That was 2011...in news

STUDYING journalism at University, it is essential to keep updated on the latest news around the world, no matter if it has any influence on you.  2011 has been one of the most dramatic news years in recent times, but sadly – there were a lot of dark forces and the stories don’t lie.  Natural disasters, media revelations, economic crisis, uprisings in a new world and man-made riots made it a fairly depressing year for many.

         The heart of Japan was ripped out in March by a devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the country.  An 8.9 earthquake on the Richter scale; the most powerful in Japan’s history was followed by a 30ft tsunami which swept away everything in its path.  Cars, people, buildings stood absolutely no chance against Mother Nature’s deadly power.  Many thousands were killed and it is unlikely that the total death toll will ever be recorded, due to the sheer destruction.  It was a year when natural disasters sadly came right to the forefront again.  Flash flooding recently has claimed the lives of 500 people in the Philippines; Brazil was hit by massive landslides which left 15,000 homeless in January.  Australia had to bring in the military following widespread flooding in Queensland and Brisbane, which left at least 25 people dead and nearby neighbours New Zealand were left reeling by the earthquake in Christchurch in February which left over 100 dead.   

         Back at home and the media had its own cross examinations, in the form of a gulfing scandal.  The phone hacking scandal not only stained the reputation of the British print industry, but it has left it with a lot of damage to attempt recovery from.  Andy Coulson, who was David Cameron’s former press aide, was arrested and the chief executive of News International, Rebekah Brooks, eventually resigned from her tainted position.  The Murdoch’s faced severe interrogation from MPs over the actions of rogue journalists, which spelt the end for the News of the World newspaper in July.  The voicemails of murdered teen Milly Dowler were hacked into and many celebrities, including Hugh Grant, Sienna Miller and Andy Gray reported cases of their conversations being taped.  The Leveson enquiry into this summer’s distasteful events is being held at the moment, but the implications are still far reaching for the press sector of media.

         In America, the former doctor of Michael Jackson, Conrad Murray was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.  He has since been sentenced to four years in prison.  Meanwhile, student Amanda Knox was cleared on appeal on the murder of fellow British student Meredith Kercher in Perugia.  Knox had spent four years in jail, having been initially convicted in 2007.  

      America also said goodbye to the Space Shuttle, as Atlantis made its final mission in July.  Having been in service for 30 years, the reusable spacecraft has been retired after some success and devastating disasters in American space exploration history.  In Europe, an economic meltdown has seen the Euro on the brink of collapse.  Greece, Ireland and Portugal have asked for emergency bailouts and a recent EU treaty proposal was rejected by David Cameron, which has left Britain playing a dangerous game, but a correct game against Europe.  It has seen tensions rise in the coalition though.  The Liberal Democrats might be at war with the Conservatives with this, but they also lost the AV vote referendum and suffered severe losses in May’s local elections.  In 2010, Nick Clegg was on a crest on a wave, but now, he is among one of the most unpopular politicians ever to have walked in Downing Street!

        The springtime brought about a changing of the guard in the Arab world.  It started with the rebellion in Tunisia, which led to their president, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali fleeing to Saudi Arabia.  Bahrain’s government also faced upheaval, but survived.  Hosni Mubarak wasn’t so lucky and after weeks of tense fighting and standoff in Cairo, he fled from his position as Egyptian president.  However, there is still great uncertainly about Egypt’s future direction.  Syria, Algeria and Saudi Arabia have also seen scenes of demonstrations in 2011, but it was Libya where the biggest change happened.  Colonel Gadaffi’s cruel regime finally came under stiff attack as world leaders called for him to depart graciously.  Gadaffi held on and declared war; Cameron, Barack Obama and Nicholas Sarkozy reacted and air strikes began on the country, with NATO been called in to help out.  After months of struggle, Gadaffi was captured and killed in September and a new dawn of promise and hope for Libyans might well be on, after years of torture and doom.     

          At the beginning of May, international terrorism came back into the headlines and the world became just a little bit safer.  Barack Obama confirmed the news that Osama Bin Laden was dead.  The Al-Qaeda figurehead was captured and shot dead by US troops in Pakistan; a decade after the search for him began following the September 11^th terrorist attacks.  Ten years on, it will never bring back those who died in the appalling mass murder in America; nor those who suffered in Bali, Istanbul and London in years gone by, but a sense of justice could now be felt.  Despite Bin Laden’s death, terrorism still remains at the forefront of our lives.  In July, Anders Behring Breivik blew up government offices in Oslo, Norway and then, dressed as a policeman, committed a shooting rampage on Utoya Island, where many youngsters were spending a summer holiday at camp.  Around 70 people were thought to have been killed in the two attacks.  More recently, a man threw explosives in Liege, Belgium.  Four died and the gunman took his own life after the four explosions rocked the city centre.    

         In April, Britain had a wonderful day, as millions watched in London and on TV the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  It was a perfect day and put a lot of affection back into our hearts for the Royal Family.  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as they are now officially known brought a tear to many people’s eyes to show that our country can really do something that we should be proud of.

     Four months later, the dark side really came to the force as the UK riots stunned us all.  The shooting of Mark Duggan in Tottenham began a chain of events within London and spread across many other areas of the UK on a miserable Monday evening in August.  Businesses were destroyed, damage estimated to be in the billions and the leadership seemed to be lacking from the coalition; all on holiday at the time the riots escalated.  Several people died and record arrests were made, as police struggled to control the loonies who were causing such destruction on our country.  The riots disgusted many and brought shame on a worldwide scale.  The cost is still being felt now. 

