Erstellt am: 7. 5. 2013 - 14:58 Uhr

Bee-o protesters demand pesticide ban

Reality Check: Bee politics, Russia anti-Putin protests, missing women in Ohio, Harambee charity for children with disabilities in Kenya, Schwarzman Scholars

Last month, in Brussels, the ÖVP's Environment Minister, Niki Berlakovich, voted against a EU ban on pesticides thought to be harmful to bees. The outcry in Austria was enormous, and now the OVP seems to be about to do an "about turn" on the issue, Party leader, Michael Spindelegger, now says that if there is the slightest suspicion that the pesticides are causing the deaths of bees, the ÖVP will support a ban.

However, Austria is not the only fly in the ointment. At the vote last month, only 15 countries were in favour of a pesticide ban, insufficient to implement the proposal. So the Commission took the proposal to an appeals committee yesterday, but the countries are still split on the issue.

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Protesters are putting up stinging arguments as the EU bumbles along with successive inconclusive votes.

Paul Zylva from Friends of the Earth talks to Chris Cummins about the buzz over the fate of the bees.

Moscow protests

Charles Maynes reports from Moscow on the latest wave of anti-Putin protests on the anniversary of his inauguration.

Missing Women

EPA/FBI

Amanda Berry was kidnapped when she was 16 in 2003

The remarkable story of 3 Ohio women who disappeared over 10 years ago and have now escaped from their captors.

Amanda Berry was the first to escape after managing to attract the attention of a neighbour. She then alerted the police, who freed 2 other women and a child. Three brothers have been arrested in connection with the case.

Priscilla Huff reports from Washington DC on the extraordinary events that are, in many ways, reminiscent of the case of Natasha Kampusch.

Harambee

Chris Cummins reports on Harambee, a a charity active in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, trying to improvement of living conditions for children with mental or physical disabilities. Because of traditional superstitions disability there is often seen as curse on the family, which means getting real help is a huge challenge.

Schwarzman scholars

A multi-billionaire is putting part of his fortune into promoting better relations between the West and China.

Susanne Weigelin-Schwiedrzik of Vienna University explains the aims of the newly founded Schwarzman Scholars.

FM4 Reality Check

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