On This Week's Behind the News

BtN: Episode 30 Transcript 23/10/12

On this week's Behind the News

 More revelations of widespread cheating in cycling. Can the sport survive?

 We take a look at a special set of human rights designed just for children.

 And we meet a kid who's ruffled a few feathers in the science world with his brilliant experiment.

Hi I'm Nathan Bazley, welcome to Behind the News. Also on the show today we join some dance teachers who think learning dance can help you to be good at other subjects too. But first: Security Council Reporter: Sarah Larsen

INTRO: You might have heard about an important vote recently. No, we're not talking about Big Brother or the X-factor. This one was far more significant. Australia has won a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council. OK, it might not sound all that exciting to you but it was exciting for lots of politicians. Sarah finds out why.

They come from around the globe

Their mission: to use their powers to make the world a more peaceful place. They are the superpowers permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

Actually in reality the council looks slightly less exciting. Members don't have superpowers and they hardly ever wear undies on the outside. But they really are charged with keeping peace around the world.

It all started after the Second World War. The countries on the winning side wanted to work together to try to stop wars like that from ever happening again ... so they created the United Nations.

Since then they've been busy. The Security Council is the part of the UN dedicated to sorting out conflicts. Whether it's by helping countries talk to each other or investigating claims that governments are doing the wrong thing.

The Security Council can send in UN peacekeepers to stop fighting. And it can order action against countries doing the wrong thing. Only five countries are permanent members of the council. They each have the power to block any decision so they call the shots.

1 But they don't work alone. Ten other countries can be members of the council but only for two years at a time. Each year half of them leave and new countries are voted in. Competition for those spots is fierce.

RICHARD WILCOTT: Somebody recently described getting in on the council as the UN's form of blood sport because people fight very hard for those positions.

This guy represented Australia on the council 26 years ago and that was the last time we had a spot. But now Australia's getting ready for another turn. Last week representatives from the 194 counties which belong to the UN voted on new temporary members. And Australia got a spot.

BOB CARR, FOREIGN MINISTER: It is always good to see Australia win and this was a big, juicy, decisive win, and it is very, very sweet.

He's got reason to be happy. For four years the government's been doing all it can to win votes. Flying to all the right places and shaking all the right hands. In all the government's spent 24 million dollars on its bid for the Security Council.

Some have criticized the government for spending so much money to be a side-kick to the superpowers. They said it was just the government wanting to feel important... and being a side-kick isn't that impressive. But others reckon it'll be a chance to have more of a say on global security issues, especially the ones that affect us

BOB CARR, FOREIGN MINISTER: It endorses Australia as a good global citizen.

Plus, there are advantages to hanging out with the big guns. Compared to some other countries Australia has a small population and a pretty small military.

For that reason, Australia's leaders have always tried to make friends with bigger cou ntries that can help Australia with trade or the promise of military help. Many are ho ping that being part of this super-team will help the world to see Australia as a countr y that's not to be messed with.

Presenter: Let's see what else is making the news. Here's Tash with the Wire. The Wire

Treasurer Wayne Swan has had to fight hard to keep this year's budget in surplus after figures showed the government wouldn't earn as much money as they first thought.

Swan originally planned to spend 1.5 billion dollars less than he earned but he's had to cut that target to just over a billion.

And even that has taken cuts to achieve.

The baby bonus and private health insurance rebate are among programs that've been trimmed to make up the difference.

2 PENNY WONG, FINANCE MINISTER: We remain committed to a surplus because it's the right thing to do for the economy.

**** An Australian solider has been killed in Afghanistan.

The 24-year old special forces soldier was clearing a compound in the south of the country when an explosive device went off.

DEFENCE GENERAL, DAVID HURLEY: The special operations mission remains ongoing, so I cannot provide specific details about the location or the mission itself without risking the safety of this young man's comrades. He's the 39th Australian soldier to die in Afghanistan since 2001.

And a couple of guys in WA have ended up with a new housemate after three Tasmanian devils escaped from a Perth zoo last week. One of the three devils was rescued after being spotted in bushland.

