Lockerbie bomber protests innocence in 'last' interview

Originally by: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-16298313
Published: 22 December 2011

Abdelbasat al-Megrahi has given his ‘last interview’. Again he denied any involvement in the Lockerbie bombing. Al-Megrahi is the only person to have been convicted in connection with the 1988 attack. After being diagnosed with cancer, he was released on compassionate grounds in 2009 and returned to Libya. Scotland’s Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland travelled to the US for a memorial service and laid a wreath on behalf of the people of Scotland. Mr Mulholland is cooperating with FBI director Robert Mueller and US attorney general Eric Holder to discuss the opportunities for stepping up the investigation in Libya into the bombing.

My reaction

This will be a never ending story. Although al-Megrahi is convicted for the 1988 attack, clearly he will never acknowledge any involvement. People can speculate if his disease was falsely diagnosed just to have an opportunity to go back to Libya, but it will not change the situation regarding his release. On the other hand, there are the families of the 270 deaths left behind again with injustice and questions. For them it’s important that someone is convicted and receives the proper punishment. In my opinion, Mr Mulholland is doing the right thing to seek for answers about the vague situation, in other words seeking for justice again.

Adoptive parent checks: Overhaul planned in England

Originally by: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-16285610
Published: 22 December 2011

The government is to overhaul the way people in England are checked to see if they are suitable to adopt children. A new panel has been set up which will work with its adoption adviser, Martin Narey, to draw up plans. Nowadays ministers say that the process is too slow and that many are put off or others are excluded unnecessarily. The government says that detailed assessment is the best way to do so. They have pledged to speed up the adoption process and says it wants more children adopted. The main aim of the panel is to suggest a way which lessens the bureaucracy social workers are facing. The panel will also set out timescales for checking people's suitability and training them, and suggest new ways of monitoring the success of the adoption system. The idea is to try to identify the children who need adoption as quickly as possible, and then to make sure that there is a supply of adopters ready and waiting to adopt those children. Others are saying that the government shouldn’t emphasise speed over the quality of assessment, because adoption is for life. However Mr Narey told BBC that the system could be both shortened and made more rigorous without relaxing the system.

My reaction

Bureaucracy is a big problem in most of the government policies and also within the adoption system. It is in the best interest of the children and the potential adoptive parents that the current system is under revision. Years go by as a result of too much paperwork and in the meantime future parents are waiting and waiting. Even during a long process of assessment there is a chance that potential parents will not be accepted as adoptive parents. Therefore, speeding up the process is a very important improvement, because future parents are screened within a shorter time-span. On the other hand, I think it is important that the system will not be too flexible, a detailed and strict assessment is still necessary in order to decide whether parents qualify for raising a child.

Royal Marine killed in Afghanistan blast

Originally by: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16307313
Published: 22 December 2011

A royal marine has been killed by an explosion south of the Afghan capital Kabul, the Ministry of Defence says. The marine was fatally wounded after the vehicle in which he was travelling was struck by the blast. The death came as almost 1,000 Afghan and British troops carried out an offensive to secure three key transit routes in parts of Helmand province. The UK has announced it would invest in more lightweight armoured vehicles and new roadside bomb counter-measures. The order for new kit in Afghanistan includes 100 more Foxhound protected patrol vehicles and £200m on new technology to counter roadside bombs. The Foxhounds, which will be built in the UK, have an armoured hull and are replacements for the Snatch Land Rover, which were criticised for failing to offer enough protection. Earlier this week, Prime Minister David Cameron indicated he was planning a phased withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. Some 500 are due to be pulled out next year, with more expected to follow in 2013.

My reaction

To my opinion, every marine lost in the line of duty is one too many. Lost marines most certainly have a family back at home and to them it is heart breaking to hear from another person that a father, husband, mother or wife has been killed during duty. I hope that progress will be made soon in protecting those marines. Because they are very important in war zones, but to serve their country in battle, leaving their homes behind. However, more and better equipment costs money and therefore I’m glad to hear that the Prime Minister is planning a complete, although phased, withdrawal of all the troops from Afghanistan. Now we just have to hope the troops will leave a secure and safe place to live in Afghanistan.