       One of the greatest geniuses died in October, as founder and visionary of Apple, Steve Jobs lost his battle against pancreatic cancer.  The world also said goodbye to singer Amy Winehouse, found dead in her London apartment in July.  Elizabeth Taylor, the renowned actress passed away from ill health in March, as did Coronation Street icon Betty Driver in October.  Sport also lost three heroes in Wales’s football manager Gary Speed, who took his own life, former heavyweight world champion Joe Frazier to cancer and double Indy 500 champion Dan Wheldon, killed in a horrific 15 car pile-up at the IndyCar season finale in Las Vegas. 

           2011 has been a year full of revelations, rebellion and change.  It has brought some cheer, some justice but also, a lot of devastation and uncertainly.  That was 2011….in news.

9/11: My memories

By Simon Wright (Personal piece)

I WENT to bed on Monday September 10 2001 in a normal world.  Not much was happening in the world to be honest, certainly nothing out of the ordinary.  24 hours later and everything had changed.  The world would never be the same again.  We had to face with a new threat in our lives, terrorism.  By the end of September 11, 2001 – thousands of innocent lives had been taken in one of the biggest mass murders ever known to man.  As it was broadcast live all over the world on television, it had a massive impact which affected all of us.  Now, a decade on from that dark day, I want to share my memories of that day and how I dealt with witnessing on television such an appalling loss of life.

     Tuesday September 11 2001 started as a bright, sunny day.  Only a week earlier, I had started at Secondary School in Wolverton, Milton Keynes.  Already, I felt I was struggling with the extra demand of lessons and the ridiculous amount of early homework I was getting in the term.  Also, it didn’t help when you had Maths lessons with a guy who couldn’t speak a clear word of English if his life depended on it.  As it turned out, I was in that lesson, totally oblivious to the devastation that was just occurring in America.  Yep, I was doing some silly mathematical equation when the first plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Centre.

     With the homework I had and needed doing, I went home at the 3pm dismissal time and walked home for a busy night in the books.  If I was lucky, I might be able to see Liverpool’s first match back in the UEFA Champions League against Boavista on the doomed ITV Sports Channel, but the work needed doing.  Strangely enough, I decided to do some Religious Studies homework, with the topic being some basic research on the six main religions in the world.  A pretty boring task, but I had to meet the new standards.

     My mum came home from her teaching assistant job at the local First School and she looked concerned and asked me whether I had heard about the plane crash in America?  I looked at her, a bit confused.  I thought back to Concorde crashing in Paris a year earlier and hoped the ‘Supersonic’ jet hadn’t had another major accident.  She turned on the television to BBC News and the pictures remain vivid to me today.  Seeing replays of both towers of the World Trade Centre on fire was a massive shock.  As I tried to understand what had happened through the BBC Breaking News strap, it was clear the Religious Studies homework would not be completed tonight.  I wasn’t going to be in the right frame of mind.  Then, I gasped in horror as I saw replays of people hanging out of windows, trapped in the burning towers, knowing that they were faced with the probability of being burnt to a crisp or jumping to their deaths.  Next, the video of the two towers collapsing was shown to the entire world and I simply could not believe my eyes what I was seeing.  Surely this was no accident!

     That evening, I watched an ITN News special, presented by the legendary Sir Trevor McDonald and I struggled to comprehend the day’s events as it was replayed on the broadcast.  I didn’t feel sick or anything, just generally numb and confused.  How could this happen and more so, who was responsible for this disgusting act?  I must admit, my first thought was Iraq was responsible, but once the Al-Qaeda name was ran around the news, it started to make more sense.  I remember having a 72-minute phone conversation with one of my school friends on the day’s tragic events, but I don’t remember much of that conversation.  By that stage, nothing else mattered to me on that day.  I knew I had witnessed a life-changing moment and it would have a direct impact on everyone’s life, for many, through no fault of their own.

     My brother, and entertainment expert for this website, Jason Wright spoke to me about his memories of the day and the implications of what was to come for the world.  He was ten years old and had just started third year at a middle school around the same area where I was with secondary school.  “I heard nothing about 9/11 until I got home, as mobile phone breaking news was non-existent in this day.  My first emotion was; was it really happening and I felt really scared watching the pictures.  I do remember Kay Burley and Jeremy Thompson presenting Sky News and their voices as the devastating pictures came in said it all really.  As for going to war with Afghanistan, I always felt it was a grave mistake and let the US go in and do the job, without our help.  Finally, my deepest symphonies go out to the families and friends of the bereaved.  I feel justice has been done with the death of Al-Qaeda’s ringleader back in May, but ultimately, it won’t bring back his victims and my thoughts are with you on what is bound to be a poignant day on Sunday.”

     Ultimately, I can only echo those last thoughts of my brother.  It will be a tough day for the families’ victims, but hand-in-hand, the world will stand on Sunday to remember America’s darkest day and remember those innocent lives, so cruelly taken away.

R.I.P to the victims of 9/11 in New York, Washington and Pittsburgh – You will not be forgotten, ten years on.

2011 IAAF World Athletics Championships - Mixed bag for Brits

THE 13^th IAAF World Athletics championships concluded on Sunday in Daegu, South Korea and it was a championship to remember.  Some major shocks, close finishes and stunning individual performances came together over nine days of thrilling and compelling action.  Great Britain’s athletes returned last night to the UK after a mixed championship.  They managed to earn seven medals, matching the target set out by the coach of UK Athletics, Charles van Commenee.  However, some form was very patchy from many ‘banker’ gold medal hopefuls and big improvements and decisions have to be made soon, especially with London 2012 less than a year away.

     Great Britain come home with two gold medals, four silvers and one bronze; the biggest haul of medals at any world championships since 1993 in Stuttgart.  On the face of it, this sounds very good, considering we finished sixth in the medals table and only behind the powers of America, Jamaica, Kenya, Russia and Germany; probably all expected to be ahead of us.  However, does the Daegu haul put us on the right track for the Olympics next summer?

