Read an article in an international publication (or view an international news show)
It may be about a European country or something published in a European news media about the United States.
Cite the article so we can find it and/or provide a link to it.
Write a 300-word summary and response. What did you learn about Europe from the article?
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24 comments:
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The article I chose was from the London Times online on Jan. 21st and is called; EU targets could force Britain to build thousands of wind turbines. It was about how Britain is set to dramatically increase wind farms and tidal plants in accordance with a European Union target for renewable energy. The EU is expected to this week put into action an order for Britain to raise its renewable energy from 2% to 15% by 2020. The renewable energy targets are backed with large fines for the country and the Green Campaigners are saying that Britain will have a tough time meeting this target.
Offshore wind and wave power are expected to be the bulk of this renewable energy and will no doubt effect many coastal areas as there may be as many as 7,000 wind turbines built there. Other countries, are warning that the increase for renewable energy is impossible. The French President is arguing against their increase from 10% to 23%.
I learned from this article the power and importance of the European Union on the European countries. I realized that it is important for the countries to abide by the rules set in place by the EU and if they don’t they could be penalized with hefty fines.
The article I chose to write on appeared in the London Times online on January 28th. It was titled "Britain Opens First Court Dedicated to Addicts." The article tells about how Britain has opened its first specialist drug and alcohol court. This court will cover the boroughs of Westminster, Camden and Islington. The reason for the opening of this courts is because of the high numbers that Britain is facing with people addicted to drugs and alcohol. Many of these drug addictions have caused Britain families to be torn apart and children placed in care.
The article also explains how the judges of these new courts will work with social workers and addiction specialists to help the addicts get treated quickly and be able to return to their children and families as soon as possible. These courts could also order parents to one-on-one counseling or group counseling to avoid having their children placed in other care.
Britain has mirrored the United States court system where it is found that more children have been able to return home from other care. This was made possible because their parents were able to receive treatment allow them to beat their addiction.
After reading this article I was surprised to find that Britain didn't already have a court like this already operating. I hope this court helps alleviate Britain's drug and alcohol problem because no child should have to grow up in a house with a parent addicted to drugs or have to be bounced around in foster care while their parent receives treatment.
Let me start by saying that while I was reading through the articles, it was hard to find something that pertained to Europe or the United Kingdom as a whole. A lot of the articles I found were very similar to the headlines that we see in America. I saw stuff on drug busts, kidnappings, anit-terrorism and global warming.
The article that I did find was in the London Times. It was titled "NHS closes its doors to foreign doctors". The NHS is short for the National Health Service, and it is a publically funded healthcare service that provides medical care for a majority of the UK population. The NHS decided that they needed to stop allowing foriegn doctors into the country because it was affecting the amount of jobs available for British born doctors.
The reason for this is that the amount of schools for the locals to attain a degree has doubled in the last decade. Before, the NHS would not have been able to operate without the assistance of foreign born doctors but now they have enough British born doctors to fill their occupancies. It has actually affected the chances of British born doctors getting a job, so the NHS has decided to limit the amount of foreign born into their system.
It actually sounds a lot like our problems here in America with imigration problems.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article3321919.ece
The article that I read was titled "Mayor gets touch on London's 'Chelsea tractors'". I found the article from the International Herald Tribune found at http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/12/europe/london.php The article is from the Bloomberg News and was published on 2/12/2008. The article talks about the "congestion charge" and the fact that Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London, tripled it for the "most-polluting" vehicles. Currently the charge to enter London is 8 pounds but for vehicles that emit more than 225 grams of carbon will be hit with the new charge of 25 pounds.
The point of the initial 5 pound and eventual raise to 8 pounds is to improve air quality and raise cash for public transportation. The Mayor was quoted as saying, "drivers of sport utility vehicles, known in London as 'Chelsea Tractors', are irresponsible". Ken Livingstone is in his second 4-year term and is seeking a 3rd term in the May 1st election, and have environmental issues at the top of his list of priorities while in office. People in opposition to the new fee hike say that it is a "stealth tax" against families that need bigger vehicles. Other cities such as Milan, Stockholm and Singapore have similar systems and New York is considering such a system.
