Suswati Basu

Multilingual disabled editor, analyst, journalist, mental health books show podcast host, and award-winning activist

United Kingdom

Suswati Basu is writer, editor, analyst, journalist, producer and feminist activist residing in London. She has written for the Guardian, Huffington Post and the F-Word blogs, and has worked for various media outlets such as the BBC, Channel 4 News, ITV News and NationalWorld. Winner of the Emma Humphries Memorial Prize in 2007, also shortlisted for the Guardian Mary Stott Prize in the same year, and longlisted for the Guardian International Development Journalism Award. Has worked in China, India and the UK and currently writes regularly. She is the host of the International Women's Podcast Award-nominated show the How To Be Books Podcast.

Specialties: Specialties in gender and social politics; British, Chinese and Indian politics; disability and DEI.

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Portfolio
ARROWSMITH
Kant AI - ARROWSMITH

Immanuel Kant is seen as the intellectual godfather of cognitive science, and next year we will celebrate the German philosopher's 300th birthday. However, with the genesis of artificial intelligence and the idea of the so-called deep neural network structures, it's become apparent that there are now overlaps between classical philosophies and modern technology.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8k36yk
NationalWorld
04/14/2023
US book bans author Jean Kwok on challenging ‘historical echoes’ of authoritarianism

New York Times bestselling author Jean Kwok speaks to NationalWorld's Suswati Basu on facing a US school board to stop the challenge of her novel Girl in Translation, amid a spate of book bans in the country. She says these are "political movements underneath this and some of there are national groups that are organising these book challenges".

AllBright
03/02/2022
I faced my fear of public speaking and turned it i... | Edit

Well, it was me amid the pandemic in November 2020. Hence finding a creative side outlet where I could breathe a sigh of relief was therefore inevitable. For a solid nine years, I managed to keep my head below the parapet of the media world.

Collective World
01/26/2022
5 Books That Take A Hard Look At Our Discriminatory Diet Culture

Trigger warning: Eating disorders and mental illness. "You're as malnutritioned as a child in Africa." I was more concerned about how politically incorrect that phrase was than the fact I was sitting in the back of an ambulance being told by a paramedic that my body was dying.

the Guardian
11/07/2007
Kira Cochrane on the response to 50 years of the Guardian women's pages

There is something slightly vertiginous about reading 700 applications for the job you love, the job that, ideally, you would like to hang on to for a while. And the nerve in one's forehead really starts pumping when it emerges that the vast majority of those applications are, well, really good.

The F-Word
07/24/2010
Giving porn its own domain - Blog - The F-Word

Stuart Lawley, Internet entrepreneur, has won the right to start selling registrations to a new domain devoted to pornographic content, .xxx. Currently, there are 7 million adult domains and as Lawley continues to sell another half a million, revenues of...

The Huffington Post UK
10/21/2011
Foxgate Just Proves the Government Should be Paid an Average Wage

It has only been a few days since Liam Fox announced his resignation as defence secretary, but no doubt there have already been questions over the government's transparency as well as their private financial habits. Mr. Fox's strategy of keeping his officials in the dark whilst liaising with his corporate friend Adam Werritty only reaffirms the murky waters in which the government conducts their tasks.

The Huffington Post UK
08/12/2011
A Generation Victimised by Consumerism

When examining the conduct of the looters over the last three days, the common attitude towards the actions are that it was 'mindless.' Not only were expensive electronics and clothes stores targeted, but specifically products that tend to target young people were stolen from around the country.

the Guardian
10/15/2010
Lads' mags: the great cover-up

Some shops are refusing to move lads' mags to the top shelf, despite their sexist content. Which is why one feminist group is taking direct action

The F-Word
11/23/2010
First anti-feminism meeting takes place in Switzerland - Blog - The F-Word

I have heard of everything now. In a secret Swiss location, 150 male activists gathered to hold the first ever “international antifeminism meeting”. SwissInfo.ch reports that, labelling themselves as “peacekeepers”, the Swiss based group IGAF (Interessengemeinschaft Antifeminismus) denounce feminist social...

