Health

27 December 2010

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12067344

Average UK male weight up 16lb in 15 years, study finds

Summery

In the UK the number of overweight men and women has increased in the past 20 years. Scientists say that many people put on so much weight because they eat more and take less physical exercises. There is more food available than 15 to 20 years ago and people also use the car more often than before. Another problem is that most people have an inactive job. If overweight people do not change their behaviour, there is a big change that they will get diabetes or heart diseases, leading to a poor quality of live and maybe even death.

Reaction

You would think that with everything we know by now about living healthy and the risks when you do not, we would take more care of ourselves. Unfortunately many people are still overweight and it is getting worse. I think it is important to start discussing this issue in primary schools. We should learn children about healthy food and why it is important to exercise regularly. Probably this topic is already being discussed in schools but then we should stress the importance of it even more. Other people also need to be helped with getting a healthier lifestyle. Stressing the importance of it does not help with some people, so we need to think of other ways as well to promote a healthier lifestyle.

Bargain Hunters

27 December 2010

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3318808/BOXING-Day-bargain-hunters-crammed-stores-to-make-it-Britains-biggest-shopping-day-ever.html

BOXING Day bargain hunters crammed stores yesterday to make it Britain's biggest shopping day ever

Summery

Millions of people hunted for bargains on Boxing Day. Some people were already waiting in the shopping streets the night before and at 9am many car parks were blocked, whilst shops did not open until 11am. The prices dropped with 50 to 75% and sometimes even 90%. These discounts even attracted shoppers from Asia, were tour operators offer ‘lightening trips’ because many want to buy designer brands with these discounts. People were running around in the shops and screaming to each other to try and get the best bargains. After the next few days many people will end up in the red and the shops will have earned 22.5 billions pounds together.

Reaction

It is amazing that so many people try to get the best bargains. I have an image in my head of people running around, screaming and fighting over stuff, whilst pulling at each others hair. I cannot imagine that you want something so badly that you would fight over it. I can remember that we had something similar ones here when H&M sold clothes from a special designer and maybe when the Bijenkorf has its three days of discount it gets busy too. I do not think though that we could have anything near what they describe about shopping on Boxing Day in London.

Politics

16 December 2010

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/2010/12/16/legalise-drugs-for-a-safer-world-says-former-home-office-minster-bob-ainsworth-115875-22786625/

Legalise drugs for a safer world, says former Home Office minister Bob Ainsworth

Summery

Home Office minister Bob Ainsworth says that drugs should be legalised. Ainsworth said yesterday that prohibbiting drugs caused more problems instead of solving them. He also says that leaving the drugs market in the hands of criminals could cause even more mischief to people, communities and countries. The UK now needs a better option and that is a strict system of legal regulations. Ainsworth says that by legalising drugs the world would be a better place. Former Tory cabinet minister Peter Lilley and senior Lib Dem backbencher Tom Brake support Ainsworth in his statement.

Reaction

I think that legalising drugs would work. People do not need criminals or other dodgy people anymore to buy their drugs from but they could buy it in some sort of shop. The government needs to organize it very well though to make sure only the right shops sell drugs and that there is a restriciton on how much people can buy. It is proven that legalising drugs works, like here in the Nethelands. We have less drugs related problems and I think that there might even be less people using drugs than before it was legalised.

World News

13 December 2010

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/13/chile-miners-visit-manchester-united

Manchester United play host to Chilean miners

Summery

The 33 minders, who were rescued from the San José copper mine, were invited to join Manchester United during a practice session. After that they also watched the match against Arsenal. The trip was organized by Sir Bobby Carlton, who’s father was a miner, and  by Latin America’s largest winery Concha y Toro, who is a sponsor of United. After the miners were flown in they had a celebration meal with Carlton. Everybody has great respect for the miners because they survived the horrible accident. The visit of the miners will probably feature in some films about the dramatic rescue and about their status as international role models.

Reaction

It is amazing that these miners were rescued and that the miners themselves were able to stay alive so long. It is also great that it gets so much attention and that we realize how difficult and dangerous the live of a miner is. I do think though that it is a bit hypocrite to fly them over here to visit the club Manchester United. Of course it is a great opportunity for them to fly all the way here, but I doupt that they realy new this club. It sounds more like a publicity stunt of Manchester United, especially now this visit will probably also feature in some films about the rescue and the miners.

