Update: Thanks to everyone who donated, we've hit our goal and we've saved the Archive. The Lien is off, the locks are back on and I can breathe a momentary sigh of relief. It's been a nail-biter and frankly, I think I've aged several years these past two weeks. But it's been your help, your kindness and your belief in what Newstalgia has been trying to do that has made all the difference and has energized my spirit and renewed my faith that there really is an audience out there for this kind of material. At four years, Newstalgia has only scratched the surface, and with your help and encouragement, there will be many more days months and hopefully years of relevant, pertinent and occasionally wacko historic material to offer. I'll be here as long as you're here. Thank you - thank you everyone.

This May 2nd in 1979 saw Britain on overload during the last day of campaigning just before the election. Projected to win, via recent polls, was incumbent Prime Minister James Callahan and the Labour Party. Dropping in the polls and not expected to win was challenger Margaret Thatcher and her Conservative Party. The last day of criss-crossing Britain, Thatcher promised that, if elected she would clamp down on the power of Labor Unions. Harbinger of things to come, for sure. But on this day, Callahan was expected to remain in power and the Thatcher promises were regarded as empty threats.

Not such empty threats was the assassination of Ayatullah Motahari in Tehran. A newly discovered group calling themselves Forghan claimed responsibility. The group, it was thought, was purported to be made up of supporters of The Shah and promised a lot more.

Seven bombs went off in and around Paris overnight. No injuries or loss of life, but the perps remained a mystery.

The United Nations flag was flying over Pyongyang for the first time since anyone could remember. It signified a visit from UN Secretary Kurt Waldheim for talks regarding unification of the two Koreas.

And speaking of talks - discussions on the trade imbalance between the U.S. and Japan got underway between President Jimmy Carter and visiting Prime Minister Masayoshi Ohira.

In other Capitol Hill news - President Carter was readying to announce his replacement for Army Chief of Staff General Rogers, who was leaving to replace Gen. Alexander Haig as NATO Commander in Europe.

The endless War on Drugs was heating up again. This time in Southern Floria where it was announced 14 people were so far under indictment for Drug Smuggling in Miami with many more to come.

Boston Pops Icon Arthur Fiedler celebrated his 50th season with the orchestra in a gala celebration.

And John Wayne was back in the hospital with a not-so-good prognosis.

All this and much more via The CBS World News Roundup for May 2, 1979.

Things were heating up and transitioning in the world this week. The Philippine Elections got started on Friday. The Thai protests turned deadly. The British elections drew a collective question mark and further advanced the drama with the resignation of Gordon Brown. The Australian Economy was juggling and the Canadian Navy was facing huge cutbacks (which, by the end of the week, didn't happen despite the cliff hangers). All in all, your typical non-dull week.

(Gordon Brown - capping a weird week with an abrupt departure)

Starting off the week was news of the abrupt departure of Prime Minister Gordon Brown amid a somewhat baffling election. As this segment of the BBC World Service Newshour from May 10th illustrates. Politics is far from dull in the UK.

(Money, it would appear, is the root of all money)

From ABC Radio National in Australia on May 11th, news from PM of the economic situation in Australia and what the government was doing to try and make sense out of it. Also included is some lively discussion on the current state of Australian affairs.

(Contrary to jokes about a guy in a rowboat with a shotgun . . .)

There was serious cause for alarm earlier in the week that the Canadian Government would be forced to make drastic cuts in it Navy, including eliminating training programs. As the CBC's World At Six from the 13th explained, it could have been disastrous. Luckily though, rumors of the Canadian Navy's death were premature as the feared cuts didn't materialize.

(Five deaths after the first day)

And finally, from the English Service of Radio France International on May 15th. As the elections began in the Philippines fears rose about potential violence and voter fraud as the country geared up for the first election using electronic voting. After the first day a reported five deaths resulted from election violence and by last check-in it looks like there may be another Aquino in the Presidential Palace.

So that was the week that was. If you weren't wild about this one, there's another one coming up in a day or two.

This was a busy week in the world. Riots in Greece with the added dimension of innocent deaths, the passing of a President in Nigeria and the swearing in of a new one. The concept of The Hung Parliament to get used to in Britain, and the ever-present oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico.

