BBC News School Report
Thursday 21st March 2013
Local | National | International | Sport
Local News
I died... but I lived!
Man died for 22 minutes before being resuscitated by 22 year old medical student
Adam Wyatt, 51, had a heart attack on the 27th of January 2013 whilst playing rugby. He was confirmed as clinically dead for 22 minutes, before he was successfully resuscitated by Luke McLennan, a medical student studying in Exeter.
After this traumatic experience Adam has resolved to take up other interests and give rugby a rest. Luke, who was playing for the opposition agrees and says next time he might not be as lucky. Modestly, Luke has claimed his heroic act was mostly due to luck, he says anyone there with his knowledge would have done the same. The paramedics arrived just in time to restart the father-of-two’s heart with a defibrillator on the fourth attempt. Grateful Adam was perplexed by the incident and was quoted saying, “The heart attack was completely out of the blue, I have never had any problems with my health or my heart before. I am so thankful for Luke for what he has done for me and my family, massively thankful, I really can’t thank him enough.”
The incident happed as Adam played for his home team Paignton RFU’s veteran Team against Withycombe RFU from nearby Exeter. Adam, who has no recollection of the heart-attack, first words after recovery were ‘Did we win? But of course, the game had been abandoned.
The pair were re-united at Paignton’s Queens Park ground where the incident occurred.
The Snow Queen Report
[ WATCH VIDEO | DOWNLOAD VIDEO ]
On the night of show, that was somehow prepared to be viewed by an audience, everyone was buzzing with a blend of excitement and nerves, as they went through the hair and makeup process – an arduous task for the boys in particular, who much enjoyed the chance to wear eyeliner in front of so many people! 
All their training and rehearsals boiled down to this moment, and backstage there was an air of determination to succeed for not just one, but two nights, on Wednesday 13th and on Thursday 14th.
With people anxiously peeping through the cracks of the curtain and wall, as their friends and family entered Ondaatje Theatre, as the lights went down, silence descended – well, as close to silence as is physically possible for a group of roughly thirty year sevens and eights! Earlier Harry interviewed Mrs Elzik who was responsible for teaching SH drama club to perfect their performance of the Hans Christian Anderson play, the Snow Queen.
School House Drama club have been rehearsing the snow Queen since when the Autumn Term started, in early September, until half way through the next term. Everyone behind the Snow Queen had been working as hard as they could to give everyone who watched it an enjoyable evening. The play went well on both nights, apart from a few small hiccups like when the children that were required to sing solos misted the time when they started to sing and when the theatre technicians misted the time when the lights were meant to go on and off, although this was only once or twice. However, no one really cared about these small problems with the performance as it was, over all, a very enjoyable play to watch. And now we have a few facts on the Snow Queen from Georgia.
The Snow Queen is a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen who was born in 1805 and died in 1875. The tale was first published in 1845, and centres on the struggle between good and evil as experienced by a little boy and girl, Kai and Gerda. The story is one of Andersen's longest. It is regularly included in selected tales and collections of his work and is frequently reprinted in illustrated storybook editions for children. The tale has been adapted in various media including animated film and television drama.
The SH Russell
The Russell is named after a famous Blundellian called Jack Russell and began in 1879. This year's was the 133rd Russell and it took place on Saturday 9th March. Thanks to local farmers and land owners the Russell could go ahead since the course of the SH Russell stretches around the area around Blundell’s School and is 2.4 miles long. It starts and finishes at Blundell’s Prep School.
On the day of the race the weather was not exactly ideal but it could have been a lot worse with the majority of the SH pupils finishing right before the really heavy rain. The Russell is also a house competition for SH which Beale won closely follow by Amory in second and then Mayfield in third then Gornhay in fourth place.
Devon Weather Thursday-Monday
[ WATCH VIDEO | DOWNLOAD VIDEO ]
For the remaining of the day it’s looking pretty grim in the Southeast. It looks to be heavy rain through to Friday at highest of 6°C feeling more like 4°C. Late Friday, fog will be descending onto Devon and not clearing until mid-Saturday. Saturday afternoon, grey clouds will be covering over the little sun we will have had, through to late Sunday at 3°C. Monday clearing, looking a bit brighter, temperatures of 5°C.
Warmer winds moving in from the southwest with highest speeds at 16mph through Thursday. Fairly low air pressure, Expect showers over the next few days.
That’s all from Me and Will, we will see you in an hour.
National News
Budget Deficit for 2013
[ WATCH VIDEO | DOWNLOAD VIDEO ]
Controversy Surrounding George Osborne’s Decision on the Next Year Plans and Deficit!!
