Newslip Episode 16 26.04.09

Welcome to Newslip. Today is Sunday, 26th April 2009. I'm Wesley Gerrard and here are the stories making this week's news.

President Ahmadinejad of Iran has caused a stir at the UN Racism summit in Geneva. He took to the stage declaring about the state of Israel that "They sent migrants from Europe, the United States... in order to establish a racist government in occupied Palestine." At this point, UN delegates from many Western countries including Britain, walked out of the conference in protest. The conference had been already boycotted by the United States, Israel, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. High on the agenda was the relationship with the Islamic world and in an era where Nazi ideas and Apartheid have died out, Israeli-Palestinian issues are still an area where racial ideas divide.

A Devon farmer has introduced a breed of cattle to the UK that hasn’t been seen on these shores for 4000 years. The Heck cow was during the Second World War, part of Nazi plans to rule the world. The cow was seen as symbolic of Teutonic ambition and satisfied the genetic aspirations of Himmler and Hitler’s obsession with idyllic rural agriculture. The aim was that these Iron Age cattle would fill a primeval Aryan wilderness in conquered Nazi Europe. Hitler may never have arrived here but in the Twenty-First century it seems that we are inheriting part of his Nazi legacy.

The Sunday Times Rich List has been published, revealing that the top 1000 earners in the UK have lost a fortune in the economic downturn. The total value of their assets is £258 billion compared with last year’s record £413 billion. The number of billionaires has fallen from 75 to 43. Heading the
list are Indian Steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, Russian Roman Abramovich and the Duke of Westminster. Never in the 21 year history of the rich list has the affluence of the richest people fallen so much.

The Home Office has issued new rules about the right of Gurkha soldiers to resettle in the UK. Gurkha veterans and their supporters are up in arms about the decision which doesn’t give them automatic rights to resettlement but means that they have to satisfy certain criteria such as, for example, serving twenty years as a soldier when the maximum amount of time a Gurkha rifleman can serve is only fifteen years. Gurkhas who signed up after 1997 when the Gurkha base was moved from Hong Kong to the UK are guaranteed automatic rights. Joanna Lumley is a long time supporter of this 200 year old British regiment and she has led the way in condemning the government for not recognising the bravery and commitment to British Empire that the Nepalese division has achieved.

A Somali teenager has appeared in a US federal court after being captured during a US Navy raid on pirates in the Indian Ocean. Abde Wale Abdul Kadhir Muse’s mother initially claimed that he was a juvenile but a US judge decided that he could stand trial as an adult. The youth is the first person in over a century to be tried for piracy and at court he was crying. He had been captured during the rescue raid of the Maersk Alabama container ship captain where three of his pirate colleagues died. He had apparently been on board a US warship demanding a ransom.

The ruling ANC party have been victorious in the South African elections, falling just short of a two thirds majority. It showed a 4% decline in its share of votes compared with the previous elections. In a sign of things to come opposition parties were pleased with their results. In five years time, the next general election will include for the first time voters who were born since the end of apartheid and who have no direct experience of the fight against it. ANC leader Jacob Zuma is likely to be the next South African President.

Chancellor Allister Darling revealed his new budget this week. In it he introduced a 50% tax rate for earners above a £150 000 threshold. People in this bracket such as Michael Caine have claimed that it forces them out of the country. The economy is forecast to shrink by 3.5% in 2009. Public borrowing is to increase to £175 billion. A series of schemes and investment for the unemployed is to be introduced. There were also increases to duty on fuel, alcohol and cigarettes. The budget has been condemned by some as an act of class war and city analysts have criticised the chancellor’s figures claiming that he has made gross miscalculations.

Barack Obama has turned his attention towards some of the controversial torture techniques introduced to the CIA by the former Bush administration. He has published some of the legal guidelines of his predecessors but has drawn the line at prosecuting some of those involved. It was revealed that as early as 2002 Condoleezza Rice authorised the CIA to use waterboarding techniques on suspected Al Qaeda prisoners. This drowning form of torture was used 266 times on Abu Zubaydah and Khalid Sheikh Mohammad though it is claimed that the excesses revealed useful information. Other interrogation methods mentioned in released memos include week-long sleep deprivation, forced nudity and the use of painful positions.

The final stages of the Sri Lankan civil war which has raged since 1983 are apparent. The Sri Lankan government forces have the remaining Tamil Tiger insurgents trapped in a 5 square mile area in the northeast of the Indian Ocean island. The Tamils have declared a ceasefire as they struggle to survive but the government have denounced this saying that they will only accept surrender. The last gasps of civil strife have resulted in a mass exodus of civilians in the area, many tens of thousands evacuating their homes and traversing swamps and lagoons to get to safety. About 15000 civilians are still trapped in the final resistance pocket. The Tamils have been fighting for an independent state though their cause looks likely to imminently fail thus bringing an end to one of the bloodiest and prolonged conflicts of modern times.

