BBC TV News - Wednesday 12/12

Economics first on the flagship BBC News at 10, the story being a cash injection of 50 billion pounds by 5 major central banks, in order to attempt to alleviate the growing global credit crunch; the intention being to make credit more available and thus cheaper. BBC reporter Robert Peston was on hand to remind us of America, "sub prime loans and other forms of foolish lending" before telling us that this additional finance could be metaphorically compared to "a bit of oil" being added to a piece of machinery. For some reason we heard of a company called AMD.

Squares on a chessboard



Our police force next, their representational body the Police Association are not happy with the pay offer of 1.9% and such intend to ballot their members on whether to lobby for the privilege of being allowed to strike. It seems that the average policeman is raging about this issue; although it amounts to a paltry £200 per year it is more a matter of principal. What needs to be remembered here is that if the police did strike, soldiers would be utilised to replace them. See Euro police later. Maybe that is the intention, even the threat of strikes is further ammunition for national service -` in a roundabout way. Anyhow, now I know why Det. Super. Tony Hutchison was pandering to the media.

Musa Qala, the "Taliban defeated", we saw images of the rag tag Afghan army, "leading the operation", shuffling up a river bank, some British soldiers, or "trainers", intermingled, and were circled in the televised images for identification purposes. It reminded me of a prison convict chain gang. Anyway, Gordon Brown has advised that it could be a "long haul" and has suggested that if the remaining insurgents give up violence then there could be a place for them in his reconstruction plans. This would allow them to send their children to school and also obtain television sets - both banned by the neo-facist Taliban. You will see how the Taliban deal with the infadel enemy TV about one minute into this video-clip - look at the top of the pole. I find laughter is the only medicine for brain poisoning - it is their country after all - and is the television a good thing for humanity ?

Russia has told the British Council to close down the offices over there by the beginning of next year, blaming the Litvinenko affair for this action. Talk was of Burma and Iraq but not of the looming third world war. "London, Britain, MI6 - damn you all", watch it here.

Coming up - Is Capello the new England Coach.

First though, the Diana Dodi death enquiry. Countess Spencer , "a close friend of Al-Fayed" gave evidence yesterday, stating that Diana was deeply in love with Dodi. You can read about it here, note the reference to a black and white chequerboard scarf, "reminiscent of police epaulettes".





Happening in front of you now, globally.






Ike Turner has died at aged 76, we heard of how Tina claimed he was "abusive" and that he may have had as many as fourteen wives.

The Treaty of Lisbon next, 26 European leaders are due to sign today, Gordon Brown will sign it later on. I will most interested to see the actual time that he signs the document because he will numerically and thus symbolically, be forming a perfect cube, Gordon being the 27th. Tellingly perhaps, in light of the "potential" police strike, we then saw the Euro police in Bosnia before hearing from Peter Mandelson and William Hague, both giving their opinions on the matter. To close we went back to Bosnia to see more Euro police.

Football - 5 Manchester United supporters stabbed in Rome. Some results then the promised Capello for England coach story. We heard some rumour and closed with images of the new Wembley, lit with a magical arch of light.

To close, a special feature on the rich poor divide in South Africa. We met with Brian, aged a freemasonic 33, a middle class coloured man, a coloquial "black diamond" of the country. Brian took us into his home and shot pool beside some display cabinets and a dartboard, until we went for a spin in his BMW, observing how one city is much like another, before stopping to meet with a lady who lives in squalor with a hole in her roof. This is paradoxically "one of the most unequal societies on earth" Watch it here. and weep.

cheers





Misunderstanding of teachings ?