City Weekend Magazine
03/23/2011
The East Is Shred: 13 Chinese Metal Bands to Haunt Your Dreams (UPDATED)

Since the inauguration of Chinese rock in the '80s, the darker main ingredient to China’s underground music scene has always been metal. While indie rock may steal the headlines in the international press, metal continues to steal the hearts of rockers across China. Here’s a primer to the 11 most im

City Weekend Magazine
03/16/2011
330 Metal Festival: Still Banging On

This year celebrates the 10th anniversary of the 330 Metal Festival, China’s biggest indoor metalfest and most daring of musical gatherings. Since its inception, the annual event has enticed thousands of dedicated metal fans, giving them a blast of the Asian underground metal scene as well as a spac

Itv
10/04/2013
MIT creates 'impossible' self-assembling cubes able to move on their own

Small cubes with no exterior moving parts that can propel itself to move forward, jump on top of each other, and snap together to form shapes has been designed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Known as M-Blocks, the robots are able to even move while suspended upside down from metallics surfaces.

Itv
10/06/2013
Girls and group X Factor live finalists revealed

The final hopefuls who made it into the judges' houses stage on the X Factor have been whittled from six down to three. The live finals will take place next week, where the 12 acts will be battling it out to win this year's show.

Itv
10/05/2013
Tears as X Factor hopefuls told they have made the final cut

After weeks of auditions and tears and heartache for both the judges and contestants, the final three boys and over-25s were revealed in last night's X Factor. The final 24 were whittled down to 12, with 35-year-old prison officer and mother of two Sam Bailey being told she had made the cut.

Itv
07/09/2012
Man gears towards 3 millionth mile in beloved Volvo

Retired schoolteacher Irvin Gordon has taken his passion of driving to a record-breaking level. With 34,000 miles left, the 72-year-old from Long Island hopes to hit the 3 millionth mile mark by next year in his reliable 1966 Volvo P1800S.

Itv
09/21/2013
X Factor hopeful refuses to ditch bandmates

A talented hopeful refuses to axe her bandmates despite X Factor j udge Gary Barlow telling her it is her best option in her bid for success. SeeSee, the 22-year-old singer from trio Dynamix, tearfully tells the panel she will not go solo even if it ends her chance of fame in tonight's edition of the ITV show.

Itv
09/20/2013
X Factor hopeful left in tears as she faces career dilemma

Teenager Hannah Sheares was left in tears when The X Factor judges asked her to ditch her best friends and go solo to stand a chance in the contest. The 17-year-old shop assistant was asked to make a decision about whether she would like to continue in the competition alone after trying out with her group The Daisy Chains.

Itv
02/02/2014
Sinkhole swallows car on driveway in Buckinghamshire

A sinkhole measuring 30ft deep has opened up on the driveway of a house, swallowing a parked car in Walter's Ash, Buckinghamshire. According to Bucks Free Press, watch manager Stuart Grosse said: "We get few calls of this nature, mainly in the south of the county.

Itv
02/07/2014
Rising living costs force Londoners to cut back on basics

Some Londoners are so concerned about the rise in living costs that food has been returned to foodbanks as people cannot afford to heat it. A new report shows how each London borough feels about the rise in cost of living and what they are most concerned about.

Itv
02/07/2014
Profiles: London athletes gear up for Sochi 2014

As the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics is due to officially begin later today, London athletes for Team GB gear up for their big debut in Russia. Here are the athletes expected to take part in the Games: Craig Pickering - Bobsleigh - Born in Crawley Craig Pickering, originally a sprinter, represented Team GB at the Beijing 2008 Summer Games, when he competed in the men's 100m and 4x100m Relay.