(BP - trying to dig out of a hole, one fathom at a time)

From the CBC Radio One program The Current on May 5th, the ongoing disaster in the Gulf of Mexico and the PR campaign BP has been working on to get out from under a searing light. The promise of "we'll pay for everything" seems to be missing the point. But then, in the "never-never land" of big business, all things return to normal at the sign of a fat check, or so it would be hoped.

(A street in Athens this week - anger of Hellenic proportions, but then it turned pointless)

Via the BBC World Service Newshour for May 5th. The riots in Greece took an ugly turn with the deaths of three innocent bank employees, one a pregnant woman, when the bank they were working in was torched by rioters on this Wednesday. The anger turned to revulsion but the crisis continued.

(The late President Umaru Yar'Adua of Nigeria - genuinely liked everywhere)

It had been eluded to for some time, but Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua had been stricken with Cancer for a while and had not been seen in public for months. When Nigerian Radio broke the news of his passing it sent a wave of sadness and resigned shock throughout Africa, as was reported on May 6th by this special edition of Africa Today from the BBC Africa Service.

(Newly sworn in Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan - even the name is optimistic)

Within hours of Yar'Adua's passing, Goodluck Jonathan was sworn in as the new President of Nigeria, at least for the next six months before the official elections begin. BBC World Service Global News for May 6th reported on the swearing in and the future for Nigeria. Also in the broadcast are reports of new tunnel activity in the Gaza region. The Middle East is never too far away from new drama.

(Britain's answer to Joe The Plumber - A Pullet Surprise)

And finally, as the General election in Britain ended with a Hung Parliament, pundits and crystal ball gazers on both sides of the Atlantic are twisting like pretzels to figure out what it all means. As this BBC Five Live Story Of The Day from May 7th illustrates, the arduous task of coalition building and negotiation now takes place . . well, until the next election in six months time. And by then the world may have spun further off its axis.

And so went this week. Even though you may have slept through it there's still next week to consider. Or not.

(People who normally would not mix)

With the elections in Britain less than a week away, and the latest gaff on Gordon Brown's part, BBC Radio 4 produced a documentary which aired last week about the Class System in Britain.

We may find that odd (although ours is probably more subtle) that the subject of ones class is such an important issue with many people in the UK. The extent of the cultural/class divide is quite large and in this documentary it's addressed and explored and brought to light.

Like I said, we might find it odd that being born into one economic/social family or another has great implications on what you are going to achieve in your later life - it would probably not occur to most people here that being included or excluded because of your social standing, or what your parents did for a living is a relevant issue and colors what you are slated to achieve in this life.

If you aren't familiar with the subject, or have heard about the Class System by all means check out the above documentary and think about the upcoming election and realize we're not talking about 40 or 50 years ago but this past week.

Another week of non-stop events. Between Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visiting Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe to drum up support against U.N. Sanctions, to the upcoming British elections and the latest turn of events for Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the ongoing situation in Thailand, Belgium's ruling on the Burqua, the financial crisis in Greece and the ongoing situation in the Gulf of Mexico and the looming environmental catastrophe.

(Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - suddenly Robert Mugabe is his BFF)

Beginning with this report from Sunday the 25th, Talk Radio 702 in South Africa ran this recap of the visit from Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Zimbabwe and the political ramifications.

(The Whale, it would appear, has no say in the matter)

On Monday the 26th, ABC Radio National's AM Program ran an item on financial reform going on in Australia (strange, aren't we doing the same thing?) and the continuing negotiations over commercial Whaling in Japan.

(It seems the phrase "vote early-vote often" applies here too)

Also on Monday, the BBC Africa Service via their program Africa Today took a look at the recently held elections in Sudan and charges of voter fraud.

(Gordon Brown - putting ones foot squarely in ones mouth)

From the CBC's World At Six on the 28th, news of the ongoing Canadian bribery scandal, the worsening situation in the Gulf of Mexico and Prime Minister Gordon Brown's embarrassing moment with an open microphone.

