Political

Daily View 2×2: 11 October 2009 – Over 40 arrested during two political demonstrations

It’s Sunday. It’s 7am. It’s time for the Daily View, today with a science fiction meets ukulele musical extra.

2 Big Stories

English Defence League takes to streets, violence follows

Perhaps someone should tell the English Defence League that the best way for them to defend the values they claim to stand up for would be to wind themselves up given how little of that traditional English value of tolerance its members display. But in the meantime, here’s the latest news:

More than 40 people have been arrested during two political demonstrations in Manchester city centre.

At least 2,000 people attended the protests, by the English Defence League (EDL) and members of Unite Against Fascism (UAF) on Saturday afternoon.

Witnesses said “ugly scenes” broke out between rival protesters and police.

Forty-eight people have been arrested, four among them were held on suspicion of affray. Most of the other arrests were for public order offences. [BBC]

Turkey, Armenia’s protocols lay cornerstone for dissolving century-old row

Welcome news of a thawing of relations, though hard to tell whether Turkey’s continued refusal to official admit that a genocide against Armenians previously took place means these moves are doomed to achieve little or whether in fact these moves are the first small steps towards changing that position:

Turkey and Armenia agreed to establish diplomatic ties and open their long-closed borders, according to the texts of the protocols.

The protocols were yet to be ratified by the Turkish and Armenian parliaments before entering into force. Nationalists in both countries have been opposing the agreement, criticizing their governments for making concessions.

Turkey and Armenia have no diplomatic or economic ties since Armenia declared its independence in 1991. Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 to support Azerbaijan during its conflict with Armenia over the Upper Karabakh region, an enclave of Azerbaijan occupied by Armenian troops. [China News]

2 Must-Read Blog Posts

  • Lynne Featherstone on the suggestions she received on what to do with her dog
  • Gavin Chambers on the risks of wrongly estimating your chances in an election [defunct link]

Sunday Bonus

Will Howells explains, “I was sad to hear yesterday that Barry Letts, erstwhile producer of 70s Doctor Who, has died at the age of 84. I met him once, at a convention in 1994, when he appeared on stage with Terrance Dicks, the other half of their regular double act. He seemed a lovely man and was a great ambassador for the show. R.I.P., Barry – this song’s for you. I’m sorry it’s out of focus but I recorded it as live.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All comments and data you submit with them will be handled in line with the privacy and moderation policies.