zaterdag 6 juni 2009

It’s time to celebrate our volunteers

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Mr. Gordon Brown, says we should ‘celebrate our volunteers’. The celebration for Volunteers Day is nationwide and takes place from the 1st until the 7th of June. This year is extra special because it will be the 25th Anniversary. In the United Kingdom alone there are millions of volunteers each year helping people. This celebration helps to focus on what a Volunteer means to society and it hopefully shakes up other people to want to become one too.
Gordon Browns states that the British government are spending £11 billion a year in subsidising volunteerwork and that he is proud to support it. Volunteers are necessary and even though in these hard times of the economical crisis people are still volunteering; he is proud of them. In 2006 a national TV-campaign was launched to recruit more volunteers and they are now investing in schools so that providing volunteering opportunities will be part of students' lives.

Reaction

I think many people do not realize that without volunteers a great deal of work can not be done. We have to appreciate it. The British Government is very much involved in getting more people to volunteer. I think it is a good thing that they have launched a national TV-campaign. I believe it is even better that they are now investing in schools to make this part of students' lives. They will understand that helping other people is a good thing to do.
Even though a lot of inhabitants of the United Kingdom are not very fond of Gordon Brown right now, I do believe he has a good heart and he is the right choice for the government of this country.
I also feel that volunteering is an excellent thing to do. I used to volunteer in the local home for the elderly in my town and it gave me an excellent feeling to help others. In my opinion if everyone did this the world would be a much better place.


http://community.livejournal.com/volunteerindy/352.html

Girl, 7, 'was imprisoned and starved to death'

The only seven-year-old Khyra Ishaq was starved to death on purpose by her mother Angela Gordon 34 years old, and her stepfather, Junaid Abuhamza, 30 years old. Yesterday her affair was discussed in Birmingham Crown Court.
Timothy Raggatt, QC for the prosecution, confirmed that Khyra lead a content life at the time when her mother and biological father were still together. All of this changed when her mother met Khyra’s stepfather, Junaid Abuhamza.
Khyra lived with 5 other kids in one house. The only food they received was dry fruit, dry bread and porridge. Ms. Gordon and Mr. Abuhamza treated their children in horrific ways, for instance if they stole food they had to stand out in the cold and they were beaten with a baton.
Ms. Gordon is pleading not guilty, but Mr. Abuhamza does plea guilty but says he did not murder Khyra. The courts decision is expected soon.

Reaction

I do not understand why Ms. Gordon had Khyra in the first place. The same thing goes for Mr. Abuhamza; they are clearly not fit to be parents and why he ever had children is a mystery to me. Starving this poor girl to death means they should be sentenced for live in prison. I am actually in favour of the death penalty (which is carried out in the United States of America), but for the United Kingdom this does not apply.
And I also do not understand why the neighbours did not do anything. Apparently one of the neighbours heard Khyra screaming in the middle of the night ’let me out, let me out’. She also saw this girl outside last year when she wearing almost nothing and looking skinny. This neighbour should have called Child Services and the Police. I am pretty sure that Khyra would have survived then.



http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/girl-7-was-imprisoned-and-starved-to-death-1698147.html

zaterdag 23 mei 2009

Tatty bye, Pete

Katie Price, also known as Jordan, selected Fiona Shackleton to be her lawyer in her divorce to Peter Andre. Fiona Shackleton’s nickname is ‘Steel Magnolia’. She is famous for representing Heather Mills in her divorce from Beatle Paul McCartney.
Katie Price wants full custody over her kids and she wants to protect her £ 40 million pounds in order for Peter Andre not to get any of this.
Katie Price was seen as she walked out of Fiona Shackleton’s office. Before she met up with her attorney she took a manicure and pedicure at a beauty salon in Brighton. She also put a tattoo on her arm with Peter Andre’s name on it just before they broke up. She was intending to change her last name to Andre.
The reason for the split up was that Jordan has been cheating on Peter Andre; she kissed someone else while going out.

Reaction

I think it is ridiculous that Jordan and Peter Andre are all over the news. Of course they are celebrities but they have also got a private life. The press should not be all over them; they ought to be able to resolve their divorce themselves without being in the news every day.
I understand why Peter Andre wants a divorce; cheating on someone is unforgivable. In my view they both need to get custody over their two children Princess Tiaamii and Harvey. They do not need to suffer from their harsh divorce. In my opinion the kids come first before their parents.
Jordan found a good lawyer in Fiona Shackleton and I hope for Peter Andre’s sake that he will get a good attorney as well. Peter Andre is married under a prenuptial agreement and this means he cannot claim anything of Jordan’s £ 40 million pounds. I honestly believe this money should stay hers as she worked hard for it.


http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/2444710/Jordan-sees-divorce-brief-weeks-after-getting-Pete-tattoo.html

Winehouse cancels UK comeback

Unfortunately Amy Winehouse is not able to perform at the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Island record label at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire on May 31. This is too stressful for her, as her emotions have hit an all-time high. Some of Island Records biggest names are Bob Marley, U2 and Grace Jones; at the moment Amy is one of their biggest stars.
Amy has been staying at the island of St. Lucia for a few months now to recover from her drug and alcohol addiction. At the island she relaxes and records songs for her new album. At the beginning of this month she surprised fans by performing at a Jazz Festival but was taken to hospital after drinking too much alcohol.
According to one of Amy’s sources she feels sorry for not being able to perform, but she feels she has made the right decision.
Amy’s management offered their apologies and stated that everyone who bought tickets will get their money back.