(Not a great week for Greece)

Also on the 28th, the BBC World Service's Newshour devoted a good portion of their program to the financial crisis in Greece. A crisis that, at last report, is now spreading to Portugal and Spain.

(How to turn a political campaign into a Mea Culpa tour)

The Gordon Brown story won't go away. The BBC's 5Live dedicated their Story Of The Day to the Gordon Brown fiasco and the effect it's having on potential voters - not to mention bringing up the old "class differences" argument.

(The Oil Rig fire - rapidly becoming a disaster of epic proportions)

And finally, the Friday April 30th edition of Global News covers the worsening story in the Gulf Of Mexico as well as Belgian Government rulings on banning the Burqua and the implications the ban will have on the 1/2 million Muslims living in Belgium.

And no doubt a lot more, and probably a lot more developing at this very moment.

The world was a busy place this week and at last report, it hasn't stopped.

(Elections in Sudan - at least they could listen to music)

From the BBC Africa Service, reports on the elections in Sudan and the growing oppression in Somalia on the parts of Muslim extremists. This week imposing a ban on all music played over the radio.

(China - a disaster made worse by inaccessibility)

By Mid-week, reports of the earthquake near the Tibetan border grew more grim by the minute. First reported hundreds dead, then 600 dead and, at last count over 800 dead. Rescue work is being hampered by the altitude and thin air but miracles are still happening. Also, from this Global News Report from April 14th, updates on the aftermath of the tragedy in Poland, news on land reform in Zimbabwe and the upcoming British elections.

(Helena Guergis and Rahid Jaffer - gives a whole new spin on the phrase "hot chicks with douchebags")

From the CBC World News At Six on April 15th, the continuing scandal and resignation of Canadian MP and Cabinet member Helena Guergis and allegations of "improprieties" on behalf of her husband, former MP Rahim Jaffer. Nice to know we aren't the only ones who get mired in sex and drug scandals. Also reports of torture of Afghan prisoners by troops in 2006 as reported by a member of the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

(The first time the UK held televised debates . . what hath God wrought?)

From the BBC Politics site on April 16th, a capsule version of the previous nights first-ever live televised Debate between candidates for Prime Minister. Now it's the UK's chance to drown in spin, pundits and polls. Various news outlets are reporting the Liberal Democrat Nick Clegg won hands down. Let the beauty contest begin.

(The vice-President in Israel reacting to the sound of wingnuts exploding)

If you ever thought the shrill shriek of wingnut radio was the exclusive property of the U.S., that we somehow were the only country on the planet bombarded by noise and extremism, I'm here to tell you it just ain't so. Big relief, right? Well, in Israel they have this prevalent radio network called Israel National Radio and, even by their own admission are probably one of the most hard-line right wing propaganda outlets in the middle-east. In comparison, Fox seems almost moderate by comparison. Take for example an excerpt from this April 16th broadcast of A Light Unto The Nation which features interviews with Daniel Pipes and Dr. Mike Cohen. They despise Joe Biden and pretty much hate Obama. Sounds familiar, no? They don't however, say anything about being "fair and balanced" - that's a relief.

And so went the world this week, continuing its inevitable spin. We survived so far.

A typical March 28th day in the Cold War world.

Beginning with word from Capitol Hill that the House Appropriations Committee voted to give President Eisenhower authority to spend the 1959 Budget in 1958. The unprecedented move was brought about to stimulate business and an attempt to bring the economy out of the doldrums.

Also on Capitol Hill - the Senate Appropriated funds for the Civil Rights Commission and UAW President Walter Reuther was testifying before the Senate Rackets Committee.

In other parts of the world - The Liberal Party in Britain won it's first election in over 29 years. Saudi Arabia ended it's $14Million subsidy to Jordan. U.S. Military aid to Yugoslavia officially ended on this day and Volkswagen workers in Germany went on a one hour strike to protest calls to arm German troops with Nuclear weapons.

The rest of this broadcast was given over to commentary regarding the new rise of power from Nikita Khruschev in Moscow, how it was viewed by the Press throughout the world. How the British Press regarded the newly emerging Khruschev from "We must try and get on reasonable terms with the Soviet Union, no matter who is running the country" to "More dangerous than Stalin".

