Sunday News Post: 10/01/2016

For the first time in 41 years, nobody made it to the summit of Mount Everest in 2015, in spite of record numbers trying.

For the first time since 1974, nobody climbed to the top of Mount Everest last year.

In spite of being the subject of a major movie, the world's tallest peak remained untouched by human beings, as a series of tragedies and avalanches led to the mountain being effectively shut off.

Commercial organisations were stopped from bringing expeditions to the mountain, in the aftermath of the horrific earthquake that killed thousands in Nepal in April 2015.

At least 24 people were killed on Everest that month in the aftermath of the earthquake, which in turned had caused a major avalanche on the mountain. It's the highest annual death toll amongst those tackling Everest.

As National Geographic reported, 359 people - a record number - gathered at base camp at the start of 2015's climbing season. Yet April's tragedy, a second earthquake that followed in May, and broken ladders, led to each of them abandoning their plans to reach the top.

Opinions:

Following the Nepal Earthquake in April it is no small wonder as to why it was closed for climbing despite the record number of people who were going to attempt it. It was the right move to halt climbers following the devastation, though it is a shame that the 41 year streak is broken.

Sunday News Post: 13/12/2015

Saudi Arabia elects up to 17 female councillors in historic election

Saudi Arabia has elected its first female local councillors in a historic step for a country where women are banned from driving and face routine discrimination.

Results from Saturday’s municipal council elections indicated there were about 17 female winners. These included four in Jeddah, one near Mecca – home to Islam’s holiest site – and others in Tabuk, Ahsaa and Qatif. Several more, reported by al-Sabq online newspaper, were expected to be confirmed later.

Opinions: 

Unfortunately just because these woman have been voted to Council it doesn't mean they can do much for change, they'll still have to get a ride to work and have a male companion with them. It's better than nothing and hopefully can promote further change. However at the moment it just seems like a way to appease woman's rights groups with a measure that is in the long run, rather inconsequential.

Sunday News Article: 29/11/2015

Putin orders sanctions against Turkey after downing of jet

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday called for sanctions against Turkey, following the downing this week by Turkey of a Russian warplane.

The decree published on the Kremlin's website Saturday came hours after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had voiced regret over the incident, saying his country was “truly saddened” by the event and wished it hadn’t occurred.

The decree includes a ban on some goods and forbids extensions of labor contracts for Turks working in Russia as of Jan. 1.. It doesn’t specify what goods are to be banned or give other details, but it also calls for ending chartered flights from Russia to Turkey and for Russian tourism companies to stop selling vacation packages that would include a stay in Turkey.

Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev earlier in the week had ordered his cabinet to develop a list of goods to be sanctioned.

Putin’s decree also calls for ending visa-free travel between Russia and Turkey and orders the tightening of control over Turkish air carriers in Russia “for security reasons.” A Kremlin statement said the decree was issued “to protect Russian citizens from crimes.”

Opinion:

This is a fitting punishment and a smart one, hopefully this will not escalate and turn into conflict. It is clear however that Turkey's president Tayyip Erdogan has attempted to deflate the issue after his remarks that 'He ordered the downing of the jet Himself'.

Pride: Analysis

Pride is a 2014 Dramatic Comedy film directed by Matthew Warchus. It has biographical elements being based on the miners’ strike of 1984-85 and more specifically the LGSM’s support of that movement. The film is similar to other British films such as Billy Elliot (2000) and The Fully Monty (1997) and uses light humour to undercut the bleak and dark subject matter. It is seemingly an inherently British film device and is used to great effect to make the audience connect with the characters and empathise with their struggle yet not come away from the film feeling worse for it.

We watch the events unfold through the eyes of a young 20 year old boy who has not yet come out to his parents, the primary story arc however does not follow him closely and rather he is a device used to peer into the lives of Mark Ashton and the LGSM group. This allowed the director more creative freedom as he is dealing with real events and allowing us to view those events through the eyes of a fictional character lets him tackle numerous issues – although the LGSM group are gay, the focus is not on gay rights; using Joe’s character however allows us a story arc as to what it was to be a gay youth growing up in the 80s whilst still not being the main subject of the film.

