Editorial Team: Production Editor:

Joe Norris James De Sousa Stayton

Maya Hanson

MONMOUTH SCHOOL AND HABERDASHERS’ MONMOUTH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS WEEKLY NEWSPAPER

Date: 27/04/2016

EU 2016: France on Lockdown By Oscar Parkman “Life is about making an impact, On the evening of Friday 13th of November 2015, a series of coor- not making an income ” dinated terrorist attacks, claimed by the so-called Islamic State, occurred - Kevin Kruse in Paris and its northern suburb, Saint-Denis. Three suicide bombers struck near the Stade de France, followed by suicide bombings and mass shootings at cafés, restaurants and a music venue in central Paris. The attackers killed 130 people, including 89 at the Bataclan theatre, where they took hostages before engaging in a stand-off with police. Another 368 President Obama Pleas for Unity in people were injured, with 80 to 100 left in critical conditions. The next Europe morning saw millions around the world pay tribute to a country that had just endured one of the most violent and brutal terrorist attacks on society By Maya Hanson – ever. Since then, Europe has been subjected to several attempts to dis- President Barack Obama made a personal rupt and disorder the lives of its inhabitants, including the recently com- plea for European unity on Monday, as the continent bined assaults in Brussels last month. Over the past year, France's securi- faces an uncertain future, casting a fractured union ty services and European partners have been scrutinised as to whether as catastrophic to global markets and stability. they should have picked up intelligence about the attacks and stopped Obama was visiting Europe as a series of them. global threats cause major strains in the bonds be- tween the continent's nations. Terrorists have struck As a result of those criticisms, and with less than 50 days to go capitals in Belgium and France, leading to fears that until the arrival of the Euro 2016 football championships, France has further attacks are coming. Economic instability has planned to extend its security measures. At this time, France’s state of led to slow growth and widespread unemployment. emergency gives extra powers to police and security forces and runs until And aggression from Russia has spurred anxiety that May 26. Prime Minister Manuel Valls explained in a radio interview last traditional defence alliances are proving ineffective. week that the government has aimed to increase that state of emergency Those challenges are prompting some in the period by a further two months in order to cover the football tournament’s European Union to question its purpose, causing duration, as well as that of the Tour de France. anxiety among U.S. officials who rely on the bloc in global negotiations. Before his stop in Germany, “Faced with an event this big, which must take place in conditions Obama made a stop in London to actively urge resi- of security and which at the same time should be a celebration, we have dents there to reject an exit from the EU. to ensure security.” he said. “The state of emergency cannot be perma- nent but, on the occasion of these big events, we have decided to pro- "This is a defining moment. What happens here has consequences for people around the globe," long.” Obama said. "I've come here today, to the heart of The French Special Forces have recently been carrying out several Europe, to say the United States, and the entire practice runs with emergency teams in preparation for dealing with stimu- world, needs a strong and prosperous and democrat- ic and united Europe." lated attacks during the football tournament. An average of 900 security executives will be deployed across all stadiums bearing the honour of Obama's choice to visit both the United King- accommodating the football games and an additional 1,200 for matches at dom and Germany reflects an effort to support Eu- the Stade De France, one of the targets of the deadly November attacks. rope and its unity -- perhaps a much more weighty Officials will have their work cut out even further this summer, when more mission than the official agenda of discussions on ISIS, counterterrorism, trade and other challenges, than 2.5 million football fans across Europe are expected to attend the analysts said. championships in 10 host cities, including record numbers from the UK after England, Wales and Northern Ireland all qualified. A UK departure would be a blow to the EU and Obama made clear before he even arrived in This year’s European football championships will kick off on June London that the U.S. would prefer Britain to stay 10th, with an opening match between France and Romania at the Stade within the Union. As the closest U.S. ally, the UK de France. With the clock ticking down to its initiation, France’s national inside the EU can influence debates on economic security will be on red alert to halt any further attempts to disrupt the tour- and foreign policy and has added value to Washing- nament. Last year’s lack of safety is something that needs to be corrected ton in that position. desperately, and when millions of football fans are expected to descend on France, the country has to be prepared for the possibility of an even deadlier outbreak on one of the world’s greatest sporting stages.