Itv
02/05/2014
'Four people questioned' over drugs found in Hoffman's home

Four people are being questioned in connection with drugs found at actor Philip Seymour Hoffman's apartment, CNN reports. The marquees of Broadway theatres in New York will be dimmed in memory of Philip Seymour Hoffman who died on Sunday at the age of 46.

Itv
The Mandela map of London

Only Fools and Horses' Nelson Mandela House became famous as the Peckham home of Del Boy and Rodney - but there are real tributes to the former South African President all across the capital.

Itv
11/29/2013
Soldier Lee Rigby killed in 'a cowardly callous murder'

Video footage of soldier Lee Rigby being mown down by a car in south east London and his alleged murderers dragging his body into the middle of the road has been shown to a jury. There were gasps in oak-panelled Court Two of the Old Bailey as CCTV clips were played, and relatives of the fusilier left the room in tears.

Itv
12/01/2013
Clare Balding reveals grandmother's insult over being gay

Broadcaster Clare Balding said her grandmother told her she was "disgusting" and the pair did not speak for months after it was revealed she was gay. The presenter, who played a large part in the BBC's Olympics coverage, also said she will go to Russia to cover the 2014 Winter Olympics despite controversy over the country passing what are widely seen as anti-gay laws.

Itv
04/20/2014
Couple married for seven decades die 15 hours apart

A US couple who held hands at breakfast every morning even after 70 years of marriage have died 15 hours apart. Helen Felumlee, of Nashport, Ohio, died aged 92 on April 12. Her husband, 91-year-old Kenneth Felumlee, died the next morning.

Channel4
08/06/2014
Propaganda reveals 'happy life' in Islamic State

From singing to posing inside a rocket launcher, the publicity wing of the Islamic State (IS) has published several high-production videos showing the lighter side of life under the self-declared caliphate. It's all fun and games, according to the recent propaganda released by the group's media department, with one comical picture labelled "Isis sends man to space".

Channel4
08/07/2014
Is your little brother or sister more tech-savvy than you?

Born after the dark ages of dial-up internet, the "millennium generation" are able to use tablets and smartphones even before they are able to talk, says new research. According to Channel 4 News Facebook users, some children as young as two are even helping their parents type, let alone watching their favourite programmes on YouTube.

Channel4
05/19/2014
Five Chinese officials charged with spying on US firms

In the first of its kind, China was accused of spying on companies in the nuclear power, metals and solar products industries, in a bid to compete with the country's state-owned enterprises. Six American companies, including United States Steel Corp, Alcoa Inc and Allegheny Technologies Inc, and one trade union were victims of Chinese hacking attacks, US officials said.

Channel4
05/19/2014
Radical cleric Abu Hamza found guilty of terror charges

Following a four-week trial, a jury of eight men and four women found 56-year-old Hamza guilty on all 11 counts he faced. The cleric could face life in prison when he is sentenced in September. Hamza came to prominence in the UK for his fiery sermons outside Finsbury Park mosque; in one he praised the 11 September hijackers.

Channel4
05/15/2014
Carphone Warehouse's merger with Dixons - what does it mean?

The white goods retailer has teamed up with the mobile phone company in an effort to modernise and "wire up" its products to the internet. Boosting its exposure to the burgeoning mobile and smartphone market, Dixons says the convergence between the mobile and the white goods markets is a key "building block" for increased connectivity between devices, as well as users and their surroundings.

Channel4
05/19/2014
Committee meets over Premier League chief's sexist emails

Mr Scudamore has been under fire over the past week for the publication of derogatory emails sent from his Premier League account. The Premier League was forced to defend itself after the woman who blew the whistle on Scudamore said she was "humiliated, belittled and disgusted" by the messages between the 54-year-old and his business associates.

Itv
05/18/2014
ITV triumphs at Baftas with multiple awards

ITV's Ant and Dec were among the big winners at the Bafta television awards, picking up two accolades for best entertainment performance and programme. Accepting the award, Declan Donelly said winning was "really just a nice big cherry on top of a cake we all love".

