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.
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.
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