Since falling into the ‘Credit Crunch’ or ‘Recession’, as many people describe the huge state of debt that has swept the nation since 2007/2008, many different efforts have been taken to try and ensure that we are swiftly hauled out of it BUT year after year it roles on...
In 2013 we had high hopes when the Economic Chancellor (Mr Osborn) revealed his plans for 2013 saying that we would cut the deficit (the growth forecast) by around 1.5% instead we are faced with the reality that it has been halved to around 0.6 % growth!!!
After revealing the budget for 2013 they went around all the different media coverers, the Shadow Chancellor – Ed Balls and the real Chancellor George Osborne had very different views on how well (or not) it was to the country in this crisis. Ed Balls said that the Chancellor was ‘tinkering’ around the edges of the problem.
George Osborne however insisted that his plans were working and the deficit was shrinking, he said "we have to go on confronting these problems".
His plan included many different measures including one all about the fuel prices, a one all about the beer industry and the two most controversial of these are the decisions to deduct some of the taxes to big companies by 20% in 2015 and there are going to be some important procedures to take place in the area of British housing to have an effect in trying to boost it.
The housing decision was met by an awful lot of scepticism but Mr Osborne stated that a "big new step" was needed because the mortgage market was "not functioning properly" and therefore needed the £130 billion that the government was going through at this sector.
The Chancellor has been asked to do a U-turn. Many officials are urging the chancellor to go back on his word and make a U-turn. Ed Balls had an interview with the BBC in which he stated that there were some ‘good things’ in the budget as it had shown... That the plan is not working. The economy is not growing". Continuing he said that “If you're a chancellor, and you made a mistake, do your U-turn quickly.”
This only proves that there is a serious problem with our economy!!
The Harlem Shake in St Hilda’s College
[ WATCH VIDEO | DOWNLOAD VIDEO ]
About 30 pupils from Oxford University did the Harlem shake in St Hilda’s College’s library. The Librarian said that it was nearly midnight when the Librarian started to film it. The film started with a pupil doing a little dance on the side of the screen whilst everyone was working and looking at books. Suddenly the HARLEM SHAKE broke out in huge proportions of huge stupidity, by the new generation of learners. The pupils were wearing horse hats chicken hats and funky clothes. The librarian got sacked and most of the pupils had to pay a fine of £30-£60. See the link below to view our Blundell’s version, please note that no Blundell’s Librarians were sacked in the making of this film!
Girl Found Flying Reptile Bones
A nine-year-old girl called Daisy Morris has had a prehistoric beast named in her honour after finding it on a beach. This flying reptile turned out to be an undiscovered species. Daisy Morris from the Isle of Wight stumbled upon the remains on a beach four years ago.
A scientific paper stated the newly discovered species of pterosaur would be called Vectidraco daisymorrisae. Fossil expert Martin Simpson said this was an example of how "major discoveries can be made by amateurs".
Daisy's mum Sian Morris said her daughter had started fossil hunting aged three and came across the blackened "bones sticking out of the sand" in 2009, when she was four years old. The Morris family, from Whitwell, approached Southampton University's 'Fossil Man' Mr Simpson with Daisy's finds in 2009. "I knew I was looking at something very special. And I was right," said Mr Simpson.
The fossil turned out to be a new genus and species of small pterosaur; a flying reptile from the Lower Cretaceous period.
A Hamster Was Playing in the Snow
A hamster was found fighting his way through a blizzard on an Edinburgh street. On Monday evening, a member of the public caught sight of a female Syrian hamster on Spey Street.
She is named Poppy, and is now being looked after at the Scottish SPCA’s Edinburgh and Lothian’s animal rescue and rehoming centre. She is only one year old and is hoping to be reclaimed by its owner.
A member of the Scottish SPCA’s, Duncan Robertson said: "Poppy is around a year old and in good condition. It's very lucky she was found by someone who helped her as there was a severe blizzard on Monday evening and it was bitterly cold. Poppy was found in Leith, which is a built up area with lots of flats nearby. Hamsters are fast creatures and can wriggle through small spaces so there is a chance she has escaped from home."
Mr Robertson said they were keeping an open mind but could not rule out the possibility she may have been abandoned by her owner. "Poppy could have easily come to harm so we're really glad she's now safe," he added. "We're keen to hear from anyone who recognises Poppy and, in the meantime, we'll ensure she receives the care she needs. If no-one comes forward, we'll be looking to find Poppy a loving new home."
Huhne and Pryce... Fall from grace!