And this week's top story...

An epidemic of swine flu has broken out in Mexico leading to the deaths of over 80 people. Many public offices have closed in Mexico City and people are being urged not to shake hands or kiss for fear of spreading the disease. Tourists from Mexico have returned home carrying the disease and there have been cases identified in the USA, New Zealand, France, Spain and Israel. The disease is similar to seasonal human flu but contains genetic material which is usually found in flu outbreaks in birds and pigs. It is particularly resistant to conventional flu treatment and most of the dead have been young adults. Mexico's President Felipe Calderon has announced emergency measures to deal with the situation and the World Health Organisation is doing as much as it can to control the disease.

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

Newslip Episode 15 19.04.09

Welcome to Newslip. Today is Sunday, 19th April 2009. I'm Wesley Gerrard and here are the stories making this week's news.

A fire in a hostel for homeless people in the northwestern Polish town of Kamien Pomorski left 21 people dead and more than 20 injured. The blaze started at 12:40 a.m. local time in the three-story building, which housed 77 people, said Daniel Kopalinski, a spokesman for the fire department. President Lech Kaczynski declared a three-day period of national mourning.

Music Legend Phil Spector has been jailed for second degree murder in Los Angeles following the death of B-Movie actress Lana Clarkson six years ago. Spector has a distinguished career as a music producer and has worked with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. He had a history of pulling guns when in a drunken state and when a woman refused to sleep with him. This was the second time he had stood trial for the 2003 murder, this time with a successful conviction which leaves the 69 year old facing a mandatory fifteen year sentence.

A court in Sweden has jailed four people who are behind the world’s most high profile file sharing website, the Pirate Bay. In a landmark ruling the four founders were found guilty of breaching copyright laws. They were each jailed for a year and ordered to pay about £3 million in damages to a series of film and music companies. The damages awarded were far less than those actually sought. The jailed men have vowed to fight on, to overturn the ruling, and state that they will refuse to pay the fine. In the meantime Pirate Bay continues to operate.

After 28 years together, actor Mel Gibson’s marriage to Robyn Moore is on the rocks and in the divorce courts. It could prove to be the most expensive divorce in Hollywood history with Gibson’s $640 million fortune expected to be halved. Russian singer, Oksana Porchepa is apparently Mel Gibson’s mistress and is the cause of his parting with his wife.

Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi has been found guilty in a Tehran court of espionage and sentenced to eight years in jail. The 31 year old was originally arrested in January for purchasing a bottle of wine which is an offence in the Islamic state. The charges brought against her mutated to those of being an American spy. She had travelled to the area to research the country’s history and culture. She is attempting to appeal against the charges. It is thought that she will be used by the Iranian government as a bargaining chip for Iranian people being held in US custody.

An Australian airline was grounded after four baby pythons escaped from their container and were wild in the hold. The Qantas flight between Alice Springs and Melbourne was carrying twelve Stimson’s pythons, four of which, only six inches long, made an escape. It was initially thought that the missing four had been eaten by the other snakes but after weighing them it was decided that this couldn’t be true. Passengers were evacuated from the craft and it was fumigated leaving no hope for the snakes to survive.

Colombian’s most wanted drugs baron, Daniel Rendon Herrera, was surrounded by armed police in an area of jungle and captured. Known as ‘Don Mario’, the drugs boss believed to be responsible for 3000 murders in the last eighteen months, was found cowering beneath a palm tree. He has been arrested and brought to Bogota, to await possible extradition to the US where his trafficking activities have been most worstly felt. His links with Mexican drugs lords and his control of the exporting corridor from Colombia has meant that with his private army he has shipped about 100 tons of cocaine to the USA.

While battles with Somali pirates continue off the coast, the Somali government introduced Sharia law across the region. It is hoped that the introduction of strict Islamic holy law will reduce tensions between the government and the Islamic militias who are fighting an insurgency. Large areas of the South are already being governed by Sharia. Although the introduction is being widely seen as a popular move, some people are worried about the fact they will no longer be able to play music or chew the narcotic plant, Khat.

The Americas summit has been taking place in Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago. It has been the first chance for Obama to address his immediate continental neighbours. There has been controversy as Cuba was not invited and Obama has vowed to change US policy regarding the communist island. Photo opportunities arose when controversial Venezuelan leader, Hugo Chavez, warmly welcomed Obama. The Bolivian President Morales asked Obama to repudiate a recently discovered plot to assassinate him. He says that since Obama has come to power there has been no change in US hostility.

And this week's top story...