I've learned that other countries are taking environmental issues, such as air pollution; it seems, more seriously than that of the United States. The United States and its people since that invention of the car have always wanted bigger and faster, but with the onset of possible global warming, something needs to be done from the higher-ups like the government. Europe is doing so, and the United States is lacking behind, but eventually these fees that London see, will most likely hit the United States. Even though we might not like the fees, they will almost force people to look at alternative ways of transportation, which I believe will better the environment and ourselves, as hard as it will be.
Dollar Falls to Record Euro Low
The article I read was from the BBC News online publication. The title read “Dollar falls to record euro low.” This article was published on Wednesday, February 27th 2008. The article can be found by clicking on the following link http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7265963.stm.
The article states “The euro rose to $1.5135 dollars after buying $1.50 on Tuesday for the first time.” The UK pound traded at $1.988, almost twice what the dollar is worth. Based on a graph included in the article, at the beginning of 2007, the euro was trading as low as $1.30. A jump of 20 cents in a little over a year is a huge jump. The Federal Reserve Vice Chairman is “hinting that US rates will be cut below their current level of 3%.” Consumer sentiment in the US has fallen to a 5 year low based on a recent survey. Investors in Europe are searching for other means of investment that will produce a higher rate of return. US investments are not profitable for many investors in Europe anymore.
I think that this is very scary for the United States. When the US rates continue to fall, investors in Europe will search elsewhere for better rates of return, and this will hurt the US economy even more. Personally, I will be dealing with Euros a lot on this trip, and it seems that my money may be worth less and less as the trip goes on if the trend of the falling dollar continues. What I have learned about Europe from this article is that they have had an extensive history of trade with the US, which may be coming to a standstill. They have to look for the best return, and right now, it is not the US.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3454535.ece
I read an article in the London Times about Prince Harry serving on a secret mission in Afghanistan. This article really shows to me how persons in a position of power in Europe do not try to avoid military service. One thing about Americans is that in times of war, especially in times such as Vietnam, the many young people were trying to avoid time in the service. It has been said that during the conflict in Vietnam politicians’ children, university students, and a select few others could avoid military service. The article quotes Harry who said that he is not going to “sit on my arse back home while my boys are out fighting for their country.” It is incredible to see someone who has a position of authority to actually say that and go do something about it. He has been commended by commanding officers for his outstanding performance in the field and has been fully involved in risky operations. Harry wanted to serve in Iraq and was set to be deployed into Iraq when they made the decision that he would be too great a target and he would be at too high of a risk. Although Harry accepted the decision that he would not be going to Iraq, he pursued the option of going to Afghanistan in order to serve with his fellow countrymen. H was eventually given the news that he would be serving in Afghanistan by the Queen herself. Harry did think about leaving the military when he was denied his chance to go to Iraq, but said, “I very much feel like if I’m going to cause this much chaos to a lot of people then maybe I should bow out.” I feel like the royals in England take more responsibility for the safety of their countrymen than many others in similar positions around the world.
http://busniess.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/law/article3449079.ece Wednesday, Feb. 27 2008
The article I chose to read was from the London Times Online and was titled "Innocent men want DNA records destroyed". Although the article itself has no direct connection to the U.S., the idea of it does. The article is just what the title says, 2 men who were acquitted and proven innocent of charges want their DNA records destroyed and scrapped from the Home Office (or UK DNA Database, the biggest in the world). This has brought up major Human Rights issues and is considered a "landmark human rights challenge." From my understanding, anybody who has been a suspect in England has had DNA samples taken and put into the database. Now after they are proven innocent, they keep the records for just-in-case reasons. This database has helped catch thousands of criminals, including 2 murderers just a couple of days before this article. The reason these men want their records destroyed is because they believe it draws suspicion to them and shows no respect to private life, which is stated highly in the European Human Rights Convention. When this trial comes to and if the 2 men win, up to 4.5 million records could be destroyed.
Here in the U.S., all records of innocent people will be destroyed upon trial request of the acquitted. Although they go to trial, they basically win every time. But it does differ in every state. Recently, however, there has been a push to get the DNA of all U.S. arrestees on record in a database. Some say it's public safety versus privacy, but ethical and legal aspects do come into play. I found the U.S. policy on DNA on a different website.
http://www.dnapolicy.org/news.past.php?action=detail&past_event_id=42 This will help you better understand.
