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Anorak News | New Wave Of Hope?

New Wave Of Hope?

by | 4th, January 2005

‘NINE days have now passed since the devastating tsunami that has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and left millions more homeless and none of the papers yet dare break ranks.

Food for thought

The front pages are still dominated by the aftermath of the disaster, albeit the focus has now shifted from the resultant carnage to the massive aid operation underway.

And in particular to the generosity of the British public who have now, according to the Times, pledged at least £72m to the disaster relief fund.

Telegraph readers alone have pledged almost £1m to the paper’s own appeal, while the Independent reports that tourists are flooding South East Asia looking to help distribute the aid.

Nor have governments been slow in offering their support – the Guardian says President Bush is trying to rebuild the United States’ image abroad by recruiting his two immediate predecessors to head a joint fundraising drive.

“I ask every American to contribute as they are able to do so,” he said. [The American public have so far given $100m (£52.5m) to US-based charities.]

All of which prompts the Independent to ask hopefully: “Could the tsunami disaster be a turning point for the world?”

The answer, judging by some of the other stories in today’s papers, would seem to be a resounding ‘no’.

The Times reports, for instance, that credit card companies and internet security firms are making large profits as a result of the flood of donations – although charities are hopeful that they will be able to negotiate a waiver.

The Telegraph reports that oil-rich countries in the Middle East have so far been comparatively stingy in their response, with Saudi Arabia for instance offering only £5m.

The Independent reports on a father-of-two who yesterday admitted sending a string of hoax emails to friends and relatives of people missing following the tsunami informing them that their loved ones were dead.

But truly unfathomable is the story in the Guardian of a 12-year-old Swedish boy believed to have been kidnapped from a Thai hospital by a suspected paedophile.

Doctors say a man of European appearance, with a moustache, was seen leaving with Kristian Walker.

And police have apparently said similar incidents have taken place near Khao Lak as kidnappers try to take advantage of the chaos to fly boys out of the country without a passport.

Depravity, it seems, knows no depths.’



Posted: 4th, January 2005 | In: Uncategorized Comment | TrackBack | Permalink