Channel4
11/14/2014
Should Cameron ban Britons fighting in Syria from the UK?

Addressing the Australian parliament during a visit ahead of the G20 summit in Brisbane, Mr Cameron said: "We have to deal with the threat of foreign fighters planning attacks against our people. We will shortly be introducing our own new counter-terrorism bill in the UK.

Channel4
11/13/2014
Can Ed Miliband recover from the party's latest setback?

The speech comes as a new poll showed the Conservatives pulling ahead for the first time since autumn 2010. The survey by Ipsos Mori for the Evening Standard showed that Mr Miliband is the most unpopular party leader running to be prime minister in 40 years.

Channel4
10/29/2014
Puppy farm murders 999 call: 'I'm running for my life'

Harrowing audio is released of the 999 call made by Lucy Lee as she begged for help shortly before she was shot by John Lowe. An investigation is ongoing into why police had returned his guns to him. Please wait while this video loads.

Channel4
11/14/2014
Jessica Ennis-Hill receives rape threats over Ched Evans

South Yorkshire police on Friday said they were investigating rape threats sent to the Olympic gold medallist on Twitter. Ms Ennis-Hill issued a statement on Thursday saying she would want her name removed from a stand at the football club's Bramall Lane ground if the League One club welcomed the Welsh international back following his conviction for raping a 19-year-old woman in a hotel room.

Channel4
11/16/2014
Honey, I shrunk the Christmas treats

From a lighter box of Quality Street to shrinking packets of salted nuts, Christmas treats are being sold in ever smaller sizes, according to new figures. Christmas consumers are paying as much as 25 per cent more for less, research carried out by price comparison website mysupermarket.com showed.

Channel4
11/14/2014
Does Bob Geldof know Africa's Ebola aid songs?

Solome Lemma, co-founder of grassroots response initiative Africa Responds, said that there were "other ways for Geldof and his famous friends to contribute". Speaking to Channel 4 News, Ms Lemma said: "While the original Band Aid single raised the profile of the Ethiopian famine and money, it left Ethiopia, and really the rest of Africa, with a terrible legacy that painted us as famished, poor, and downtrodden.

Channel4
11/13/2014
First photos from comet lander Philae - gallery

The spacecraft that made an historic descent to a comet is resting at an angle in the shadow of a crater wall - and sending pictures back to earth. But it seems to be half a mile from its target... The image shows comet 67P/CG acquired by the ROLIS instrument on the Philae lander during descent on 12 November.

Channel4
10/31/2014
Fiona Woolf quits as head of child abuse inquiry

Mrs Woolf, a City lawyer and Lord Mayor of London, stepped down after abuse victims met the panel of inquiry into historic child sexual abuse to discuss the case on Friday. It follows claims that a letter setting out Mrs Woolf's contacts with Lord Brittan and his wife was redrafted seven times, with guidance from Home Office officials, before being sent to Home Secretary Theresa May.

Channel4
10/31/2014
Army chief takes charge in Burkina Faso after protests

Protesters stormed a parliament building in the capital city of Ougadougou on Thursday in a day of violence aimed at stopping a parliamentary vote that would have allowed President Blaise Compaore to seek a fifth term in office. On Friday, Mr Compaore had remained defiant and pledged to remain in office for another year.

Channel4
11/13/2014
Rosetta probe makes historic landing - after a bump or two

The Philae probe touched down on the 2.5 mile-wide comet yesterday afternoon after a 10-year, four billion-mile journey through space in an achievement hailed as one of the greatest in science. Those behind the achievement clapped, cheered and hugged each other after receiving confirmation that the probe had landed on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Channel4
10/31/2014
One pilot killed in Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo crash

A pilot who ejected, was injured, authorities said. The pilot was found at the scene and taken to a local hospital, Kern County Sheriff's spokesman Ray Pruitt said. Two pilots were on board the spaceship, which was undergoing its first powered test flight since January.

