BRITON - Brexit

IMHO:  Brexit is lose-lose.  It's just nationalism at its worst.

"Brexit countdown begins with formal notice from UK" PBS NewsHour 3/29/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  The British government formally launched the process of leaving the European Union on Wednesday, nine months after the British people voted to quit the political and economic bloc.  Now the United Kingdom has two years to hammer out specific terms of its withdrawal, in negotiations that promise to be tough.  Chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Warner reports.

"Brexit doesn't have to be a lose-lose deal, says UK ambassador" PBS NewsHour 3/29/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  After the United Kingdom gave its formal notice of its intention to split from the E.U., the European Council president lamented, "There is no reason to pretend that this is a happy day."  But what does Brexit mean for the British people?  British Ambassador to the U.S. Kim Darroch joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the decision to break away and the path ahead.

"In Gibraltar, British citizens worry about effects of Brexit" PBS NewsHour 4/2/2017

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Last week, British Prime Minister Theresa May began the formal process of the United Kingdom's exit from the 28-nation European Union, nine months after British voters chose to leave the EU.  This has the British citizens of Gibraltar, a 3-square-mile sliver of land in southern Spain that's more than 1,000 miles away from London, worried about effects on travel and trade regulations.  NewsHour Weekend special correspondent Amy Guttman reports.

CANDY - Bitter Cadbury-Lovers

"Why some Cadbury-lovers are bitter that they can’t buy their favorite sweets" PBS NewsHour 4/2/2015

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  The Easter holiday brings in the largest share of seasonal candy sales in the U.S. -- more than $2.3 billion last year.  A mainstay of American Easter baskets, Cadbury is a British company that is licensed in the U.S. by another candy giant, Hershey’s.  Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports on why imports of the British versions of Cadbury candies were stopped with a lawsuit earlier this year.

JUDY WOODRUFF (NewsHour):  Walk through the aisles of any drugstore lately and it’s quite clear the Easter season has become a critical part of the year for candy makers.  But what’s less obvious are some battles over the chocolate in those eggs and bunnies you may be buying.

Economics correspondent Paul Solman has the story, part of our ongoing reporting Making Sense, which airs every Thursday on the NewsHour.

PAUL SOLMAN (NewsHour):  In New York City’s Greenwich Village, British expat Nicky Perry and her husband, Sean Kavanagh-Dowsett, have recreated a little bit of the London they left behind, with two restaurants and a specialty shop.

And while they love living in the USA, they have got a beef with an all-American icon, Hershey’s, which owns the U.S. license to the equally iconic British brand Cadbury.

NICKY PERRY, Owner, Tea and Sympathy:  The problem is, Hershey has stopped us from selling our Cadbury’s chocolate.

SEAN KAVANAGH-DOWSETT, Owner, Tea and Sympathy:  We have got a huge corporation trying to ban the import of something that’s so important to people.

NICKY PERRY:  This is what I do for a living, and I am not going to be told I am not going to sell my chocolate.

PAUL SOLMAN:  And where do you get the authentic Cadbury’s now?

NICKY PERRY:  If I told you, I would have to kill you.

BRITON - Slaying of Soldier as Terrorism

"British Authorities Characterize Brutal Slaying of Soldier as Terrorism" (Part-1) PBS Newshour 5/23/2013

Excerpt

JUDY WOODRUFF (Newshour):  British investigators continue the search for answers after the brutal murder of a soldier yesterday.  The daytime attack took place in the Woolwich area of South London; 25-year-old Lee Rigby was hacked to death by two men armed with knives.  The attackers stayed at the scene, one even speaking to a bystander filming the aftermath.

A warning:  The images are graphic.  The video shows the man holding two knives, his hands covered in blood.

After that, police arrived and shot the men, who were then taken to a hospital.

We begin with a report from Lucy Manning of Independent Television News.

"Though U.K. No Stranger to Terrorism, London Killing Seen as New Style of Attack" (Part-2) PBS Newshour 5/23/2013

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  Two British men of Nigerian descent have been arrested for hacking to death British soldier Lee Rigby.  Judy Woodruff talks with Vikram Dodd, senior reporter at The Guardian in London, about what is known about the 22-year-old and 28-year-old suspects and whether any one else is involved.