The jist of the London Times article was like an announcement that 2 men are finally going to stand up to the Database like hundreds have wanted to but have either been too scared or didn't care enough. The "most important human rights cases of all time" is set for later this year.
I found this article intriguing because so many people agree or disagree with privacy and human rights. It has been in our history since the Revolutionary War. What is ok and where do we cross the line? In the day and age we live in, with technology soaring, ethical issues are heard being discussed everyday. A man and woman can no longer have their "fun convo" on the phone anymore in fear of a government worker listening in. According to several GIS and GPS workers, a person won't be able to urinate in the woods without a camera watching them in just a decade or so. Although these two things upset me, it wouldn't bother me if they had my DNA records in a database. If a person is guilty of a crime, should they not be arrested for it as quickly as possible? Does Law Enforcement have the right to question you if there is suspicion and you were involved in a previous crime? I believe so, but then again...our prisons are getting a little full.
Dozens Killed in Israeli Raids
A number of Israeli aircrafts struck the Gaza Strip on Thursday February 28th, killing 27 people, 4 of those being young children. The raids intensified, and have so far killed more than 60 Palestinians. The four children were discovered at the hospital by family members after they failed to return home from playing football. Just a day earlier, a baby was killed by shrapnel while in bed with his parents. The latest surge of attacks was brought about when an Israeli air assault killed five Hamas fighters. Hamas retaliated by firing rockets into Israel.
Another missile was fired later on Thursday striking a police post right next to where a Hamas leader was staying. This missile killed one civilian and one fighter, and wounded four other civilians. The death toll of 15 Palestinians killed was raised to 26, including eight children in just two days. Eight fighters and three civilians were among those killed on Thursday.
The rockets that are being fired are homemade, suggesting that no one is going to stop fighting anytime soon. Police said four rockets made their way to the city of Katyusha, which has a population of 120,000. There were no casualties, but one of the rockets crashed through a crowded apartment building.
Condoleezza Rice was in Tokyo and met with Ehud Olmert, urging the Israeli Prime Minister to stop the attacks. A spokesperson for the Palestinian President said that the attacks from Israel “aim to destroy the peace process”.
It’s really a shame about what’s happening to all those people over there. Innocent children and adults are being killed just because there in the wrong place. There really is no reason for such open violence. They should try and tackle their problems like mature adults instead of trying to kill everyone.
Source:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/38D843CC-4209-4643-A04A-F755BDCC01C7.htm
Carissa Chase
International Media Assignment:
“Vatican Slow Sainthood Process”, BBC News, Published February 18th, 2008.
While searching for a piece of European news to write about for our “International Media” assignment, I chose to select a piece of BBC News which I had recently heard about in United States chats. With the season of Lent upon us, the article which I selected titled”The Vatican Slow Sainthood Process,” holds significant relevance.
“The Vatican Slow Sainthood Process,” released by BBC News on February 18th, 2008, concisely states the hopes of Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins to reconstruct the process by which Catholic Church members may become an official “Saint.” Cardinal Martins is currently the Portuguese prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. As BBC’s article states, Cardinal Martins feels as though the Church’s current method of endorsing individuals as “Saints” is far too easy.
The current process for achieving Sainthood, or “Beautification as it is also referred to, was included in this BBC article. In simple terms, what is required for an individual to achieve Sainthood is proof of miracles. To become a Saint, one must first vouch for the occurrence of a miracle, speak with one’s local bishop who will then suggest their name to the Congregation in Rome, and finally provide legitimate proof of a miracle.
While this intense and rather vague process once served sufficiently as the initial platform for an intensive enquiry procedure for the members of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, due to changing of hands and loosening of ties, the process is currently too lax. BBC cites that “Critics have suggested the department has become what they call a ‘saint factory’, overwhelmed by the high number of applicants for sainthood which are originally suggested at local level.”
Cardinal Martins hopes to change the Congregations “Saint factory” reputation by tightening the measures which Church members must forego in order to achieve Sainthood.
Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7251557.stm
UK mulling fuel poverty voucher
The article I chose was featured in the BBC News concerning the fuel price problem facing Brits as fuel companies increase cost by %15 to its consumers. The article addressed a growing problem with fuel consumption and the rising profits of the energy firms at the cost of consumers. The article tended to be biased towards consumers and government action but did offer some support for the side of the fuel companies. The opposing view is that fuel companies are businesses not charities but aren’t completely cold towards the customers. The article for me showed the worldwide energy problem, that it is not just a US issue. The US isn’t the only developed nation with fuel cost issues affecting the economy and peoples lives. Another angle of the article was to prod a bit at the European Union and its mandatory %5 taxes on internal fuel sales. The conflict comes in when the British government only spends less than half of that tax on helping the fuel poor. This is the argument against raising taxes further on businesses that are supposed build new infrastructure.
Last Updated: Monday, 3 March 2008, 18:42 GMT
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7275508.stm
The article I found on Expatica.com was titled: France Police swoop to Paris Riot Town. In Villiers-le-bel, France on November 25, th 2007 riots filled the Paris suburb for three long nights. The article said that the reason behind these riots was because of two teens that died in a motorbike crash with a police car. During those three nights of rioting, the rioters harmed 119 police officers and 5 officers were seriously injured. On February 18th, 2008 one of France’s biggest staged operations went down in the Paris suburb at dawn. The operations goal was to round up the ringleaders behind the riots. Through rewards three people came forward with suspects that helped the police maintain targets in there raid. The Police raided each building in groups of thirty throughout a ten block radius and brought in armored vehicles to aid in there operation. They were successful in capturing thirty-three of the thirty-five. The point behind the raid was to re-establish order and peace. Since 2005 France’s high-immigration suburbs have worsen, but because of this successful raid and the attention on the poor communities, the president has launched aid programs for the poor suburbs.
I learned from this article that Europe’s rate of crime runs right in hand with the type of crime that goes on in the U.S.A. Both countries have parts of there city that have worsened over the years because of immigrants and many unemployed people. Another difference I learned about, is how French handle reporting news to officials. The reason why they caught my attention was because the press release for this Paris suburb raid was located in a Mc Donald’s. This article made me question the authority the French police really hold, but by the information on the raid the French set up a fine attack against these troublesome citizens.
http://www.expatica.com/fr/articles/news/French-police-swoop-on-Paris-riot-town.html
Alyssa Gunstrom
Eurospring 2008
International Newspaper Article
I received “Der Spiegel” as my European newspaper. At first at the front page of their online news, I noticed that it looked a lot like one of our news sites. However, the difference was that it had a lot more international news. Foreign influence is much more important in Germany, because of their close proximity and their involvement with the European Union. As I searched the sight, I noticed how similar our national issues were to theirs.
The issue that I thought reflected our own issues the best was Immigration. The article was called “Merkel (the German Chancellor) Tries to Calm Tensions over Immigration”. The debate over immigration has gotten very heated in Germany. Fear has been rising over immigrate youths creating crime and causing trouble within Germany. There are calls for reform for punishment and control of youth criminals. One of the Germany’s state governors, Koch, was assaulted by two immigrant youths in a subway. Koch is using this as a platform for his election campaign for safer streets, which is a startling similarity to our politicians’ promises of cracking down on illegal immigration. The current Chancellor Merkel is down playing the attack on the governor saying that “Crime by Germans is just as abhorrent as crime by foreign perpetrators, the overwhelming majority of immigrants want to ride the subway just as safely as the overwhelming majority of Germans” (Crossland). Merkel has promised more money to prevent youth crimes in general, not just immigrant youth attacks.
The issue of immigration has particularly risen in Germany, because of their economic power in the EU and because of the entry of the weaker Eastern European peoples moving west to find jobs. I found another article on the same page that discussed the further divide between Germans. The article was entitled “Germany’s Homegrown Intolerance”. This article took a strong take on Governor Koch’s view of tightening the immigration legislation and crimes on immigrants. Koch states in the article “we don’t want Germany to be a country of immigration”(Crossland). The same politicians are calling for immigrants to “adopt ‘Leitkultur’ or the leading culture’ instead of being a multiculturalism country” (Crossland). In fact, the article states that multiculturalism has become a ‘dirty word’. Like our own country, Germany has the same struggle between needing and wanting the immigrant workers, but wanting to keep in tact our national identity and tradition and not see them get lost in the flood of immigrants; who bring their own identities and traditions. After all the 3.2 million workers in the country have helped boast Germany out of its post-soviet decline and into one of the world’s leading economic powers, just as the immigrants in the US help build our economy.