DELIGHT: Mo Farah recovered from 10,000m heartbreak in style

     First, the positives and they come from Mo Farah and Di Greene, who produced their golden moments in clinical style.  Farah was bravely beaten into silver position in the men’s 10,000m by a late burst from Ibrahim Jeilan of Ethiopia.  On Sunday, he refused to be denied in his success at the 5,000m.  Mo is now the best ever long-distance runner Great Britain has ever had and he can hold his head up high.  In the 5,000m, he ran the race perfectly, especially when you consider the tactics the Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes are likely to employ on dangers outside their continent.  In Di Greene, Britain has its best hurdler since the days of Sally Gunnell.  He was in peak form throughout the championship and he burst through right at the end on Thursday night to claim gold in the men’s 400m hurdles.  The winning time of 48.26secs was enough to see off his main threat, Javier Culson from Puerto Rico.  With hard work and persistence, these two athletes have to be proud of what they have achieved in South Korea.

     The surprise of the championships from a British perspective was Hannah England’s shock, but rewarding silver medal in the women’s 1500m.  She was completely off the radar and getting into the final was an achievement in itself.  The shock on her face as she crossed the line was one of the pictures of the championships.  With 200m to go, it looked like Hannah had been run out of it, but she went wide and as athletes began to tire in the finishing straight, she kicked for home and got her just rewards.  Well done Hannah on a stunning performance!  Andy Turner also did well to win bronze in the men’s 110m hurdles, although there was some luck in his medal.  Turner crossed the line in fourth, but the winner on the track; Cuban Dayron Robes was disqualified following a clash on the penultimate hurdle with Liu Xiang of China, which promoted Turner into the bronze medal position.  For me, it was unfortunate, but Xiang would have won the race had it not been for the clash, so it was the right decision to disqualify Robes.

     Other silver medals came from expected gold medal hopefuls.  Phillips Idowu was unable to hang onto his triple jump championship, as he was beaten by a sensational jump from a young starlet.  21-year old Christian Taylor, from the United States produced a massive leap of 17.96m to deny Idowu gold.  It was a shame for Phillips, as he produced a series of consistent jumps and at any other world championship gone by, his best jump of just over 17.70m would have won him gold.  You just have to hand it to Taylor, who nailed it just right on the day.  Britain’s golden girl Jessica Ennis had to settle for silver too, in the women’s heptathlon.  Despite getting a higher points total than she managed to win gold in Berlin two years ago, Ennis had to settle for silver, behind the Russian Tatyana Chernova.  However, Jess will be disappointed with a clumsy 100m hurdles and a shocking javelin, which was her ultimate downfall.  Sometimes you can’t get it right all the time and there is no doubt that Jessica Ennis will win many more heptathlons, but one bad event will cost you in this high class field.  It is something you might get away with at the Commonwealth Games, but not at the world Championships.

     Big disappointments for Britain were the failure to get any male or female sprinters into the finals of the men’s and women’s 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m.  It is an abject failure to say the least, with the biggest sporting event in this country less than a year away.  Dwain Chambers false started in his 100m semi-final and knocked himself out of participation in the final.  With his Olympic ban for failing a drugs test back in 2003 still likely to stand, we might have seen the controversial Chambers at a major championships for a final time.  Having achieved a bronze medal in Berlin, Jenny Meadows was a massive disappointment in the women’s 800m, getting knocked out in the semi-final stage.  Meadows was definitely a medal contender, so her early demise from these championships were a real letdown.  Despite having struggled with injuries, Martin Rooney’s form is so erratic; you wonder why he even bothers.  He failed at the semi-final stage of the individual 400m and didn’t look much better in the relays.  No wonder why the Korean journalists thought he was Wayne Rooney, it says it all!  Finally, the relay squads have a lot to answer for.  Only the 4x400m women can feel satisfied, running a solid race to fourth without any mistakes.  Once again, questions will be pointed at the 4x100m men’s team, which once again; yep you guessed it, dropped the baton!  Marlon Devonish needs to work on his target practice too.  Why did he throw the baton at team-mate Harry Aikines-Aryeetey.  For someone so experienced as Devonish, it was a ridiculous action!  Maybe it is time for UK Athletics to cut money in our relay squads and invest it in other areas of the team, as excuses run thin and they are certainly out of them. 

SHOCK: Bolt realises it's too late as he faces a DQ in the 100m

     Away from Britain and it was a miserable championships for Usain Bolt; he only won two gold medals!!  Bolt’s amazing false start in the 100m final, when the gold medal was already being engraved in his name shook the world.  It was training partner and countryman Yohan Blake who won the prestigious sprint gold.  Bolt recovered from his blip to dominate the 200m, then be part of the Jamaican squad that broke the world record in the 4x100m relay; fittingly the final event of the championships.  35-year old Kim Collins, the 100m champion back in Paris in 2003, rolled back the years with two bronze medals and there was also a bronze (200m) and silver (4x100m) for the talented Christophe Lemaitre of France.  Lemaitre is definitely Europe’s best hope of stopping the Jamaican/American domination.  Jamaica’s Veronica-Campbell Brown won the women’s 200m; the title that had eluded her throughout her lengthy and successful career as Allyson Felix failed in her quest to take a sprint double.  Felix had to settle for silver in the women’s 400m and bronze in the 200m.  Finally, the individual performance of the championships has to go to Australia’s Sally Pearson, who broke her PB in the semi-finals of the women’s 100m hurdles, then went onto smash it again and take a championship record in the final just three hours later.  It was a popular success with the hundreds of Australian fans that had made the short journey to Daegu.

