PRI's The World Nov 30, 2012

Every year in Chile the nation unites behind a common cause: A 27 hour-long telethon to raise tens of millions of dollars for disabled children. But behind this mammoth marketing machine is a sad picture of governmental neglect and capitalist profiteering, as Oliva Crellin reports from Santiago.

Conservationists are mobilizing to eradicate a rat population that threatens a remote South Atlantic island's sea birds. Zoologist Tony Martin from the University of Dundee, Scotland is leading one of the biggest rat busting operations ever carried out.

Mexican President Felipe Calderón officially leaves office this Saturday, heading off to teach at Harvard. Most will remember Calderon's six-year term for his violent war on drugs. More than 50,000 were killed in drug-related violence. Reducing violence will be a top issue facing incoming president, Enrique Peña Nieto.

A group of Guatemalan villagers are suing the Canadian mining company Hudbay Minerals claiming it is responsible for violence that left one man dead, another paralyzed and a group of women victims of gang rapes, something the company denies.

Friday was a day of dramatic testimony at the pre-trial hearing in the case of Bradley Manning. The US Army private is due to be court-martialed on 22 charges, including "aiding the enemy."

As international climate negotiators meet in Doha, Qatar, scientists are issuing a stark warning of possibly huge emissions of the greenhouse gas methane from the warming Arctic.

Mosques don't usually welcome gay and lesbian worshipers but on Friday a Muslim group just outside Paris held what's billed as the first "gay-friendly" Islamic worship in Europe. The group also allows men and women to pray together.

Lisa Mullins speaks with George Friedman of the global intelligence firm StratFor. Friedman believes the international community has to come to grips with the fact that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been reduced to a warlord, albeit one with support, firepower and tenacity.

Activist Amer al-Sadeq says rebels are gaining territory in the capital and opposition activists are finding ways to work around the communication blackout.

International flights into Damascus have stopped as fighting spreads to roads leading to the Syrian capital's airport. Also, the US Army private accused in the WikiLeaks case takes the stand. And a mosque outside Paris holds what is billed as Europe's first "gay-friendly" Muslim worship place.

Silvana Kane goes solo on her new album 'La Jardinera.' The Peruvian-born lead singer of the the band Pacifika reinterprets the songs from her youth.