Reaction

I feel sorry for Amy Winehouse. I am wondering what on earth made her become the person she is today. Maybe she had a bad childhood or she was abused. Somehow all of her problems got her into an alcohol and a drug addiction: it does not seem to get better. She goes from one rehabilitation clinic to another. Her song “rehab” sounds just right for her. It is like it is written about her!
In my opinion this person should not perform or be at the island of St. Lucia. She needs to get some serious help. I do not believe her record label Island Records is serious about helping her to get better. It seems like she can do whatever she wants at St. Lucia. Almost every week she is in the headlines, mostly in a negative way. She should grow up and take care of her problems! This girl is talented but wasting her life, what a shame!


http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/2444106/Amy-Winehouse-cancels-comeback-gig-in-London.html

maandag 11 mei 2009

Swine flu spreads at London school

Yesterday the news got out that Alleyn's Private School in Dulwich, South London has five new matters of swine flu: four children and an adult. At the moment there are 39 matters of swine flu in Great Britain. It started a week ago when one student came home from holidays, which he took in the US. The school has closed its doors until further notice.

The Health Protection Agency said the people infected with swine flu are okay and are treated with antiviral. This has also been given to their families, the personnel at Alleyn’s Private School and all students attending this school to stop spreading this disease further.

Reaction

It is a very unfortunate that this student got the swine flu. I believe that in the United States of America there are close precautions at the international airports to stop spreading this disease. In this case the student got the swine flu when returning home from holidays.

Luckily the government of the United Kingdom has manufactured enough Tamiflu; the main anti viral drug for its inhabitants. Because the disease turns up everywhere in the world it is mandatory that enough vaccines are being created against pandemic H1N1. In the end this ailment needs to be conquered.


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/swine-flu-spreads-at-london-school-1681823.html

Pc jailed over girl's crash death

A police officer of 41 years old, John Dougal, has been sentenced to three years after killing 16-year-old schoolgirl Hayley Adamson. He killed Hayley after driving too fast in an area where you are allowed to drive 30 mph, where John drove 94 mph.
The hearing took place in Newcastle Crown Court. He is not allowed to drive anymore for four years.

The reason he hit Hayley Adamson was because he was after a car but did not have his sirens on and hit her when she tried to cross the street. At this time he was on duty as a police officer.

Reaction

I think this is a typical case of wrong time, wrong place for both John Dougal and for Hayley Adamson. Hayley allegedly had been drinking alcohol. John Dougal was on duty and chasing a suspect car.

If Hayley had not been drinking alcohol she would have had better judgment before crossing the streets. On the other hand John Dougal should have paid more attention. He is an officer and is an example for civilians.

In my view The Newcastle Crown Court gave John Dougal the right sentence. He can think about what he did in prison and also the fact that he is banned for driving for four years is a good punishment. In jail he can think about what he did; he feels sorry for what he did. Haley’s parents will never get her back; no punishment can long enough, they have to miss her for the rest of their lives.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/8028666.stm

Nigerian group frees UK hostage

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) released Robin Barry Hughes, an inhabitant of the United Kingdom; he has been kidnapped for six months in Nigeria. He is part of 27 people that were kidnapped in September 2008.
The reason for his release is on grounds of age and health.

Robin Barry Hughes is 59 years old and was working on an oil platform. Kidnappings often take place in this country by groups of civilians with weapons because their inhabitants want the government to distribute their oil equally.
Unfortunately with the release of Robin Barry Hughes there is no news about another person that has been kidnapped by Mend, Matthew Maguire.

Reaction

It is ridiculous that Mend kidnaps people for their own good! They only take them hostage because they want to force the Nigerian Government to share oil equally. In September 2008 27 people have been taken hostage, luckily most of them have been released. Unfortunately of Matthew Maguire there is no news. They should release him instantly!

I believe Mend can take other measures to carry out their thoughts and not kidnap people for their own ideas. My opinion is that the international community has to help Nigeria with this matter and stop the kidnapping! This will result in Nigeria being safer and freed from dangerous groups.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8006961.stm

Farming family guilty of 'grotesque' cruelty

In 2008 the RSPCA found 115 horses, ponies and donkeys in Spindle Farm, Buckinghamshire; 32 of them were dead. Most animals were sick and hadn't been fed for a long time.

