The credit crunch and Europe’s auto industry--Britain’s financial squeeze--Why the French anthem was booed--Can Europeans influence US election?--Is Scotland about to leave the UK?-- Press freedom in Turkey--Turning your loved ones into diamonds and what chess and boxing have in common. All this plus more on this week's Inside Europe. Tune in to Inside Europe on the radio or sign up for the Inside Europe podcast! You can also download the program from the website.Hungarian neo-fascist paramilitary group expandsLast weekend - Magyar Garda - a neo-fascist paramilitary group swore in several hundred new members in a public ceremony in Budapest.The Hungarian group has been troubling Roma and Jewish groups since its formation last year. Prosecutors in Budapest have brought a case against the Magyar Garda – or ‘Hungarian Guard’ – but have so far been unable to dismantle the group. Reporter: Saroja Coelho New series examines Europe’s breakaway regionsFollowing the independence of Kosovo and the recent trouble in the separatist Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Inside Europe will be taking a look at Europe’s breakaway regions over the next few weeks. And in the first of the series we ask is Scotland about to leave the United Kingdom?The country has been part of the United Kingdom for over 300 years, but with a new local government run by the secessionist Scottish National Party, independence is once again on the cards. So are the Scots ready to break free? Reporter: Lars Bevanger Pressure growing for more control of Turkish MediaThe Turkish newspaper Taraf launched less than a year ago, has sent shock waves across the country. The paper with sources deep the military have published scoop after scoop exposing military interference in politics.Until now the army which has overthrown 4 governments since 1960 has traditionally been untouchable. Now the paper is challenging the army over its 20 year war against Kurdish separatists. But, the paper is facing increasing pressure legal and political pressure and as Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul its part of ongoing controls on the media.How to turn your nearest and dearest into diamondsWith the new James Bond film hitting the screens this week, it seems an old maxim of creator Ian Fleming could be true.Now, Diamonds really are forever. Algordanza, a small company based in Switzerland has started using the ashes of dead people to make diamonds, which then serve as a permanent memento for the deceased’s nearest and dearest. But, especially in these financially troubled times, is this not a rather extravagant funeral expense? Interview: Rob Turner/ Veit Brimer (Chairman of Algordanza)What do chess and boxing have in common?If you think chess and boxing couldn’t possibly have anything in common, think again.They’re both sports that need stamina and intelligence. They’re both two of the oldest sporting disciplines in history. And aside from that, they’ve actually been combined to create Europe’s newest sport, ChessBoxing. Before you ask the question: how can a chess player match it against a muscly boxer when the gloves are on, or vice versa: how does a fit boxer match it against a chess champ, Report: Nina HaaseCredit crunch threatens Europe’s auto industryThe ongoing financial crisis has certainly put the brakes on Europe’s automobile industry. This week German and French car makers have announced temporarily closures to their factories as demand falls due to the credit crunch. Will Europe’s car-makers have to follow the example of their US counterparts and seek federal aid to stave off bankruptcy?BMW on stopped its production in Leipzig for four days, while Mercedes-producer Daimler is shutting down for up to five weeks. French car company Renault also temporarily closed all of its local factories and some of its foreign plants, while Peugeot-Citroen said it would slash production by 30 percent. And it’s not just the manufactures themselves that are being hit: suppliers to the industry making microchips, floor mats or seatbelts have had to follow suit as well and are switching off their production lines. Now Brussels is considering financial help as an incentive for the industry to produce climate friendly cars. Interview: Rob Turner/Christoph Rauwald, senior reporter at Dow Jones in Stuttgart Is Britain headed for the tightest financial squeeze in Europe?No country seems to be entirely immune from the global financial crisis. But some appear to be worse affected than others. Among them : that former poster child of economic success – Britain.After sixteen years of uninterrupted -and often buoyant - growth, the UK has just recorded a dip in output. Even the British government admits a severe recession is on the way. And some economists say it could be the deepest in the western world. Reporter: Stephen Beard How well has France assimilated its immigrants?It’s an unfortunate part of international football that the anthems of opposing teams are drowned out in boos. But when the French national anthem, La Marseillaise was booed earlier this month at a match between the French and Tunisian teams it came as a great surprise.The game wasn’t held in Tunisia, but in Paris. The incident outraged many people, while others said the episode was overdramatized. Still, it has left questions about how well France has assimilated its immigrants over the years. Reporter : Eleanor BeardsleyCan Europeans influence the upcoming American election?Many Europeans are registering voters and rallying for their candidate. But they aren’t flag-waving patriots who want to usher their fellowcountry man or woman into office.These volunteers are giving countless hours to campaign for U.S. presidential candidates. They neither vote nor live in the country and the eventual winner won’t represent them on the world’s stage. Why bother? Nancy Greenleese finds out from some of these supporters without borders.

[ Sat, 1 Nov 2008 07:05:00 +0000 ]

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