1 “An unexamined life is not worth living .” - Socrates

WEEKLY NEWSPAPER club that has all the infrastructure to be a players has been a growing concern with superpower, with a magnif- the departures of , James Wednesday 27th April 2016 icent stadium perfectly situated right off the Milner, , , M6 and a huge fan base in England's sec- Darren Bent, Christian Benteke and the so ond largest city. Moreover, as European called ‘loyal’ Fabian Delph bringing in a What’s it Like to be Relegated? Cup winners in 1982 and one of the key total sum of £115.5m, which may seem like By Charles Parkman founders of the game itself, there is no good business financially, but not neces- denying that the Birmingham-based club sarily the actions of a club high on ambition. have a proud history that is worthy of Prem- "It's about results so regardless of ier League status. Yet for the first time Lerner in respect has accepted the how we played in patches today we are since 1987, the club I have supported all blame, stating that Aston Villa’s relegation relegated...but now it's confirmed maybe it's my life has been relegated to the second from the Premier league “lies at my feet a weight off the shoulders and we can give tier of English football. The problems are and no-one else's". Nevertheless, his pres- these fans what they deserve, some perfor- clearly evident on the pitch with the team ence remains a problem because he wants mances.” These were the foolish, impru- having racked up a club-record high of 24 to sell, but the shortage of takers means he dent and unwise words of one and only losses; however it is behind the scenes is stuck in a loveless marriage at a club for Aston Villa defender Joleon Lescott after where the majority of the damage has been which he once had such high ambitions, his side’s inevitable relegation was all but done. And it all points to one man. and relegation will not help. With vast rich- set in stone following a 1-0 loss to the twen- es about to float into the Premier League as ty-time champions of England Manchester After Randy Lerner bought the club a result of a new TV rights deal next sea- United at Old Trafford. With only three wins form Doug Ellis in August 2006 for a sum of son, a departure now will be acutely painful out of 34 games this season, Villa are going £64m, the American billionaire became a in football and financial terms. The club are down in style. distant and disconnected figure, rarely seen still on the search for a new manager, at games and still searching for a buyer for whilst board members David Bernstein and Villa's decline has been coming for the club after putting it on the market 20 Lord King have resigned from the Villa hier- years, although this season the pace has months ago. He has become increasingly archy after a rift with the owner meant that rapidly accelerated from a stroll towards the unpopular as Villa remain rudderless, that their positions became “untenable” – depar- abyss into a Usain Bolt-style dash towards white flag of Premier League surrender tures that have only exacerbated the situa- the drop. Ever since Martin O’Neill walked effectively waved since the inaction and tion beyond comprehension. through the exit doors of Bodymoor Heath inertia of this season’s January transfer for the last time on the eve of the 2010-11 window, which saw not a single player join So, what is it like to be relegated? season, Aston Villa were set on a down- the squad’s ranks at a time when it was As a Villa fan, I feel betrayed. And so do ward spiral which would end in the anarchy needed most: despite recently-departed the majority of the long-suffering Villa fans and chaos we are witnessing today. For the Remi Garde having been promised funds who have supported this lacklustre side so best part of my six years at Monmouth for this very reason, exemplifying Lerner’s brilliantly this season. Maybe we needed School, the club’s story has been a tale of beloved pastime that is to fall back on his this after all. Its fantasy to assume a re- managerial instability, poor appointments promises. vamped Villa squad could challenge for the and an unstoppable march towards the Championship title at such short notice, but Championship. Lerner is also responsible for the for now, a period of sober, humble realism drain of talent away from since is long overdue at the club. Stop the rot. Unconvincing managerial appoint- the summer of 2009 in which Lerner began Stabilise the slump. Restore the pride. ments in the form of Gerard Houllier, Alex to slowly turn off the money tap, although McLeish, a former ‘bluenose’ and Paul Villa have almost always received top dollar Lambert, illustrates the drift and decay at a in exchange. The exodus of high-class

Trump: How A Win Could Mean Big Changes By Millie Robson The US presidential election isn't until November 8th, but Don- including Clive Webb (Professor of Modern American History at the ald Trump's number of supporters has taken many people by surprise. University of Sussex), believe that if Trump were to come to power this His main opponent currently is Hilary Clinton, but what would happen if relationship between the two countries would break down. Clive Webb Trump were to become the 45th president of the United States? believes that Trump would have an isolationist approach and therefore would neglect international relations. Well, Trump's newly appointed campaign chief told Republican leaders that, if Trump were to become the Republican presidential However, some say a win for Trump would not break the bond nominee, Trump will 'tone down' his profane attitude. However, despite between Britain and America, but intensify it. Why? Because people, Paul Manafort's reassurances, many struggle to believe Trump can such as Joshua Simms (assistant professor of Political Science at change his ways. Trump has had many radical ideas, such as stating Colombia University), believe that Trump would be a strong supporter that he planned to build a wall across the Southern border of America of Brexit, mainly to defend Britain against immigration. and "make Mexico pay for the wall". It it is ideas such as this that mean many people are sceptical when it comes to the idea that Trump could It is impossible to predict the full extent of what would happen if change for the better. Trump were to win in November, although many are trying. However, one point everyone can agree on is, if he continues to be as successful So what could a presidential win for Trump mean for the UK? as he has been so far, he will have to outline a definitive foreign policy Well, the relationship between America and Britain is not only a long as many people seem to be in the dark about what he is planning. standing one but also one that has been very successful and has been built on a cooperative approach from both countries. Many people,