RESCUERS: “We thought it was a piglet, we were going to go out and catch it anyway but um yeah, it ended up being a Tassie Devil. Johnny's like 'Oh, it's a Tassie Devil'.

The men took him home until zoo staff came to collect the animal. But as this home video shows the devil wasn't very happy about being locked up in the bathroom! The Tassie devils escaped after a tree fell on their enclosure. Cycling Future Reporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: Cycling has made it from the sport pages to the front page over the past few weeks. But it's not for any great victory or achievement. It's all to do with the sport's former star, Lance Armstrong and the release of evidence which many say proves he's a cheat. So can the reputation of the sport recover? Let's find out.

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: For these guys, it's just one leg, then the other. One kilometre after another, over and over again. And they love it.

LUCINDA: I like the freedom, and it's good fun!

GEMMA: I enjoy it a lot and it's kind of relaxing as well, on the weekends getting away from school work and you know, just relaxing.

Something else they all agree on is how they used to see cycling's most famous athlete, Lance Armstrong.

SAM: I thought he was a legend originally because he recovered from cancer and then went on to Tour de France seven times in a row.

3 GEMMA: Especially when he came out of the cure from cancer, so that was pretty inspirational.

But these three cycling fans are now grappling with a problem.

What happens when an inspiration suddenly doesn't seem so inspirational anymore?

In the world of cycling, Lance Armstrong was the best.

But it only took one announcement to put a question mark over it all.

The US anti-doping authority released a report that listed everything they had on him.

11 former teammates, 1000 pages worth of evidence, and years of scientific testing.

It all pointed in one direction - that Lance had cheated every step of the way to reach the pinnacle of his sport.

For his part, Lance still says he's innocent.

But he's decided not to fight the charges.

So is he innocent or guilty?

Either way, the damage to cycling has already been done.

When it comes to drug use, Lance is just the very famous tip of a very big iceberg.

Of the top ten finishers from each Tour de France since 1998, these people have all now been linked to doping.

So if you take 2003 for example, to re-award Lance's victory, you'd have to give it to the fifth placed rider.

Second place would have to go to number nine!

That's why officials say they went after Lance so hard.

MATTHEW KEENAN, CYCLING COMMENTATOR: This is not a witch hunt to try and get Lance it's about the young kids coming through that have the hope of trying to compete and compete on the world stage on a level playing field and in a clean sport.

But whether that will work depends on kids like these.

SAM: It's sort of like a let-down for a lot of people, because he had the whole motto livestrong, and everyone looked up to him.

LUCINDA: I still want to see him like I did before, like the amazing person who survived cancer who's such a good story, so courageous and stuff, but I don't really

4 know what to think of him anymore. He did the wrong thing and he's gotta live with that for the rest of his life and that's going to be hard for him. I sort feel sorry for him really.

GEMMA: Maybe to get Lance Armstrong to get to admit what he did was wrong. And maybe let people know that it was wrong and not to let them do that sort of thing again.

Either way, for a sport built on painful performances, this recovery could be the most painful one of all.

Online Poll

OK let's make that our poll this week.

The question is:

Can the sport of cycling repair its reputation?

To vote, just head to our website

Children’s Rights Reporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: As a kid, it's easy to think you just have to do what you're told most of the time. But you do actually have a set of rights; things you can expect no matter what. Universal Children’s Day is on this week and it's your chance to celebrate those rights. But it's also a time to think of those kids around the world who aren't so fortunate. Let's take a look.

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: Picture this. What is an average kids' day like?

Most are filled with play, plenty of food and water and schoolwork, which are all your rights as a child.

They might not seem like the most exciting rights, but for millions of kids in countries near to ours, the right to an education is little more than a dream.

Thailand is not too far north west from Australia and it's where 9 year old Thanya is going about HER average day.

Each day is filled with work at home, meaning she misses out on her right to an education.

5 Her parents can only afford to send one child, so her older sister got the chance, while Thanya remains at home.

In the country of Bangladesh, further west from Thailand, many kids come from families that are also too poor to send their kids to school.

