Panorama's week that was March 17 to March 23
On Tuesday, Russia announced a until 2011. reported President Dmitry Medvedev as saying it was needed to fend off threats posed by Nato's expansion, international terrorism and local conflicts.
Amir Taheri writing in the however, believed re-armament is due, in part, to fears about ethnic unrest, China's rise and Islamist militancy and that no-one in Moscow believes war with Nato is even remotely probable.
Jeeves posting on the said the clues they were going to re-arm have been around for a while, but as points out, the move comes as Prime Minister Gordon Brown offered to "scrap" part of Britain's nuclear deterrent in exchange for a global disarmament deal.
In Panorama's 2008 Should we be Scared of Russia? reporter Mark Franchetti investigated the growing gulf between Russia and the West and asked if the current tensions might degenerate into a new Cold War or even a violent confrontation.
In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Visit µþµþ°äÌý°Â±ð²ú·É¾±²õ±ð for full instructions. If you're reading via RSS, you'll need to visit the blog to access this content.
On Wednesday, Pope Benedict XVI made his first trip to Africa and, as reported on the , he reignited the controversy over the Catholic Church's stance on condoms. The pontiff argued that distribution of condoms aggravated the problem, rather than helping to contain the virus, the blogger said.
commented that there is a need to acknowledge the quality of life wearing a condom can bring, to areas so heavily afflicted by Aids.
Also part of the debate, The Guardian's Comment is Free ran an article by Catholic writer who said, in ways the Pope was right - Aids cannot be solved by condoms, as they are only effective in reducing the spread of Aids if they are used in certain ways.
The article mentioned a Panorama from 2004 called which examined the science of condom use, asking if people promoting condoms, or those in the Catholic Church - who want to stop condoms being used - were risking lives.
Thursday, and claimed that Phill Woolas, the immigration minister, had gaffed by saying that a new Sangatte would be built by the French and British.
It comes after French Immigration Minister Eric Besson recently told an interviewer that his government would build in Calais - where migrants could get food, sanitation and information about their rights.
The news was perceived by some as a new era of "mini-Sangattes" which might signal a green light to illegal immigrants thinking about coming to the UK.
accused French officials of performing a U-turn to give the go-ahead - saying illegal immigrants "are set to flock to new mini-Sangattes".
When Panorama recently looked at the issue on Immigration - Time for an Amnesty? reporter Raphael Rowe hosted a lively debate about an amnesty for UK illegal immigrants on his blog
Also on Thursday, reported that a survey of 6,000 people by The Federation of Small business had found a third of small businesses are being hit hard by bank charges with banks either putting up their fees or making the terms of their loans more onerous.
Banks lending to small businesses came under scrutiny in a recent Panorama - Credit Where it's Due. In it Business Secretary Lord Mandelson told reporter and Dragon's Den star that it's not possible for the government to become a banker: "We have to get the banks to work," he said.
Separate from the Panorama programme, but on the same theme, the internet site gave Theo some questions to ask Lord Mandelson.
On Friday, as reported, former health secretary Patricia Hewitt declared her support for a law change which would enable people to take terminally ill patients abroad for assisted suicide, without fear of prosecution.
Jonny Wright in his blog said that although part of him wants to be cynical about her statement, he believes it is "genuinely a cross-party issue, and if she can achieve something with her campaign, then all power to her."
This was echoed by who said the ability and right to choose when we die is part of what defines us as human.
took a closer look at what was behind Patricia Hewitt's statement declaring that "she has been troubled for many years when contemplating her mortality and the dilemmas of people whose relatives find life unbearable".
But reported that the prime minister had signalled his opposition to the proposal.
Friday was also the
Six years on, and violence and insecurity are no longer the main concern of most Iraqis an , partly commissioned by the Ö÷²¥´óÐã, suggested.
To mark the anniversary, Panorama reporter Jane Corbin put togetherfrom the five years she had been reporting from the country, since the invasion started.
Also to mark the date set up a thread of remembrance, but many bloggers like wondered why there has been so little in the news about it.
Comments Post your comment