997-2003) on his memories of serving in Vietnam, wh

Voices in the news (3min)

A sound montage of some of the voices in this past week's news, including: Peter Jennings, the ABC news anchor who died this past week; voice of NASA mission control in Houston, welcoming the Shuttle Discovery crew home and Israeli settlers on the impending withdrawal from Gaza.

Asia marks 60th anniversary of Japan's WWII surrender (3min)

Asia on Sunday is beginning to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the surrender of Japan, which brought a close to the Second World War. It was on August 14, 1945, that Japan communicated to the Allied powers that it would surrender. The official announcement from Tokyo came the following day. It was the day after Tokyo sent its surrender notice to the Allies that its own people learned the news. On August 15, 1945, Japan's national radio network boosted the power of its transmitters for an unp

Music & fashion, 5th of 6 -- The colour of money (55min)

They say that classical music is dead. Was it the fashion-obsessed recording industry that killed it? Recordings have popularised a lot of music, like the blues, but at what price? Why have certain types of music been fashionable at certain moments in history, and what might this tell us about the way in which human beings hear, appreciate and use music? Presenter Andrew Ford explores the transitory (and often unmusical) nature of fame.

Which version of ancient Egyptian history is most accurate?

There are many different versions of ancient Egyptian history, as written by many different archaeologists. But which of these histories is closest to the way it really was? Egyptologist and broadcaster John Romer has had a passion for the glories of Ancient Egypt for over 40 years, ever since he visited the British Museum as a child. He first went to Egypt in the 1960s, not long before the Six Day War, and there he worked with archaeologists from many different nations, all of whom had a differ