Many kids have to work throughout the day just so their families have enough money to eat.

The kids that do get to go to school count themselves as lucky.

When was the last time you felt that way about school?

Further west again, in the country of Pakistan, kids education has become a big issue.

The Taliban, an extremist group here, don't believe girls have the right to attend schools as boys do.

So many miss out.

It's a right this girl, 14 year old Malala, felt very strongly about. So she had written articles and featured in videos speaking out about her desire to learn.

But speaking out came at a cost.

One day on the way to school, the Taliban stopped her school truck and shot her.

Amazingly, she survived the attack.

And doctors are hopeful she will make a full recovery.

Meanwhile, the attack on her made headlines around the world.

In Pakistan, schools are praying for her and learning about what she was fighting for.

Many people also took to the streets to protest the evil act as well.

Whether this protesting will turn into real change for the girls of Pakistan though remains to be seen.

But there are some countries around the region where things are improving.

In Sri Lanka, just south of Pakistan, one girl is loving having her right to an education.

Sivatheepan enjoys learning so much, she wants to help other kids do the same when she grows up.

SIVATHEEPAN: I want to become a teacher and teach poor children. Poor children can then become teachers and help other poor children.

6 So what does the average kids' life look like?

Well, with the right to an education, it can look a lot happier...

Presenter: And on our website there are some links if you want to read more about what your rights are as a child.

Presenter: OK, let's have a quiz about them too. Quiz 1

The question is: Which country has not adopted the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child?

Canada

Answer: USA

The U.S. have signed the treaty but haven't fully adopted it yet. Chook Science Reporter: Natasha Thiele

INTRO: An 11 year old schoolboy has won a big science award for an experiment which he came up with in his own backyard. He wanted to find out why some chickens produce bigger eggs than others and came up with a significant discovery. Here's Tash.

NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: Eggs. They come in different sizes from small to large. But why are some bigger than others? Well, that's a question a Sydney school boy wanted to find an answer to.

This is Iggy and his chooks. One of his hens had been laying some pretty big eggs. He thought that maybe they'd been indulging on worms, which are a source of protein, from his worm farm. So it led him to think that the extra protein the chickens were eating might be helping to make larger eggs. To find out, Iggy designed a scientific experiment to find out if his hypothesis was true. He looked at what kinds of food had more protein than others and if that affects the size and weight of free-range eggs.

IGGY'S VIDEO: Layer pellets have a bit more protein than the scratch mix. Corn is high in carbohydrate. Soy meal is high in protein. It is also high in carbohydrate. Kangaroo mince is high in protein. I fed each type of food to the free range hens for 14 days. I collected the eggs, measured and weighed them. In the end I had 106 days

7 of records. At the end of the experiment I averaged the weight, height and width of the eggs and put the results in graphs.

And his results were pretty amazing. Extra large eggs that you can find at the supermarket weigh around 70-grams. But the eggs Iggy's hens produced on a high- protein diet were between 89 and 119 grams, making them a lot bigger!

Iggy's home science experiment has been highly recognised.

PROFESSOR TREVOR HAMBLEY, EUREKA PRIZE AWARDS CEREMONY MC: The winner of the University of Sydney's Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize Primary is Egg-normous by Ignatius Fox. Please welcome Iggy.

He was named the winner of Australia's biggest school science award and he scored two thousand dollars in prize money!

KARL KRUSZELNICKI, SLEEK GEEK JUDGE: He's done a proper scientific experiment! Whereas you might have the shock jocks on radio and TV who say, 'Well, it was warm today but it was cold tonight therefore there's no such thing as climate change!' and this 11-year old child has done some real science as opposed to these other people.

Iggy's passion for science runs in the family and it's his dream is to work in chemistry.

EDWARD, IGGY'S DAD: His grandmother always encouraged him to do science so yeah, that was a major influence on him.

FIONA, IGGY'S MUM: I think it's really important for children to question, for people to question things and find out answers. I think that is what education is and so we constantly, if he asks questions I tell him to go and find out the answer.

