05/12/2012

As civil war rages in Syria, the ex NATO ambassador Robert Hunter breaks down the diplomatic moves behind the scenes which resulted in Turkey being given permission to use patriot missiles to defend its borders from any attacks from Syria. He tells Rhod it's an effort by NATO to send a signal that 'folks are serious' about Syria not deploying chemical weapons - but he's not sure it'll work. Looking ahead, Mr Hunter says at the moment the world is throwing a 'bunch of tactics to deal with a human crisis but no clear idea what will happen tomorrow or the day after'. He ends by telling Rhod he 'wishes he had better news'.

To Arizona where the search is on for a little girl whose life could be in serious danger. Police say Emily was on the verge of being released from hospital, when her mother took her out of the unit in Phoenix, removing her heart catheter, leaving her with an open wound. Sergeant Steve Martos tells Rhod he's deeply concerned for the girl as any infection could kill her in days. He tells us despite making contact with her father, there is still no sign of the girl or her mother, who could now face criminal charges for putting the child's life at risk.

And how does your garden grow...on Mars? Physicist and space science producer at Discovery News, Ian O'Neill, tells us how plans by the Chinese to be self sufficient on the red planet are not crazy but an 'essential' idea if we're ever to become multi-planetary beings. He tells us the Chinese have been carrying out trials in space like conditions here on earth -- but no one knows just how healthy the human guinea pigs were at the end...