BRITAIN - Says Farewell to Their 'Iron Lady'

"Pomp, Circumstance and Protest: Thousands Bid Farewell to Britain's 'Iron Lady'" PBS Newshour 4/17/2013

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  The order of service reflected all she believed in: faith, patriotism and duty. From Parliament to St. Paul's Cathedral, thousands gathered respectfully, including many who still vehemently dislike the Iron Lady.  Independent Television News' Garry Bibbon and Jeffrey Brown report on the mourners and protesters.

BRITON - Public Reaction to Death and Legacy of Margaret Thatcher

"British Public Reacts to Margaret Thatcher's Death With Praise and Censure" (Part-1) PBS Newshour 4/9/2013

GWEN IFILL (Newshour):  As preparations for an April 17th funeral get under way, the passing of Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female leader and the country's longest-serving Prime Minister in the 20th century, is eliciting a mixed response from the British public.

Alex Thomson of Independent Television News reports.

ALEX THOMSON, Independent Television News:  Late last night, her body was removed from the Ritz Hotel in the center of London, police outriders at the ready to begin a carefully managed process.  Tony Blair dubbed Princess Diana the people's princess.  David Cameron called Margaret Thatcher the patriot Prime Minister.  Both end up with what looks and feels quite like a state funeral, but isn't.

FRANCIS MAUDE, Member of British Parliament:  Well, there's already a huge amount of interest.  She was a great Prime Minister.  She was Prime Minister for 11 years and was totally transformational for the country.  And I think there's a huge amount of people who will want to -- not just in Britain, but around the world -- who will want to pay their respects to her.

ALEX THOMSON:  In death, as in life, of course, the Thatcher story is two stories, of love and hatred.  There will be, therefore, the praises, the hymns, the eulogies in this place next week, but across Britain, many, many other people will be singing very different songs and feeling very different emotions.

So, today, a rush of U.K. downloads of "The Wizard of Oz" song Judy Garland's "Ding-Dong the Witch Is Dead."  The Daily Telegraph's online comments page shut down after it was inundated with messages of hate for Margaret Thatcher.

Across Britain, street parties last night celebrating her death.  This was Bristol, where riot police attempted to break up the party.  Belfast, Glasgow, and London saw similar events.  Police in London say they're aware of a gathering planned this weekend.  The public can line the routes to Saint Paul's next Wednesday under a plan now being code-named Operation True Blue.

"A Look at Thatcherism, the Polarizing Legacy of Britain's 'Iron Lady'" (Part-2) PBS Newshour 4/9/2013

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  The death of Margaret Thatcher, whose leadership had global ramifications, has opened up old wounds for some British citizens.  For more on the controversial legacy of Britain's "Iron Lady," Gwen Ifill talks with Time magazine's assistant managing editor Rana Foroohar and John Burns, London bureau chief for The New York Times.

BRITON - Margaret Thatcher Dies at 87

"Margaret Thatcher, Britain's First Female Prime Minister, Dies at 87" (Part-1) PBS Newshour 4/8/2013

GWEN IFILL (Newshour):  Britain and the world marked the passing of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher today.  She was the first woman to lead any major Western power, and became a transformational figure at home and abroad.

Margaret Warner begins our coverage.

MARGARET WARNER (Newshour):  Britain's longest serving Prime Minister of the 20th century died this morning after suffering a stroke.

Flags at Number 10 Downing Street and Buckingham Palace were lowered to half-staff, as an impromptu memorial appeared outside her London home, honoring the steely woman who had transformed her nation's economy and politics and reasserted its voice in the world.

Current Prime Minister David Cameron, like Thatcher, a conservative, reflected on her legacy.

PRIME MINISTER DAVID CAMERON, Britain:  As our first woman Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher succeeded against all the odds.  And the real thing about Margaret Thatcher is that she didn't just lead our country; she saved our country.  And I believe she will go down as the greatest British peacetime prime minister.