The twentieth anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster has been commemorated with calls for Justice for the 96 dead Liverpool supporters. At Anfield for the official service for the dead of the April 15th 1989 disaster, Andy Burnham, the culture secretary, was barracked with cries of ‘Justice’. He has pressured home secretary Jacqui Smith, to press for secret files about the tragedy to be released to the public domain. Although the official government inquiry, the Taylor report, found that police lack of control was officially responsible for the tragedy, no charges against David Duckenfield, the policeman in charge of the event, were ever successfully brought. Twenty years on and the families of loved ones lost that day are a step closer to achieving justice.

That's all for this week's Newslip. thanks for tuning in. See you again soon. Goodbye.

Newslip Episode 14 12.04.09

Welcome to Newslip. I'm Wesley Gerrard. Today is Easter Sunday, 12th April 2009. Here are the stories making this week's headlines.

Assistant commissioner Bob Quick inadvertently leaked details of a major anti-terrorism operation to the media by openly carrying sensitive documents into Downing Street which were photographed then released on the internet. This triggered an immediate swoop by the Northwest Counter-Terrorism Unit in an improvised raid on the suspects they had been monitoring in Manchester, Liverpool and the surrounding areas. Twelve people were arrested under the Terrorism act, eleven of them being Pakistani nationals. They had dossiers on several key landmarks in Manchester and an imminent attack was planned. Bob Quick has resigned from his position due to his critical mistake.

Two brothers aged ten and eleven have been charged with attempted murder, theft of a mobile phone and five pounds. In Edlington, near Doncaster, the two primary school pupils laid a trap at a quarry for two young victims. These victims were admitted to hospital with severe injuries. One was put on life support after being found unconscious at the crime scene. The other had two emergency operations. They suffered severe stab wounds and cigarette burns. The perpetuators have been admitted to foster care while they await trial.

Twenty four people were killed when an Indonesian military aircraft crashed into a hangar in wet weather on Monday and burst into flames. The dead included seventeen special force troops in parachute training, a crew of six and an instructor. It is unknown exactly what caused the crash in Bandung. Indonesian army equipment is known to be relatively dilapidated after a US arms embargo has only just recently been lifted.

2 new videos have emerged regarding the death of Ian Tomlinson at the G20 protests in London. Mr Tomlinson died of a heart attack on his way home from work at a newsagents in the area. Initially, police denied any contact with Mr Tomlinson but the videos show him walking past police with his hands in his pockets, and prove that he was attacked by a police officer from behind with a baton before being violently thrown to the ground. The IPCC are investigating the issue and it is hoped that the guilty police officer will face charges.

400 prisoners at HMP Ashwell near Rutland in Leicestershire have rioted. The breakdown in discipline at the 600 capacity low security category C prison has led to smoke billowing from the building. Police cordoned off the vicinity to protect local residents from potential outbreaks. They have been trying to regain control of the jail. It is unknown what caused the riots though apparently the facility is extremely short-staffed with as few as twelve guards looking after the prisoners.

The anarchy in the Indian Ocean due to the activites of Somali pirates intensified this week when the American container ship, the Maersk Alaska was attacked three hundred miles from the Somali coast. Captain Richard Phillips was taken hostage in a lifeboat commandeered by the pirates. The crew managed to escape to port to safety. After prolonged efforts of diplomacy to release the hostage, the three US Navy warships that were tracking the incident, finally staged a rescue mission, killing three pirates but retrieving Captain Phillips safely. Also this week, an Italian tugboat was attacked. The growing number of incidents of piracy in the area poses a major problem to international shipping companies.

One of Gordon Brown’s most trusted advisers has resigned from his post as Prime Minsterial aide after a smear scandal emerged at number 10. Damian McBride quit his post after emails from his number 10 account were leaked to the press. He had been trying to start a smear campaign on a leftwing website by spreading malicious gossip about David Cameron and shadow chancellor, George Osbourne. Senior Tories and Labour backbenchers have called for an enquiry into the sleazy actions of Gordon Brown’s private office.

A major summit of Asian leaders has been cancelled in Thailand after protesters took to the streets. A state of emergency was declared as supporters of ousted prime minster Thaksin Sinawatra put pressure on the standing government. Roads were blocked and government buildings attacked. The foreign office has put warnings out to anyone considering travelling to Bangkok. Thailand has had a number of severely disruptive protest incidents recently.

Visitors and staff at Berlin’s zoo were shocked when a 31 year old woman clambered over barriers at the polar bear enclosure before innoculously plunging into the water with the bears. It was feeding time at the zoo and the very dangerous bears thwarted initial rescue attempts of the woman and played about with her like a chunk of meat, giving her some very serious bites. Eventually the crazed woman was dragged away to safety by zookeepers. She was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment. It is unknown what caused the lucky woman to act in such an irrational manner.

And this week's top story...

An earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale was concentrated on the Italian mountain town of l’Aquila when it struck last Monday. 289 people are known to have died and over 28000 people made homeless. A mass funeral was held for quake victims. Italian premier, Silvio Berlusconi pledged to open up his personal villas to help the homeless in the wake of the tragedy. Football players and politicians have led the cash support pledges to the victims. It is the worst earthquake event in tectonically-active Italy for thirty years.

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

Newslip Episode 13 05.04.09

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

The first trial against a member of the Cambodian Khmer Rouge has got underway. During the 1970s, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge swept to power in Cambodia and in their extreme communist revolution over 1.7 million people died. A UN backed tribunal sitting in Phnom Penh is allowing Comrade Duch to explain his activities as head of the notorious S-21 Tuol Sleng prison and interrogation centre where at least 14000 citizens were tortured to death. Four other senior Khmer Rouge leaders are also waiting to stand trial.

North Korea proceeded with their rocket launch and claimed that it successfully delivered a satellite to space. However, US and South Korean analysts monitoring the launch claim that it was unsuccessful and that the rocket, including payload, didn't make orbit but plunged into the Pacific. The North Koreans claim that their leaders songs are now broadcasting across the globe from space but it is unlikely that they would admit failure to their own people. An emergency meeting of the UN security council is convening to address the issue amid claims that the launch breached the ballistic missile ban currently imposed on North Korea by a UN security resolution.

A police academy in eastern Pakistan was attacked by gunmen armed with grenades and assault rifles. 40 people were killed and up to eighty injured in the attack on the outskirts of Lahore. The attack demonstrates how susceptible Pakistan is to militant attacks and is the latest in a string of attacks by radical Pakistanis which last month saw the Sri Lankan cricket team come under siege. There is a growing Taliban element within Pakistan and terrorist networks are rife throughout the country.

A Super Puma helicopter has crashed into the North Sea, killing all sixteen people on board. The chopper was retunring from BP's Miller oil platform when it crashed off the Aberdeenshire coast. Initially only half the bodies were recovered, but later searches found the wreckage of the helicopter on the seabed and now fifteen of the sixteen bodies have been collected. The black box recorder was also discovered which it is hoped will be able to provide clues as to what caused the tragic accident.

Mass protests occurred in London during the duration of the G20 summit. A man, Ian Tomlinson, died during the protests after suffering a heart attack. There were 120 arrests as protesters clashed with police. About 5000 people were involved in the demonstrations, of which about 500 were according to police, 'hardcore troublemakers'. The police tactics regarding the demonstrators have been called into question. The worst attack by the protesters was on the RBS building.

President Obama wooed the NATO summit in Paris and managed to acquire fresh committment of European troops to Afghanistan. Other than Afghanistan, which dominated the meeting, there was controversy when Turkey initally opposed the new Danish secretary general of NATO due to the ongoing row between Denmark and the Islamic world following the publication of blasphemous cartoons in Denmark several years ago. The Turks backed down though, and Anders Fogh Rasmussen was voted in.

A man has shot dead thirteen people at a New York State immigration centre. Jiverly Wong, a forty-one year old Vietnamese immigrant, just walked into the building in Binghamton and opened fire without saying a word. It is believed that he had recently lost his job and was having difficulties speaking English. Most of his victims were immigrants from the centre, many of whom were attending English lessons. The attack came to a conclusion when the gunman apparently turned his gun on himself.

A new law being passed in Afghanistan has upset NATO countries supplying troops to the region. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has called on Western journalists not to misinterpret the law which they believe infringes upon women's rights and is thus incompatible with the beliefs of Western troops. The new law states that a wife must have sexual intercourse with her husband every four days and cannot leave the home without her husband's permission. It has been claimed that the law legalises rape within a marriage. Mr Karzai has ordered for a judicial review of the law to take place.

A US judge has blocked the deportation of a Nazi war criminal to Germany to face charges for his activities whist a concentration camp guard in occupied Poland during the Second World War. 89 year old John Demjanjuk has pleaded that the deportation order would constitute torture. The Ukrainian ineternational has previously been sentenced to death in Israel for war crimes, but a mistaken aidentity allowed him to return to the USA where he has lived since 1952. His citizenship was revoked after he apparently lied on his application form about working for the Nazis. This has precipitated the current deportation crisis.

And this week's top story...

Leaders of the World's most powerful nations converged on London for the G20 summit. Top of the agenda at the meeting was how to solve the global economic crisis. In total 1 trillion dollars was pledged to the ailing economy, much specifically to suffering, less-developed economies.
A complete plan for global financial restructuring was agreed that hopes to promote world trade and prevent protectionism. The meeting was unusual in that emerging economies such as Brazil, Russia and China demonstrated their strength and refused to be subjected to old Anglo-American dominance of the G20 meetings.

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