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From French electronica and melancholy songwriters to worldly, eccentric indie-rock, here are 10 of this year's best debut albums, as chosen by Bruce Warren, executive producer of WXPN's World Cafe.

Fresh Air's arbiter of things filmic offers his annual year-end movies wrap-up. This time, his Top 10 list has 11 entries, as the number-nine slot features a tie. At the top: Julian Schnabel's The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

A new North Carolina government program subsidizes people who want to become beekeepers. The initiative is an attempt to address a nationwide bee shortage that threatens the future of American agriculture. NPR's Adam Hochberg reports.

Much speculation has been aired about Syria's role in the current Mideast crisis. Joshua Landis, a professor of history and Middle Eastern studies at the University of Oklahoma, tells Scott Simon that Syria wants to use Hezbollah to get back in the Mideast's diplomatic game.

Yasuo Fukuda, Japan's new prime minister, moves quickly to form a new cabinet. His ruling Liberal Democratic Party is facing a crisis of public trust that is unprecedented in more than a half century.

Fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah guerillas in Lebanon is not likely to end anytime soon. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert reiterated his position Wednesday when he told his Cabinet ministers that the offensive will continue "as long as necessary."

A car bombing near the presidential palace in Beirut on Wednesday killed a top Lebanese army officer. The victim was widely expected to succeed army Chief of Staff Michel Suleiman, who has emerged as the consensus candidate for president after months of political deadlock.

Fundraising efforts began this week for the creation of an Embassy of Tribal Nations in Washington, D.C. Host Jennifer Ludden talks with Jacquiline Johnson, the executive director of the National Congress of American Indians, which heads the effort. Johnson says the goal is to have a place for tribal governments to negotiate as a sovereign nation with U.S. and foreign leaders.

Steve Seel, afternoon music host on Minnesota Public Radio's The Current, offers his picks for the Top 10 albums of the year.

They own car dealerships, law firms, dental practices, and restaurant chains. Collectively, these overlooked business owners hold far more wealth than the Forbes 400 — and wield considerable political power.

If these books prove anything, it's that the legacy of nonfiction storytelling is still very much alive. Steve Weinberg's picks reflect the depth and diversity of the 2009 current affairs library, ranging from investigations of the role of women in America to a look at what it means to sit supreme on the highest court in the U.S.

It was an unusually strong year for great unknown artists. While bigger, more established bands continued to attract the most attention, smaller, lesser-known acts made the most memorable music of 2008. All of the great unknown artists featured here made music that was inspired, original and heartfelt.