MARGARET WARNER:  Thatcher came from humble beginnings, the daughter of a grocer in Central England.  Yet she rose through Conservative Party ranks, winning a seat to Parliament in 1959 and later serving as minister of education.

Then, in 1979, after years of Labor Party domination, Thatcher led a tory resurgence that catapulted her to the office of prime minister, a post she held for more than 11 years.

FORMER PRIME MINISTER MARGARET THATCHER, Britain:  Where there is discourse, may we bring harmony.  Where there is error, may we bring truth.  Where there is doubt, may we be faith.  And where there is despair, may we bring hope.

MARGARET WARNER:  The new prime minister brought a free market revolution to Britain, lowering taxes and privatizing state industries.  In the early 1980s, she curbed the sweeping powers of Britain's labor unions and triggered a year-long dispute with the national union of miners after she shuttered government-owned coal mines across the country.

MARGARET THATCHER:  What we have got is an attempt to substitute the rule of the mob for the rule of law.  And it must not succeed.

MARGARET WARNER:  Britain's economy rebounded from her tough medicine.  And for her no-holds-barred leadership style, she was dubbed the Iron Lady.  She clearly reveled in it.

MARGARET THATCHER:  For those waiting with bated breath for that favorite media catchphrase the U-turn, I have only one thing to say.  You turn if you want to.

The lady is not for turning.

MARGARET WARNER:  But her unyielding policies aroused more than political hostility.  In 1984, the Irish Republican Army bombed the Conservative Party conference in Brighton in a bid to assassinate her.

Still, years later, in a 1996 documentary, Thatcher maintained none of the criticism ever bothered her.

MARGARET THATCHER:  Life isn't fair. And there's no point in getting too sensitive if you're in politics.  What you have got to be certain is that what you're doing can be justified by principle, by argument, and to put it across.  That's the important thing.

MARGARET WARNER:  She was just as hard-nosed in asserting Britain's influence abroad.  In 1982, she ordered British forces to reclaim the Falklands, after Argentina's military junta invaded the islands.  The war left about 650 Argentines and 255 Britons dead, but it earned Thatcher huge support at home.

In Washington, she found a kindred spirit in President Ronald Reagan, sharing his harder line toward the Soviet Union in the climactic final years of the Cold War.  Yet when Thatcher met with incoming Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in late 1984, she famously declared that we can do business with him.

Five years later, she was in power when the Berlin Wall came down.  And in 1990, when Iraq invaded Kuwait, Thatcher backed a tough response, urging President George H.W. Bush not to go wobbly on confronting Saddam Hussein.

But back home, Thatcher's own grip on power was wobbling.  After 11 years in office, her public support flagged amid inflation and renewed recession.  And the Conservative Party voted her out.

MARGARET THATCHER:  We're leaving Downing Street for the last time after 11-and-a-half wonderful years.

MARGARET WARNER:  Even after her fall from power, Thatcher often drew large crowds at campaign events, nearly upstaging her successor, John Major, at a Conservative Party conference in 1992.

That same year, she was named a baroness.  And for much of the '90s, she made lucrative lecture tours.  Margaret Thatcher's withdrawal from public eye began in 2002, when a series of small strokes prompted her to cut back on public appearances and speaking events.  It was the first of many health problems, including a struggle with dementia that shadowed her later years.

For a time, Thatcher did continue to appear at select private events and state functions.  And in the summer of 2004, she returned to the United States for the funeral of former President Reagan, though she paid her respects in a pre-recorded video.

MARGARET THATCHER:  We have lost a great president, a great American, and a great man.  And I have lost a dear friend.

MARGARET WARNER:  In 2005, Thatcher was well enough to attend her 80th birthday celebration at a London hotel and, in 2007, the unveiling of her statue in the Houses of Parliament.

In 2010, she made one of her last visits to 10 Downing Street at the invitation of Prime Minister David Cameron.  After that, as depicted in the 2011 movie "The Iron Lady," her descent into dementia kept her largely shut in.

Today, Queen Elizabeth authorized a ceremonial funeral with military honors for the former prime minister at Saint Paul's Cathedral in London.  Margaret Thatcher was 87 years old.