What started out as a bitter argument took a rather nasty turn...
WHAT YOU THINK
When asked, “What do you think of the matter to do with Chris Hugne and Vicky Pryce?” the following answered;
Anne, 65+
“They have both been very naughty and they both were dishonest. I think they should be punished and that the sentence given is the right amount.”
Laura, Under 12
“I don’t think it was very nice of them and they didn’t think it through before they were silly.”
Andrew, 35+
“Very arrogant, wasted a great deal of public time and money as well as losing all public respect over a comparatively trivial offence!”
When Chris Huhne (a Lib-Dem cabinet minister) and his wife Vicky Pryce broke up in 2010 due to an affair, things seemed like a normal divorce. 
This was shattered when tempers were raised when the couple started going for each other’s throats. In the heat of the moment, Pryce tried to cripple Huhne by saying rather stupidly (for a lady that is that respected) that Huhne had made her take his 3 driving points in the past. Unbeknown to her that this was going to land her in a lot of trouble.
Huhne has denied all accounts of this charge up till earlier this year but the battle has raged with Huhne trying to brush it aside obviously not succeeding on that matter. According to the judge -he had tried unsuccessfully “to lie himself out of trouble”. After spending months denying the charge, he admitted on the eve of his trial that he did indeed persuade Pryce to allow three penalty points for speeding to be placed on her own clean driving license on his behalf in 2003.
This has damaged the Lib-Dems with them having to issue a statement saying that they had known about the crime that Huhne and Pryce had committed before the newspaper/media had found out.
Both defence lawyers have been at it, with Pryce’s lawyer saying that she has suffered enough from all the mockery and ridicule as well as losing her job and reputation.
“Getting Revenge” - Pryce's apparent motivation against Huhne
Huhne’s lawyer said that the picture of an “utterly selfish, callous, ruthlessly ambitious man” painted of him by Pryce was not recognizable as the Huhne that he knew.
To add some weight to this argument, it was alleged that Huhne had forced Pryce into having an abortion. Huhne stoutly denied these claims that Pryce had thrown into the equation at the trial.
The legal proceedings have shocked the country with 2 former lovers in very high roles to play society handling the argument like a couple of children having a squabble.
Though many politicians have been imprisoned before the last one to have been forced out of office and then subsequently rapidly imprisoned was in 1621. This has rattled the country.
The 2 politicians have not only ruined their own lives and careers but they have messed up all the lives of those family and relatives surrounding them. Huhne’s son, Peter and Nico have broken off relations with their father and Nico has changed his name.
Pryce, the first female joint head of the Government Economic Service, has been criticized for allowing her desire for revenge as a “scorned woman” to supersede her family’s wellbeing.
After all this fighting they have both been jailed for 8 months for perverting the course of justice. Huhne has pleaded guilty so his sentence has been deducted by 10%, Pryce has made no such plea.
Huhne is expected to serve the first part of his jail term at Wandsworth Prison in South London.
The Black Hornet
The RC helicopter (the black hornet) can fly over or around and can identify hidden dangers, like enemy soldiers.
The black hornet is used by the British army in Afghanistan and can be operated by soldiers.
This is a great idea because it can fly around corners and see the enemy without blowing the British soldiers cover. It measures 10 cm by 2.5 cm, and weighs 16g. Once it has flown up to 50m you cannot hear it on the ground, when it has got up to 100m you cannot see it on the ground.
The ministry of defence said that it has a tiny camera which sends images and videos to a hand held device, so the soldiers operating it can see them.
The military has a £20 million pound contract, with Marlborough Communications for 160 of them to be bought, and also to be maintained.
The Horse Meat Scandal (#1)
Horse meat has been discovered in local stores and supermarkets such as Tesco’s, Ikea, Sainsbury’s, ASDA, Waitrose, Lidl, Co-op and Iceland. Schools, hospitals and care homes all over Britain have withdrawn food such as burgers and sausages from their cafeterias. Findus Beef Lasagne, brought from ASDA and the Co-op etc. has over 90% horse meat inside it.
Forty-seven schools in Lancashire have discovered horsemeat in the cottage pies that were delivered to their schools. The food was withdrawn from their kitchens, and the staff say that the children will only have consumed a ‘minute amount’.
Tesco have assured England that they will be trying to use more British meat.Rising beef prices and a public preference for cheap food were contributory factors leading to the horsemeat scandal, food industry experts say.
Beef and veal prices have risen by more than 45% across Europe over the past five years, according to the European Commission, while the global auction price for beef has topped $5,300 (£3,500) a tonne.