     Also, this was the first IAAF World Athletics championships not to be covered live on TV by the BBC.  Channel 4 won the rights last summer and to the 2013 championships in Moscow too.  However, they badly need an experienced sports presenter.  Whilst Michael Johnson’s analysis was fantastic as ever and was backed up by strong commentary from the likes of John Rawling, Rob Walker and Katherine Merry, the anchor let them down.  Ortis Deley was a nightmare for the first three days.  Who decided to hire him!!  He knows next to nothing about athletics and eventually, the bumbling host was axed into a tame reporting role three days into the championships.  The mistakes on the YouTube video (see below) speak volumes for themselves.  Rick Edwards, best known as the guy from T4 who introduces Hollyoaks, Friends and One Tree Hill to teenage morning viewers, did a solid job and carried the baton on without ever being remarkable.  If Channel 4 is serious about sport like they say they are, it’s time to sign someone up who has been there in sports presenting, done it and can lead the way.

     Daegu 2011 will go down as a memorable championship for many people.  Great Britain have made significant strides forward, but improvements still have to be made, with London less than a year away now.  No more excuses, it’s time to deliver!

F1's day of shame - The Indianapolis 2005 tyre debacle

AS THE FIA and the Grand Prix teams clash over whether we should end up going to race in Bahrain this season, I will share the darkest day the sport shared in recent times, when politics overcame sport and turned one of the greatest shows in sport into an utter farce.  The 2005 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis was the day when Formula One rejected America and many fans walked away in disgust.  Here are the events of a dark weekend in its colourful 61-year history.

     Formula One arrived in Indianapolis, the capital of the motor racing world for the ninth round of the 2005 world championship.  After another dramatic event in Montreal, many were gripped by the intense title battle between young guns Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen.  Alonso had a handy championship lead for Renault, but Raikkonen’s victory in the Canadian Grand Prix seven days earlier had put pressure on Fernando, who crashed in Montreal.  Any talk of championship potential quickly whittled away when free practice began in America.

CHAIN: Dark events took place after Ralf Schumacher's crash

     The weekend looked like it might turn into a bleak one when Toyota test driver Ricardo Zonta spun off the track into the turn four gravel trap, with a right-rear puncture.  Surely, this was just a dodgy set of tyres?  No, it wasn’t.  Moments later, fellow Toyota driver Ralf Schumacher crashed heavily in the turn 13 banked oval, also due to a right-rear tyre failure.  Ironically, it was at the same place where Ralf had crashed his Williams in the 2004 event, which forced him to miss six races of the previous campaign.  Incredibly, he got out of his battered chassis unharmed, but clearly had been shaken up, and missed the rest of the weekend.  With Ralf okay, attention soon turned to how the accident had been caused.  Speculation began to rise that the Michelin tyres might not be able to handle the newly resurfaced track on the turn 13 banked oval.

      On Saturday morning, Michelin wrote to the FIA, insisting that they did not have total guarantee that the tyres would be able to handle the resurfaced area, unless a speed restriction, such as a chicane was put into place.  Meetings were held throughout the weekend between the FIA, team bosses and drivers to discuss the possible solutions that could occur.  As Michelin were supplying seven of the ten teams; Toyota, McLaren, Sauber, Renault, Red Bull, BAR and Williams, it was clear that this was a dire situation.  Michelin flew over tyre constructions that had been used in May’s Spanish Grand Prix, but they also couldn’t hold up to the turn 13 corner, especially over a full Grand Prix distance.  As all drivers in 2005 were required to complete qualifying and the race on just a single set of tyres, this was a big problem.  It is believed that the Michelin teams offered the chance to handicap themselves, such as grid penalties, fines for tyre changes and even no points for teams and drivers, just so the fans could see a race spectacle.  They all pushed for a temporary chicane to be installed in turn 13 by raceday.

     Come race morning, and the chicane had not been built overnight.  FIA president Max Mosley insisted that a chicane couldn’t be built, as if a crash occurred on a temporary part of road and injury occurred, an American judge wouldn’t care less about the background and would throw the book at the accused.  As ITV (UK), Speed TV (USA), Ten (Australia) and other worldwide broadcasters went on the air to start their race build-up, no-one knew whether a race would take place.

      The Michelin teams were furious and until more meetings were held, insisted they would not leave the pits on raceday.  Minardi, a Bridgestone shod-team joined the party, and accusations soon pointed in Ferrari’s direction.  There were claims that Ferrari felt a significant disadvantage would be handed to them, for having suitable tyres.  Bridgestone, only represented by Ferrari, Minardi and Jordan bought a conservative race tyre to Indianapolis, as the Japanese manufacturer understood the risks of potential high tyre wear through the resurfaced turn 13.  With twenty minutes to go, before the scheduled 1pm race start, the Michelin teams were given permission to go out to the grid.  On the grid, team bosses were still holding discussions, which still suggested that things weren’t right.  Even FOM president Bernie Ecclestone didn't seem to know much about what was going on when ITV commentator Martin Brundle pressed him for answers on the grid.  After all, with many worldwide sponsors in presence, a huge television audience to please and an expectant crowd at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Formula One was under pressure to deliver.

      No-one quite knew what was going to happen as the cars set off on the formation lap, with drivers warming up in a normal procedure.  Toyota had taken their first pole position through Jarno Trulli, with Raikkonen alongside him.  Alonso had only managed sixth in qualifying, behind Jenson Button, team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella and the first Ferrari of Michael Schumacher.  As the cars approached the final corner, Alonso was told by his race engineer the plan for this event; “straight into the pits mate.”  Pole man Trulli led the teams with Michelin tyres into the pits.  All the Michelin-shod teams were pulling out of the event.  A shocked Schumacher led team-mate Rubens Barrichello around onto an empty grid, with only two Jordan’s and two Minardi’s also lining up at the back of the grid.  As Schumacher led the six-car farce into turn one, the Michelin teams stood back and watched.