Channel4
11/11/2014
May wants answers after no evidence of abuse cover-up

The report by Peter Wanless, chief executive of the NSPCC, and barrister Richard Whittam QC found nothing to support claims that paedophile rights group the Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE) was funded the Home Office. Mr Wanless was brought in to investigate in July after an internal review found the department had "lost or destroyed" 114 files between 1979 and 1999.

Channel4
10/28/2014
Will 'supercomputer' help UK defend itself from floods?

The £97m system is said to be 13 times more powerful than the one currently used by meteorologists and will be able to perform more than 16,000 trillion calculations per second. Met Office chief executive Rob Varley said the device will lead to a step change in weather forecasting and climate prediction, and deliver better forecasts and advice to support UK business, the public and government.

Channel4
10/28/2014
Tributes paid to 'peaceful' family found dead in Bradford

The bodies of Jatindra Lad, 49, mother Duksha Lad, 44, and their daughters Trisha 19, and Nisha were discovered after officers were called to a property in Clayton, at 8.30pm last night, West Yorkshire Police said. Police said early indications suggest the bodies may have been in the property "for some time".

Channel4
10/29/2014
Why is the Ebola crisis TV appeal so significant?

The DEC Ebola Crisis Appeal is said to be "unprecedented", as the committee has never run an appeal in response to the spread of disease in its 50 year history. The committee, made up of 13 of the UK's major aid charities, said it took the decision as the effects of the killer virus threaten to become "a humanitarian catastrophe".

Channel4
10/29/2014
Walk in her shoes: What sexual harassment looks like

Campaign group Hollaback! teamed up with actress Shoshana B. Roberts and filmmaker Rob Bliss to film every instance of street harassment she received while she walked silently with two microphones in her hand. Mr Bliss is said to have reached out to the group after being inspired by his girlfriend, "who gets street harassed all the time".

Channel4
10/28/2014
Lloyds axe 9,000 jobs in bid to pay £11.3bn PPI bill

The group, which is 25 per cent owned by the taxpayer, said it is to cut 9,000 jobs from its current workforce of 88,000. It has already slashed more than 30,000 since the start of the financial crisis. Bottom line pre-tax profits were £693m after taking into account one-off charges including a £900m increase in provision for payment protection insurance (PPI) scandal.

Channel4
09/29/2014
Toxic gas halts Japan volcano search as more victims found

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe paid tribute to the victims, adding that the government would continue with the rescue operation, despite the search being abandoned because of fears of rising levels of toxic gases.

Channel4
10/26/2014
Response to Ebola crisis abroad faces growing criticism

Samantha Power visited the worst hit countries to find out how the global response can be improved. Aid organisations said there is a desperate need for more doctors, nurses and treatment centres so patients are not turned away.

Channel4
10/27/2014
How bad can gun crime get in South Africa?

The domestic league postponed this weekend's derby between Soweto giants Orlando Pirates and Kaiser Chiefs after the murder. "The match will not happen on Saturday out of respect for Senzo. That's the right thing to do," Brand De Villiers, chief executive of the Professional Soccer League, told a news conference.

Channel4
10/27/2014
Why Michael Fallon's remarks are 'swamped' in controversy

Speaking to ITV's World in Action programme, the former prime minister said: "People are rather afraid of being swamped by people with a difference culture and, you know, the British character has done so much for democracy, for law and done so much throughout the world that if there is any fear that it might be swamped people are going to react and be rather hostile to those coming in.

Channel4
10/27/2014
RNLI to review lifeguard cover after Newquay surfer deaths

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) said that lifeguards man Mawgan Porth Beach in Newquay, Cornwall, from March to September and confirmed there would have been none patrolling there yesterday. But it explained that there would have been "clear signs" indicating the lack of lifeguard cover for beachgoers.

