Newslip Episode 12 29.03.09

Welcome to Newslip. I'm Wesley Gerrad. Here are the stories making the news this week.

A dam had burst near the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. The Situ Gintung dam was sixteen metres high and held back an artificial lake of 2 million cubic metres of water. Cracks had been spotted in the dam about a year ago and local populations were on a state of high alert. After heavy rain on Thursday evening, the dam burst and 93 people were killed. Rescue efforts are currently trying to prevent the casualty count from rising any higher.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has come under pressure after it was revealed that she had claimed parliamentary expenses for the adult films to which her husband subscribed at their family home. Mrs Smith said that whilst claiming for her internet expenses she had accidentally added a TV subsciption bill to her costs.The minister is currently being investigated over her use of the parliamentary second homes allowance. She is reported to have given her husband an angry 'dressing down' and he has unreservedly apologised for his actions.

The police in Northern Ireland said Monday night that they had charged a 17-year-old with the murder of a police officer two weeks ago in a town 25 miles from Belfast. Police officials said the unnamed youth accused of killing the officer, Constable Stephen Carroll, was also charged with being a member of the Continuity I.R.A., a dissident faction of the Irish Republican Army. The officer’s killing on March 9 took place two days after attackers killed two soldiers outside a British Army base.

American President Barack Obama announced his new Afghanistan policy this week. He has committed an extra 17000 troops to the wartorn region to compliment the 38000 already there. It is a similar policy to his predecessor George Bush's 'surge' on Iraq. He strengthens the US's resolve in defeating Al Qaeda on their home turf in order to prevent a repeat of attacks on the US homeland. Obama also talked of the need to strengthen diplomatic ties with Pakistan which is where a lot of the trouble in the region stems from.

The killer of sixteen year old catholic, Jimmy Mizen, has been jailed. Jake Fahri was found guilty of murdering the boy with a glass dish after a row in a bakery in southeast London. During a scuffle between the youths, who had a history, the jugular vein of Mizen was severed. Mizen's family have condemned the attack and the society which produced the killer. Fahri was jailed for a minimum of fourteen years.

A FedEx corp cargo plan crashed at Japan's Narita airport, killing the two US pilots on board. Strong winds caused the plane to divert from the runway. It landed hard and was engulfed in a ball of flames. The main runway of Tokyo's airport was closed while the crash site could be cleared. The plane had been en route form Guangzhou China. It was the first fatal incident at Narita since the airport opened in 1978.

Intelligence chiefs have warned that China may have gained the capability to shut down Britain by crippling its telecoms and utilities. They have informed ministers of their fears after Huawei, the Chinese telecom giant, installed equipment in BT's new communications network. There have been a growing number of cyberwarfare attacks on Britian recently, in particular form foreign governments such as Russia and China. The head of Huawei is Ren Zhengfei, who is a former director of the telecoms research arm of the People's Liberation Army. It is feared that should China choose to attack Britain, the new communications network would facilitate any action.

A British yachtsman, Malcom Robertson, was bludgeoned to death aboard his ship in Thailand. The incident occurred when three Burmese fishermen boarded his vessel and, in front of his family, hit him repeatedly wityh a hammer then threw his body overboard, making off with valuables. Thai police have charged the three men who were caught soon after the incident, with robbery and murder. Reports of Mr Robertson's body being discovered floating in the sea have proved false. During the ordeal, his wife was stripped, beaten and tied up below deck.

North Korea have prepared a missile for launch which has put the globe on high alert. The North Koreans claim that the missile is due to launch a space satellite but experts fear it could be aprt of plans for a long range missile with atomic warhead attached. Japan has prepared its military to shoot down the missile, should there be a threat to Japanese soverign territory. North Korea have declared that this would be an act of war and that they would then proceed to continue tests with their nuclear program. Dealing with the missile, which is due to be launched some time between April 4th and 8th , is a problem that is likely to unsettle Barack Obama as he prepares for the G20 summit.

And this week's top story...

