Gair Rhydd

War on the Web

Google may be sued by entertainment corporation Viacom over the showing of its programmes on online video site YouTube

The American entertainment giant Viacom has announced that it intends to sue Google, the owners of YouTube, for $1bn.

Viacom, owner of MTV and Nickelodeon, claims the video-sharing website shows its programmes illegally. The company alleges that somewhere in the region of 160,000 video clips showing its material are available on YouTube, and that they have been watched over 1.5 billion times.

All Change

More sports facilities, Fewer flyers , Better relations with the Heath campus

For the first time ever students have spoken out in their thousands about their non-academic experiences at Cardiff University.

Although the university-wide study is still being conducted, early results indicate that there are many areas that the University and the Union could improve.

Boys’ Toys

More men take teddy bears to bed when sleeping alone than women, a study by Sky News has found.

Out of the 2000 people surveyed, 20% of men admitted to cuddling bears compared to 15% of women, and overall 63% said they needed a bedtime cuddle in order to sleep.

Online Confessions

A Polish man faces jail after setting up a website offering online confessionals for Catholics who can’t be bothered to go to church.

Borys Cezar’s website asked people to write down their sins, asking: “Do you regret your sins?” (yes/no) “Do you intend to correct them?” (yes/no).

Not a Nail-biter

Li Jianping, a 43-year-old Chinese man, has let his fingernails grow for 15-years, resulting in a left hand that has nails of 1m long.

Jianping started growing these nails in 1992 after two previous attempts failed due to minor accidents in which the nails were broken.

Mexico City set to pass new abortion laws

Mexican capital makes controversial move to legalise terminations, meeting violent condemnation from the Catholic Church

Mexico City has called to legalise abortion in a controversial move that the Roman Catholic Church has vowed to challenge.

A bill that would allow abortion to take place in the first three months of pregnancy is progressing through the capital city’s assembly and supporters say they have well over the majority of votes needed to pass it, despite pressure from the Catholic Church.

Zimbabwean opposition leader hospitalised

Critically ill Zimbabwean opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai is being treated in hospital after sustaining major injuries in police custody.

Reports suggest that Mr Tsvangirai has been diagnosed with a fractured skull and received medical attention after being too ill to attend a court hearing last Wednesday.

Ghost planes over Cardiff

Empty planes make 140-mile trip to London and back six times a week

Empty passenger jets have been flying from Cardiff to Heathrow six times every week, enraging green activists by polluting the environment unnecessarily.

Each 140-mile journey made by the British Mediterranean Airways (BMed) planes releases more than five tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

Humane nature

Cardiff lecturer to help find an alternative to animal testing

A Cardiff University researcher has joined forces with the UK’s leading non-animal medical research charity to find humane replacements for animal testing.

Dr Phil Stephens and the Dr Hadwen Trust have teamed up to replace wound experiments in animals in order to prevent pain and suffering.

Burning Fflam

Wales’ first major music festival has announced its headline acts.

Manic Street Preachers, Keane and Feeder are the rock bands set to headline the Fflam festival in Swansea this summer.

The week in pictures

James Perou at Cardiff Hockey team’s mission to Malta

Cardiff’s Hockey Firsts have begun a sponsored cycle to Malta without leaving the Students’ Union steps.

The squad started the ‘Mission to Malta’ campaign on exercise bikes on Friday February 9.

Cardiff Marathon called off

*Cardiff’s 26-mile charity marathon has been called off for the first time in five years. *

The more popular half distance marathon will still go ahead this October in the hope that more competitors will be encouraged to enter.

Loughborough student in close call shooting

One shot and six injured at gig in Loughborough Students’ Union

A student was shot and six others injured in violence that erupted during the closing stages of a hip-hop concert at Loughborough Students’ Union.

A gas canister was discharged into the crowd attending the concert featuring the Miami-based hip-hop group Pretty Ricky at about 2:45am, leading to a series of fights that culminated in a gunman opening fire.

Coke crushed

Students say no to Coca-Cola at Manchester University Students’ Union

Coke will be in very short supply at University of Manchester Students’ Union (UMSU) after their AGM passed a motion banning it in their shops and bars.

Four hundred votes for the motion to twenty against means students will now be forced to drink another cola at nights out in their students’ union.

Campaigning: Turbulent times

William Taylor goes behind the scenes on the campaign trail

Following a series of interviews with this years’ candidates, the gair rhydd can reveal shocking allegations surrounding the campaigning so far.

Although no official complaints have been made as yet, some serious accusations from candidates have been revealed.

Satisfied voters?

Biggest ever Union survey discovers voter dissatisfaction at the current campaigning tactics

Early indication from the Students’ Union satisfaction survey has revealed controversial reasons behind low voting turn out.

The survey, designed to get the wider views of the student body on non-academic issues, has had a huge response, and, although it only closed on Monday, March 19, has already highlighted strong opinions on the current election campaigning.

Back for good?

Thousands of tickets have already been sold for the world premiere of the Take That stage musical which is coming to Cardiff this summer.

Never Forget, which will be staged from July 20 to August 4, is a comedy about the journey of a Take That Tribute band.

Armchair tourism

Alien-orientated television dramas draw throngs of tourists to Cardiff

Television shows have propelled Cardiff into the top 10 British short break tourist destinations, according to the travel website TravelSupermarket.com.

In part of a growing trend where popular TV shows boost the tourist trade of the cities in which they are set. Torchwood and Doctor Who have contributed to Cardiff’s popularity.

RAGs to riches

Red noses, glow sticks and lollipops were donned by Cardiff students last week for the charity event Red Nose Day.

Cardiff society Raise and Give (RAG) held fundraising events at Bounce in Walkabout and the Students’ Union last week on Thursday and Friday.

Cardiff Uni breaks new ground

New archaeological finds can now be dated more precisely thanks to improved dating techniques developed at Cardiff University.

In the past radiocarbon dating alone has only been able to provide a large range of dates usually spanning 250 years.

International postgrads to take ‘terrorist test’

Suspicions that international students will take scientific knowledge back to their home countries and contribute to the spread of weapons of mass destruction may lead to a new screening process for science degrees.

At present, universities are able to voluntarily contact the Foreign Office about students from ‘countries of concern’ who wish to study in the UK.

Modern language: a thing of the past?

As fewer universities offer language courses, fears grow over lingu-istics becoming too middle-class

Fears that modern languages will become dominated by an elite are growing following the recent closure of language departments at newer universities.

The number of institutions offering single-honours degrees in French, German and Italian has dramatically decreased in the last ten years, especially among former polytechnics.

Students speak out about MedClub changes

After initial plans for the changes to the Heath MedClub were released, a poll is set up to see what students think about it

Medic students are being asked for their feedback on changes to the Heath park campus MedClub.

In February gair rhydd revealed that the club could be under threat of closure unless massive redevelopments were made.

So what exactly do the Sabbs do?

gair rhydd examines the Sabb Officers’ job descriptions according to the Union constitution

President:

Vice-President:

A day in the life of... a candidate

7am

My alarm is ringing, it’s still dark and I only went to bed three hours ago. I smell of vodka, cigarette smoke and BO and I can barely open my eyes. Set the alarm to go off in 15 minutes.