The film often relies too heavily on the use of clichés as a narrative device, a lot of the plot points are rather predictable and I feel this would be a detriment to the overall narrative in a different film. The films story is not its strong point, it features limited exposition and we are rather thrust into the events without a proper introduction however where the film shines is its performance and strong characterisation, there are a number of notable performances and none that detract from the overall feature. They help relay their message of peace and solidarity through the nuances of their characters that aren’t as explicit in the overall narrative. There are several sub plots, that although are nonconsequential in the long run help to enrich the narrative. The film manages to cover more than one issue this way, whether it be the fear and misinformation of AIDs in the 1980s or the Miner’s issues themselves Warchus provides a good insight into these issues, even if the moment to moment detail is lacking.  

Sunday News Article: 22/11/15

China declares war on ISIS after terrorists claim to have executed Chinese hostage

China will join the war on ISIS after four of its citizens were killed by Islamist terror groups in two separate attacks this week.

The vow comes after ISIS claimed to have killed Beijing man Fan Jinghui, 50, alongside Norwegian national Ole Johan Grimsgaard-Ofstad, 48, who were feared to have been taken hostage in September.

Chinese President Xi Jinping: "China will strengthen cooperation with the international community, resolutely crack down on violent terrorist operations that devastate innocent lives and safeguard world peace and security."

He also called on the relevant departments to boost security work "outside China's borders".

Opinion

It's seems a cruel twist of fate that it takes a devastating terrorist attack to unite countries that are so often rivals of one another. Although this is only a call for military action perhaps this expression of solidarity can lead to further developments and a new air of collaboration between the often feuding world powers. 

Sunday News Article: 08/11/2015

First women to stand for election in Saudi Arabia

Their election leaflets cannot contain photographs, and they are not allowed to address men directly at campaign meetings.

But in a breakthrough moment for Saudi Arabia, a country known neither for voting nor for female emancipation, the names of the first women to nominate themselves as election candidates have been published.

The elections for local councils next month are the third in the nation's modern history, but the first in which women will be allowed both to vote and to stand, under a decree by the late King Abdullah.

Their duties should they win will be the mundane tasks of councillors everywhere, such as supervising road maintenance. But the opportunity has been seized by some of the country's most prominent women's rights activists, as well by others who see themselves as apolitical but who want to improve their local communities. More than 1,000 women have submitted their names across the country, far more than many expected.

Opinions:

It is good to see so many woman taking advantage of their new suffrage- and even greater to see that so many have put themselves forward as candidates. Though it is only for local council positions these are important steps for a non-democratic country and perhaps can usher forward even more contemporary thinking within the country. 

Sunday News Post: 01/11/15

Airport Security in the Philippines Have Been Putting Bullets in Luggage to Extort Passengers

"This is becoming an international embarrassment"

The job of airport security is to confiscate dangerous items from suitcases, but travellers have recently found the opposite is true in the Philippines’ Manila Airport, where staff have allegedly been dropping bullets into the bags of unsuspecting passengers.

Legislators have called for an investigation into the supposed racket that extorts money from passengers by threatening to charge or arrest them for carrying illegal ammunition, the BBC reported.

“This is becoming an international embarrassment,” said Sherwin Gatchalian, a member of the tourism committee in the House of Representatives, according to the BBC. He warned that the offenders were “not afraid to prey on foreigners.”

A Filipino worker and Japanese tourist were the latest passengers to be detained in the swindle at the Southeast Asian nation’s main gateway. Other targets have reportedly been taken to court for refusing to pay fines.

Surveillance has heightened as investigators look into the incidents. After all, “there is no working system that is guarding the guards,” the BBC reported Senator Ralph Recto as saying.

Opinion

It's a shame that people who you trust to handle your possessions would take advantage of that, it's also a few bad people who are impacting possibly the entire country as a result as Tourism is likely to suffer as a result. One positive thing to take from this is that Boxer Manny Pacquiao is offer free lawyers to those who are affected by the scam.