Horsemeat, by contrast, currently costs about $1,200 a tonne.
"It is clear that rising beef prices and the relative cheapness of horsemeat have led some people to see the potential for making big profits through fraud," says Peter Hardwick, head of trade development at Eblex, the English beef and sheep industry body.
Mr Hardwick believes the financial pressure on meat producers, who operate at profit margins of 5% and below compared with double-digit margins for retailers, may have also contributed to the problem.
"There isn't cheap beef to be found anywhere," he says. "But we still believe that ready meals can be made as cheaply as they always have been."
The Horse Meat Scandal (#2)
How did the scandal begin?
The scandal began when Irish food inspectors announced in mid-January that they had found horsemeat in frozen beef burgers made by firms in Ireland and the UK, and sold by a number of supermarket chains, including Tesco, Iceland, Aldi and Lidl.
Why did no one notice until now?
Normally the meat would not have been noticed as no one thought to look for it. This means that a lot of people could have been eating horse meat without realising it for years.
What are we doing about it?
This has started a chain reaction of tests across Europe.
Hundreds of supermarkets have withdrawn products from their shelves, even though meat has not always been found to contain horse.
The problem about this is not the fact that horse is being consumed; the problem is that it is being labelled as beef.
Some farmers are very angry as they have to deal with inspections all the time and yet in food processing plants have barely any compared. One farmer said "Look, there are good reasons for this level of inspection," I'd say. Now, I have to wonder. Where were the inspectors in the food processing plants? UK farmers have been badly affected by the aftermath because this has destroyed the British consumer’s confidence in the meat farmers and producers.
Tesco has promised to buy more meat from the UK and install cameras at the suppliers’ factories in an attempt to prevent another horsemeat style scandal. Frozen burger sales have gone down 43% after the horsemeat scandal. Sodexo, one of the UK’S largest caterers who also supplies food for the armed forces, care homes, Prisons and the Ascot racecourse. They have been forced to suspend all frozen beef products. The horsemeat has been traced in the UK, Republic of Ireland, France, Norway, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden and Germany. The EU has told member states to conduct random tests for horsemeat. Some products have been found to contain up to 100% horsemeat.
The Horse Meat Scandal (#3)
A Timeline So Far
The public was shocked and terrified when horse DNA was discovered on 15th January 2013 in frozen beef burgers sold in several Irish and British supermarkets.
Ten million burgers were taken off the shelves, by retailers such as Tesco, Lidl, Aldi, Iceland and Dunnes Stores. On the 17th January, Co-op, Sainsburys and Asda withdraw several frozen meat products. Burger King soon changes their meat suppliers just to be cautious. On 30th January, Irish authorities believed that a filler product from Poland containing horsemeat had been used in some burgers, contaminating the meat.
At the beginning of February the ABP Food Group had estimated a €45m (£39m) loss in contracts from contaminated meat. Freeza Meats Company in Newry, Northern Ireland, was found to be selling frozen products containing 80% horsemeat, forcing Asda to move all their frozen burgers off the shelves. Contaminated frozen spaghetti and lasagne meals are found in Tesco and Aldi by French food supplier Comigel, following concerns about its Findus beef lasagne. On the 8th February, Aldi confirms two of its own brand ready meal ranges were found to contain up to 100% horsemeat. EU agriculture ministers agree to random DNA testing of processed meat products. They also agree to test for a powerful anti-inflammatory drug for horses called Bute – which could pose a potential health risk if passed on to humans. On the 14th February Bute was detected in eight horses out of 206 tested by the FSA in the first week of this month. Parents panic as tests confirm traces of horsemeat have been found in Lancashire school meals. Eating habits throughout Europe have changed drastically since the horse DNA was initially found in burgers. Frozen burger sales plunged by 43% while frozen ready meals dropped 13%.
On the 8th March the rejected meat was returned to Poland where the mouldy meat was cleaned, dried and resold in a Polish plant to make sausages and ham. They were then re-exported to UK, Ireland, Germany and Lithuania. On the 8th of March three other Polish meat-processing plants were found to label horse meat as beef.
Why is horsemeat such a big deal?
Other countries around the world and in Europe such as Australia, Mexico, Romania and Italy think horse meat is a delicacy. So why doesn’t Britain try it? Before the Horsemeat Scandal we were very likely to have been consuming horsemeat for a long time without even realising it. Some members of the public that I have interviewed have said they would like to try horsemeat but only when it is labelled as such. Those that I polled would like to try the horse meat because it is very low in fat and high in protein. It has less cholesterol, double the amount of iron and vitamin B, fewer calories and higher in ‘healthy fat’ than beef. Others were simply curious to try a new ‘exotic’ meat. Many others did not want to try it because they have a close connection to horse and like to keep them as pets or ride as a hobby. They also don’t want to know that if their horse became ill or lame that it could be slaughtered and sold in their local Tesco.