And he's already working on a new experiment.

IGGY: It's about herd immunity and how to stop it and getting people vaccinated.

So this might not be the last we see of this young scientist. Quiz 2

OK, let's have a quiz about eggs.

The question is: What is the white of an egg called?

Albumen

Epidermis

8 Answer: Albumen

The egg white protects the yolk... and is about 90 percent water.

OK, let's move on to some sports news next... here's the Score

The Score

Australia has drawn 18-all with New Zealand in the Bledisloe Cup in Brisbane. Not many expected the Wallabies to get so close to a win.

And there was plenty of action...especially in the 85th minute.

Aussie fullback Mike Harris continued to impress with the boot making all five of his attempts. The draw brought an end to the All Blacks' 16-match winning streak.

**** Samantha Stosur has lost the final of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. The Aussie went down to Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark...6-2...4-6...7-5. It's Wozniacki's 20th career title win.

**** And rain washed out the Moto GP in Malaysia on the weekend. The wet weather made conditions slippery on the track...and there were plenty of crashes. The race was cut short...and Dani Pedrosa was named the winner. Moto GP championship leader Jorge Lorenzo came second...followed by Australian world champion Casey Stoner in third. Learning Dance Reporter: Sarah Larsen

INTRO: School is about sitting still, being quiet and doing your work, right? Well, sometimes but not all the time. Experts reckon kids can get lots out of learning arts like music and dance. Sarah found out why more primary schools are dancing their way to academic success.

SARAH LARSEN, REPORTING: School makes some of us want to read. Or calculate. Or write. Or discover but it makes some kids want to dance. This is a primary school dance class one of many that go on every day, every week right around the country. And while it might just look like a lot of fun these guys are learning. Experts reckon the skills kids learn by dancing are similar to the ones they get in subjects like maths and English.

MARY-LOU MICHAEL, ARTS COORDINATOR: I think there is a perception that you're just jumping around when actually it's quite analytical. There's a lot of literacy and spatial awareness. It's a very complex art form.

9 PTC: If you think about it you can kind of see how it could be learning. Just like any other subject you have to watch carefully, listen, learn and repeat.

Dance is one of the arts subjects going into the national curriculum and many are hoping that'll mean more of this sort of thing in primary schools around the country.

The Australian Ballet is helping by sending professional dancers into classrooms in a program called Out There. Here at Burwood Primary they're running workshops with the kids to give them a taste of what dance can be like.

Lilly: I thought it was really fun because you got to do your own moves and stuff. KID: I thought I was going to do quite well because I’m usually into dancing but this was even better

For some kids it was a new experience

“I was nervous" “I felt a little uncomfortable because I'm not really used to dancing."

But the great thing about dance classes is that you don't have to be a pro just by getting involved and having fun, you're getting benefits.

"I think you're learning how to express yourself with dancing" "You can express yourself if you're happy you can express just about any feeling" "You get to dance with your friends and meet new people." "I feel proud and glad that I am dancing because every time I make a mistake I have practice more and get it right."

For kids that do have a passion for dance, it doesn't have to stop at primary school. At Charles Campbell College in Adelaide these guys are about to graduate from their year 12 dance class. We've just completed out performance exam a couple of weeks ago. Many say their passion for dance started when they were little.

"I stared when I was four year old and I kept going every since. I started when I was eight."

"I used to dance when I was a child around the house, just jump around listening to music."

So they reckon primary school is the perfect place to start.

DANIEL: I think it's absolutely necessary. The skills it gave me, the confidence when I was eight, the confidence, the independence, it gave me confidence in myself that I was able to do something for myself.

GIRLS: The enjoyment that you get and friendships that you make, last forever I love all the guys in my class.

10 Whether it's at the end of school or nearer to the beginning these guys say dance has helped them to learn, make friends and have fun. And they reckon that's what school should be all about.

Closer

That's it for the show. You can jump onto our website if you want to get more info on any of the stories. You can send us your comments and don't forget to vote in this week's poll. I'll see you next time.