2 “You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore. ” - Christopher Columbus

WEEKLY NEWSPAPER phere in the bunker as the other two world, and we have absolutely no invest- Wednesday 27th April 2016 residents constantly feel under threat ment in Michelle's endeavours in fighting from him, even if he is telling them the the aliens. That wasn't what the movie truth. was about, and so it is naive of JJ Abrams to expect us to care. Ending the 10 Cloverfield Lane film when Michelle removes her mask By Freddie Price JJ Abrams creates a perfect plat- and realises there was no chemical at- form for the actors to perform; containing tack would have been perfect; it would There are many criteria on which them in a small area with little in the way have given us the answer to the ques- you can judge a movie's success; too of special effects and giant landscape to tion we've been asking, yet still leaving often perhaps the criteria is centred hide behind they are pushed into giving us to make our own interpretation of around profit, as studios churn out repet- a fully committed performance. This events. However spelling it out for us in itive sequels that they know will do well seemed to work, as the intensity and such a crude manner really ruined any regardless of originality or plot strength. chemistry between the characters were scope for being thought-provoking, However, an attribute that will forever what kept us engaged. which is a crying shame as the rest of work in a films' approbation is its ability the picture is breath-taking. to hold the attention of the audience. 10

Cloverfield Lane will hold your attention The beauty of this film is in its for its entire 103 minute duration genre ambiguity. At times it feels like a through, a thrilling premise that is per- mystery, as different pieces of evidence fectly executed. are revealed and discovered to further the plot, at other times a thriller, such is the suspense created by Goodman. 10 Cloverfield Lane is the story of Sometimes it even has the essence of Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), a an escape film, and with a sprinkling of woman who wakes up in an under- comic relief and sci-fi, a truly awesome ground bunker after a car accident to be hybrid is formed. told that the safety of the outside world has been compromised by some sort of chemical attack. The dynamic between Unfortunately there is one ele- her and her saviour Howard is terrifically ment of the film which leaves audience engaging, as we are kept guessing members feeling hollow and unsatisfied, throughout as to whether he is as altruis- and at this point I'll say *Minor spoiler tic and benevolent as he seems. alert*, the ending. The last 15 minutes feel so irrelevant, out of tone and just plain stupid that it has the ability to sour This is John Goodman's career- my whole opinion of the film. It seems defining performance for sure, as he totally unfitting that there had in fact totally sells the eerie control freak How- been an alien attack on the outside ard, helping to create a tense atmos-

Ecuador Earthquake By Alex Sidorowicz On Saturday 16th April, Ecuador was struck by one of one of This was followed by a number of smaller tremors or after- the worst earthquakes in seven decades, causing a state of panic shocks, with the biggest one being a 6.0 magnitude earthquake during throughout the country. the night on Thursday 21st. This second larger aftershock occurred off the coast of Ecuador, about 100 kilometres West of Portoviejo and at The Ecuadorian emergency authorities and the President a depth of 10 kilometres. Rafael Correa recently announced that ‘These have been sad days for the homeland. The country is in crisis.’ There have been a total of about 700 aftershocks since the original earthquake and they are expected to continue for several The original earthquake had a magnitude 7.8. Support has weeks, but the Ecuadorian citizens have been advised to stay calm, come from other countries and charities, with survivors at the most with the main danger having passed. affected zone in the country receiving support in the form of food, water and medicine, provided by both the government of Ecuador and There has been a worldwide state of mourning and shock. Yet foreign aids. A large number of survivors have been forced to live in while Ecuador tries to rebuild and repair after this disaster, many citi- shelters due to the earthquake, approximately 26 000 people, after zens are still trying to return to their normal lives, requiring as much around 7000 buildings were destroyed. With the added support, help as possible, not just from their own country, but from others too. search parties and emergency services have found and saved about 14 000 people from the rubble, but authorities have stated that it is unlikely that any more survivors will be found, describing the chances as ‘slim’.

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