A journalists’ guide to the big diary stories for the week ahead – provided by Foresight News.
Today presents journalists with the chance to either sneer derisively or stroke their finely-trimmed goatees approvingly as the winner of the prestigious Turner art Prize is announced. Shortlisted this year are Karla Black, Martin Boyce, Hilary Lloyd and George Shaw, one of whom will bag the £25,000 prize.
Wikileaks founder and spokesman Julian Assange has his application to appeal to the Supreme Court considered today. Assange is appealing against the decision to allow his extradition to Sweden on sexual harassment charges to go ahead, and will be hoping this last ditch attempt has more success than his failed High Court bid.
The four men charged with keeping slaves at the Greenacres caravan site will appear at Luton Crown Court today. Tommy Connors, Patrick Connors and two separate James Connors were arrested after a police raid at the travellers’ site in September where twenty-four men were found being held apparently against their will, some for up to fifteen years.
Italy’s past and present will likely be making headlines today as former Prime Minister Silivio Berlusconi is expected to testify in his ongoing bribery case on the same day as new PM ‘super’ Mario Monti announces austerity measures. Berlusconi is accused of bribing British tax lawyer (and estranged husband of Tessa Jowell) David Mills to obtain favourable testimony in court cases and will take the stand to defend his good name.
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Monti, meanwhile, has the formidable task of restoring market confidence in Lo Stivale and reining in the country’s deficit, in what will be seen as the first real test of his technocratic administration since its dramatic appointment last month.
As if all that wasn’t enough, mega Monday continues with Parliament’s Joint Committee on Privacy and Injunctions hearing from some box office witnesses. Fresh from their Leveson Inquiry appearances, actors Hugh Grant and Steve Coogan will appear alongside former F1 boss Max Mosley in what sounds like the most implausible setup for a buddy comedy ever.
Stepping into the rest of the week, Afghan President Hamid Karzai begins his two-day visit to the UK on Tuesday, following the Bonn Conference on Afghanistan. The embattled leader is expected to sign a long-term cooperation agreement with David Cameron, and also meet Prince Charles, while on Wednesday he delivers a lecture to staff and students at the London School of Economics.
Tuesday also sees everyone’s dream train passenger returning to the spotlight when 34-year-old Emma West appears at Croydon Magistrates Court on the charge of racial harassment. Last week Ms West’s now infamous rant against all things foreign was recorded and posted to Youtube, leaving the British public to express their consternation and the duly diligent transport police to make the inevitable arrest.
Greece’s parliament is due to wrap up its budget debate and cast the deciding vote on Wednesday. Starting last Saturday, European governments will no doubt be paying close attention to the discussions while hoping the measures are passed without bringing down the incumbent government.
England’s chances of making it out of the Euro 2012 group stage could be given a huge boost on Thursday as UEFA hears Wayne Rooney’s appeal against his three match ban for a red card picked up during the qualifying game against Montenegro. The current ban effectively rules Rooney out of England’s Euro 2012 group stage, with the team’s hopes of progressing somewhat diminished.
Saturday is the official awards ceremony for the Nobel Peace Prize, held in Oslo, with an accompanying cheque for this year’s three winners; Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian Leymah Gbowee and Tawakul Karman of Yemen, who were recognised for their non-violent struggles for the safety of women and women’s rights.
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