The weather

13 December 2010

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/latest/2010/12/13/uk-braced-for-new-arctic-blast-115875-22780487/

UK braced for new arctic blast

Summery

Earlier this month snowstorms caused many problems in Scotland and eastern England. The area’s are not even fully recovered from this jet and know there is even more snow coming their way. They expect new snowstorms, cold and very strong winds and temperatures around minus 10C.  People must be very careful because of the possibility of icy roads. It is also possible that airports and trains will be disrupted again because of the weather, just like earlier this month. The far south might be lucky to escape from the snowstorms and cold weather.

Reaction

It is apperently not only a problem in the Netherlands to keep the trains running during freezing temperatures. As soon as it starts snowing and the temperatures drop below zero the trains are disrupted. It is funny that it happens every year. The icy roads also sound familiar, but luckily we did not have the problem of completely blocked roads, like in Scotland, were they could not get the roads ice free immediately. Lets hope we can manage that all winter and that we will not get problems like last year or like they are having in some parts of Scotland now.

England

13 December 2010

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-11982048

Man jailed for 23 years for chef murder

Summery

Karl Wills killed Reynald Duchene by stabbing him with a knife in his heart. Reynolds was attacked when leaving a classical music concert in Essex. Reynolds told Karl off because he was pestering Ms Haddlesey. Karl denies that he murdered Reynolds. He says that he did not want to kill him but that it was an accident because he went ‘crazy’. A witness told the jury though that Karl later demonstrated the killing to a girl he just met. Karl now is condemned to serve at least 23 years in jail. After that he might be considered for parole.

Reaction

It is good to hear that a murderer is condemned to at least 23 years of jail before he will even be considered for parole. Here in the Netherlands it is too easy to state that somebody was ‘crazy’ and that because of that they were not aware of what they did. It is also possible that a murderer gets out within 10 years because of good behaviour. We should be more strict and should not let murderers get away with it to easy, like in this case. Although Karl says it was an accident, evidence says otherwise. It was a deliberate act and he needs to be punished for that.

Politics

30 November 2010

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11870742

Lewisham town hall protest broken up by riot police

Summery

On Monday evening during a meeting at Lewisham Town Hall about council cuts and tuition fees, a crowd gathered  outside the building to protest about the council cuts and tuition fees. There were many people that wanted to attend the meeting, unfortunately they only allowed 40 people to get in. The other people started to protest outside the building because there was no video room available, so they could not hear what was said. At 18.30 GMT there were at least a hundred people protesting outside the building. The police sent horses, police cars and blocked the close by roads so nobody could get in or out.  Four people got arrested.

Reaction

I can imagine that people wanted to protest, especially, against the rise of the tuition fees. The meeting should have been organized better by making sure there was a video room available. If there would have been a video room then, probably, there would have been less problems. The reason the police had to come and help was because people forced themselves to get in and listen. I think though, that the police was overreacting by blocking the nearby roads. Many people wanted a peaceful protest to show their anger and only some people used violence against the police.

Education

22 November 2010

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/2010/11/22/british-children-taught-brutal-sharia-law-in-weekend-schools-across-the-country-115875-22730937/

British children taught brutal Sharia Law in weekend schools across the country

Summary

Weekend schools are not being checked by Ofsted jet but that should change soon. Approximately 5000 Muslim children go to a weekend school where they get thought about the Saudi national curriculum. In the textbooks and exercise books they use is, for example, a list about the bad qualities of Jews and how to punish thieves by chopping of their hands or feet. They also learn that people who die and did not believe in the Islam will go to hell. The Secretary of Education said that that this kind of education does not belong in English education.

Reaction

First of all I think weekend schools should definitely be checked because it is important to know what children learn in every school. It is shocking that they learn about things like how to punish other people who have a different believe or that the Islam is the only true belief. There should be more control about what children get taught about a certain belief, also in other weekend schools like bible schools. It is of course important to learn something about your own believe but they also should learn to respect other believes than their own.

Health

21 November 2010

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11796903

Make cigarette packaging plain, government urges

Summary

Cigarette packets should be less attractive. It should help children not to start smoking and it would help people who want to stop smoking. Packaging is very important for more sales because it could mislead smokers by its looks. Next year shops need to cover up displays of cigarettes already but it might take a while before the packets will be a plain colour. It would be good if this approach will help because the rates of bad health and deaths from smoking is still very high. Not everybody agrees though that plain packaging will help to get the smoking rates down.

Reaction

I think it might be a good idea to give the packets a plain colour and only put information about health risks on them. Covering up displays of cigarettes and plain packaging could prevent children to start smoking but I do not think it will help smokers to stop smoking. It does not matter how that packet looks, if you are addicted then you need something else to help you stop than a change of colour on a packet. I do think that if displays of cigarettes and cigarettes are more out of sight in shops people might buy them less often.