      The drivers all wanted to race, and were just as disappointed.  Ron Dennis had to restrain Kimi Raikkonen from racing, Jenson Button looked as white as a sheep in the pits, Mark Webber disappeared into his motorhome and didn’t appear for the rest of the afternoon and Juan Pablo Montoya broke down in tears, gutted at not being able to race in an event close to his heart (he won the Indianapolis 500 in 2000.)  Other drivers like Felipe Massa didn’t hang around and headed straight for the airport, probably contemplating the following morning’s dismal media headlines.  It was a disappointing and shameful conclusion to events.  As soon as the Michelin teams headed for the pits, I myself turned off my TV and went off to do some exam revision.  Being a massive F1 fan myself, I was devastated, angry, hurt and ashamed to even be associated with a sport where political rows could overtake a sporting spectacle.  It took the majority of the rest of the 2005 season for me to forgive Formula One and its higher forces for this shoddy debacle. 

      For the record, Schumacher went onto win his only race of that season, and all six cars finished.  Tiago Montiero became the first Portuguese driver to finish on the podium for Jordan.  Many fans didn’t stay around to watch, leaving the circuit in disgust and throwing beer bottles and other pieces of litter onto the circuit.  Those actions shouldn’t happen, but their frustration could be shared by millions across the world.   

      Michelin accepted responsibility and agreed to refund all fans who attended the 2005 United States Grand Prix.  They also purchased 15,000 free tickets to give away for the following year’s event.  However, their credibility was shattered and they left F1 at the end of the 2006 season.  F1’s reputation in America suffered too.  The sport returned to Indianapolis for two more seasons, but poor attendances led to its demise from the calendar at the end of its contract in 2007.  It will return to a new circuit in Texas next summer.

      Formula One has had many scarred days in its past.  Few will forget the tragic events of Imola 1994, nor the team orders scandal in Austria 2002, but Indianapolis 2005 will stand out as the day politics and bickering beat sport, in a biggest tyre debacle of the decade. 

      Let’s hope the sport doesn’t go to Bahrain this October, otherwise we could be set for another dark day in its history.

Osama Bin Laden is dead

ONE of the biggest mass murderers in history, Osama Bin Laden is dead.  He was shot dead in the town of Abbottabad, around 50 miles away from the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad in the early hours of this morning.  Bin Laden has finally been captured after a decade of search from US troops.  This followed the event that changed everyone’s lives.

     Bin Laden and Al-Qaeda planned a terrorist attack to such detailed plan that it was going to have deadly results.  On Tuesday September 11, 2001, planes were hijacked and flew into some of America’s landmark buildings in New York.  Both towers of the World Trade Centre collapsed with hundreds trapped inside the burning buildings.  The casualties on this day were horrendous and the War on Terror began.

     Bin Laden wasn’t a stranger to the terrorist network.  US embassies had been bombed in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.  However, it was the events of 9/11 that put him into global context as the world’s most wanted man.  Within months, America, with Britain’s help went into Afghanistan and they began air strikes to get their man.  However, George Bush would never seek his prize and it has taken a decade before the news of his demise could be broken this morning by his replacement Barack Obama.

     With backing from the Taliban, Bin Laden set-up training camps and hence, many extremist groups have been created since.  With Bin Laden’s death, it might be a massive setback on Al-Qaeda that their figurehead is no longer around, but the War on Terror will still go on and there is likely to be a backlash on his death from Al-Qaeda.  This morning, Foreign Office leader William Hague has insisted that British embassies across the world review their security policies in a heightened alert of a possible attack.  Currently, Britain, like America – remains at the second highest terrorist threat level possible, not at the critical mark yet.  US officials have said that after being shot in the head, Bin Laden's body was buried at sea, according to Islamic traditions.  Three other men, including one of Bin Laden’s sons were also killed in the mission.  The whole operation took approximately 40 minutes to complete.

     There might be now some justice for the families who have lost their lives in terrorist atrocities; not just those in America, but those killed in Bali (2002), Istanbul (2003), Madrid (2004) and London (2005). 

     There is no doubt that the world is still nowhere near a safe place.  In fact, everyone still has to totally remain vigilant, especially as risks may well rise in the US and the UK in the coming weeks.  However, there can be no doubt that Osama Bin Laden’s death is a historical news moment and the biggest news story of 2011.  The War on Terror goes on and will for generations to come, but this is a victory for the West and in particular for Barack Obama, who now will get high praise for keeping all this quiet and earn a second term in office as American President.  The world’s most wanted-man has finally been taken out of the picture for good and for the families, some form of justice has now been done, even though it won’t bring their loved ones back.

WORLDWIDE REACTION TO BIN LADEN’S DEATH

George W. Bush (Former American President) – “The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakeable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.”

David Cameron (Prime Minister) – “It is time to thank those who work around the clock to keep us safe from terrorism.  Their work will continue.  I would like to congratulate Barack Obama and those responsible for carrying out this operation.”

Tony Blair (Former Prime Minister) – “This is a huge achievement in the fight against terrorism, but we know the fight against terrorism and the ideology that Bin Laden represents, continues and is as urgent as ever.”

William Hague (Foreign Secretary) – “It is unequivocally a good thing that he is no longer able to pursue terror, murder and mayhem in the world.”

Angela Merkel (German Chancellor) – “Bin Laden was a symbol for the international terror that did not respect life, only killed and only destroyed.  His death is good news.”

