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BtN: Episode 9 Transcript 2/4/13

On this week's Behind the News

• Banks close and lots of people could lose their money we look at the crisis in Cyprus.

• We check out a new approach to tackle cyber bullying which targets bystanders.

• And a new exhibition warns kids about the dangers of bringing home illegal souvenirs.

Hi I'm Nathan Bazley welcome to Behind the News.

Also on the show today we get some tips from an up and coming lawn bowls player who wants to prove it's a great sport for kids. Before all that let's catch up with the main news stories. Here's Sarah with the Wire.

The Wire

North Korea is making more threats of war. Leader Kim Jong-Un is reported to have ordered the country's rockets be put on standby for an attack on US military bases in South Korea and the Pacific. He's also declared a 'state of war' against long-time enemies South Korea. While some believe this could all just be tough talk others fear it might be a step closer to nuclear war.

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The federal government has announced most of Australia's troops in Afghanistan will be brought home before the end of this year. Currently there are 1,650 Australian personnel working and fighting in Afghanistan. It is expected more than 1,000 of them will return home in this withdrawal.

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And what started out as a simple hobby has grown into a million dollar payday for this 17 year old. Nick invented an app called Summly which takes news stories and shortens them for easy reading on a mobile phone. Now, Nick's sold his business to Yahoo... for tens of millions of dollars...

NICK D'ALOISIO: “When I started doing this it wasn't at all for the money I was just a 12 year old doing apps in my bedroom.”

Nick's now working for Yahoo and studying for his school exams so this young app creator might be set for even bigger things to come!

Cabinet Shuffle

Reporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: The dust is still settling in Canberra after the explosive leadership spill involving Julia Gillard. Some of the plotters have either resigned or been sacked and some Gillard supporters have been promoted to the cabinet as a result. So what exactly is the cabinet? And what's the difference between a politician on the front bench and the back bench? Let's take a look.

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: The Labor party has just been shaken up. Harlem shaken up.

After all the leadership drama, the PM thought a shakeup was in order.

NEWS PRESENTER: Gillard has reshuffled her cabinet.

Okay, obviously shuffling a deck of cards with a cabinet on one, is NOT what the PM has been up to. So what does it mean when you hear that Julia Gillard has 'reshuffled her cabinet.'

As you know, when someone wins a federal election they become an MP; a Member of Parliament. From those people on the government's side, the Prime Minister gets to choose which ones she wants to look after particular areas of the government.

These specialist areas are called portfolios. They're the 'minister for this', or the 'Parliamentary Secretary for that'. Grouped together, these people with special jobs are called the cabinet.

Now as we said earlier, Julia Gillard wanted to shake things up after the drama with Kevin Rudd. But instead of dancing about it, which really wouldn't help anyone, she reshuffled her cabinet. The term comes from shuffling cards, which is when you mix them all around. But that's not really what happened here.

Let's take this card as an example, Simon Crean. He was the one who called for the challenge to Julia Gillard. So as punishment, the PM kicked him out of cabinet. He still stays on as a member of parliament, she can't fire him from that. But he's lost all of his special duties.

Overall, these cards left cabinet. And these cards, were the ones Julia brought in to replace them. So that's what happens when the news says there has been a cabinet reshuffle. But you might be wondering what'll happen to those caught up in the cabinet reshuffle. Where do they go now?

REPORTER: These Rudd supporters will now join the backbench.

Ahh the back bench.

Umm... what?

Back to the dictionary!

This is the inside of the House of Representatives in Canberra, where the government sits and talks a lot! But you can't really just sit anywhere you like.

Let's go back to our Canberra shake for more. The first few rows are the front bench. This is where all the cabinet ministers sit, or dance, in this example. So if you're really important, this is where you park your backside.

The other members of government sit on the back bench. So taking our example of Simon Crean, he's now banished back to the cheap seats. But what sort of soft punishment is changing seats?! Well it also comes with a big drop in pay, less power and less responsibility too.

Ouch!

But it's not all bad back there. Because the backbench can be a less demanding job, you'll have more time to work for your electorate. And in theory, you can have a bit more freedom to say what you really think, even if it goes against the PM. And with an election coming up, that could be a worry.

JULIA GILLARD, VO: Give it your best shot.

