Wikinews:Audio Wikinews/Transcripts/May 24, 2005

Audio Wikinews transcript – 2005 05 24 – 0100 UTC
As reported by Nicholas Gerda

May 24, 2005. This is Wikinews.

Lead Story
Marshall Islands to request $3 billion more from U.S. for health effects of nuclear testing The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is petitioning for $3 billion in additional compensation from the U.S. government, after receiving $270 million in an agreement which expired in 2001. The U.S. government performed a series of 67 tests of nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands between 1946 and 1958. Fallout from the testing is claimed to have affected some of the island's near 60,000 inhabitants. "We're finding people on remote islands with high percentages of cancers," said RMI Foreign Minister Gerald Zackios. A report last year from the U.S. National Cancer Institute estimated that about 530 total cancers could appear, almost double the amount currently known. The U.S. government disagrees over which islands were affected by the testing. Also, U.S. agencies have concluded that there is no further legal requirement for compensation above what has already been provided, unless the situation changes substantially. The government of the Marshall Islands plans to "work tirelessly together to make certain that the nuclear issue is settled in a fair and just manner", said RMI President Kessai Note. Both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate plan to hold hearings on the claim as soon as May 25.

Headlines
BBC drops programmes as third of staff join strike The staff of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) had entered a one-day strike Sunday morning in dispute of impending job cuts and partial privatization. The industrial action follows union ballots at three of the leaders of journalism and broadcasting: Amicus, National Union of Jounalists and Bectu. The NUJ have already described the action as an "astonishing success" and its general secretary, Jeremy Dear, describes the union as "absolutely delighted with the level of support we have received for the strike." The unions expect 11 thousand of 27 thousand BBC staff to take part in the strikes. Due to the extensiveness of the strike it has affected the output of the BBC on its television and radio services. News and live services have been particularly badly affected following the unions aims to leave "blank screens and dead air". Staff joining the strike at the regional Broadcasting House in Bristol. BBC Radio 4's Today, The World at One, PM and The World Tonight have all been cancelled; BBC One's 1 O'Clock News and 10 O'Clock News was shortened from half an hour to 15 minutes and the 6 O'Clock News was cut to half an hour rather then a hour; live programming of BBC News 24, BBC World and Five Live have been extensively cut; and international output on the World Service has been impacted. The most noticeable impact have been on the Breakfast programme, headed by just one presenter (against the usual two) and cut short for a pre-recorded interview. The leading serious news magazine programme, Newsnight, will also be cancelled. Some BBC radio celebrities have defied the strike action and appeared for work on their shows. These include breakfast radio presenters Chris Moyles of BBC Radio 1, Terry Wogan of BBC Radio 2, and Shelagh Fogarty of BBC Radio 5. Unlike a similar 1989 strike in which presenter Nicholas Witchell crossed the pickets to read news, those presenters who have decided to continue their positions have not been publicly denounced. Striking staff have been picketing outside the main entrances of the BBC television centre in west London. The strikes have occurred following the Corporation's plans to cut 3780 jobs and privatise parts of the national service. It has claimed that these cuts are necessary to spend more on programming when they were announced in March by governing director Mark Thompson. The cuts aim to make savings of 663.37 million U.S. dollars. Unions have defied calls by BBC executives to partake in consultations over impending actions. The unions have responded by claiming that consultations would give their staff little say and that negotiations are the only way in which they will be listened to. The ballot to strike which was held on May 12 also determined to strike for 48 hours on May 31 and June 1. It is unclear if any further action is planned.

Democratic Republic of Congo adopts new constitution, plans elections The Democratic Republic of the Congo adopted a new constitution on May 13, and elections are being planned for the first time in more than 40 years. The Congo has been torn by five years of civil war. Peace was declared in 2003, but hunger and disease continue to trouble the country. The U.S. State Department praised recent political developments in the African nation. Spokesman Richard Boucher made a statement that the new constitution "establishes a balance of powers between the branches of government, ensures protection and development of minorities, and provides for a limit of two presidential terms. We note the flexibility shown by all members of the transitional Congolese government in reaching this agreement." Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht asked for civil calm as the difficult process of preparing for elections goes forward. The election has already been delayed by the government for several months, and further postponements are expected. Congo was once a Belgian colony, and the two governments are working together to prevent the outbreak of more rioting such as happened after the last election delay in January. Congolese President Joseph Kabila has requested military assistance from the European Union to help restrain and instruct the Congolese army and integrate it better with the government. The EU announced Monday that ten of its member nations plan to participate. This is the first such deal made by the EU.

Laura Bush visits Middle East in goodwill tour U.S. First Lady Laura Bush visited Jerusalem and Egypt on a five-day tour of the Middle East hoped to mend the United States' image in that region. While in Jerusalem visiting several holy sites, including the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall, she was heckled by protesters. Mrs. Bush said she was expecting protests and was in fact welcomed by most people. "As we all know, this is a place of very high tensions and high emotions," said Mrs. Bush, as she stood in the garden courtyard of the Church of the Resurrection. "And you can understand why when you see the people with a deep and sincere faith in their religion all living side by side." Mrs. Bush's approval ratings have remained very high, above 80%, even as her husband's have recently dropped below 50%. "Part of this is just that she's so much more popular than the president at home. What's not to like about Laura Bush?" said professor of political science Barbara Burrell to the Christian Science Monitor. During her visit, she participated in recording an episode of the Egyptian Arabic version of the Sesame Street television program. The Muppet characters are similar to the U.S. version, but have Arabic names, such as Khokhah, a peach-colored little Muppet girl. Mrs. Bush emphasized the importance of learning to read in her appearance, which is probably to be broadcast on the show's next season. Among her other activities, Mrs. Bush is having lunch with Suzanne Mubarak, wife of President Hosni Mubarak. She also plans to tour the pyramids and the library at Alexandia. Mrs. Bush is a former librarian from Texas.

Wikipedia Current Events

 * Nambaryn Enkhbayar is elected President of Mongolia.
 * Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of Germany announces early federal elections to be held later this year, after his Social Democrats lose the state election in North Rhine-Westphalia to the Christian Democrats, ending 39 years in government.
 * Helena Paparizou becomes the first contestant from Greece to win the Eurovision Song Contest.
 * In England, Arsenal win the FA Cup by beating Manchester United in a penalty shootout.

Today in History provided by Wikipedia
May 24: Independence Day in Eritrea, Saints Cyril and Methodius Day in Bulgaria


 * 1487 - Impostor Lambert Simnel was crowned in Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin, Ireland as "King Edward VI".
 * 1626 - Peter Minuit bought Manhattan in exchange for trade goods valued at 60 guilders.
 * 1822 - Troops led by Antonio José de Sucre secured the independence of Quito from Spain.
 * 1911 - The New York Public Library opened.
 * 1941 - World War II: The German battleship Bismarck sank the British battlecruiser HMS Hood in the Battle of the Denmark Strait.

Today's fact provided by Wikipedia
The Delaware Basin in Texas contains fossilised coral reefs from the Permian.

Thank you for joining us for today's segment. Join us again tomorrow for more headlines, news, facts, and anniversaries; and next week will have our very first Special Report.

I'm Nicholas Gerda.

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