Evidence of recent war crimes committed by the Israeli Defence Force has come to light. During their recent offensive in Gaza it appears they illegally used white phosphorus shells in civilian areas, a clear breach of international law which states that the chemical may be used as a battlefield smokescreen but mustn't be used where there is a civilian population. Human Rights Watch filed a report after researching all the casualties that were in Gaza hospitals suffering from chemical burns. Israel claims that the civilian casualties were due to Hamas using Gaza inhabitants as human shields during the conflict.

That's all for Newslip. Thanks for tuning in. See you again next week! Goodbye.

Newslip Episode 11 22.02.09

Welcome to Newslip. I'm Wesley Gerrard. Here are the stories making this week's news.

Actress Natasha Richardson has died after falling on a nursery ski slope in Quebec. After the accident, Richardson seemed well but a clot had developed which put pressure on her brain. She was rushed to hospital where she quickly deteriorated before becoming brain dead. Her life support was switched off with her in the company of her acting family including husband, Liam Neeson, mother Vanessa Redgrave and sister Joely Richardson. She leaves behind two children. Her death is a reminder that any kind of head injury can be potentially serious and that skiing is a very dangerous sport.

An underwater volcano erupting close to the Tonga coast in the South Pacific ocean has intensified. Scientists sailed to inspect the volcano, which has been shooting smoke, steam and ash into the air for over six days close to the low-lying twin volcanic islands of Hunga Tonga and Hunga Ha'apai. Local authorities said coastal villages close to the active volcano were not yet at risk, and that no warnings had been issued.

American President, Barack Obama, has delivered a television address to the Iranian people. He said his administration was committed "to pursuing constructive ties among the United States, Iran and the international community". He had extended American sanctions on Iran for another year prior to the address as the US is gravely concerned of the dangers posed by their Uranium enrichment program which supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei has vowed will not bow to international pressure.

Reality TV star Jade Goody has lost her battle with cervical cancer and died in the early hours of Sunday morning at her family home in Upshire, Essex. She has spent a lot of time in the press as she fought the battle, causing controversy as she allowed the media full access to monitor her and sold the photos of her recent wedding to OK magazine. Her publicist Max Clifford has led the tributes to the star of Big Brother and Prime Minister Gordon Brown offered his condolences.

A crocodile dubbed 'Robo Croc' has undergone facial reconstruction surgery at Miami's Metrozoo. Last year Robo Croc was run over by a car in the Florida Keys.He hadn't been able to eat for three months prior to the lifesaving surgery. Veterinarians placed two metal rods between its eyes, extending down to the bridge of its nose, and another on each side. Forty-one metal screws were drilled into its hide, keeping the skull and snout together. "RoboCroc is doing just fine," said Ron Magill, a spokesman for the zoo.

Biker gangs have engaged in a mass brawl at Sydney airport's domestic terminal. A rival biker gang laid in wait for a group of bikers to get off the plane. In the ensuing fight which about fifty people witnessed, a 28 year old man was beaten to death. The Hell's Angels and Comancheros used metal barrier poles like swords to batter each other. Four suspects were arrested and the rest all fled.

British MP George Galloway has been banned from entering Canada where he was due to tour. The Canadian authorities' decision to impose sanctions on Galloway are due to his recent statements claiming he provided financial support for the Palestinian group Hamas which are a banned terrorist organisation in Canada. The Respect MP for Bethnal Green is an avid anti-war protestor and has claimed that he will fight through the courts to overthrow the harsh decision.

North Korea has confirmed the arrest of two female US journalists, saying they were detained for illegally entering North Korean territory. Laura Ling, a Chinese-American, and Euna Lee, a Korean-American, both reportedly work for the California-based online media outlet Current TV. North Korea had only just recently reactivated the military hotline between themselves and their Southern neighbours. The journalists were doing a documentary on North Korean refugees that are in the northeastern area of China.

Ireland have ended a sixty-one year wait and finally lifted the grand slam in rugby union after an enthralling victory in Cardiff which saw them clinch the game only after a last minute Welsh kick fell short of the posts. The showpiece match was valiantly fought from whistle to whistle and was the highlight of northern hemisphere rugby this year. Irish captain Brian O'Driscoll has put himself in the favourite position to become British Lions captain for the forthcoming tour of South Africa.