"Remembering Margaret Thatcher: Partner to the U.S., Pioneering Female Politician" (Part-2) PBS Newshour 4/8/2013

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  In 1981 Jim Lehrer and Robin MacNeil interviewed Margaret Thatcher, then prime minister, about the civil war in El Salvador.  Plus Judy Woodruff talks to George Shultz and James Baker, two former secretaries of state who worked closely with Thatcher.  Kim Campbell, Canada's first and only female Prime Minister, also weighs in on Thatcher's groundbreaking political career.

My sincere condolences to the people of Briton.

RELIGION - Scandal in the Catholic Church, Again

"Senior British Cardinal Resigns Over Allegations of Inappropriate Behavior" (Part-1) PBS Newshour 2/25/2013

JUDY WOODRUFF (Newshour):  Now the leader of the Catholic Church in Britain assigns amid a shroud of scandal.

Ciaran Jenkins of Independent Television News has the story.

CIARAN JENKINS, Independent Television News:  Just days before the pope abdicates, the U.K.'s top Catholic cleric announces he's standing aside, too.

Cardinal Keith O'Brien leaves with immediate effect and leaves the Catholic Church once more facing difficult questions.  His resignation follows allegations in a national newspaper.  He's accused of inappropriate behavior towards four priests dating back to the 1980s, allegations he denies.

The only activity here at the cardinal's residence today is the gaggle of cameramen waiting for him to come outside.  It's hardly surprising he's keeping a low profile.  This resignation is designed to take him out of the media spotlight before the election of a new pope in just a few weeks' time.

Now, though, the U.K. will have no say in choosing Pope Benedict's successor.  It was to be one of Cardinal O'Brien's last official duties before a scheduled retirement next month, but in a statement, he said:  "The Holy Father has now decided that my resignation will take effect today.  Looking back over my years of ministry, for any good I have been able to do, I thank God.  For any failures, I apologize to all whom I have offended."

He does, however, remain a cardinal.  It's understood he could still take part in the election of a new pope, and it's his choice not to do so.

In Scotland, Cardinal O'Brien is a divisive figure, though many are sad to see him go.

ALEX SALMOND, Scottish First Minister:  No one -- no one would have wished these circumstances.  Everyone will feel great sadness for what's arisen today.  But I just feel that, particularly at a time like this, that we should reflect for a minute just on the massive contribution that Keith O'Brien has made to his church and his country over almost 50 years.

CIARAN JENKINS:  Others found him difficult, not least for his uncompromising opposition to gay marriage.

COLIN MACFARLANE, Stonewall Scotland:  What we really actually hope in Scotland is that the cardinal's successor will be able to show more a little bit more Christian charity to openly gay people than the cardinal was able to do himself.

CIARAN JENKINS:  By the end of this week, the Catholic Church will have vacancies not only for pope, but for the top job in the U.K. too.

"New Allegations Arise Against Vatican Ahead of Papal Elections" (Part-2) PBS Newshour 2/25/2013

Excerpt

SUMMARY:  As the Catholic Church prepares to elect a new pope, new allegations have emerged of sexual and financial impropriety -- including corruption and the attempted blackmail of gay Vatican clergy -- in the Italian media.  Margaret Warner talks with the Washington Post's Jason Horowitz.

MEDIA - BBC Scandal Update

"Crises at BBC Brought Rules, Then a Failure" by SARAH LYALL and NICHOLAS KULISH, New York Times 11/14/2012

Excerpt

It was 2004, and the British Broadcasting Corporation was gripped by a crisis over journalistic standards that had led to Parliamentary hearings, public recrimination and the resignations of its two top officials. Vowing change, the corporation established elaborate bureaucratic procedures that placed more formal responsibility for delicate decisions in the hands not of individual managers, but of rigid hierarchies.

The corporation also appointed a deputy director general in charge of news operations; established a “journalism board” to monitor editorial policy; issued numerous new guidelines on journalistic procedures; and put an increasing emphasis on “compliance” — a system in which managers are required to file cumbersome forms flagging dozens of potential trouble spots, from bad language to “disturbing content” like exorcism or beheadings, in every program taped for broadcast.