We are not as alone in our problems as we think. All countries face the same problems, like immigration, crime and economic problems as the US does. Each state has more specific problems than other, but in the end we all are in the same frustrating cycle of political banter that never seems to be solved.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,528714,00.html
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,529322,00.html
Article from the Sun, London
Ashley Lueck
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/special_events/green_week/article855706.ece
The Sun is a tabloid news source in London. They publish things that newspapers would be ashamed of, with front cover stories on anything from a celebrity not wearing a bra to judging a “best fanny” competition. Online their topic categories include: News, sports, showbiz, women, fun, virals, dear Deidre, Mystic Meg, motors, travel, and more. The magazines themselves contain many of the same topics.
The article I chose to read from the Sun was from February and was entitled, “Us missing gig may save planet.” The article is focused on the lead singer from Radiohead, Thom Yorke, who is apart of “The Big Ask” campaign made by “Friends of the Earth.” The Big Ask campaign is a U.K. campaign centered on keeping climate change from catastrophic levels by trying to reduce Carbon emissions. Yorke was a part of this article to try to urge readers and political leaders to support this campaign he’s been hard at work at for over three years, when the environment wasn’t a hot topic.
The climate change bill is going through Parliament in the U.K. This would make them the first country to legally limit greenhouse gases. The Big Ask is going to start with trying to get 17 countries around Europe to commit to limiting the CO2 emissions. The bill is set to be thoroughly completed by this summer. If the European government were to not meet the target that is drawn up in the bill, environmental agencies could take it to court. The article then gives suggestions in which you could help the environment.
Within the article, Yorke explains that they will not play in any cities that don’t have public transportation for environmental reasons. Later on in the article, it’s blatantly claimed that, “We are going forward but Gordon Brown keeps taking steps back at the same time.” This tells the reader that the Prime Minister is not quite the best suited for the job for Prime Minister. This article also tells the reader that Europe is at the head of the fight for a green world and that there are a lot of people really fired up for this cause.
My article was taken from the Deutsche Welle. It is entitled Germany Braces For Further Strikes. This article is about the German rail and bus operator union strike. This article caught my eye because I don't usually think of strikes happening in other countries. We have them here in the U.S. quite often, but you never see or hear of them anywhere else in the world.
Of course this strike is just like any other that you would see, all the workers belonging to the GDL union are asking for their needs to be met, and if that doesn't happen within a certain period of time, they will all strike and shut all the public transportation down until there is an agreement made. The only difference in this circumstance is that the workers aren't looking for more money, they are looking for a different union contract.
In Germany there are several unions that have employees working under one company, unlike a lot of unions we see here where there is only usually one union under a company. The GDL is the smaller of the unions working for the Deutsche Bahn, which is the public transit system in Germany. Instead of more money, they are looking for a contract without certain restrictions. Right now, the GDL aren't able to make certain decisions because the larger Unions can veto their opinions, or decisions. The Deutsche Bahn and its operators, which is mostly upheld by Berlin itself are offering a pay increase if they would work for 2 more hours a week to settle the deal. Unfortunately, that is not what the workers are looking for. Right now the Deutsche Bahn has only 100 of 1200 buses in use and if nothing is settled soon, all will be forced to shut down.
The thing I found most interesting about this article was that the workers aren't fighting for something that directly affected them, but instead are fighting for the rights and power of their union, which is something we rarely see in the U.S. I think we might be seeing the effects of this strike while we are in Europe. And I strongly encourage anyone who is traveling to Germany over Easter Break to keep up this is current event.
John Sobieck
IM Assignment
The article I read was from New Europe entitled “UK should be “at the heart of Europe”
says Poettering”. The Poettering in the title refers to European Parliament President
Hans-Gert Poettering who after a two day visit to the UK spent with the Queen and
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, made a speech stressing the need for intercultural
dialogue as a tool for improving understanding between different cultures and religions.
