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	• NEWS >> ATW November 30, 2006 Yearly Script Program Index -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OPEN/WELCOME Hi and welcome to Assignment: The World for the week of November 30th, I’m Teej Jenkins. Our top story this week…A new hope for peace in the Middle East. 1—CEASE FIRE ISRAEL 31 Degrees, 46 minutes north 35 degrees, 14 minutes east Five months of violence came to at least a temporary halt over the weekend as a surprise truce went into effect between Israel and Palestinian militants. The cease fire began with a call from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Abbas said militants had agreed to halt all violence from Gaza. Though some rockets were fired after the truce was to have gone into effect, Israel did not retaliate. Olmert has since offered wide ranging concessions to the Palestinians that he says would lead to the establishment of an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza. Olmert’s plan calls for the establishment of a new coalition government, recognition of Israel’s right to exist and a renouncing of violence. The chief negotiator for the Palestinians says his people are ready to negotiate a final deal for peace. That may be an indication that the radical group, Hamas, has agreed to soften its hard-line position toward Israel. Truce (n) temporary cessation or suspension of hostilities, armistice ATW Fact Somalia is a country roughly the size of Texas that sits on the Horn of Africa bordered by Ethiopia, Kenya, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. It has been essentially without a government and in a state of civil war since 1991. INTRO REST OF THE NEWS In the rest of the news this week… -- the forecast is grim for eastern Africa… --a massive explosion levels a community north of Boston… --and more deadly political turmoil in Lebanon. #2—LEBANESE LEADER KILLED LEBANON 33 DEGREES, 53 MINUTES NORTH 35 DEGREES, 30 MINUTES EAST Tensions continue to rise in the wake of the assassination of a Lebanese government minister. Pierre Gemayel, who was gunned down in his car last week in Beirut, was part of the anti-Syrian faction of the Lebanese government. Syria dominated Lebanon for nearly 30 years both militarily and politically. Its troops were forced out last year after the assassination of another anti-Syrian leader, Rafik Harriri. The death of Gemayel also sparked mass protests against Syria but pro-Syrian forces including Hezbollah have promised counter-demonstrations and an overthrow of the government. Syria has denied any involvement in either assassination and is criticizing the tribunal appointed to investigate the death of Rafik Harriri. faction (n) group of persons within a larger group, cohesive but usually contentious minority #3—SOMALIA/KENYA FLOODING SOMALIA 02 DEGREES, 04 MINUTES NORTH 45 DEGREES, 22 MINUTES EAST It may be the worst flooding in half a century. As many as 1-point-8 million people have been affected by flooding in the eastern African countries of Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia. A long drought in the region left the soil unable to absorb the unusually long wet season. That, in turn, has washed away vital farmland, halted relief efforts, and dramatically increased the likelihood of malaria and other diseases. Further complicating relief efforts is the possibility of war in Somalia. That country was already ravaged by a 15 year old civil war as well as a prolonged drought. Now, two of Somalia’s major rivers overflowed their banks and more flooding is expected. The United Nations has hired four helicopters to help relief efforts but has thus far been reluctant to use them because of fears they might be shot down by either rival side. Drought (n) long period without rain, shortage of something #4— —DANVERS EXPLOSION UNITED STATES 42 DEGREES, 35 MINUTES NORTH 70 DEGREES, 56 MINUTES WEST Investigators say they may never know what triggered a massive explosion and fire at a chemical plant north of Boston. The blast, which happened early in the morning on the day before Thanksgiving, destroyed a paint and ink factory as well as 70 homes and businesses in the town of Danvers. But officials say it is a miracle that no one was killed and only ten people were treated for minor injuries. Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney said it was the equivalent of a 2-thousand pound bomb going off in a residential neighborhood. Some of the homeowners in the affected area were able to return home early this week. Nearly 400 people were left homeless. . Miracle (n) event that appears unexplainable by the laws of nature, act of God POP QUIZ #1 In our story about the Mid-East Truce, with whom did we tell you the Israeli’s are negotiating? Is it 1. Syria 2. the Palestinians 3. Lebanon And the answer is number 2. Israel is resuming peace talks with the Palestinians. OLD CLUE # 1—ASIA PACIFIC MEETING Time now for answers to last week’s Clues in the News. Our first clue was the location of Hanoi, Vietnam. That’s where leaders of 21 Pacific Rim countries met a week ago on a wide variety of topics including economic disputes and security issues. US President George Bush used the occasion to talk about the need to end North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. Bush also talked with his counterpart from China about the trade imbalance between those two countries. The U-S trade deficit with China is expected to top last year’s record of 202-billion dollars. OLD CLUE # 2— ECUADOR ELECTION Unscramble our second clue and you got Ecuador Election. Voters went to the polls there over the weekend to elect a new president. Leftist nationalist Rafael Correa had a huge margin in the early returns over his rival, banana tycoon Alvaro Noboa. Correa is a political ally of Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chavez. Like Chavez, Correa has been critical of the US and many of its policies in Latin America. Correa is promising to radically change Ecuador’s politics and economy. OLD CLUE # 3—THANKSGIVING And finally, fill in the blanks on our third clue and you got Thanksgiving. The surviving settlers of the colony at Plymouth Rock celebrated their first successful harvest in 1621. Modern day observances of that ranged from family gatherings across the US to soldiers serving at posts across the world. The turkey and trimmings served this year were delicious but a far cry from what the original three day feast served up. That menu included duck, lobster, venison and clams but no pumpkin pie. THIS WEEK IN WORLD HISTORY This week in world history… December 1st, 1878, the White House is equipped with a technological innovation that allows the President to transmit speech electrically. The invention, just two years old at the time, is called the telephone. ATW FEATURE When most of us think of the ocean, we picture colorful fish, lobsters, crabs and big crashing waves. But there is a part, comprising only 1% of the entire ocean, which is some of the most beautiful and crucial to its animal life. Beki Gibney explores a coral Reef. ATW FEATURE (Ralph Charleton) Rainbow Reef is actually a small recreation of a coral reef, we've got the back bone of the reef which is the corals. There are actually two kinds of main classes of corals, hard corals, like some of the ones that look like plates. There is a whole galaxy of soft corals, they have these long tentacles, some of have these things that almost look like fiber optic tips on them. There is one of them called the bubble coral, its got these inflated vesicles or bubbles, and it's always kind of moving, it's kind of a creepy looking thing. They've got long sweeper tentacles that comb the water and any kind of small fish that goes by it can get stung and they'll actually eat that. Usually they have a kind of varied diet, there are many cases where it is kind of a duel diet, they'll have the ability to photosynthesis just like plants do. In order to do that they have these little symbiotics, little things that live in their flesh. They are responsible for converting light energy into sugars, foodstuffs that the coral can use. And that's a lot of why these corals are up in the light zones, and that's kind of key to their survival. They definitely are just like other animals, they have a need for oxygen, usually because they often have a thin epidermis, or skin if you will, and they will have the oxygen just going right through the skin. (Beki) Charleton is trying to make sure people are educated about the Coral Reef because their population is starting to decline. (Ralph) I think it's interesting for kids, and important for them to learn about the inner relationships of the natural worlds. Reefs around the world are under siege, a lot of commercial exploitation of the reefs, they only comprise about 1% of the surface area of the ocean, but about half the fish species in the ocean are associated very strongly with those reef systems, they are nurseries for fish, they are vitally important and it's vitally important that we protect that. (Beki) For Assignment: the World, I'm Beki Gibney ISN’T IT COOL WORLD CUP FOR THE BLIND This is no ordinary soccer game! The ball sounds like a rattlesnake’s tail, fans are barred from cheering too loudly and the sidelines are walls meant to keep the players in bounds. Welcome to the fourth World Championships of Soccer for the blind. Every four years, teams compete in an eight-nation tournament. All the players, with the exception of the