Elizabeth Taylor - A Hollywood legend

Elizabeth Taylor (February 27 1932 - March 23 2011)

AFTER months of medical treatment, the fantastic and hugely popular Hollywood actress Dame Elizabeth Taylor has died.  She passed away, surrounded by her four children from congestive heart failure on Wednesday morning.  The British-born icon died in Los Angeles, aged 79.

     Often regarded by many as one of the greatest ever movie stars to have graced Hollywood, Elizabeth’s numerous marriages, countless divorces and love for diamonds had the world captivated for over half a century.  Born in London, her family moved to America when she was only seven years of age, and this is where the great love affair stateside began.

     Just five years later, Elizabeth’s glamorous look had won her a film contract and made her become a household name.  National Velvet was the first movie she starred in, as a budding teenage show jumper way back in 1944.  More films followed, but it was her appearance alongside fellow screen legend Paul Newman in the film ‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ that really turned her from national hit into global superstar.

     Acting was important, but off-screen, Elizabeth’s complicated romances had already begun.  Having already experienced two broken engagements, she married for the first time at 18, to hotel owner Conrad Hilton jnr.  The marriage only lasted a year, and was to be the start of a familiar pathway.  Actor Michael Wilding was her second marriage, which was more successful.  They were hitched for five years and he gave Elizabeth the first two of her four children.  Film producer Mike Todd was husband no.3, providing Elizabeth with a third child.  Todd was killed in a plane crash, leaving the young Taylor a paled widow at the just 26.

STARRING: Elizabeth's role in Cleopatra was her greatest moment

     Elizabeth’s desire to be happy was starting to become over-excessive and there was little support when just a year after Todd’s death, she ran off with husband of her best friend Debbie Reynolds, Eddie Fisher.  Her golden hour came in 1962, when she landed the mega part of Queen of the Nile, Cleopatra in ‘Cleopatra,’ one of the greatest movies of a all-time.  Off-camera, she had found love in Richard Burton.  It would be the start of a very tempestuous relationship.  Fifteen years of drama, heavy drinking, stormy rows and ultimately, two marriages.  Together, Taylor and Burton appeared in ten films together, with Taylor’s role in ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ winning her a second Oscar in 1967. 

     By the time Burton and Taylor divorced for a second time in 1976, Elizabeth’s glamorous lifestyle was started to get affected.  She suffered from chronic back problems, struggled to control her weight and continued to drink excessively.  When her good friend Rock Hudson died from AIDS in 1985, Elizabeth took up a new and unexpected role.  She founded the American Foundation for AIDS research, which allowed Taylor to promote and heighten the awareness of the little-known disease.  As her own health deteriorated, Elizabeth checked herself into the Betty Ford Treatment Centre.  Having battled with drink and drugs for several years, it was a reality check for Taylor; face death, or get cleaned up. 

     It was whilst recovering that she embarked on an eighth marriage, this time to fellow addict Larry Fortensky.  They married in 1991, but it ended five years later, like most of the other marriages; in divorce.  In 2000, Elizabeth was made a Dame for her services to acting and her immensely successful charity work.  She admitted afterwards that it was ‘the crowning achievement of her career.’ 

     As her ill health continued to plague her, public appearances became less frequent.  Apart from a brief guest role on The Simpsons, AIDS funded events were the only occasions that Elizabeth could be seen for the cameras.  She struck up a very close and personal friendship with the singer Michael Jackson and was devastated by Jackson’s death in the summer of 2009.  A month later, Elizabeth underwent heart surgery and recently, was admitted back to hospital due to her delicate condition last month.

     To the end, Elizabeth Taylor retained her magic and glamour.  A turbulent personal life in the public spotlight, combined with a history of poor health and ultimately, a very successful acting career, she touched the lives of many.  Her death is a shock to many and although her loss to the film and acting world is a masterpiece of understatement, her legacy will remain forever.

RIP Elizabeth Taylor (February 27 1932 – March 23 2011)

Bernard Matthews passes away

HIS empire began with a humble £2.50 investment and it turned into a multi-million empire, but on November 25, Bernard Matthews died at the age of 80.

DISTINGUISHED: Bernard Matthews has passed away

He passed away on Thursday afternoon, as America was celebrating ‘Thanksgiving.’  His passing was confirmed in a statement by the chief executive of Bernard Matthews Farms, Noel Bertrand;

“It is with a great deal of personal sadness that I confirm Bernard Matthews passed away on the afternoon of 25^th November.  I have personally known Bernard Matthews for well over 30 years, and on behalf of myself and my fellow colleagues, I wish to express our great sorrow and extend our sympathies to his family.”

Born in 1930, Matthews left school at 16 and began his investments as a twenty-year old.  By 1952, he has moved into poultry full-time and three years later, bought the Great Witchingham Hall in Norwich, which still remains the headquarters of Bernard Matthews today.  He has enjoyed a rise of fame and prominence through the 1970s and 1980s, but in recent times, his name has taken some damaging credibility. 

ADDICTIVE: The Turkey Twizzler took stick

When Sainsbury’s campaigner and Chef Jamie Oliver launched a campaign to improve the healthy eating habits of children in schools, it was Matthews’s controversial product, the ‘Turkey Twizzlers,’ that took the big hits.  He was criticised severely by animal rights movements, when all the ingredients of the dangerously addictive Twizzlers were revealed in the press.  Less than a year later, video footage on YouTube showed two of Mr. Matthews’s employees playing “baseball” with two live turkeys.  It was a disgusting act caught on film and the men involved admitted to animal cruelty at a magistrate’s court case in Norwich.

Desperate to restore faith in consumer, Bernard Matthews ran several advertising campaigns, telling customers that their employees were hard-working people.  In February 2007, a strain of the deadly bird flu hit one of the Matthews plants in Suffolk, which led to the slaughtering of 160,000 birds, who might have contracted the disease.