More crises would follow — the history of the BBC can be measured out in crises — and with each new one, the management team under Mark Thompson, director general from 2004 through mid-September 2012, added more guidelines and put more emphasis on form-filling and safety checks in news and entertainment programs. An organization already known for its bureaucracy became even more unwieldy (the editorial guidelines are now 215 pages long).

But it is these very structures that seem to have failed the BBC in the most recent scandal, in which its news division first canceled a child abuse segment it should have broadcast, and later broadcast one it should have canceled. In the first instance, it appears that people overseeing the program were too cautious, so that top managers were left unaware of its existence; in the second, managers may have relied too much on rigid procedures at the expense of basic journalistic principles.

“They burned their fingers,” said Tim Luckhurst, a journalism professor at the University of Kent who worked at the BBC for 10 years. “They wanted systems that could take responsibility instead of people.”

INTERNATIONAL - Ecuador Grants Assange Asylum (Updated)

"Ecuador Grants Asylum to Assange, Defying Britain" by WILLIAM NEUMAN and MAGGY AYALA, New York Times 8/16/2012

Excerpt

Ecuador announced Thursday that it was granting political asylum to Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, who has been holed up for two months in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London awaiting the decision.

“The government of Ecuador, faithful to its tradition of protecting those who seek refuge in its territory or in its diplomatic missions, has decided to grant diplomatic asylum to Julian Assange,” said Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño, reading from a government communiqué at a news conference in the Ecuadorean capital, Quito. He added, “There are indications to presume that there could be political persecution,” and that Mr. Assange would not get a fair trial in the United States and could face the death penalty there.

The move leaves Mr. Assange with protection from British arrest – but only on Ecuadorean territory, leaving him vulnerable if he tries to head to an airport or train. Mr. Patiño said he hoped Britain would permit Mr. Assange to leave the embassy for Ecuador — a request Britain has rejected, saying it has a binding, legal obligation to extradite Mr. Assange to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over accusations that he sexually assaulted two women.

The decision added to the sharp strains between Ecuador and Britain. Just before the announcement of asylum, President Rafael Correa said on his Twitter account: “No one is going to terrorize us!” The night before, Mr. Patiño said that the British authorities had threatened to force their way into the embassy, to which he responded: “We are not a British colony.”

The British Foreign Office said it was disappointed by the Ecuadorean announcement but remained committed to a negotiated outcome to the standoff. Sweden’s foreign minister, Carl Bildt, rejected the suggestion that Sweden would be involved in any kind of persecution. “Our firm legal and constitutional system guarantees the rights of each and everyone,” he wrote on Twitter. “ We firmly reject any accusations to the contrary.

Mr. Patiño’s news conference was broadcast live on British television and Mr. Assange watched the announcement as it happened, British news reports said. He told embassy staff members: “It is a significant victory for myself and my people. Things will probably get more stressful now.”

"U.K. Threatens Ecuador's Diplomatic Status for Protecting Julian Assange"
PBS Newshour 8/16/2012

COMMENT: A win for those of us who believe in freedom of speech and protection against secrecy that may threaten our human rights.

BRITON - Bank Settlement in Laundering Case

"British Bank in $340 Million Settlement for Laundering" by JESSICA SILVER-GREENBERG, New York Times 8/14/2012

Excerpt

Standard Chartered, the British bank, has agreed to pay New York’s top banking regulator $340 million to settle claims that it laundered hundreds of billions of dollars in tainted money for Iran and lied to regulators.

The agreement is a victory for Benjamin M. Lawsky and his 10-month old agency, the New York Department of Financial Services, which took on the bank alone in charging that it schemed for nearly a decade with Iran to hide from regulators 60,000 transactions worth $250 billion.

Some federal authorities worry the deal has the potential to undercut a sweeping settlement between the bank and federal regulators, including the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department. They are also investigating Standard Chartered, a 150-year-old bank based in London with operations across the globe.

The $340 million deal is a huge amount for a single state regulator, and it falls near the middle of the collective settlements that the Justice Department and the Manhattan district attorney have reached with other global banks in recent years over money laundering charges, from $619 million with ING bank in June to $298 million with Barclays in 2010.