Politics

Friday 19 November 2010

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/nov/19/ministers-cut-vat-drink-pubs

Ministers urged to cut VAT in pubs

Summary

Buying alcohol in a pub is much more expensive than buying it in a supermarket. This results in drinking on the streets and that causes all sorts of alcohol related problems like antisocial behaviour. If the VAT is lowered from 20% to 12% pubs would be able to compete with supermarkets. This would help the pubs, who have problems, to increase their yearly income and keep the drinkers of the streets. Many think this is a new and practical idea to the problems there are due to cheap alcohol that is sold in many supermarkets.

Reaction

I am not sure if this idea of lowering the VAT on alcohol in pubs will help preventing the problems there are due to cheap alcohol. The pubs will now be able to compete with supermarkets and that could maybe lead to higher prices in supermarkets because they might sell less alcoholic drinks. I think though that people will start to drink more in pubs because the alcoholic drinks are cheaper than before and that could mean that we would still have the problem with drunk people on the streets because they have to get home eventually.

Royal News

Friday 19 November 2010

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/11/19/prince-william-and-kate-middleton-wedding-day-every-second-will-be-meticulously-planned-115875-22724195/

Prince William and Kate Middleton wedding day: Every second will be meticulously planned

Summary

Finally Prince William and Kate will marry. Just as all the other Royal marriages the wedding will be completely planned. Prince William and Kate will marry in the Westminster Abbey, they will not spend the night together the day before and Kate will have her four minute walk up the aisle, where, at the end, Prince William will wait for her in his RAF uniform. After the wedding they will drive back to Buckingham Palace, where they will stand on the balcony and have their first public kiss as husband and wife.

Reaction

Almost everybody is trilled that Prince William and Kate will finally marry. There will be millions of people around the Westminster Abbey days before the wedding to have the best spot. During the wedding there will be few things that we do not know yet, like Kate’s wedding dress and parts of the ceremony, but apart from that we basically know every part of their wedding from the first minute till the end. I think this is a pity, although it probably is due to security reasons and tradition, but there is not much space for their own things to make it their special and personal wedding.

Debate blog for the Speakers' Corner

Friday 12 November 2010

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/nov/12/british-colonel-giles-iraq-inquiry

British colonel keeps rank despite being branded 'unreliable witness'

Summary:

Colonel Dudley Giles is a very important witness in a military police investigation that dismissed the claim that British soldiers crippled and killed 20 unarmed Iraqi civilians during a gunfight that now is known as the Battle of Danny Boy. Giles lied in court about this case. He also emailed his staff to ask them to change their witness statement. He wanted them to leave out the fact that they were overworked and that they asked for support from other military police investigators. Gail’s is now described as an unreliable witness.

Despite the fact that he lied and is an unreliable witness he still keeps his position as Deputy Provost Marshal, second in command of the Royal Military Police, within the military police.

Reaction:

Colonel Dudley Giles should have been discharged from his post as Deputy Provost Marshal. He is unreliable as leader because he ignores important details and lies during an investigation. It is also very scary that his staff listens to him, when he asks them to change their witness statement.

The MoD states that although Giles keeps his post, he will not be responsible for investigations any more. I do not think this is enough. Giles still has a high position within the Royal Military Police and, therefore, is still in a position to influence the investigation and the people involved.

Real life

9 November 2010 Last updated at 12:55 GMT
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-11719467

Cardiff girl's stolen wheelchair found damaged

Summary:

The wheelchair of Olivia, ten years old, has been stolen when she was visiting her grandmother. It has been found but it is damaged and Olivia cannot use it at the moment.  The police arrested a 13-year old boy, who they suspect has done it.

It would be for the best if Olivia could get a new wheelchair but her mother has been told that Olivia cannot get a new wheelchair because she has one at school. It is unfortunately not possible to use that one at home because otherwise she would not have a wheelchair at school.

Reaction:

It should not be possible that a little girl, who cannot get around without a wheelchair, cannot get a new wheelchair. It is not Olivia’s fault that her wheelchair got stolen and got damaged so badly. Until her old wheelchair gets fixed she will have to get around in her wheelchair from when she was three years old. This is of course ridicules because it is too small for Olivia, who is now then years old.

We all have to make a stand against this because people should be helped in times like these. People should not accept it when they are told they cannot get help.

Dear readers

On this blog I will summarize and react to articles I have read in several British newspapers. The articles will be about different topics like education, politics, history etc. I hope you all enjoy reading my blog and will join me in the discussion!

Maria