maandag 24 mei 2010

Oona King in bid to be London's mayor in 2012


Summary

The former Labour MP Oona King has announced her return to frontline politics by challenging Ken Livingstone to become Labour's candidate for mayor of London in 2012. The contest will be decided at the party conference in the autumn. Candidates have to have 33 names before they can take part in the hustings in June and July. David Miliband has announced 38 MP supporters, Ed Balls 20, Ed Miliband 18 and Andy Burnham 14. McDonnell has two, but more than 150 MPs still have to make up their minds before 9 June.

Reaction
I think that I only read these stories because I have to have a diverse range of topics for my blog. I do not find them interesting at all but I must say that I really like the idea of a women challenging a man. That has somehow always been, and probably always will be, the most interesting of all challenges because it is almost like a battle of the sexes. This makes it a bit easier to read and to follow.

Two boys guilty of attempted rape charges in London



speakers corner
Summary

Two boys of age 10 and 11 have been found guilty of attempted rape of an eight-year-old girl. The boys, who were age 10 at the time had denied two charges of rape and two of attempted rape of a child under 13. They were convicted of two counts of attempted rape. Both boys were ordered to be registered as sex offenders, although the judge said he was "not quite sure" how this worked with children of their age. Prosecutors told the trial that the girl was playing with a friend when the boys had approached her. They took her to a block of flats, a bin shed and a field and said they were playing doctors and nurses.

Reaction
I would like to know how the boys reacted to all of this. The victim is of course the one who suffers but the boys do too in this case because I do not think they are to be fully blamed. I wonder if they ever saw a psychiatrist during the trial to exclude any mental diseases or see what kind of roll the parents and the school played. I somehow think that the boys were influenced by someone or something else. A “normal” and happy child does not show such behaviour.

maandag 10 mei 2010

Mystery over Manchester gardener with bullet in brain



Summary
Peter Hesford was admitted to hospital last month after being shot in the eye. He was in his garden on Grindley Avenue, Chorlton at the time of the shooting and does not recall what happened to him. Mr Hesford’s condition is very serious but he is stable. The bullet that entered his head through his eye is still lodged in the brain. The police have no clue as to who did this and why and ask anyone who has seen or heard anything suspicious to contact them. Mr Hesford and his family are upset and very concerned.

Reaction
I really hope Mr Hesford pulls through and can recover fully from his injury, although he will probably never be able to see again with his one eye. I cannot understand why someone would shoot an innocent man. I know that a lot of shootings are caused by revenge and anger but why do people always have to use violence to make themselves feel better. I sometimes think that we are the ones who should be called beasts for we kill for no reason. It is however possible that Mr Hesford was shot by accident. There are stories of bullets being shot in the air and killing a person on its way back to earth. In that case I think the police should give more workshops on how guns work.

dinsdag 4 mei 2010

Britons 'watch four hours of TV a day'



Summary
British viewers watched more than four hours of TV a day in the first three months of 2010 as a result they watched an average of 48 ads a day. A number of factors influenced this growth including more digital channels, the economic recession and the cold winter. Thinkbox said that this growth is seen in all age groups. The report only measures viewing through a television such as virgin media’s cable servicele service, but not through services such as the iPlayer that are watched on a computer. Thinkbox chief executive, Tess Alps says "Record levels are unlikely to continue. We are nearing the peak, if we are not there already”.
Reaction

Reaction

Life without a television is unthinkable in these modern times. A lot of peole rely on their television to keep intouch with the world around them. Television also often gives a worng message or image about the world around us. An example which occurs daily is the poor state South Africa is in. Many people now believe that a South African lives in mudhuts and wears rags. I think that if we are going to watch more tv at least the information should be true and there should be more programmes for adults during the day otherwise we’ll end up with teletubbies as highlights of our day.

John Curtice: Influence of Lib Dems in hung parliament depends on staying ahead of Labour



Summary

“Nick Clegg now faces 10 days that are likely to define his political career”.
The party's average poll rating is down a point on all polls which were organized between the first and second leader debates. The Lib dems are, despite the slip, still ahead of labour so they still have a good chance of becoming second. Most polls say Tory and Labour counterparts are less likely to change their minds than the lib dem supporters. They also show that not everyone Is enthousiastic about a hung parliament. According to ComRes 54 per cent think that a hung parliament will put the economic recovery at risk and accroding to BPIX 55 per cent believe it would turn out to be a weak government. Even Lib Dem supporters appear to be uncertain about a hung parliament.

Reaction

I still really do not care about polititcs and I know as little as nothing about it. I can however understand that supporters are starting to worry about a hung parliament. These three parties are known for their differences and their leaders are known for their verbal attacks on each other. If a hung parliament is formed, the best thing the three parties can do is sit down together and stay there until they make peace and can see eye to eye. They have to work together if they want to make it all work.