Although there has been a slump in sales in recent times, Bernard Matthews has left a very distinguished legacy in the food industry and his presence will be missed.  

Democrats Set For Damming Mid-Term Losses

BY SIMON WRIGHT & TAMIKA SHORT

BARACK Obama and his Democratic party face massive losses in America today, as millions of Americans vote in the mid-term elections.  What will the affects be from these results?  Simon Wright and Tamika Short investigate.

The final opinion polls indicate that the Republican Party is likely to gain control of the House of Representatives, whilst the Democrats majority in the Senate will be severely cut.  As America struggles to recover from the great recession, energy and enthusiasm seems to be edging onto the right-hand support, unlike in 2008.  Sky News political editor Adam Boulton commented on his blog the general feelings of the nation; “The mood for change is strong and Obama is no longer the change candidate.”

Up for grabs are all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 37 seats in the Senate.  Should the Republicans gain a majority, then Obama’s power within congress will sharply decrease, which means his controversial measures on healthcare reform and financial bailouts will struggle to be passed.  However, American Studies expert at the University of Northampton, David Waller doesn’t think it will affect Obama’s worldwide position too much; “Obama still has some cards up his sleeve, as this is a domestic situation, not an international scenario.  It won’t affect any of his foreign policies.”

The Democrats took control of both houses in the 2006 mid-term elections.  The US president has been campaigning across the weekend on many nationwide radio stations.  Former president Bill Clinton and Obama’s wife Michelle have also been making desperate final pleas to undecided voters.  Currently, nationwide polls suggest the 55% of American people will vote Republic, compared to 40% Democratic, with 5% undecided.  Should these polls be accurate enough, it will be the worst mid-term election losses in more than 60 years. 

It is not the first time that a current president has suffered in these polls.  In 1994, Bill Clinton saw the Democrats lose 52 seats, yet the Republicans failed to usurp him from power in 1996.  Republican Ronald Reagan also had a bad mid-term loss in the 1980’s, yet held on for two terms.  Consequently, these results aren’t likely to have a terminal blow for Obama’s chances in regards to a second term in office.

Barack Obama – Eight facts about the US president

-          Born in Hawaii on August 4 1961.

-          Studied a law degree at Harvard University.

-          Worked as a civil rights lawyer in Chicago.

-          Obama was elected to the US senate in 2004.

-          He taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1992-2004.

-          He is a devoted Christian and is the first ever African-American president.

-          He follows American football closely, a fan of the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL.

-          Barack Obama was the surprise winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.

Political Power

BARACK Obama defeated Republican candidate John McCain to become the first black president of the United States.  He was sworn into power in January 2009.  During his first year in office, he has battled to reform healthcare in the United States, amid strong criticism.  He has also been trying to achieve new agreements on nuclear disarmament and climate change, though with little breakthrough so far.  He has been criticised for his slow responsive actions towards the catastrophic Gulf of Mexico oil spill.  Obama’s tactics for deploying an additional 30,000 troops on the war in Afghanistan and support for building a Muslim memorial on the site of the World Trade Centre have also come under-fire.  However, it is the economic recovery that will probably play the major dynamic of Obama’s political power.

Nine Years On From 9/11

New York is leading the tributes and remembrance ceremonies across America on the 9th anniversary of the terrorist attacks in the United States.


Joseph Biden, the US vice-president was amongst those who attended the traditional memorial service held at Ground Zero, where the names of the 2,752 people killed at the former site of the World Trade Centre was read out.  Barack Obama is attending a similar ceremony over at the Pentagon, where another hijacked plane crashed on September 11th 2001.


No other words can describe the feeling that the US and the world feels about these attacks.  See below for some of the UK TV coverage on the day of 9/11.

RIP to those who lost their lives on that shocking day, you will never be forgotten.

Disgraced Canadian Mogul Set For Release

The shamed former editor of the Daily Telegraph, Conrad Black looks set to be released from jail, after being granted bail, in his efforts to appeal against a conviction for multi-million pound fraud.  The Canadian billionaire was found guilty of stealing from the now defunct media holding company Hollinger in 2007 and trying to cover up his crimes.  If the 65-year old is released, he will have served less than half of his sentence in jail, having begun it in March 2008.

Black has applied immediately for his release after justices of the Supreme Court in America ruled last month that the law used to convict him on three charges of fraud was too lax.  He now awaits his fate, as another area of court in America will decide whether to quash his convictions.  Conrad Black was born in Montreal in 1944 and bought his first newspaper at the tender age of 22.  In 1986, he took over as owner of The Daily Telegraph and set them up as the first UK newspaper to go electronic on the Internet, in 1994.  Two years later, his holding group, Hollinger’s was placed on the New York Stock Exchange.  Known for his swagger lifestyle and the ability to mix it in with top celebrities, Black had it all, a real challenger to Rupert Murdoch’s domination of the media sector, certainly in the press industry.  However, like Murdoch’s previous challenger, Robert Maxwell, it turned out that Black had built up his empire on lies and deception. 

It started in June 2003, when he agreed to an internal investigation into payments to himself and other directors of Hollinger.  Once complete, he resigned as chief executive and sold his Daily Telegraph titles to the Barclay Brothers for £665million.  What followed next was attack and counter attacks of court threats, suing for defamation and allegations of fraud, made by Hollinger International.  In October 2004, a US court cleared Black of a $1.2billion suit brought by Hollinger International, but when former chairman of the company, David Radler pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against other in the alleged fraud in September 2005, the game was up.  Black and three associates were charged two months later and after a four month trial, he was found guilty of criminal fraud and obstruction of justice in July 2007.  He got a lenient sentence, six-and-a-half year jail term, when the maximum penalty could have been 35 years. 

