Wikinews:Audio Wikinews/Transcripts/May 21, 2005

Audio Wikinews transcript – 2005 05 21 – 0600 UTC

As reported by Nicholas Gerda

May 21, 2005. This is Wikinews.

Breaking News

Marburg virus outbreak in Angola claims over 300 lives
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced Wednesday that an outbreak of viral hemorrhagic fever by way of Marburg virus in Angola has claimed the lives of 311 Angolans. The outburst can be traced back to October 2004. The great majority of cases have originated in the Uige Province, and WHO estimates that 75% of the cases have occurred in children under the age of 5 years old. From the WHO: Marburg virus disease has no vaccine or curative treatment, and can be rapidly fatal. In the present outbreak, most deaths have occurred between 3 to 7 days following the onset of symptoms. Past outbreaks indicate that close contact with bodily fluids of infected people, as may occur in health care settings or during burial practices, increases the risk of infection. This is the largest recoded outbreak of Marburg viral hemorrhagic fever in history.

Headlines

Cuban dissidents hold rare public meeting
A public meeting by Cuban dissidents was held in a rare celebration of Cuba's Independence Day on Friday. Although Cuban President Fidel Castro had expelled and refused entry to several European observers before the meeting started, police did not crack down on the peaceful proptests by nearly 200 people. Called the "Assembly to Promote Civil Society", the meeting was to promote peaceful change and lay groundwork to introduce democracy in Cuba. Planning for the meeting was done by several leading Cuban dissidents and former prisoners, including Martha Beatriz Roque Cabello, René Gómez Manzano and Félix Bonne Carcassés. Controversy accompanied the event, and many dissidents did not attend because invitations to some Miami, Florida groups were thought to promote violent reform. Castro expressed disapproval of the event, complaining of opposition groups that are bankrolled by the United States. Previous meetings, planned as long ago as Concilio Cubano in 1996, were cancelled due to government crackdowns, arrests, and the shooting down of two planes. Fidel Castro, speaking to CNN about the rally said, "Those who attack us don't represent more than a fraction of 1 percent. ... You [the foreign news media] have helped create them." This is the 103rd anniversary of Cuba's independence, a day that was observed with celebration until Castro took over in 1959 and introduced the rule of Communism. U.S. President George W. Bush sent his greetings to those celebrating Cuban Independence in an videotaped message. Bush said, "As we observe Cuba's independence today, we look forward to the day when Cuba is free, and my Administration supports efforts to hasten that day's coming. The tide of freedom is spreading across the globe, and it will reach Cuban shores." The U.S. Senate also passed a resolution on Tuesday "extending its support and solidarity to the participants of the historic meeting", and calling for "the international community to support the assembly and its mission to bring democracy and human rights to Cuba." The planned two-day meeting is being held openly in a garden belonging to one of the organizers on the outskirts of Havana. Cuban spies are probably on hand observing the action.

Lecturer in Spanish University fired for defending P2P networks
In Valencia, Spain, teacher Jorge Cortell was fired for defending the use of Peer to Peer networks. He had been teaching the class Intellectual Property among other subjects at Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) for the last 5 years.

Wikipedia Current Events

• In Canada, Prime Minister Paul Martin's Liberal government narrowly avoids collapse after the Speaker of the House of Commons breaks a tie vote on the federal budget, averting the predicted 39th Canadian federal election.
• The death toll in the Marburg virus outbreak in Angola reaches 311.
• Hurricane Adrian, the first storm of the 2005 Pacific hurricane season, dissipates over Honduras after becoming the first named tropical system to make landfall in El Salvador since 1997.
• CSKA Moscow beat Sporting Lisbon 3-1 to become the first Russian football club to win the UEFA Cup.

Today in History provided by Wikipedia

• 1674 - John Sobieski was elected by the szlachta to be King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
• 1881 - The American Red Cross was established by Clara Barton.
• 1894 - The Manchester Ship Canal was officially opened, linking the city of Manchester to the Irish Sea.
• 1927 - Aboard the Spirit of St. Louis, Charles Lindbergh completed the first solo non-stop transatlantic flight.
• 1991 - Former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by a female suicide bomber.

Today's fact provided by Wikipedia

Willi Münzenberg was known as "The Red Millionaire" because he combined high living with communist propaganda.

Thank you for joining us for today's segment. Join us again tomorrow for more headlines, news, facts, and anniversaries; and next week will have our very first Special Report.

I'm Nicholas Gerda.

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