Wikinews:Briefs/April 7, 2012

April 8, 2012

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Today on Wikinews: We briefly recap some of the stories appearing on Wikinews this week and from around the world.

Today is Saturday, April 7, 2012. I am Chad Tew and this is Wikinews.

Aung San Suu Kyi claims a seat in the Parliamentary elections in Myanmar (0:28)
Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi (Prounced: Awn San Soo Chee) says she won a parliamentary seat in last week's elections in Myanmar, also known as Burma. Her party -- the National League for Democracy -- laid claim to over 40 seats, but the ruling party will still hold the majority. Despite Suu Kyi's apparent victory, she said there were irregularities that threatened voting fairness.

On the campaign trail, March 2012 / U.S. Senator Marco Rubio endorses Mitt Romney for president (0:59)
Turning to the United States election, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney has lately been receiving endorsements from the Republican establishment, like those from former Florida governor Jeb Bush, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, and Congressperson Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. Meanwhile, the Democrats have stripped delegates from an Oklahoman candidate and might do the same to a candidate from Louisiana.

We have more about the developments in the United States elections during March at Wikinews.

Palau police shoot Chinese fisherman, police plane feared lost (1:36)
Palau's police shot a Chinese fisherman who was believed to be illegally fishing in the nation's waters. The ship was warned before the shooting. Five Chinese fishermen were arrested after. They face up to two years in jail and a fifty thousand U-S dollar fine.

U.S. Coast Guard unleashes cannon fire on abandoned Japanese ship (1:59)
The U-S Coast Guard fired a twenty-five milimeter cannon at a Japanese ship that had been abandoned as a result of last year's tsunami. The ship was sent across the Pacific Ocean and ended up about 200 miles from the Alaskan shore. The Coast Guard says sinking the ship is safer than letting it hit the shore or possibily being run in to by another vessel.

Former US Sheriff of the Year jailed in drugs-for-sex case (2:29)
A retired lawman who had once been Sherriff of the Year has been sentenced for offering two men meth for sex. Sheriff Patrick Sullivan was filmed in a sting operation. He later pleaded guilty and apologized. Sullivan won the award from the US National Sherriffs’ Association in two thousand and one. He is to spend 30 days in prison.

UK police arrest woman over William Davis murder (2:59)
A thirty five year old woman has been arrested in the United Kingdom in connection with the William Davis murder. The ninety year old victim was found dead at his home April first with serious head injuries. Police are asking witnesses to come forward. A police statement suggested Davis’ murderer would have left the house covered in blood.

Last Ottoman dies, aged 91 (3:25)
The last Ottoman royal born during the Ottoman empire -- Fatma Neslişah Osmanoğlu -- died Monday at the age of ninety one in Istanbul. During her life, she was part of two monarchies that were abolished by national revolutions, and those led to her twice being exiled. The princess was both the granddaughter of the last Ottoman Sultan and last Ottoman Caliph. After the founding of the Turkish Republic, the Ottoman royal family was exiled to France. Later, she married a Prince of Egypt who was regent for a short while before that monarchy was also abolished. The couple was sent out of Egypt after an arrest. Neslişah Sultan was the last living member of her family to be born and registered during the Ottoman empire period.

2012 netball ANZ Championship kicks off (4:27)
And the opening round of the twenty twelve Australia New Zealand netball championship is underway. Netball is adapted from basketball. In New Zealand, the Southern Steel beat the Bay of Plenty Magic forty nine to forty seven. And in Australia, the defending champion Queensland Firebirds lost to the Melbourne Vixens forty seven to forty two. Both were considered major upsets.

First female bishop in NSW and Canberra consecrated (5:01)
Despite opposition from the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Australia, Genieve Blackwell became the third woman to be elevated to Anglican bishop in Australia. Blackwell is the thirty first female Anglican bishop in the world.

Brazzaville picks up the pieces after ammo depot explosion (5:19)
We have more at Wikinews about the relief operations in Brazzaville, the Republic of the Congo. On March fourth, an ammo depot exploded in the populated city. This week, I talked with Dr. Kelechi Kalu, who is the director of the Center for African Studies at Ohio State University. He had this to say about the news media representation of Africa.

Interview (5:49)
'''Lately, Africa has been in the news, especially with KONY 2012 catching on over the Internet. But you still have situations like Brazzaville -- there's not much media coverage about it. Mozambique, we hardly hear anything about the floods there. What is your impression about how Africa is treated in the Western media?'''


 * When we say Africa, that is part of the problem also. Because this is a continent of over one billion people. This is a continent with 55 states, if you will, that is counting western Sahara. This is a continent that is a mixture of all races -- all of the complexities that you find elsewhere. And consider that the west colonized much of the continent, and the international system looks at Africa as the "other" -- the "other" that is often not known to most of the western citizens. Subsequently, it is not interesting unless there is a major disaster.


 * You don't find the teaching of African geography, African politics, African sociology. We have all of these magnificent universities, but what do they need -- looking at the entire continent and trying to understand the complexity in one semester? We just don't teach as much as we should. And that is what often results in the tendency to broadcast and develop interest in these types of events. All of the good events that are going on around the continent, are often not of interest in the media.

'''Thank you very much. We have been talking to Dr. Kelechi Kalu, he is the director, Center for African Studies at The Ohio State University.'''


 * Thank you Chad, and have a good day.

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