And this week's top story...

Austrian man Josef Fritzl was this week jailed for life following his trial. He pleaded guilty to charges of rape, murder, enslavement, incest, coercion and false imprisonment. He had locked his daughter, Elizabeth, up for 24 years and subjected her to an horrific ordeal resulting in the births of seven children and one miscarriage. The town of Amstetten were completely shocked by the revelations and are pleased to see this monster locked up permanently in a psychiatric institution.

That's all for Newslip. Thanks for tuning in. See you again next week. Good bye.

Newslip Episode 10 15.03.09

Welcome to Newslip. I'm Wesley Gerrard. today is Sunday, 15th March and here are the stories making this week's news.

Californian Democratic state assemblyman Tom Ammiano has introduced legislation to legalise cannabis in the cash-strapped state. It is hoped that by taxing the biggest cash crop, California can seek its way out of the recession. Marijuana is the biggest selling product, with a value of $14billion annually, dwarfing the state's second largest agricultural commodity, milk and cream. Medical use of marijuana has been legal in California since 1996. Very often, changes in Californian law precipitate changes across America so this controversial proposal could change the face of drugs laws on a grand scale.

Disgraced US financier Bernard Madoff has pleaded guilty to a $50 billion fraud, the largest in history. He has been sent to jail to await sentencing later in the year.It is expected his sentence could reach 150 years. As the guilty verdict was recorded some of his victims cheered in court. He had been running a Ponzi schem since at least the early nineties whereby early investors are paid off with the money from newcomers.

An Iraqi football player has been shot dead by a spectator as he was about to score an equalising goal. The shooting happened in the last minute of a game between two local rivals on Sunday. The striker was shot in the head during the match in the city of Hilla, according to local security officials. The game was being played between Sinjar and Buhayra. The suspected killer has been arrested as police carry out an investigation.

Following the recommendations made in Scotland last week about a minimum price for alcohol. The chief medical officer for England has recommended changes made to alcohol laws for the whole of Britain. Under the proposals there would be a minimum of 50p price per unit of alcohol. This would more than double some of the prices supermarket shoppers currently pay. Opposition spokesmen have criticised the move saying that ther majority of drinkers are resonsible and that rather than hitting people in the pocket, something should be done to make wholesale changes to the attitudes of problem drinkers.

Anjem Choudary is a self styled sharia judge and Islamic cleric. This week his supporters demonstrated in Luton against British troops returning from Iraq. He believes in the enforcement of Islamic holy law in Britain so that women will be forced to wear burqas and adulterers can be killed. He used the publicity generated by his protests to call for people to donate cash to the frontline Mujaheddin fighters waging jihad in places like Afghanistan.

Comic Relief Day's TV extravaganza netted an overnight £57 million in charity donations, far surpassing the previous record of 2007's £40 million. It is expected that the final donation figure could be £20 million higher. Stars who appeared on the show included David Beckham and Robbie Williams. The money raised will go towards helping disadvantaged people across the UK and Africa.

Britain's most prolific sex attacker has been identified as a London black cab driver. Convicted of twelve sex attacks, it is believed that John Worboys actually sexually assaulted around 500 women during his 13 year career as a cabbie. The 51 year old was formerly a male stripper. He would drug women in the back of his cab by plying them with spiked free alcohol to celebrate with him his imaginary big casino wins. He then proceeded to sexually assault them with most women waking up the following day with no clear recollection of what had occurred.

Kauto Star has won the 2009 Cheltenham Gold Cup, seeing off stablemate Denman by 13 lengths to become the first horse to regain National Hunt's blue-riband race, after his victory in 2007. Winning jockey, Ruby Walsh, said "He's the greatest horse I've ever ridden. Two miles, three miles, now two Gold Cups. He's magic, he's a wonder horse. He travelled super all the way." The Queen was in attendance at Friday's showpiece event, to watch her horse, Barber Shop, which came in seventh.

