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Questions for discussion Gaza blockade EPISODE 15 8TH JUNE 2010 South Africa Advertising Oz UV mushrooms Young umpires Focus Questions EPISODE 15 TH 8 JUNE 2010 Learning Area Society and Environment Key learning Tourism Oz Students will analyse the current ad campaign promoting Australia to the world. Related Research Links Focus Questions EPISODE 15 8TH JUNE 2010 Learning Area Society and Environment Key learning Students will develop a deeper understanding of the life of anti- apartheid Profile Nelson Mandela activist Nelson Mandela. Students will need access to a range of resources to research their biographies Further Investigation Related Research Links BtN: Episode 15 Transcripts 8/06/10 On this week's Behind the News A new campaign tells tourists there's nothing like Australia. Its World Cup time in South Africa, but what's it really like there? And making super mushrooms in a flash. Hi I'm Nathan Bazley, welcome to Behind the News. Also on the show today, helping solve the lack of umpires in Aussie rules. Those stories later but first let's catch up with what's happening with the oil disaster on the wire. The Wire There has finally been some good news from the Gulf of Mexico. After nearly 50 days of oil spewing into the ocean unchecked a cap placed over the damaged pipe is capturing around 10,000 barrels of oil each day. But with scientists estimating between 12 and 19 thousand barrels flowing out, oil is still leaking at a fast rate. Tests throughout the next week will try to improve the seal on the cap to capture more oil. But with relief wells still months away from fixing the leak for good petrol company BP is facing criticism they don't have the resources to fix the massive damage to the environment. The area of the slick is spreading by the day. To give you an idea of the size it would be roughly this big if centred on Sydney. Oil soaked animals and birds are now appearing regularly with rescue crews doing their best to save as many as possible. But it may be an uphill battle - latest figures say around 527 birds have been found dead since the spill began. Presenter: And we'll keep you updated on the progress and how the animals are going there. Gaza Blockade Reporter: Sarah Larsen INTRO: Now over the last week you might have seen some pretty dramatic pictures coming out of the Middle East. Israeli soldiers boarded a boat heading for a place called Gaza, and a fight broke out. One Australian was shot in the leg and nine people from other countries were killed. So what's going on? Sarah's been finding out. Around the world people watched the same pictures. Israeli soldiers dropping from helicopters and struggling with people on-board a ferry. Then there were the protests from many different countries. So what's going on? Where were the ships headed and why were people killed? The answer has a lot to do with something called a blockade. A blockade is when a country or an organisation uses force to stop things going in and out of a place. REPORTER: Think about how much of the stuff we use every day comes from somewhere else - everything from food to medical supplies to clothes and even the fuel we need for cars. If trade was cut off it wouldn't be long before life started to get pretty uncomfortable. Blockades have been used for a long time by many different countries as a way of controlling their enemies without having to fight but they can be controversial because when trade is blocked ordinary people are most affected. Shops don't have enough stock to sell, the economy suffers and people can find it hard to get the basics they need to survive. That brings us back to Gaza. It’s a little strip of land between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. For years there's been conflict between Israel and Gaza. Back in 2007 it came under control of a religious group that's called for Israel's destruction. Israel and Egypt were worried Gaza wasn't keeping its borders secure so they set up a blockade. They wanted to stop people in Gaza getting the equipment needed to make weapons. Trade in Gaza is now a quarter of what it used to be. Getting things like electronics and fuel and even tinned vegetables is hard. Essentials are still allowed into Gaza and aid trucks can bring food and medical supplies. But some say it’s not enough and it takes too long to get there. There's a lot of arguing about who's to blame and innocent victims on both sides. Last week things got even more complicated. The flotilla of six ships headed for Gaza was organised by protesters who don't agree with the blockade. They say they were bringing aid; medicine and building supplies, for the people of Gaza but instead of doing it with Israel's permission they intended to run the blockade. That's pretty serious. If a blockade is set up by the military, the military can defend it, with force, and the protesters knew that, except the boats didn't make it to Gaza. This happened before they reached the blockade when the ship was still in international waters. That's made a lot of people angry. They say people shouldn't have died. But Israel says its soldiers didn't want to shoot people but they were attacked when they boarded the boat. They say the flotilla was organised by a group that wants to harm Israel but the people on-board deny that. Now the UN wants an investigation into exactly what happened. South Africa Reporter: Kirsty Bennett INTRO: One of the biggest sporting events in the world is about to kick off but the attention isn't only on the players. This year's Soccer World Cup is being held in South Africa - a country which has a reputation for violent crime. The police force is being beefed up and there's a lot of concern the country may not be able to protect the players and tourists. So what is South Africa like and why is the government bringing in extra security? Here's Kirsty to fill you in. KIRSTY BENNETT, REPORTER: When it comes to wild animals, South Africa has a whole heap! From elephants to giraffes and even lions, this is definitely not a backyard for the fainthearted! South Africa is all the way over here in the continent of Africa. And now the country will host the Soccer World Cup! Soccer doesn't get any bigger than this and teams and fans are flying in from around the world. But flashy stadiums and fierce competition aren't the only scenery they'll see. South Africa's largest city Johannesburg is like any big town, busy! But at night time, parts of the city take on a whole different life. These streets are some of the most dangerous in the world and people are encouraged to avoid them. CHARITY RASELLO, RESIDENT: We don't enjoy ourselves in this country anymore. There is hijacking, they kill you for your own belongings, they want to come and burgle your house. KIRSTY: For the more wealthy people, life looks a little safer. High walls, security guards and cameras are some of the extra accessories residents have for protection. So how did this land of wild animals and gorgeous sunsets develop such a dangerous reputation? In the 1940s, a new government came into power and brought with it a law that divided the country by the colour of people's skin. It made them live in different areas and even travel on separate buses. This separation was called "apartheid" and set out rules like where people could live, who they could go to school with and even who they could marry. White people could stay in nice houses while most other people were forced to move to shanty towns. As time went on, other countries began to kick up a fuss and in the early nineties the law was scrapped. NELSON MANDELA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA: "We will not postpone our freedom!" KIRSTY: It was a joyful time for South Africans, they had great hopes for the future of their country. But today, there are still lots of problems. There isn't enough money around to build schools and give everyone an education and some people still live in poor conditions. However, the government is confident it's ready to host soccer's big event and is bringing out extra security to prove it. At big sporting events, there is sometimes the threat of violence or terrorism. So to help prevent that, police have been raiding homes to remove weapons and drugs. They're also practising to deal with any threats that could flare up during the cup. The hope is we won't see any of that and everyone can enjoy the celebrations! In the streets and at schools, soccer fever is spreading fast! And it seems like we have more than just Aussies cheering on the Socceroos! ADULT: Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! SCHOOL KIDS: Oi! Oi! Oi! Presenter: and we've got more about the Socceroos later on in the score. Quiz 1 Let's have a go at our first quiz for today. Which country had the most international tourists last year? USA Italy France Answer: France Maybe everyone wants to see the Eiffel Tower or eat frogs legs.

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