Only time would tell where Nikita Khruschev would fall in those assessments.

And that's how it went this March 28th in 1958, via Cedric Foster News and Commentary over the Mutual Broacasting System.

As a supplement to yesterdays entry where election votes were in the process of being counted, this installment of Edward R. Murrow and The News is from the following day (October 26th) and gives an assessment of the election outcome and how it will impact British domestic and Foreign policy.

According to Murrow, not much. The win was a somewhat slim one. With enough of a majority claimed by the Conservatives to enact some changes, but not big enough to go after major issues in Post-War Britain. The polls showed the Labour Party had actually scored 200,000 more popular votes than the Conservatives, but ironically the number of Parliamentary seats the Conservatives gained was in direct proportion to the number the Labour Party gained in the previous election. Some called it reverse stalemate, and others said it was further evidence the division between parties was getting deeper (reminder: this is 1951 we're talking about, not 2011).

Reactions in Egypt and Iran were understanably predictable, with demonstrating Iranian students renaming Churchill Street in Tehran Mossadegh Street and shouting "Down with Churchill" at mass demonstrations while Egypt placed an embargo on British Naval ships from entering the Suez Canal.

The talk shifted of a looming economic crisis in Britain - utilizing the "guns or butter" argument over increased military spending while employing austerity measures in social programs and having disastrous results.

In short, the newly re-established government of Winston Churchill, who was returning to #10 Downing Street for the first time since 1945, was headed for a bumpy ride.

In Washington, response to the Churchill win was warm with a certain reservation. Reserved because of a hint from Churchill he would visit Stalin in Moscow at some point and the White House was hoping for perhaps a summit meeting in Washington. Republicans hailed the Churchill win as a harbinger for a Republican win in 1952, saying the world was turning right.

Meanwhile, President Truman had his own batch of problems to deal with, namely in the form of strikes breaking out all over the country. The Dockworkers on the East Coast were picketing and and Railroads were looming with walkouts. Even pipe fitters were staging walk outs at the Oak Ridge Nuclear Power Plant. No one, it appeared, was immune.

And that's what it looked like to Edward R. Murrow, with Bill Shadel reporting from New York on this October 26, 1951 installment of Edward R. Murrow and The News.

News for this October 25th in 1951 was primarily about the British elections. As this broadcast of Edward R. Murrow and The News went on the air, votes were in the process of being counted. Murrow reported live from London with a breakdown. And even though Conservatives were projected to win a slim majority, by the end of the broadcast Murrow updated the numbers with 81 seats for Labor, 68 for Conservatives and 1 for Liberals. There were still many hours of counting left to go.

In other news, ceasefire talks were continuing over the Korean War with American proposals being bandied about. Still, the air war continued. In another potential hot spot, Premier Mossadegh of Iran was in Washington for talks with whoever was still in town, as most of the State Department was heading off to Paris, over the Iran/British Oil crisis and the resulting embargo of various goods from Britain. The Soviet Union were more than willing to help out, offering sugar and other food stuffs in exchange for favors. No doubt that put the icing on a few cakes.

Domestically, the cost of living was going up.

All in all, a reasonably calm day with implications for the future, but not for the present as reported by Bill Shadel in Washington and Edward R. Murrow in London this October 25, 1951.

(Earthquake in China - a rather jumpy few weeks in the world)

In case you were curious, there were other things going on in the world today. China is the latest in what seems to be a swarm of earthquakes larger than 5.0 going on throughout the world. The consensus of opinion is evenly divided as to whether this is normal or the harbinger of things to come. Either way, the world is still shaking. The elections in Sudan have been going on. The British election season is heating up and the Poles are still in mourning over the loss of Lech Kaczynski and 95 others over the weekend. A state funeral is expected to take place on Sunday with President Obama and most of the world's dignitaries in attendance.

So here are two capsules of the days news. Above is from Newshour at 1300 GMT from BBC World Service and below is the External Service (English) of Radio Poland.

(at last count, the wait was nine hours)

A busy day. And the rest of the world could care less about Sarah Palin's speaking demands.