The UK has often been criticized for remaining somewhat of an independent entity in
Europe as evidenced by its hesitance to adopt the Euro and to accept all portions of the
new Libson Treaty as other EU countries have done. During his visit, Poettering briefed
former Prime Minister Tony Blair on the European Parliament’s new Middle East
Working group and met with leaders of Catholic and Muslim faiths in the UK. Citing the
Queen’s many year reign in which she has had time to see many changes in the world as
well as many different leaders coming and going, Poettering commented that “her vantage
point on world affairs have been quite extraordinary.” Poettering opened his speech by
saying (about the UK), “I want and hope that this country will play a true leadership role
in the European Union...at the very heart of Europe,” and that the, “relationship between
Islamic and Western societies is going to be increasingly central to life in Europe,” and
that he hopes people will learn to, “appreciate and respect one another and find a way to
live with one another.” What this article showed me about Europe is that like with the
United States, it is important for all of the kids to play in the sandbox together but that in
Europe, it is especially important for the strongest kids to be an active part of the world
community so that every kid gets along for the best of the world.
“UK should be “at the heart of Europe” says Poettering”. New Europe. March 3, 2008.
March 8, 2008. http://www.neurope.eu/articles/83543.php.
International Media
Bretanne Ostberg
The article that I chose was called, Terrorists will Breach Commons Security, Says Top Ex-Minister, from the Times Online. This article is about some protesters finding their way onto the roof of the Commons. These individuals were protesting the talks about adding a third runway to the London Heathrow Airport. They feel that this is an unneeded addition that will only displace people from their homes and put more strain on the already suffering environment. The airport, and other supporters for the construction of the third runway, claim that the airport is in desperate need of the third runway because the airport has reached its capacity and the terminals are struggling with forty percent more passengers than they were designed to handle. The protesters were finally removed after three hours of protesting. They claimed that they were able to find a way to the roof easily, but one MP who had worked there for forty years claimed that he had no idea how to get onto the roof. It is thought that the protestors had some kind of outside help. MPs and former cabinet members were shocked at the security breach. They felt that these protesters were making it easier for terrorists to plan an attack on the Commons.
From this article I learned that the fear of terrorism isn’t unique to the United States. I tend to forget that this war going on includes far more people than just Americans and those in the Middle East. I also was interested to hear that there was protesting in England. I know it seems dumb not to expect the Brits to protest at times, it’s just something you don’t tend to hear about too much. The Brits always seemed so proper and above such things as protesting. I was also reminded that the environmental problem is world wide. Again, I know it seems silly not to remember that other countries are concerned about the condition of the environment, but I guess that just shows how easy it is to forget that we’re not all that different from our foreign friends.
Source:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article3444144.ece
The article I read was “Which Way From Here? An Istanbul bazaar” by Owen Matthews and Sami Kohen in News Week International Edition online, from February 18, 2008. This article was about Turkey’s struggle to get into the European Union (EU). The article is about Turkey’s Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and the changes he has made to try to get into the EU. It also talks about the struggles they have had trying to get in.
Turkey has been trying to make drastic changes to get into the EU. Based on the EU’s “Copenhagen Criteria”, Turkey has abolished the death penalty, curbed backroom power of the military, and eased restrictions on Kurdish language and culture. Even with these drastic changes there are many European leaders that oppose Turkey’s membership into the EU. The president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy opposes Turkey’s entry saying that they are an Asian country. The German chancellor states that she would offer a “privileged partnership” rather than a full membership.
Even with all of the opposition Erdogan has plans for even more changes to create a more European friendly Turkey. These changes include more freedom of speech and religion, as well as more direct presidential elections. These changes are a part of a reform to the 1981 constitution. One of the most controversial issues Erdogan faces is lifting the ban on wearing headscarves in public places. This brings up many issues of freedom of religion and creating a secular state.