Channel4
10/27/2014
Cameron and Osborne give the green light to develop 'HS3'

The rail link - dubbed HS3 - would connect to the controversial HS2 line, and could cut journey times from Manchester to Leeds from 48 to 26 minutes. HS2 Ltd chairman Sir David Higgins said northern connectivity plans would be "as important to the north of England as Crossrail is for London".

Channel4
09/29/2014
Benefits frozen in fresh attack on welfare spending

George Osborne claimed the freeze would help enable the UK to save £3.2 billion a year by 2017 and would help protect the country's economic stability. "The fairest way to reduce welfare bills is to make sure that benefits are not rising faster than the wages of the taxpayers who are paying for them.

Itv
11/07/2014
Illuminations mark 25th anniversary since fall of Berlin Wall

Sunday marks 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, which divided a nation for almost three decades. The Berlin Wall, which separated the island of West Berlin from the communist East after it was built in August 13, 1961, was the most potent symbol of the Cold War.

Channel 4 News
03/04/2015
Yarl's Wood protest: we're not animals, we just want respect

Channel 4 News spoke to two women inside Yarl's Wood immigration detention centre on Wednesday morning, amid reports that detainees are threatening to go on hunger strike. Women were heard shouting "animals" inside the building, after a report by this programme cited staff at the centre referring to inmates as "animals" and "beasties".

Channel4
10/27/2014
'I didn't attack PM, I just brushed into him' - Leeds runner

Mr Cameron, who had spoken about the second phase of the £50bn HS2 project, was leaving Leeds civic hall, when Dean Balboa Farley collided with him. West Yorkshire Police said that there was "nothing sinister" about the incident, adding that the 28-year-old was "just a man in the wrong place at the wrong time".

The Huffington Post UK
09/29/2011
The Money-Making "Meat-Market"

A group of women dressed as butchers and businessmen assembled in a Central London location as a form of feminist protest. No it wasn't an inappropriate PETA demonstration against animal cruelty, but rather opposition to an international "adult entertainment" trade summit held in Bloomsbury.

the Guardian
06/30/2010
India's city of widows

Suswati Basu: Discrimination against widows has left thousands of women in West Bengal resorting to prostitution and begging to survive

Itv
11/10/2013
Cambodian police break up major child abuse ring after Exposure

Cambodian police have broken up an international child abuse ring that trafficked youngsters to British paedophiles following an ITV Exposure investigation. Former police detective Mark Williams Thomas went undercover in Cambodia, a country struggling with its reputation as a haven for child sex offenders.

Channel4
07/31/2014
Voice from Gaza: 'There is no life, no tomorrow'

There has been bombing all night until the sun rises in the morning. Thanks to the lack of electricity we listen to the radio to find out where the next attacks are. I only get one or two hours of sleep a night now.

Channel4
07/31/2014
Voice from Israel: 'I run to the bomb shelter every day'

'Killing our people' I feel that this situation is terrible. The main goal of Hamas is to shoot rockets into civilian populations to kill as many Israelis as possible. Fortunately, they have been wildly unsuccessful because of the Israeli governments' protection of its citizens.

Itv
07/23/2014
#Bringthemhome: Blackout on social media as users pay tribute to MH17 victims

Thousands of online users have taken to social media to call for the victims of the Malaysian airliner crash to be returned to loved ones. Twitter users across the board turned their avatars black ahead of a national day of mourning in the Netherlands. Using the hashtag #bringthemhome, a blackout ensued on the site.

Itv
07/23/2014
'Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies' online campaign goes viral

An Israeli student, living in the US, is said to have launched an online campaign in an attempt to initiate dialogue between Jewish and Arab communities. Abraham Gutman and Dania Darwish, both students at Hunter College in New York, created the hashtag #JewsAndArabsRefuseToBeEnemiesamid escalating violence in Gaza.

Channel4
08/01/2014
Is anti-Semitism on the rise in Britain?