Switzerland has vowed to end secrecy regarding its banking laws and allow governments access to private account information. The move comes due to pressure being exerted by Gordon Brown in his bid to end tax havens. It is engrained in Swiss law that bankers who reveal information about clients can be prosecuted and jailed. They claim that banking secrecy is still intact, but the end of 'no questions asked' banking looks set to change Switzerland forever.

And this week's top story...

In Winnenden, South West Germany, a heavily-armed seventeen year old gunman has gone on a shooting spree, killing fifteen people. Tim Kretschmer entered a school where he shot 12 people dead before hijacking a car and fleeing to a nearby town where he killed two more in a car showroom. He was cornered by police and died of a gunshot wound to the head. His father was a prominent member of a local gunclub giving him access to weapons. Prior to the shooting he had left warnings on an internet chatroom.

That's all for this Newslip. Thanks for tuning in. See you again very soon.

Newslip Episode 9 08.03.09

Welcome to Newslip. I'm Wesley Gerrard. Today is Sunday, 8th March 2009. Here are this week's Newslip stories.

Social networking websites are causing alarming changes in the brains of young users, an eminent scientist has warned. Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Bebo are said to shorten attention spans, encourage instant gratification and make young people more self-centred. Baroness Greenfield, an Oxford University neuroscientist and director of the Royal Institution, believes repeated exposure could effectively 'rewire' the brain.'My fear is that these technologies are infantilising the brain into the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a small attention span and who live for the moment.'

Wen Jiabao, the Chinese premier, while speaking at the start of the annual session of China's parliament, has said that he is ready to speak to Taiwan about ending hostilities.Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan, which split from the mainland at the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. Reacting to Mr Wen's overture, Taiwan's government said it would prefer to negotiate economic deals before political ones.

British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, flew to Washington this week to be the first European leader to meet President Obama. Brown addressed Congress and talked of ways to overcome the global economic crisis as well as emphasizing the need for Britian and America to cement their special relationship. The visit set the agenda ahead of the forthcoming G20 meeting in London.

The Sri Lankan cricket team were ambushed as they drove to a stadium in Lahore, Pakistan. Six policemen were shot dead, also a bus driver. Seven members of the Sri Lankan team plus their coach were injured. Sri Lanka had only stepped in to tour Pakistan at the last minute because India had pulled out in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks. The event has been cited as 'a grim day for sport.'

50 year old pop star Michael Jackson gave a press conference in London to announce a series of ten tour dates at the O2 Arena. He told the throng of fans that it would be his last tour. The star is hoping to overcome his financial problems by earning approximately $400 million for the shows.

A British couple, both suffering from terminal cancer, committed suicide together at a Swiss euthanasia centre. Peter and Penelope Duff, from Bath, ended their lives at the Dignitas clinic in Zurich on Friday. They were both great patrons of Bath's culture. A spokesman said that their decision did not reflect on the excellent healthcare they had received in Britain.

Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Morgan Tsvangirai has survived a car crash in which his wife was killed. President Robert Mugabe has visited him in hospital. Suspicions have arose about foul play being behind the incident.

Riot police in Malaysia have fired tear gas to disperse thousands of people in Kuala Lumpur, who protested against the use of English in local schools. Some 124 people were reportedly held, as the demonstrators tried to march to the royal palace in the capital. The ethnic Malay protesters demanded a return to Malay as the teaching language for maths and science.

An unmanned Nasa mission to search the sky for Earth-like planets with the potential to host life has launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The Kepler telescope will orbit the Sun to watch a patch of space thought to contain about 100,000 stars like ours.

And this week's top story...

Masserene army base in Antrim, Northern Ireland has seen an attack of which the Real IRA has claimed responsibilty.Two soldiers were killed and four others were injured by a volley of shots from gunmen using automatic rifles. They were waiting in a nearby car and waited for a pizza delivery to arrive before seizing their opportunity to strike in the terrorist attack. Political leaders on both sides have condemned the assault on the Peace Process.

That's it for this week. Thanks for tuning in. See you again soon.