One of the biggest things that this article brought to light was just how large and diverse Europe really is. This is something I have already known but is just really amazing every time I think about it. North America is tiny as far as countries are concerned in comparison. We only have three countries to worry about, which is not a lot at all. Europe also has some of the poorest and richest nations in the world to factor in.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/109544/page/1
BBC News
Spain Votes in National Elections
Sunday March 9 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7285885.stm
I chose this article because I wanted to learn more about Spain. This one also is relevant because it is election time here in the US too. In Spain they had a lower turnout this year compared to 2004, which could lead to a closer election race, possibly giving the smaller parties a chance to be successful this year in the election. The lower turn out is most likely linked to the killing of the former Socialist councilor, Isaias Carrasco on Friday. This is a big election year for the people of Spain. They are electing the 350 members of the Cortes and also 208 of the 250 people of the upper house. Big topics of this year election are faltering economy, unemployment rising, and immigration. Spain’s economy is slowing down after ten years of rising. The conservative are focusing mainly on immigration. While the Socialists are focusing on issues like the introduction of gender laws, same sex marriages, and fast track divorces.
In this article I have learned about how Spain’s elections are run. They have a house and a senate that is almost like ours. They also have a lot of the same hot topic issues that we have in our country. They also seem to do campaigning just like we do in our country also. They also seem to have a low voter turnout also.
What is at stake and how things work in French municipal elections
International Herald Tribune-Europe
The Associated Press
Sunday 9 2008
The reason I chose this article is that I have an interest in politics, but to be honest with you I don’t know too much about European politics and even less about French politics. Starting on Sunday, France will hold its municipal elections. By municipal I mean local elections, such as, Mayors, Councilors and other local leaders. Nearly 36,700 cities, towns and villages will be involved in the election process. In France municipal elections are to take place every six years. The last one was held in 2001 and because of an extremely busy ’07, the elections were pushed back until ’08. The push back was due to the presidential and legislative elections that were held last year. As you can see there is a little more lee-way here than in the U.S., where municipal elections are held either every four for mayors or even every two, for example some school board positions or depending on the circumstances city council elections. The polling times are similar, 8am to 8pm, while another difference is that there are two rounds, one today and one a week from today. Another obvious difference I failed to mention earlier is that the elections take place on a Sunday; you likely won’t find that here in the U.S. As you would expect, local issues dominate, such as parks, nursery schools and public transportation. I should also mention that while many smaller political parties are active in the elections, the two main parties, the ruling conservative UMP party and the opposition socialist party dominates. Similar to the two party system we unfortunately have here in the states. Why does it matter? Well, current President Nicolas Sarkozy is under some intense heat from the people as he is trying to implement some major reforms he promised during his campaign. Reforms aimed to make France more competitive in the global market/economy. Early indications are that the UMP will not do as well as the opposition leftist party.
The article that I read was from The Guardian, which is a newspaper from the UK. It was entitled, "Pope could face protests in Ireland over abuse cases," which pretty much sums up what that article was about as well. However, since this blog has to be at least 300 words or more, I suppose I'll leave a more detailed summary of my findings, as to obtain an adequate grade for this particular assignment.
It begins by stating that the Pope had not visited Ireland in over 29 years. He is planning to do so, but refuses to meet the people who were victims of sexual abuse by priests over the past several years. People were so outraged by this fact that many were protesting the Pope's visit and several Bishops were given warnings due to matters containing the pedophile scandals. It was said that if the Bishops were to refuse to arrange a meeting between the abuse victims and the Pope, there would be "outrage and disgust."
If this meeting were to not take place, many fear that it would be the end of a prospective New Evangelisation in Ireland and it's aftermath of the visit, and would be the ultimate triumph of denial and evasion.
People feel that a visit to Ireland without a meeting with these victims will show the Pope's betrayal to the country's children and the church, and that it would also act as final proof that "our church leaders pay only lip service to the principle of the equal dignity of all members of the church." These feelings are similar to that of American church members and the Pope's expected future visit to the US.
The article ends with a report on its low numbers and terminal decline in the churches in recent years, and the country’s growing concerns for the matters at hand.