On first impressions there is a shocking headline figure on UK anti-Semitism. This month of July has seen the second highest reported number of incidents in 30 years - four a day, a total of 130. The Jewish organisation, the Community Security Trust, which has been collating such figures since 1984, believes the rise is linked to the Gaza conflict.

Channel4
07/08/2014
Why has UK failed to exploit ties with India?

Britain's Modi boycott The Anglo-Indian relationship waned during the Labour years. It was sometimes seen to be of less importance than the diaspora Pakistan vote in the marginal seats in the West Midlands and the north of England.

Channel4
06/04/2014
How Chinese people bypass Tiananmen silence - online

You are unlikely to find anything under the search term " Tiananmen Square" when trawling through China's biggest social networking site, despite it being 25 years since the massacre, writes freelance journalist Suswati Basu. In fact, any combination of numbers and words resembling 4 June 1989 has been blocked on China's Twitter-like site Weibo.

Channel4
07/29/2014
Gaza's infrastructure: the cost of war with Israel

Israel i artillery has shredded entire neighbourhoods and air strikes have pounded the scant infrastructure that barely kept the crowded strip of 1.8 million people running even in peacetime. According to the UN, at least 3,695 homes have been completely destroyed while another 4,235 are damaged, but not beyond repair.

Itv
12/15/2013
Nelson Mandela buried at childhood home in South Africa

Nelson Mandela buried as South Africa says final farewell Nelson Mandela has been buried in the African ground he loved after a funeral ceremony that included a 21-gun salute and flyovers by military aircraft. The burial of South Africa's first black President followed a moving state funeral in Qunu, attended by some 4,000 mourners.

Itv
New mobile app developed to help carers juggle tasks

A new app has been developed for people who care for elderly or sick relatives. The Jointly app, created by charity Carers UK, helps those looking after loved ones by keeping track of medication, appointments and tasks. It also connects groups of carers so they can share information and co-ordinate jobs.

Itv
01/11/2014
Light plane crashes during take-off on New Zealand beach

A scenic flight ended up as more of a soggy splashdown for a hapless pilot in New Zealand on Friday. An engine problem forced Dennis Horn to make an emergency landing on a beach at Martins Bay, about 70 kilometres (43 miles) north of the capital Auckland.

Itv
02/15/2014
Moving images 'show rescue of baby from rubble in Syria'

UN apologises to Syrians for 'failure' of peace progress A young boy has been pictured holding his baby sister, who is said to have been saved from the rubble underneath their home in Aleppo, Syria. The brother is seen weeping, after what activists say was an airstrike carried out by Syrian government forces.

Theguardian
06/29/2011
Creating a Wave of Change

It is hard to imagine Indian cinema without a vibrant and audacious heroine entertaining the masses through film. However, women's portrayal in the Indian media has been challenged by local grassroots activists, who believe that it is perpetuating gender inequality.

Itv
02/15/2014
Hague blames Assad regime for breakdown in peace talks

William Hague has blamed Bashar Assad's regime for the breakdown of Syria peace talks. The Foreign Secretary said the lack of progress during the second round of discussions with rebels in Geneva was a "serious setback". UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi said the regime's refusal to countenance a transitional governing body was a major sticking point.

Itv
03/01/2014
Moazzam Begg remanded in custody on Syria terror charges

Former Guantanamo Bay detainee Moazzam Begg was remanded in custody today charged with Syria-related terror offences. Begg, 45, of Boden Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, denied the charges and will appear next at the Old Bailey on March 14. He is accused of providing terrorist training and funding terrorism overseas.

Itv
04/11/2014
Adrian Mole creator Sue Townsend dies aged 68

Novelist Sue Townsend, best known as the author of the Adrian Mole series of books, has died, according to a family friend. The 68-year-old writer died yesterday after a short illness. Townsend, who was left blind after suffering from diabetes for many years, achieved worldwide success after the publication of her best-known work, The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole, aged 13 3/4, in 1982.