The family responsible for this animal cruelty was found guilty. The family exists of James Gray, 45, and his son James Junior, 16; they have been charged with 11 allegations. His wife Julie, 41, and daughters Jodie, 26, and Cordelia, 20 have been charged with 2 allegations.

Paul Jepson, chief executive and resident veterinary surgeon of the Horse Trust says that most of the animals, which were rescued, have regained health.

Reaction

I think it is ridiculous that people are harming animals! Why on earth are they doing this! If they cannot take the responsibility of taking care of animals, then why have them in the first place! And why have children? They are also a big responsibility!

This case is one of the worst cases the RSPCA has ever seen. I am glad the whole family was found guilty, but I feel they should have gotten a higher punishment! They should be put in a stable without food and with all kinds of diseases. Let’s see how they feel then!



http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/farming-family-guilty-of-grotesque-cruelty-1681818.html

Councils may recoup Iceland cash

Due to the economic crisis authorities have taken over the banks in the United Kingdom; this happened last October. Hundreds of millions of pounds which have been put into Icelandic banks by Councils now state they can reclaim most of it; 80 percent (£300m).

The Heritable Bank, which is part of Landsbanki, an Iceland bank, expects that the first amounts of money will be paid at the end of July or August. Icelandic Banks reckon they return 70 to 80 pence in the pound. If the economy trades get better close to 90 percent could be paid back.

Reaction

It is great that finally money can be reclaimed from Icelandic Banks. A lot of inhabitants of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and countries all over the world have put money into it. Some of them have put small amounts in it and other people have put thousands of Pounds into it.

After the economic crisis appeared the Icelandic Banks went bankrupt. This meant no one could get his or her money back. Right now Heritable Bank has made some promising expectations; stating they could get up to 90 percent back from the money at the end of July and August.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8007464.stm

Bankrucpies reach record level

Bankrucpies reach record level

The government's Insolvency Service states that more and more inhabitants of Wales and England are bankrupt. In January, February and March of this year 19,062 people went bankrupt and 10,713 individual voluntary arrangements (IVA’s)*. These numbers are 54 % higher than last year.
There were 29,774 personal insolvencies** during that period. In 2006, 2007 and 2008 people that were declared insolvent have stayed the same over these years. The rise of insolvencies and bankruptcies is due to the economic crisis.
Alan Tomlinson of insolvency specialists Tomlinson’s states that there are signs of recovery in the numbers and he is hopeful.

Reaction

All over the world there is a financial crisis. I feel sorry for the companies going bankrupt and for the people with personal insolvencies. In my opinion not everything about the worldwide financial crisis is bad. Of course companies go out of business and people can not pay for their goods anymore, but it is also a sign that we need to handle our money differently! In the United States of America almost every household has got one or two credit cards; they are paying with money they do not have and get into debt. This crisis shows us we can not continue like this and it also clears the air. What I mean is the unhealthy businesses will disappear and the healthy ones will remain.

* Individual voluntary arrangements (IVA’s): individuele vrijwillige regelingen
** Insolvencies: faillissementen

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8028386.stm

Speakers' Corner

Brown apology over MPs' expenses

As a representative of all political parties in the United Kingdom, MP Gordon Brown apologized for some of the allegations made by MPs in their use of House of Commons expenses. He wants the inhabitants of the county to have faith in their government again.
Some MP's have entered invoices for items including dog food and a lawnmower.
Alan Duncan – one of Shadow Common leaders - claims £4,000 for gardening costs - including a ride-on lawnmower. Universities secretary David Willetts' claimed more than £100 for workmen; to replace 25 light bulbs at his home, and tourism minister Barbara Follett had claimed more than £25,000 for security at her home.
On Monday 11th of May there will be voted for an independent auditing body to look into all the claims.

Debate

There needs to be an independent auditing body to look into all the claims made by MP's.

Arguments in favour:

- The MP's have been able to claim anything they want: it is part of their job and part of the way government works. With this shake up this will change.
- MP’s cannot claim anything they want anymore. This first needs to be approved by the independent auditing body. They will look into their claims.

Arguments against:

- MP's cannot claim anything they want. Some of the claims being made were:
- Shadow Commons leader Alan Duncan recouped £4,000 for gardening costs - including overhauling a ride-on lawnmower - and that shadow universities secretary David Willets claimed more than £100 for workmen to replace 25 light bulbs at his home.
-Over the weekend, it revealed that tourism minister Barbara Follett had claimed more than £25,000 for security at her home.
- Immigration minister Phil Woolas has threatened legal action over "disgusting" allegations he claimed for women's clothing, nappies and comics.
- The new body would be entirely independent and cost about £600,000 a year to run
- There are concerns that the proposed change to the auditing system would mean MP's expenses would no longer have to be made public under the freedom of information ruling. This means no one will hear about it.

Conclusion:

I am against MP’s claiming everything they want. It is ridiculous. This means normal folk should be able to claim every expense they make as well. I am in favour of an independent auditing body to look into all the claims.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8043447.stm