What I learned about Europe from this article is that I think they take matters of religion a lot more seriously than we do in the States. Not to say that people in the US aren't religious or serious about it, but we also have so many different religions and churches, and many new ones starting everyday, where as Europe has a few major, but important ones, nonetheless. It's important to know the different views of churches and religions in a visiting country as well as their views and current events going on in the church as to not to offend anyone one.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/10/ireland.catholicism
# Henry MacDonald, Ireland correspondent
# The Guardian,
# Monday March 10 2008
I found the article Apology for Prince Harry Leak to be rather interesting. This article was about an Australian magazine that leaked information about Prince Harry fighting with British troops in Afghanistan. Because this magazine leaked this information, Prince Harry and his unit were put in danger and Prince Harry had to be pulled out. I’m sure the magazine had no idea that giving this information was endangering Prince Harry. Afterward publishing the article they found out that British government had an agreement with the media to keep his location a secret, but the magazine didn’t check this information before they published it in their magazine. I think that any magazine from a different country should check with the government before publishing an article on royalty from a different country, especially when it involves them being in the military. This way they can’t endanger anyone else. I also didn’t realize the princes could be in the military. I figured since they were royalty the government wouldn’t allow them to be put in any situation that they could be wounded or killed. I think it’s pretty amazing that Prince Harry had enough pride in his country to join the troops even if it meant dying. I figured being royalty he’d be one of those rich boys who parties and doesn’t really care about their duties. I also found this article interesting because it reminded me a lot of our own President and his children. Granted, Bush’s daughters aren’t exactly the kind of girls to go into the military, but like Prince Harry their locations have to be secretive sometimes for their own safety. I also hadn;t realized how much both Prince William and Prince Harry are like the celebrities we have in the US and that it must be very difficult to have your entire life on display. Overall this article turned out to be very interesting and I learned a few things about England in the process.
http://www.ejc.net/media_news/apology_for_prince_harry_leak/
Apology for Prince Harry leak
European Journalism Centre
March 10, 2008
The article I read was:
London Travel Alert as Winter's Worst Storm Strikes
The London News
Monday, March 10, 2008
http://www.thelondonpaper.com/cs/Satellite/london/news/article/1157150950715?packedargs=aid%3D1157150950715%26suffix%3DArticleController
This article warned of London's worst storm of the winter season urging its citizens to use "severe caution" as the '80mph rainstorms and gale-force winds' were making transportation efforts more difficult and time consuming than usual. The Underground Piccadilly Line as been shut down, while the Metropolitan Line reported severe delays, however all other lines were running as normal. Motoring organizations advised their drivers to use extreme caution and ferry companies warned of delays and cancellations. The airports were also speaking of delays and cancellations with both Gatwick and Heathrow issuing statements about only canceling/delaying flights when necessary and to ensure the safety of their passengers. The RAC issued warnings to drivers especially concerning stretches of exposed roads and when crossing bridges. Also Insurance agencies advised people to check their roofs for loose tiles and gardens for light objects that could cause injury. The southern and western areas are said to take the worst of the weather today and tomorrow and further storms are expected later this week.
My response to this article was a little bit of increased nervousness of our flight as well as humor that while everyone has mentioned the rain no one said it would include gale force winds. It is refreshing to see that everyone seems to take the most precautions as to how to be sure of your own safety as well as the safety of others. It especially struck me that insurance agencies advised about checking your roof for loose tiles something you wouldn't do/think to do here.
I read an article from the "The Sun" online which is a tabloid paper from London. The homepage was filled with stories similar to what one would see in "Star" or "In Touch" in the United States except "The Sun" also contained articles pertaining to sports, politics, and other things beside celebrity gossip.
I tried to at least read an article that was relevant to England or our group that is going and i came across one titled "24hr Booze Crackdown" by George Pascoe-Watson,Political Editor, published March 4th, 2008. It was actually comical reading the headline and the article itself because of the scare tactics being used. Below the headline it reads, "All-night pub opening is to be banned in the British towns and cities turned war zones by booze-fueled thugs".
The Prime Minister wants to end binge drinking so different precautions are going to be taken including fines for drinking on streets and bars/clubs will lose 24 hour liquor license in spots where violence has been occurring frequently after 3am. After the liquor licensing rules became more lenient in 2005, 10,000 additional offences followed and crime rate is up 22 percent. The pubs seem to be a common destination for a lot of people I have talked to who are going on the trip so I found this article somewhat relevant.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/justice/article872177.ece
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