Itv
03/30/2014
World landmarks switch off lights for Earth Hour

UK landmarks go dark for Earth Hour Cities across the world switched off their lights to mark this year's 'Earth Hour' movement on Saturday. In Europe, London's iconic Big Ben and Westminster Palace dimmer their lights as well as, Milan's Sforza Castle and Madrid's Almudena Cathedral.

Itv
02/02/2014
Syrian forces drop barrel bombs in 'indiscriminate' attacks, say activists

Syria has been accused of using so-called indiscriminate "barrel bombs" in an attack that is thought to have left 83 people dead. Pictures of the attack - which cannot be independently verified - appear to show huge bombs dropping and exploding on the northern city of Aleppo and a suburb of the capital Damascus.

Itv
12/22/2013
Prime Minister condemns British doctor's death as 'sickening'

David Cameron has written to the mother of a British doctor who died in custody in Syria, describing his death as "a sickening and appalling tragedy". The circumstances in which Dr Abbas Khan, a 32-year-old orthopaedic surgeon from London, died while in detention in Syria remains in dispute.

Itv
04/08/2014
Deputies clash during parliament session in Kiev

Ukraine's 'anti-terror operation' against pro-Russia forces Deputies in the Ukrainian parliament brawled in the chamber after a communist leader accused nationalists of playing into the hands of Russia by adopting extreme tactics early in the Ukrainian crisis.

Itv
03/16/2014
Sister of missing MH370 passenger's 'raised hopes' of finding him alive

The sister of a missing Malaysian Airlines MH370 passenger has said that her hopes had been "raised" her brother was still alive, after hearing news the plane was deliberately flown off course. Paul Weeks, a 38-year-old New Zealander, was en route to Mongolia for a new job in the mining industry, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Itv
04/11/2014
Woman throws shoe at Hillary Clinton during speech

A woman hurled a shoe at Hillary Clinton as the former secretary of state was delivering a speech at a Las Vegas hotel, but Clinton dodged it and continued with her remarks, a US Secret Service spokesman said.

Itv
04/03/2014
Girl rescued after getting stuck in storm drain

A teenage girl had to be rescued by firefighters after getting stuck down a storm drain while trying to retrieve her mobile phone. The girl, named locally as Ella Birchenough, squeezed down the hole trying to fetch her phone in Eaves Road, Dover in Kent.

Itv
04/11/2014
Cyprus 'Most Wanted' list released in hunt to find suspects

A rogues' gallery of 11 fugitives suspected of crimes including drug smuggling, fraud and rape and thought to be hiding in Cyprus has been published. The most wanted list is the latest phase of a hunt led by Crimestoppers and the UK's National Crime Agency to flush the suspects out of their hiding places.

Itv
04/07/2014
Treasure hunter appeals to reunite WWI medals with hero's family

A treasure hunter has appealed to find the relatives of a First World War veteran after unearthing several of his medals in a school playing field. Tony Bibby discovered the precious award 10 years ago in Horndon-on-the-Hill in Essex, believed to belong to Harry Tucker of the Bedfordshire Regiment.

Surrey Comet
BalletBoyz bringing powerful show the Talent to Richmond Theatre

Hot to trot from their sell-out show at the Royal Opera House, the BalletBoyz will plié and pirouette on to the stage at Richmond Theatre this month. Distinctive for its all-male troupe, the BalletBoyz' groundbreaking project the Talent returns for another year, starting their tour in April right until June.

Itv
02/22/2014
Through the Keyhole: A look at Ukraine's presidential palace

Ukraine president Yanukovich wanted for 'mass murder' arrest Hundreds of Ukrainians and journalists from around the world flocked to the presidential palace, as reports emerged that the country's President Viktor Yanukovich had left the city. An aide to the president said he had left the capital for his support base in the country's Russian-speaking east, but that he had no intention of abandoning power.