Many people felt were being cheated by their local supermarkets and a great sense of trust has been lost. People believed they were buying and paying a higher price for beef when in reality they were being sold cheaper horse meat without their knowledge, since horsemeat is cheaper than other more expensive meats like pork, lamb and beef. Many meat eating habits have changed since they can’t trust supermarkets and they don’t want to eat products which they don’t know what ingredients they contain.
I think that it may take a long time until we can trust our supermarkets. I would like to try horsemeat but only when I can trust them.
High Speed 2: Government Forking out £32bn for New Railway
High speed 2 is a proposed new railway route going up the spine of England connecting London to Birmingham and on towards Leeds and Manchester. The proposed railway will cost the government approximately thirty two billion pounds and this will include all the prices of the new stations including an extra eleven platforms at Euston in London and Four more stations including the new east midlands hub And a new station in Leeds. The new railway will be going straight through villages and destroying the natural countryside. The railway will be going straight through the Chiltern Hills and destroying AONB. There have been proposed plans of tunnelling straight underneath the Chilterns but the transport secretary Justine Greening says that the total cost of the tunnelling would be 1.2 billion pounds. 
She added that some parts of the Chilterns would be tunnelled to help costs. To the surprise of the MP’s she said that the proposed tunnels would reduce costs of the railway by 250 million pounds.
Some people say that the money should be invested in the existing railway routes, for example Penzance to London Paddington which is running at full capacity and every rush hour there is little standing room let alone seats and trains being jam packed and passengers refused entry onto their train. If they did not build HS2 there would be no disruption to the countryside and all the surroundings. Retired farmer John Morrison who lives outside the village of Appleby Magna, Leicestershire 1 mile away from the proposed route of HS2 said “I think that there is no need for this new railway, it may help the economy and improve the journey times but it does not serve the counties in-between. If I wanted to go to London on the new route I would have to drive 18 miles to the east midlands hub and by the time I have got there I would be on the train on the existing route and be 40 minutes away from London.”
So do we really need this new railway route or should the government invest its money in the existing infustructure. If the railway goes to plan it will not be completed for the next 15 to 20 years. By that time France and the rest of Europe’s railway networks would be way ahead of the UK's.
International News
Double Helicopter Crash in Berlin
Two helicopters have crashed near Berlin's Olympic Stadium, leaving several people dead or injured.
The helicopters hit each other in mid-air during a police exercise. The Bild newspaper said one of the pilots was killed and four people were injured, two of them seriously.
Footage showed the two aircraft on their side in the snow. Some 400 federal police officers were conducting a football violence training exercise when the crash happened. An eyewitness told the NTV channel: "Three helicopters were in the air. It was a real snowstorm. Suddenly we heard a bang and someone shouted 'everybody down'. Then there was blood everywhere. Nearby, there was a huge pool of blood."
Pictures showed police and emergency services crawling over the wreck of one of the aircraft, apparently attending to someone inside. Others cared for a casualty on a stretcher. A police officer was seen walking from the scene with blood pouring down his face.
Explanation of Why Obama’s Visiting Israel
[ WATCH VIDEO | DOWNLOAD VIDEO ]
The History of the Middle East
Before 1947 The Middle East consisted of only Muslim countries, so Israel didn’t exist. 
When a large population of jews in Germany were killed in the war, the British and the USA felt guilty about this and decided to create a nation where the Jews could now live. The only problem with USA and England building this new nation is that it was right in the middle of the Middle East, this meant that everyone living around Israel where all Muslims. Obama now has a problem because, because as the president of the united states, he wants to stay friendly with the nation that they created (Israel). However he still wants to stay friends with the muslim nations because they have lots of oil on there land that if America are friends with them they can use. But if Obama gets his friendship with the Israeles wrong they could be nuclear thretend. But if america stays friends with israel they may be able to use there nuclear weapons for their advantage. 
The the threat of all of the nuclear weapons in Israel ment that Obama went over to Israel to try and talk peace between them to insure America’s safety.
What's Happening Now?
Obama has landed in Israel and was greeted by Mahmoud Abbas. He was then taken away in a limo to a conference about the troubles in the Middle East. This includes Syria and Iran getting annoyed at Israel for having advantages which their countries don’t have, e.g. Nuclear Weapons, Protection, Cities. Obama’s Limo has also broken down so the conference was delayed by a little while. The Conference is now in progress. This is all the information received so far.