Cyprus Banks

Reporter: Sarah Larsen

INTRO: Cyprus is a country in serious financial trouble. Recently its banks had to close their branches and many people are likely to lose some of their savings. But how can a bank go broke? Sarah explains.

One of the biggest news stories of last week came from a country called Cyprus. It's an island near Greece with a population less than that of Adelaide but what's happening there has been affecting stock markets all around the world. As Sarah finds out, it's a result of banks going broke.

BANK TELLER: Hello and welcome to BTN savings and loans how can I help you?

CUSTOMER: I'd like to make a deposit.

SARAH LARSEN, REPORTER: When we put our money in the bank, we expect to be able to take it out again whenever we want.

So imagine if this happened:

CUSTOMER: Hi, I'd like to get some money out.

BANK TELLER: No.

CUSTOMER: What?

BANK TELLER: Sorry.

CUSTOMER: But that's my money

BANK TELLER: Not any more, it's not. We're broke. We need your money to pay our debts.

CUSTOMER: What?

BANK TELLER: Yeah, I know. Would you like a free pen? Have a nice day!

OK, so that's a pretty extreme example. But in Cyprus the problems are extreme. The banks here are broke. People can't get to their money. And they're angry.

Cyprus is here in the Mediterranean. It's a small country but it has a big banking business. That's partly because taxes here are low and lots of people from overseas chose to store their money here. Now some are set to lose a lot because the banks of Cyprus made some bad investments

It might seem hard to believe that a bank could go broke. Many of us think of them as giant safes which keep our money for us until we need it. But that's never been the case.

Banks do look after people's savings but they don't keep them locked away. They invest them by lending the money to others. The person taking out the loan has to make regular repayments with interest and that interest is pure profit for the bank.

Banks lend a lot and the bigger the loan, the bigger the profit. They don't just loan to people, they loan to businesses and even to countries. And as long as the repayments keep coming in, there's plenty of money going around to satisfy the customers' daily banking needs.

CUSTOMER: I'd like to make a withdrawal please

TELLER: Sure

But what if those who borrowed money stopped paying it back?

That's what happened to the banks of Cyprus. They lent a lot of money to the Greek government when it was in trouble but Greece couldn't pay it back.

If people find out a bank is in trouble they tend to want their money back all at once. That's called a run on the banks.

TELLER: I don't have your money! Greece has it!

To try to stop that, Cyprus' banks closed their branches. For weeks people had to line up to get just a little out of the ATM.

The government of Cyprus asked other European countries for help and last week they said yes, with conditions.

Cyprus would have to find some of the money itself and it's doing that by tapping into people's savings.

People with more than 100,000 Euros in the bank will lose a big chunk of it. The money will be used to pay off the banks debts and the customers will only get it back again if the bank starts to make money.

People with smaller accounts will get to keep their money.

While many in Cyprus are relieved that the banks are open again there are still limits on how much people can take out.

And there are worries that what's happened here could affect banks in other countries. For a bank to do business it needs people's trust and people will stop handing over their money if they think it isn't safe.

PRESENTER: Ok, on the subject of money, let's have a quiz.

Quiz 1

The question is:

When a person is in debt they are 'in the what’?

Black

Red

Blue

Answer: Red

When someone says they're in the black it means they've got money in their account.

Cyber Bullying

Reporter: Natasha Thiele

INTRO: Now let's take a look at a new approach designed to tackle cyber bullying. Normally these campaigns focus on the bullies or the victims. But now they're targeting bystanders instead and teaching kids about the important role they can play. Here's Tash.

NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: Cyber bullying is a problem that affects lots of kids.

PAIGE: I had experienced cyber bullying for quite a few years actually and it caused me to move to a different school.

JASPER: It started off with teasing, verbal bullying. It then went cyber. So through social networking sites and a few things like that, and also through gaming networks.

There have been plenty of campaigns around trying to tackle the issue. Often the focus is on the victim and the bully. But there are new campaigns that look at the important role bystanders play. They're the people who might witness cyber bullying.

These guys are part of a program that visits schools to teach kids about cyber bullying.

LUCY, PROJECT ROCKIT: Well there are a number of things you can do if you saw something like this happening.

They say if you see or hear bullying happen, you need to speak out.

