Fifty years ago today, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik. Fifty years ago Jack Kerouac taught us how to be a beatnik. Anchor Lisa Mullins looks back on a time of change in both space and society.

The World's Clark Boyd looks back at the first living being to be sent into space. Laika was a stray dog from the streets of Moscow. She was sent into space aboard Sputnik-2. That was the second satellite put into orbit by the Soviet Union 50 years ago.

A recent survey revealed that 3 out of 4 Russians would prefer a strong economy to a strong democracy if they had to choose. Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with international economics expert, John Letiche, to examine Russian attitudes.

The World's Aaron Schachter reports on today's meeting in Washington between President Bush and Lebanese politician Saad Hariri. Hariri is the son and political heir of Rafik Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister who was assassinated in 2005. The younger Hariri is now a leader of the anti-Syrian factions in Lebanon.

The leaders of North and South Korea ended their historic summit today with a pledge to seek a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War. The World's Mary Kay Magistad reports.

The World's Jeb Sharp profiles Burmese pro-democracy activist, Min Ko Naing. The revered activist spent 15 years in prison after the 1988 pro-democracy uprising. He was arrested again this past August.

Min Ko Naing with his family (Nov 2004)

The Burmese military leader, General Than Shwe, has reportedly agreed in principle to meet the detained pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. Meanwhile the government's military forces continue their crackdown on Burmese protesters. Anchor Lisa Mullins gets details from a BBC reporter, who can't give her name for security reasons.

The New York Times reported today that the CIA is once again holding prisoners at secret sites overseas. The Bush administration said last year it would transfer inmates to Guantanamo. This after it was revealed that the CIA held terror suspects at secret prisons throughout Europe from 2003 to 2005. Anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with John Radsan, former deputy general counsel at the CIA, about today's story.

October 4, 2007 full program

A recent collection of music from Peru shows what happens when electric guitars penetrated the edge of the Amazon rainforest in the 1960s. The World's Marco Werman has today's Global Hit.