NASA Voyager
Voyager 1 was launched on 5th September 1977, and was built to take images of Jupiter and Saturn and take other measurements. But it is now on track to exit the Solar System! Experts are in a hot debate on whether or not it actually has left yet.
Several of Voyager's instruments, such as the cameras, have been turned off to save power - the spacecraft is now so distant from the planets that they no longer serve any purpose. Instruments such as the magnetometers and charged particle detectors remain active, 
helping astronomers to study the fringes of the Sun's magnetic field.
Voyager 1 took some fascinating pictures such as this picture of Saturn's rings, but one of the most iconic images was taken in 1990 nearly 13 years after launch, depicting the distant Earth. The spacecraft was approximately 6 billion km from Earth, which appeared as a pale blue dot (less than a single pixel to the camera) - see the photo on the right.
Child Soldiers
As you’re reading this, over 300,000 children are fighting in active combat.
They fight like soldiers they die like children!
In places such as Sierra Leone, Sudan, Congo, Liberia and Afghanistan children as young as seven are being used to fight in wars. The children are often in the first line of attack to draw the enemies’ fire. The children are being used to literally waste the enemies’ ammunition. Their purpose is to die.
However some children are spies, couriers, cooks and cleaners. Although this doesn’t sound that bad they have hardly any food and are being almost constantly abused. Some 40% of child soldiers are girls. 
They are often abused in many horrid ways or being taken as ‘wives’ by much older male soldiers.
One of the main reasons children are involved is because they are easier to manipulate. They don’t eat as much food, don’t get paid and don’t have the same sense of danger as adults, making it simple to send them into midst of the battle. They will fight for whoever controls them because otherwise they will be killed. Children’s lives mean less than nothing to soldiers. They are whipped like animals in order to make them work harder and faster. Many of them have killed human beings before they have become teenagers.
Sometimes the army turn up on peoples’ doorsteps demanding that anyone who could not pay 3000 kyats (they earn around 401 kyats a year) had to join the army. This included children. However some children volunteer, Htay, 21 a Burmese ex-army soldier said “'I joined the army when I was young (at 15) without thinking much. I admired soldiers, their guns and crisp, neat uniforms. I just wanted to fight the way they did in the movies and so I joined the army.” Other children volunteer because the army promise to feed them, for a starving child the promise of food is enough to make them do almost anything. Even the unthinkable, kill their own family.
"I still dream about the boy from my village who I killed. I see him in my dreams, and he is talking to me, saying I killed him for nothing, and I am crying." — Mary, 12, a child soldier forced to join the army.
Egypt balloon crash: Three Britons among tourists killed
There has been widespread shock at the number of people killed in this balloon crash. The death toll has now risen to 19, with British, French, Hong Kong and Japanese nationals also among the dead.- The balloon was carrying tourists, including four Britons, who wanted to see the sights of Luxor. There had been safety concerns about balloon flights in recent weeks.
- The balloon was at 1,000 ft. (300m) when it exploded and crashed to the ground in flames.
- The four Britons had been on holiday with the tour operator and were among more than 20 people in the balloon when it crashed. Two died at the scene and one in hospital; the fourth managed to survive.
- The pilot, who is being treated for burns, survived by jumping when the balloon was just 10-15m (33-49ft) above ground, a local ballooning official told Reuters news agency.
- There is an investigation underway to find out the cause of the disaster.
Police Dragging Where Man Dies
A Mozambican taxi driver has died after a policeman handcuffed him to a police van and drove through the streets.
Local media reported that police initially assaulted the 27-year-old driver, accusing him of parking his vehicle incorrectly in Daveyton, east of Johannesburg, before dragging him through the streets.
The man was later taken to the police station, where he died due to head injuries.
The crowd watched and did nothing to help the Mozambican being dragged along the road, some were even cheering!
President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, said, "Members of the South African police service are required to operate within the confines of the law in executing their duties. The visuals of the incident are horrific, disturbing and unacceptable. No human being should be treated in this manner."
The police department did not confirm if the officers involved in the incident had been suspended.
The IPID have received 720 cases for investigation, including suspicious deaths in police custody, from April 2011 to March 2012.
Owl Gets Trapped in Car Grille!