LUCY: Bystanders are critical. The audience has a massive opportunity when they see bullying happen whether it's online or offline to do something about it. Are you going to be part of the problem or part of the solution?

LUCY: So this game is actually called 'have you ever?'

GIRL 1: Have you ever said something in a text message then totally got misunderstood?

GIRL 2: Have you ever let someone take the blame for something you did?

GIRL 3: Have you ever tried to sign in online and find out that your password has been changed?

This lesson is about helping kids to recognise cyber bullying when they see it and realising that it's something lots of kids have experienced.

RUBY ROSE: Hi guys, I'm Ruby Rose and I'm an ambassador for the Australian Human Rights Commission Back Me Up campaign.

This is another cyber bullying campaign with a similar message. You might recognise Ruby Rose. She used to host MTV. She says she was bullied a lot as a kid and says if bystanders had spoken up things could have been a lot better.

RUBY ROSE: It's really just as simple as if you see someone crying you know you should go up and say, "Hey are you okay. Do you need anything?"

The real world is this big you know and school is that big and you can't see it until you are out of it. As part of this campaign students were encouraged to make a video about how they could help someone who was being cyber bullied.

(STUDENT VIDEO 1, BACK ME UP CAMPAIGN)

ETHAN, STUDENT: Our video was trying to explain how cyber bullying can hurt just as much as normal bullying in real life. What happens is a fist made out of words and insults come out of the screen and punched him, as if to say it hurts just as much as physical abuse.

PRESENTER: And remember, if you're worried about bullying you can call the Kids Helpline. The details are on our website. OK let's make that our poll this week.

Online Poll

The question is:

Would you help someone who was being cyber-bullied?

To vote just head to our website.

Last week we asked if year 7 was the best time to start high school.

73% of you said yes.

27% said no.

Thanks for voting.

Illegal Souvenirs

Reporter: Natasha Thiele

INTRO: Lots of us bring home souvenirs from holidays overseas to remind us about the great time we had. But did you know there are strict rules about what you're allowed to bring back? Tash went along to a special exhibition that warns about the dangers of illegal souvenirs.

NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: So you've been on an awesome holiday and you've bought some pretty cool souvenirs! But some of these things won't make it back into Australia. Can you guess which ones?

Those tea leaves for grandma, they're a plant product and could be carrying pests or diseases. The same goes for the shell. And that drum? It's made from animal skin. That might not be allowed. Even this book might have seeds or dung in the recycled paper. And that necklace? It's made from elephant tusks. That's not allowed.

Australia has some strict rules about what we can bring into the country. There's a good reason for that. Australia's environment is really delicate and any foreign pests or diseases could have a devastating effect on the environment. So places like airports need to check everything coming in and going out.

Some people might not realise that what they've brought home could be dangerous. But there are others who smuggle things in deliberately to try to make money. If items are found to be illegal, they're taken away and sometimes destroyed. In more serious cases, people can be fined tens-of-thousands of dollars or they could find themselves in jail.

These kids are getting an insight into some of the unusual things confiscated at airports. From leather boots to monkey skulls and ivory.

REPORTER: So Mike, can you show me some of the things that Customs has confiscated?

MIKE GEMMELL, SA MUSUEM: These three shelves have all been confiscated by Customs. A lot of food stuff that are made from bits and pieces of various animals. Most people have heard of caviar which comes from the row of various fish. These are bear bile capsules (REPORTER: Oh, can I have a look?) These ones down here, there's tiger balm and lion balm and various other things. That piece at the top there is a tail of an elephant. (REPORTER: This one here?) Yeah the black one yeah.

REPORTER: And why do these people bring this sort of stuff back or try to?

MIKE: Just as souvenirs, so they can have something unusual to put up on the bar at the back of the rumpus room to say you know, we bought that while we were overseas.

REPORTER: So what have we got here?

MIKE: All these items are made of parts of endangered species, so it's not just the orang-utan, but the piranha would've come from South America, the horn bill has also come from Indonesia or something rather.

MIKE: They've brought it back into the country, they've declared it on an aeroplane, because it's an endangered species, it's been confiscated by customs.

Organisers of this exhibition hope it'll encourage people to think twice when they're buying souvenirs.

KID 1: I don't really like how people do this to animals, it's not very good at all.

KID 2: A lot of animals got killed.

KID 3: They just wanna do it for money.