Standard Chartered has maintained that only $14 million of the $250 billion in transactions violated federal regulations. In a statement announcing the settlement, Mr. Lawsky said, “The parties have agreed that the conduct at issue involved transactions of at least $250 billion.”

The bank said in a regulatory filing Tuesday that “a formal agreement containing the detailed terms of the settlement is expected to be concluded shortly.” Standard Chartered “continues to engage constructively with the other relevant U.S. authorities. The timing of any resolution will be communicated in due course,” the filing said.

After frantic negotiations with Mr. Lawsky’s office, which threatened to revoke the bank’s state license at a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, Standard Chartered made a calculation to settle, in part, to resolve the public relations headache, according to people briefed on the matter.

The agreement ends a week-long international drama that thrust the upstart regulator into the spotlight and pitted Mr. Lawsky against federal authorities who thought he was overstepping his bounds and British authorities who accused him of tarnishing the reputation of their banks.

The size of the settlement is puzzling to some federal officials, including the Justice Department, because there is still widespread disagreement about the extent of the bank’s wrongdoing, according to regulators briefed on the matter.

OLYMPICS - End Games Overview

"2012 Olympics in Review: London 'Holds a Party and the World Joins In'" PBS Newshour 8/10/2012

Excerpt

SUMMARY: The London Games will be remembered for many firsts, like women's boxing and 'blade runner' Oscar Pistorius racing for South Africa. Olympians pushed the limits of athleticism, breaking more world records. Jeffrey Brown talks to USA Today's Christine Brennan about the most memorable moments of the 2012 Summer Olympics.

OLYMPICS - Update 8/7/2012; Gymnastics, Track and Field

"Track and Field Events Warm Up as Gymnastics Takes a Bow" PBS Newshour 8/7/2012

Excerpt

SUMMARY: U.S. Gymnastic's all-around champ Gabby Douglas struggled to keep focus in individual events, while track and field events ramp up with 100-meter dash, hurdles and high jumps. Margaret Warner talks to USA Today's Christine Brennan about the latest results from the London Games, including the success of British athletes.

CHINA - Scandal Update, Murder Afoot

"Chinese Politician's Wife Charged for Murder of British Businessman" (Part-1) PBS Newshour 7/27/2012

MARGARET WARNER (Newshour): And to China, where a high-stakes crime and politics story continues to unfold.

The wife of an ousted Communist Party official has been charged with homicide.

The news came in Thursday evening's broadcast from state-run CCTV. Gu Kailai, seen here with her charismatic then-popular politician husband Bo Xilai, is to be tried for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood. Authorities charge Gu and a family aide killed Heywood at this hotel in Chongqing last November.

ZHANG YU, CCTV (through translator): According to Xinhua, the state news agency's release, the investigation results show that Gu Kailai and her son had conflicts with British citizen Neil Heywood over economic interests. Gu Kailai poisoned Neil Heywood to death in the consideration that Heywood posed a threat to her son's security.

MARGARET WARNER: At the time, Bo was the populist party boss of Chongqing, angling for a more powerful post in the party hierarchy, his wife a successful lawyer and businesswoman. Their son, a reputed party boy, was at Harvard's Kennedy School. He had earlier studied in England with Heywood's help.

In a statement yesterday, the British Foreign Office said, "We are dedicated to seeking justice for Heywood and his family, and we will be following developments closely."

The indictment was the latest twist in a scandal that's rocked China's secretive Communist Party leadership, exposing its rifts and infighting. It began in February when this man, Wang Lijun, the former Chongqing police chief, fled to the U.S. Consulate in nearby Chengdu and implicated Gu Kailai in Heywood's death.

In April, Bo was stripped of all his party posts, including his seat on the ruling Politburo. He's now under investigation by the party, reportedly for corruption and domestic spying, among other things. His wife, Gu, will stand trial in the eastern city of Hefei, hundreds of miles from Chongqing, where Bo remains popular. Conviction could mean the death penalty.