On the 13th of March Sonji Coney Williams made the weirdest of discoveries. She found a Great Horned Owl in her car grille after she had travelled down the motorway for 60 miles on the way to Miami. Sonji was traveling in her Ford Expedition when she stopped for fuel and was warned not to go any further. She was astonished at being told by a tourist that she had an owl in her car grille. The police, fire brigade and Sonji were desperate to know how the owl managed to get in there! They still don’t know if the owl is a male or female bird.
Oscar Pistorius (#1)
Valentine Kill
On the 14th February 2013, Valentine’s Day. A 26 year old man, Oscar Pistorius the double amputee athlete shot his girlfriend 3 times. He has had both of his metal blade legs taken away from him. He wasn’t known for his love of guns and tendency to lose his temper.
The story of the murder
Oscar Pistorius was accused of shooting his girlfriend three times, once in the eye and twice in the hand! He claims that it was an accident. He keeps changing his view of the story so we don’t know what’s right and what wrong. Nothing seemed wrong with the couple, they were the famous couple. She was a model and he was an Olympic athlete. Everything was going well in his life, a pretty girlfriend and he had an Olympic title. He was getting everything he dreamed of. At 3am he heard a noise coming from the bathroom, he thought it was an intruder. He got out of bed and dragged himself along the floor, but he now says he picked up his blades and put them on. He got out his gun and shot through the door 3 times, He shot his girlfriend once in the eye and twice in the hand.
Quotes about the murder
You're not disabled by the disabilities you have, you are able by the abilities you have."
“SASCOC, like the rest of the public, knows no more than what is in the public domain, which is there has been an alleged fatal shooting on the basis of a mistaken identity and an apparent assumption of a burglary.
"The organisation is in no position to comment on the incident other than to say our deepest sympathy and condolences have been expressed to the families of all concerned."
"We found a 9mm pistol at the scene. A 26-year-old man was taken into custody," a police spokeswoman said.
"I screamed words to the effect of for him/her to get out of my house and for Reeva to phone the police," said Pistorius in his statement. "I thought Reeva was in the bed. I felt extremely vulnerable but I knew I had to protect Reeva and myself."
"I realised that Reeva was not in the bed," he said. "That's when it dawned on me it must have been Reeva in the toilet."
Suddenly he "heard a noise in the bathroom".
"Reeva and I were deeply in love and I could not have been happier. She felt the same," his statement read.
He is still not proven guilty of the murder!
Oscar Pistorius (#2)
Oscar Pistorious: bailed from killing his girlfriend
In the early morning of Thursday, 14 February 2013, Pistorius' girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp was shot and killed at Pistorius' Pretoria home. 
Pistorius was taken into police custody and was formally charged with Steenkamp's murder in a Pretoria court on 15 February. The bail hearing commenced on 19 February under Chief Magistrate of Pretoria Desmond Nair. During the hearing, both prosecution and defence said that Pistorius had fired four shots through a locked bathroom door, hitting Steenkamp three times inside the bathroom.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel claimed that Pistorius had put on his prosthetic legs, walked across his bedroom to the bathroom, and intentionally shot Steenkamp through the door. Nel argued that the time required for this process was sufficient to establish the murder as "premeditated." Pistorius said that he had thought Steenkamp was in the bed, and that the person in the bathroom was an intruder. He also said he had not put on his prosthetics before shooting into the bathroom.
Chief investigating officer Hilton Botha said at the bail hearing that a witness had heard sounds of fighting from Pistorius' home before shots were fired; he initially said the witness was 600 meters away, but later said the distance was 300 meters. Botha also said the trajectory of the gunshots indicated that they had been fired downward and directly toward the toilet. He acknowledged that procedural mistakes had been made during the crime scene investigation, and that police had found no evidence that directly contradicted the version of events offered by either the defense or the prosecution.
On 22 February, Botha was removed from the case following revelations that he was facing attempted murder charges stemming from a 2009 incident. Botha was replaced by Vineshkumar Moonoo, described as "the most senior detective" in the South African Police Service.
On 22 February, at the conclusion of the four-day bail hearing, Magistrate Nair confirmed that Pistorius would be charged with premeditated murder, but said that the state had not convinced him that Pistorius posed a flight risk, and fixed bail at 1 million rand ($113,000).
Pistorius' next court appearance is scheduled for 4 June 2013.
Oscar Pistorius (#3)
Dead Reeva Steenkamp Killed by Paralympic Athlete!
On the 14th February 2013, Oscar Pistorius was arrested on suspicion of killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, a 29 year old model.