Newslip Episode 8 01.03.09

Welcome to Newslip. I'm Wesley Gerrard. Today is St.David's Day, Sunday, 1st March 2009. Here are this week's Newslip stories...

Manchester United have lifted the first silverware of the football season after beating Tottenham Hotspur in a penalty shootout in the Carling Cup Final. The match was level at nil-nil after ninety minutes and an extra 30 minutes of extra time could still not separate the sides. Tottenham missed two penalties in the shootout, allowing Anderson to score the winning penalty to win 4-1. It sets Manchester United on their way to a possible quadruple this season.

Missiles fired by US unmanned aircraft have killed seven people close to Pakistan's border with Afghanistan. Two missiles reportedly struck a house in Sararogha, in South Waziristan, and the dead are believed to include suspected militants. Apparently the Taleban were active in the house at the time of the attack. US Drones are part of high tech warfare operations in Afghanistan.

The British film industry had massive success at this year's Academy Awards. Slumdog Millionaire won a total of eight Oscars including best director and best picture. British actress Kate Winslet also scooped best Actress award. In a rare occurence, a posthumous Oscar was awarded to Heath Ledger for best supporting actor for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight.

An Australian surfer has been attacked by a shark at a North Sydney beach, the third such attack in as many weeks. The teenager has severe lacerations to his leg and is lucky as in one of the other attacks the victim lost his limbs. It is believed that a ban on commercial fishing and hence a rise in fish stocks, has attracted the sharks to the area. One of the attacks was at Bondi beach, the first such attack in 80 years.

At Athens' highest security prison, two of Greece's most wanted men have staged a daring helicopter escape. It is the second time in three years that serial armed robber and kidnapper Vassilis Paleokostas and his Albanian sidekick Alket Rizai have fled the prison. They were imminently due to stand trial for their previous attempt. The helicopter used in the raid was fired upon by prison guards. It was left abandonned on a highway leading up to the Greek mountains where it is believed the men have sought refuge.

An international court has been set up at The Hague in the Netherlands to try the suspected killers of assassinated Lebanese Primie Minister, Rafik Hariri. Just after the killing in 2005, 4 pro-Syrian generals were held. It is expected that Lebanon will hand over these suspects for the trial. A bomb blast ripped through Hariri's convoy killing a total of 22 people. The finger has pointed to Syrian involvment which Damascus denies and it is expected that the trial will reveal more details.

Corpus Christi College, Oxford, have beaten Manchester University in the final of University Challenge. However, the BBC are investigating claims that one of their team members was ineligible for the show as he left the college during the summer and works as an accountant after he failed to secure funding for his PhD. The Corpus Christi captain, Gail Trimble, who answered 75% of her team's questions throughout the series, has been making headlines and has been dubbed 'the human google' after her awesome displays.

A government watchdog has questioned the efficiency of many over the counter cold remedies in treating children under the age of twelve. In all 36 remedies have had to withdraw being sold to children under six after the MHRA released its study findings. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said that most remedies had little positive effect on children under the age of twelve and recommended children's colds to be treated traditionally with little more than paracetamol and hot honey and lemon.

The government have revealed controversial plans to part-privatise the post office, breaking part of their election manifesto. Postal unions are up in arms about the decision and have the backing of many labour backbenchers. There is a need for private cash to fill the massive gap in postal workers pensions. It is hoped that foreign companies with experience in privatised postal services will be able to help streamline the inefficiencies that reside in our system. Business secretary, Lord Mandelson, has accused the unions of 'scare tactics'.

And this week's top story...

Conservative leader, David Cameron, was hit by family tragedy this week when his six year old son, Ivan, died. His disabled son suffered from cerebral palsy and an extreme form of epilepsy called Ohtahara syndrome. As a mark of respect, Prime Minister's questions in the House of Commons were suspended. David Cameron paid tribute to the joy his son brought him and paid thanks to the many messages of sympathy he had received. Through his time looking after Ivan, Mr Cameron was given an insight into the running of the NHS and he has become a staunch supporter of the health service.

Thanks for tuning in. That's all for this Newslip. Until next week. Goodbye.