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.
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.
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