Appeals have followed since, with Black always maintaining he did nothing wrong with any of his questionable business dealings.  Whatever the case, his image will be tarnished forever, even if he manages to weasel his way out of his convictions.  Many will hope the disgraced Canadian doesn’t come anyway near a competitive and thriving media industry once he gets released from jail.        

NASA's Ambitious Moon Adventure Ends

NASA has begun the process of shutting down its American spaceflight programme – which ends the ambitious plan to put man back on the moon.  This is largely down to the budget cuts that president Barack Obama needs to make, in an effort to sort out America’s deep economic problems.  The recent catastrophic oil spill off the Gulf of Mexico could also have played a role in this final decision.

America’s adventure with NASA and space stretches back half a century, to the days of ‘The Space Race,’ and the famous battle with the USSR during the dark days of the Cold War.  Initially, it was the Eastern land that was winning the duel, with Sputnik becoming the first spacecraft to enter space, and then Yuri Gagarin became the first man into space in April 1961.  The US were slow off the mark, John Glenn achieved their feat of humans in space, almost a full year later.  On May 25^th 1961, John F. Kennedy announced the groundbreaking plan, that the United States would have the goal of reaching of Moon by the end of the decade. 

On the 20^th July 1969, JFK’s mission came true, when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first two men to land on the moon – ‘There’s One Small Step for Man, One Giant Leap for Mankind.’  On landing, Armstrong and Aldrin planted an American flag on the moon’s surface, as a significant propaganda coup.  With the moon landing successful, America’s next mission was to launch the first reusable spacecraft into space.  The Space Shuttle was exactly what the country needed and on April 12^th 1981, the US launched the Columbia Space Shuttle.  Five years later, tragedy struck the American space programme, when Challenger exploded 73 seconds after takeoff in January 1986, killing all seven crew members onboard, including the first citizen onboard, Christa McAuliffe.

As the Cold War ended, so did the ‘Space Race,’ as America and Russia started working together on a variation of space projects, including Mir and the Hubble Space Telescope.  More disaster followed in February 2003, when Columbia broke up on entry to landing in Texas, once again killing all seven crew members.  Now, with news that President Obama announces plans to cancel additional funding of the US Moon programme to return US astronauts to the Moon by March 2020, it is another blow for NASA, as the Space Shuttle programme is also being wound down very soon.  Certainly, the human space programme era, which has seen a lot of colourful history might well now be coming to a swift and anticlimactic ending.     

Liverpool Owners Ready To Sell - Has The Self-Destruct Button Already Been Pressed?

On Friday morning, Liverpool fans got the news that they really wanted, when it was confirmed in a joint statement by the unpopular American owners, George Gillett and Tom Hicks have put the debt-ridden club for sale.  The Anfield side is currently £237million in debt, an alarming figure by anyone’s standards in this economic climate.  However, has the self-destruct button on the red side of Merseyside already been pressed?

The boss of British Airways, Martin Broughton who is a lifelong Chelsea fan and a season ticket holder at Stamford Bridge has been brought in by the owners as the new chairman, to oversee the new deal.  Already, Hicks and Gillett have claimed that there has been strong interest for the club regarding new ownership and investment.  It is believed that under-fire boss Rafa Benitez will keep his job in the new deal, despite the increase in rumours about a possible move to limping Italian giants Juventus.  It is also likely that Real Madrid will try and tempt Benitez, born in Madrid with a lucrative offer this summer. 

However, a quick sale is very unlikely, with Hicks & Gillett looking for nearly £600million pounds according to some reports.  The American giants took over the club in February 2007, from the previous chairman David Moores.  Then, they paid less than half than the offer they are looking for now and with Liverpool’s on the field struggle; I find it pretty difficult to comprehend the figure they are looking for.  For a while now, the owners have been under intense pressure to sell from the investment companies they deal with it, due to the debt increasing, almost with every passing day.  The crippling debts have also hampered any potential work on the new stadium that Liverpool had been planning to build at Stanley Park.  Plus, Benitez had given the board an ultimatum, wanting at least £80million for the summer shopping window, as he bids to get the Merseyside failures back on par with Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal.

The owners relationship with one another has been strained for certain parts of their ownership at Anfield, even coming out once saying the partnership was ‘unworkable.’  At the Reds home games, it is quite surprising to see them sit next to one another, often a full row apart in the directors’ box, which obviously highlighted tensions.  Former chief executive Rick Parry left last summer in attempts to sort the battles in the boardroom once and for all, but the difficulty has remained in their partnership, as the relationship with at times, a passive Benitez.  In October 2009, fans demonstrated outside the ground before a home Premiership win against Manchester United, they’ve never seen eye-to-eye with the owners.

On the pitch, things haven’t been much better either.  Liverpool ended up as shock casualties in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League in the autumn and then Reading humiliated them at Anfield in an FA Cup third round replay in the middle of January.  Premiership prospects have been even worse, and the club faces a mountain to climb in efforts to overhaul Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in the scrap for 4^th place and England’s final Champions place next season.  Inconsistency from some key players and an injury-hit season for leading marksman Fernando Torres has added to these issues.  Only a run to the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League have kept any momentum in their season whatsoever.  The decision to sell Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid for £30million was a key matter and it really has highlighted Liverpool’s slump this campaign.  Alonso’s direct replacement, Alberto Aquilani has struggled all season with poor fitness levels, whilst the other key-signing, Glen Johnson has also been plagued with injury. 

For LFC fans, there has been a lot of frustration this season to endure and this is unlikely to be a quick sale either.  Hopefully, stability can now be achieved with the impending departure of the Americans, but it could well be a long and painful process.  The self-destruct button has already been pressed and limitations must be put in place for the fans to get the craving success they deserve in the short-term.