Full Program

Part 1

We begin with the on-going tragedy in Nepal and speak with Alexander von Rospatt, a Professor of Buddhist and South Asian Studies at the University of California Berkeley who has over 20 years of field experience in the Kathmandu Valley which was devastated by Saturday’s earthquake that has claimed more than 5,000 lives.  We discuss rescue efforts underway and international help that already has the airport at Kathmandu unable to park any more planes. We additionally look into the most effective ways for people to offer assistance for efforts to restore the cultural heritage of the Kathmandu Valley.

Part 2

Then we look into the U.S. visit of Japan’s Prime Minister Abe who will address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. Thomas Berger, Professor of International Relations at Boston University and author of “War, Guilt and World Politics After World War II” joins us to discuss Abe’s efforts to crack down on press freedom and his continual denial of World War II atrocities as well as the reversal underway in Japan’s post-war “pacifist” defense posture as the U.S. encouraged Japan to join it in containing China both militarily and economically with the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact.

Part 3

Then finally we speak with Houri Berberian a Professor of History and the Director of the Middle East Program at California State University Long Beach. She is just back from Turkey where she participated in demonstrations on the 100^th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, which in spite of Turkey’s growing international isolation, President Erdogan insists did not happen.

Full Program

Part 1

We will begin with the E.U. emergency summit to prevent further deaths of migrants, 1,750 of whom have drowned in the Mediterranean so far this year prompting European leaders to promise more naval assets but not much help for those 35,000 who have made it to Europe and no strategy to stem the flow of refugees from Africa and the Middle East. Patrick Kingsley, the Egypt correspondent for the U.K. Guardian, who has investigated networks of human traffickers in Egypt and Libya, joins us from the island of Malta where funerals for 24 of the 800 victims who lost their lives in last weekend’s sinking were held today, with many buried in nameless graves.   

Part 2

Then, as Saudi airstrikes resume in Yemen after a brief pause, we look into what possible strategy the Saudis might have as they insist the rebel Houthis must give up all the territory they have captured before any talks begin, while at the same time the Houthis insist they won’t begin talks unless Saudi airstrikes end. Sharmine Narwani, a political analyst and commentator on Mideast geopolitics and a former senior associate at St. Anthony’s College, Oxford University, joins us from Beirut to discuss the growing problems the Saudis have around their periphery and at home with a restive Shia minority and 25% of the population living in poverty, while a billionaire prince offers 100 free Bentleys to 100 Saudi pilots who are bombing one of the poorest countries in the world.