Authorities are expected to proceed quickly to trial, possibly within 10 days. That would dispose of the matter well before the Communist Party Congress convenes this fall to name new leadership for the nation.

"Murder Scandal Causes Political Fallout in China's Communist Party" (Part-2) PBS Newshour 7/27/2012

Excerpt

SUMMARY: A year ago, Bo Xilai had been a rising Chinese politician in Chongqing Party. But all that changed after his wife was implicated and now indicted for the murder of British businessman Neil Heywood. Margaret Warner talks to the Atlantic's James Fallows about the impact the trial will have on Chinese leadership in the near future.

OLYMPICS - Britain's Largest Peacetime Operation

"Olympics Organizers Grapple with Security Concerns" (Part-1) PBS Newshour 7/18/2012

GWEN IFILL (Newshour): A little more than a week before the torch is lit at the London Olympic Games and organizers are still grappling with a series of problems. They range from a decision today to trim opening night ceremonies that would have lasted past midnight to much more serious concerns, like a shortage of private security guards.

The British Home Office wrestled today with what to do about the security issue.

Keir Simmons of Independent Television News begins our coverage with this report.

KEIR SIMMONS: Already, the government is drafting in 3,500 extra military. They were continuing to set up camp in East London today. They may need plenty of space. Another 2,500 could be called upon.

Such is the failure of G4S to provide security staff. The company is training more people. But the opening ceremony is now desperately close.

The issue they are facing in here tonight comes down to this. Do they trust G4S if it says it now has enough staff, and get blamed if that turns out to be wrong again? Or do they call in even more service men and women and get criticized if they aren't needed? And they need to make the decision in the next 24 hours.

ITV News has learned that the home secretary overruled a plan to cut training like this in order to get more security guards. One proposal was even to teach G4S employees on site whilst they were already working. The idea that this was even suggested has some deeply worried.

KEITH VAZ, Home Affairs Select Committee: The concern yesterday was whether or not G4S would have the numbers on the day. The concern today is that those who turn up perhaps have not been trained as well as they should be to pick up those pieces of information and those telltale signs which mean that they should stop people.

KEIR SIMMONS: Tonight, the prime minister was visiting troops in Afghanistan. Some of the military working at the Olympics will have been serving here just weeks earlier.

DAVID CAMERON, British Prime Minister: When it comes to the Olympics, we have to have -- be ready for any contingency. We have to make sure they're a safe and secure Olympics. I salute and applaud what the military have done to step in, and I think they're doing an excellent job. If there are further steps we have to take, of course, we will take them.

KEIR SIMMONS: All the same, in Coventry and at venues across the country today, police were again needed, because too few G4S staff have turned up.

"Planning for the 2012 Olympics, Britain's 'Largest Peacetime Operation'" (Part-2) PBS Newshour 7/18/2012

Excerpt

SUMMARY: ith a little more than a week until the Olympic opening ceremonies, issues such as transportation, weather and security have arisen. Gwen Ifill talks with Stephen Wilson of the Associated Press and Kevin Wamsley of Western University about whether organizers are fully prepared for the start of the games.

BANKS - Britain's Barclays

"Britain's Barclays Investigated for Rigging 'Libor' Rates" PBS Newshour 7/6/2012

Excerpt

MARGARET WARNER (Newshour): The scandal ventures on a key interest rate called LIBOR and on attempts to manipulate it.

Last week, Barclays paid $450 million in fines to settle accusations by British and U.S. regulators that it helped rig the LIBOR rate in a way that benefited its business. LIBOR is the acronym for the London Interbank Offered Rate. It is determined by what banks report they are paying to borrow from other banks.

The rate has huge significance. It's used to set interest rates in more than $350 trillion of contracts globally, ranging from home mortgages to complicated financial swaps. The settlement set off a firestorm, leading to the resignation this week of Barclays CEO Robert Diamond and hearings in Parliament. Regulators are looking at other global banks as well.

For more, we turn to David Enrich, European banking editor for The Wall Street Journal.

BRITON - Queen's Jubilee

For those living in a cave........


"Britons Go All Out for Queen Elizabeth's Jubilee"
PBS Newshour 6/4/2012