He says that he woke up in the middle of the night and heard a noise in his bathroom. Thinking it was a burglar he grabbed his gun and shot 3 bullets through the wall and into the bathroom. He then walked into the room only to find his girlfriend lying on the floor. He quickly picked up Reeva and carried her downstairs. He rang the housing estate administrator in search for help but nothing could be done quickly. Soon after she died in his arms.
In court, Pistorius wept as he recounted the events of the night in question. He explained how he and Reeva were desperately in love and was thinking about getting married. He explained how devastated he was about what he had done and the suffering that he had caused her family.
South Africa is a country with a high level of violent crime. It is quite normal for home owners to own a gun to protect a property and themselves.
What is happening now...
Pistorius's bail set at 1 million rand (£74,000; $110,000): 100,000 rand in cash up front, and proof that the rest is available, he must turn in passports and any guns that he owns, cannot leave Pretoria without permission from probation officer, nor cane return to his home, 
forbidden to take drugs or drink alcohol and must report to police station between 07:00 and 13:00 every Monday and Friday.
Too much to take in
"Of course Oscar will never be the same, having to live with the knowledge that he caused the death of the woman he loved, but he is coping as best he can with the support of his loved ones," Arnold Pistorius said in a statement on Monday afternoon.
"I would say that, just speaking to him, he is a broken man. I would go as far as to say that he could be on the verge of suicide. It really worries me," Mr Azzie said in the interview, "We are acutely aware of the fact that this is only the beginning of a long road to prove that, as we believe, Oscar never intended to harm Reeva Steenkamp. We also realise that the law must run its course, and we respect this process."
On the verge of suicide
Steenkamp's close friend Gina Myers taking the cameras into her bedroom as she recalls the last time that they were together.
"I was doing my hair and she was getting ready for a meeting and I was getting ready to go to work," Myers said.
"And when she left she told me I was going to be awesome and that she loved me and then I ran out and then I gave her a hug and she left."
Police in Johannesburg said they have requested all records of phone calls and messages exchanged between Pistorius and Steenkamp on the day she was killed, according to the documentary makers.
Officers added they were also sifting through a "massive" number of texts on Steenkamp's phone, producers said.
There are no plans for police to enter into a plea bargain with Pistorius's legal team for a lesser charge, the show's makers claimed.
Azzie said Pistorius, who is out on bail, regularly talks about Steenkamp as he awaits his next court appearance on June 4 and that his state of mind has worsened since he was tasked with selling his racehorses to raise money to pay for his spiralling legal fees.
"He just always seems to mention Reeva and to ask us to pray for her and her family," Azzie said. "But most of all, you've got to understand that we are there for him and we will always be his friend.
"He has no confidence in his tone of voice and he is just a man that is almost like someone that is walking around in circles and doesn't know where he is going.
Pope Benedict XVI Officially Resigns
The Pope officially resigned at 7pm (GMT) on 28th February. The 85-year-old told a meeting of cardinals in Rome that he no longer had the necessary “strength of mind and body” to lead the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics. He is the first Pope to resign in almost 600 years. Most Popes leave the Vatican in a coffin, however Benedict XVI departed in a helicopter.
Benedict’s resignation was marked by The Papal Swiss Guards stepping down from their posts at Castel Gandolfo to return to the Vatican. He will return from Castel Gandolfo in about three months to a new residence - a former convent known as Mater Ecclesiae - in the south-west corner of Vatican City.
Announcing his resignation, the Pope said he would spend his time praying for the Church. His elder brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, has also said Benedict would be happy to advise his successor, if required. Writing and studying also seems likely to be on the agenda - Benedict had a library of 20,000 books installed in the papal apartments when he was elected in 2005. He also enjoys playing the piano and watching old black and white comedies and he loves cats.
The Vatican announced about a week ago that he will be known as Pope emeritus, or Roman pontiff emeritus. He will also continue to be known by his papal title of Benedict XVI, rather than returning to Joseph Ratzinger, and he will continue to be addressed as "Your Holiness" Benedict XVI.
The Pope’s social media, for example his Twitter accounts (@Pontifex and its eight different language versions) have also stepped down with him.
Sports News
Six Nations
Ireland centre Brian O’Driscoll received a ban from rugby for three weeks, for stamping on the Italy flanker Simone Favaro.
O’Driscoll was sin-binned at the time, and Ireland went on to lose 22-15.
Also in the six nations: England fell at the last hurdle with their campaign, losing 30 to 3 against Wales, who have now been crowned 2013 six nations champions.
And France beat Scotland 23-16, Scotland were winning 6-0 at half time, but in the second half France struck back with two tries and three penalties, making the score 23-6. Scotland attempted a comeback with a late try, but it wasn’t enough.