So next time you're on a holiday and spot some cool-looking souvenirs, make sure you double check the rules before you pack anything into your suitcase.

PRESENTER: OK, let's catch up with the sports news now with this week's Score.

The Score

To A-League first and the Western Sydney Wanderers have secured the minor premiership after smashing the Newcastle Jets three nil. The Wanderers' triumph makes them the first expansion club in Australian soccer history to win a trophy in their debut season. Meanwhile the Jet's loss means they missed out on a finals berth.

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Perth Glory fans received better news from their game. They are into the A-league finals in 6th spot after a 1-all draw with Adelaide United. The win means Sydney FC will miss out as well.

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To AFL now and the remaining games of the season-opening split-round have produced some surprising results. The Gold Coast posted a win over St Kilda... after a dominant performance by captain Gary Ablett. The veteran kicked 4 goals and finished with 34 possessions in his team's 13 point win.

Richmond also impressed in their narrow win over Carlton. The tigers had led by 6 goals before the blues fought back to get within a goal in the last term. But Richmond were able to hold on for a 5 point win.

And Port Adelaide has smashed the Demons by 79 points in their first match with first time coach Ken Hinkley.

Quiz 2

We're going to have a story about lawn bowls next.

But first let's have a quiz.

The question is:

What is the name of the small white or yellow ball used in lawn bowls?

Jack

Jimmy

Jenny

Answer: Jack

Lawn Bowls

Reporter: Matthew Holbrook

INTRO: You might think of lawn bowls as a game that only old people play but it's actually something that more and more young people are doing. Matt went to meet one of them an up and coming young player who's following in the footsteps of his grandad.

MATTHEW HOLBROOK, REPORTER: It's a sport of grace and skill where a steady hand and a keen mind are king. Where victory rolls on a razor's edge. This is lawn bowls!

With more than half a million players it's one of Australia's biggest and oldest sporting passions. But lets' face it, it's never had the raciest of reputations. The white suits and hats didn't help. Neither did the fact that most of the people playing it were, well, not that young. But lawn bowls isn't what it used to be.

The white uniforms are gone and while there are still plenty of whiter haired enthusiasts, they're being joined by a growing number of young Aussies out to prove that this ain't your grandad's game.

Well, actually, for 14 year old James it was his grandad's game. That's how he was introduced to the sport.

JAMES: I used to watch my pop play bowls at Adelaide airport as their junior mascot.

But then one day at the green changed everything.

JAMES' GRANDAD: I was sick one day and he was standing there and the president was standing alongside him and said would you like to play bowls James, he said yes, and he started. He won his first game 44 to 4, we'll never forget that.

James found he had a passion and a natural skill for the sport and now he represents his state in the under 18s team.

JAMES: My long term goal is to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games at 2018

Like any serious sport, lawn bowls has some serious competitions. As well as the Commonwealth Games there are world championships like this where bowlers from all over the world play for big prize money.

As you can see, the adult teams here are hardly retirees. The best bowlers tend to be young, fit and ambitious.

And that's the image the sport is trying to promote. The Australian Sports Commission is encouraging schools to get kids into lawn bowls from a young age and there are special coaching programs for the best bowlers.

So how exactly does lawn bowls work?

The object of the game is to deliver the bowl closer to the jack than your opponent. Sounds fairly simple, right?

Well, the bowl isn't perfectly round. It's actually designed to be a bite heavier on one side. That makes it tilt so it curves as it goes along.

Learning how to judge how hard to roll and what angle to release it on takes a bit of time.

REPORTER: all right, I've got my game face on

After a few practice shots I thought I was doing all right until James beat me in one bowl.

But as they say, winning isn't the most important thing.

JAMES: what I like about lawn bowls is making new friends, the passion. I would encourage everyone to try it out it's not just an old man sport it's for all ages.

James' love of the game has inspired other family members to give it a go. His dad is loving it.

And of course his pop is pretty impressed.

JAMES' GRANDAD: He's improved out of sight, and we're all so proud of him.

So if you're looking for a sport that's skilful, competitive and fun for young and old maybe there's a place for you on the green with the lawn bowling stars of the future.

Closer

That's it for today. It's the last BtN before the school holidays. Hooray! Have a great time over the next few weeks. And I'll see you again when school's back. See ya!

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