goalies, are legally blind. ISSUE The U-S Department of Education has new guidelines that permit more single-sex or all boy, all-girl classrooms. A number of districts across the country have welcomed the change. They say students are less distracted by the opposite sex and that instruction can now be tailored to the very different ways that boys and girls seem to learn. Research indicates that in a mixed classroom, girls tend to defer to boys and generally receive less attention from teachers. An Australian study says both boys and girls in single sex schools or classrooms are likely to be better behaved and find learning more enjoyable and relevant. But there are many critics who feel that separating the genders is a big step backward. The American Association of University Women says there’s little real evidence that girls and boys are better apart. They say that the real answer to improving test scores lies with smaller class sizes, better qualified teachers and focused instruction. Others argue that separating boys and girls will lead back to unfortunate stereotypes and to unequal classroom experiences. So, what do you think? Should classrooms be single-sex? Discuss this issue with your classmates after the show and then write to us with your opinions. MAILBAG We received nearly seven hundred responses to our issue question, “Should schools ban chase games?” The overwhelming majority of you, 92 percent say no, chase games should not be banned. 5 percent think it is a good idea. Just 3 percent are undecided. ` Some of you feel the dangers outweigh the benefits. Chelsea L. of West Seneca, New York writes, “Schools should ban students from (chase games) because kids could get really hurt.” Carly G. of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin is concerned about possible legal issues. Carly writes, “Someone could get injured and the parents might say it was the school’s fault.” Many of you, however, feel exercising at recess might help our country with its obesity problem. Amanda of Weston, Massachusetts writes, “In America there are so many people struggling with their weight, we want to prevent that from happening to kids. Recess is like an extra P.E. class.” Quentin of Bismarck, North Dakota adds, “Kids need exercise and chase games are the best way for them to get a lot of exercise.” Many of you feel chase games are just part of being a kid. Alice W. of Brighton, New York writes, “Tag is part of being a kid. We won’t have the opportunity to run around when we are adults.” Matt T. of Winchester, Virginia adds, “Recess is a time to have fun so let kids be kids.” Lilly W. of Waverly, Iowa agrees and writes, “Recess is the only free time kids get…we should be able to spend it freely.” Amanda P. of Woodbury, Minnesota thinks people are worrying too much. Amanda writes, “We don’t need to be watched all the time. Cuts are a part of life. Games like tag should be OK.” Finally, Dom A. and Michael B. of Fairport, New York write, “It allows us to exercise and have good self-esteem. It helps us kids want to be kids forever.” We look forward to your responses to our two latest questions: “Should classrooms be single-sex?” and “Is the Presidential campaign season too long?” We’ll put some of the more thought provoking letters and e-mails on the air. If you would like to receive an Assignment: The World Press card, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope. You may write to us here at Assignment: The World, Post Office Box three-zero-zero-twenty-one, Rochester, New York… one-4-6-zero-3… or you may contact us at the A-T-W website at http://atwonline.org. We also read e-mail at atw@wxxi.org POP QUIZ #2 In our story about eastern Africa, which three countries did we tell you are suffering the most. Is it Somalia, Kenya and 1. Egypt 2. Eritrea 3. Ethiopia And the correct answer is number 3. Ethiopia, along with Somalia and Kenya has been most affected by flooding. NEW CLUES And now it’s time for next week’s clues in the news… Our first clue a location… 25 Degrees, 17 minutes north latitude 51 Degrees, 32 minutes east longitude Our second clue is a scrambled letter, two words: First word J A R N O D Second word T E E M I N G And finally, our third clue is a fill in the blanks, two words: First word M blank X blank C blank N Second word P blank E blank I blank E blank T These are clues to stories we think will happen in the coming week. You can find the answers on radio and television newscasts and in newspapers and newsmagazines. We’ll reveal the answers on next week’s show. Good luck! GOOD-BYE And that’s it for this week’s show. From all of us here at Assignment: The World, I’m Teej Jenkins. We’ll see you again next week. © 2006 WXXI-TV/ Assignment: The World. All Rights Reserved.