New dog attack guidance for judges

Originally by: http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/new-dog-attack-guidance-for-judges
Published: 15 December 2011

Owners of dangerously out-of-control dogs which harm others in a public place could face up to two years in jail under new guidelines for judges. The Sentencing Council said its proposals aimed to ensure that irresponsible owners who put the public at risk are banned from keeping dogs, genuinely dangerous dogs are put down and compensation can be paid to victims. The new guidelines also covers dogs which are dangerously out of control and the possession of banned dogs. Owners can still face jail if they allow their dogs to be dangerously out of control in a public place, especially near children or a number of other dogs. Also any deliberate goading of the dog by its owner would be seen as an aggravating factor by judges.

My reaction

Personally, I love dogs even the ones that look very aggressive. In my opinion, it’s the way you raise and treat a dog. Therefore I totally agree with the new guidelines for judges. Irresponsible owners that put the public at risk are now banned from keeping dogs and this is a good development. So, those owners are prevented from having dogs again after a sentence and thus they cannot put the public at risk again. I also think it’s the right thing to have guidelines wherein owners can face jail after threatening with their out of control dog, especially when there are children involved. Finally, I am putting dangerous dogs down after an assault, these dogs deserve a second chance with a new environment. 

Rules ‘to help mortgage prisoners’

originally by: http://news.uk.msn.com/articles.aspx?cp-documentid=160067120
published:  15 December 2011

Next week the Financial Services Authority (FSA) will announce the change in mortgage application rules, according to the Daily Mail. A lot of people are locked in negative equity and unable to move house. New mortgage rules will help those struggling to upgrade their home by making them able to get better loans. After the announcement follows a two-year inquiry will reveal proposals designed to stop a repeat of the excessive and dangerous lending that led to the banking crisis with a set of tough new rules.The loose of lending restrictions is understood to only be available to customers who have not had problems repaying the mortgage they took out. One in twelve homeowners are currently in negative equity, where the value of their home is less than the amount of mortgage they owe.

My reaction

The cause of the worldwide economic crisis was the irresponsible course of actions of the banks. The effects of the crisis are about the same in the Netherlands and the UK. In the Netherlands we also suffered from governmental cuts and collapse of the housing sector. Many people are unable to repay their mortgage they took out before the crisis.

The government of the UK is doing a good thing by changing the rules which prevent banks from making the same mistakes and which benefits the victims of the high mortgage. I don’t think the rules for banks and mortgage have changed in the Netherlands.

London 2012: Olympic synchronized swimming tickets oversold

Originally by: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16409480  Published: 4 January 2012

Games organisers Locog had sold 10,000 tickets too many for synchronised swimming at London 2012.

The problem arose after the first round of ticket sales last spring and synchronised swimming was an event which was not initially oversubscribed. When sessions for the sport were put back up for sale, a human data error meant thousands of extra tickets, which did not exist, were made available.

About 3,000 customers who bought the 10,000 tickets have been offered the chance to exchange their tickets for other events for which they also applied and some of the customers were swapping them for some of the highest profile events at the Olympics.

My reaction:

It is a too big mistake of Games organisers Locog. I would not aspect that from them because it was for a big event. They had to see the problem much sooner, instead of 10,000 tickets later.

But a big advantage of this is that some of the customers could swap the tickets for some of the highest profile events at the Olympics, like athletics and diving.

Of course, there will be a lot of complains against the organisers, if customers really wanted to go to the synchronized swimming.

So there are advantages and disadvantages because of the oversold tickets. But the organisers have definitely learned their lessons.

Stephen Lawrence: Gary Dobson and David Norris get life

Originally by: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16403655   Published: 4 January 2012

Two men found guilty of the 1993 racist murder of Stephen Lawrence in south-east London have been jailed for life.

On 22 April 1993 an innocent 18 year old Lawrence was brutally cut down in the street in front of eye witnesses by a racist thuggish gang, because he was black.

The police arrested Gary Dobson and David Norris and three other suspects in the months after Mr. Lawrence’s murder in April 1993, but the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped the case, saying the evidence of a key witness was unreliable.

But after 18 years a jury found Dobson and Norris guilty of murder after a six week trial that hinged on new scientific evidence, so they will serve a minimum of 15 years and two months and 14 years and three months.

My reaction:

I find it very terrible that such things happen in this world. Racism still exists and everyone should give more attention to this subject.

Stephen Lawrence is one of the victims of racism and attacked by a group, only because of his color. Like said in the article “The crime was committed for no other reason than racial hatred.” This is just not imaginable for me, that people can kill each other, because of the skin color.

I think the government has to know that racism will not disappear very quickly and easy because it is in peoples mind and has to be cleaned out of there mind. So they have to continue with campaigns and commercials against racism. And of course every signal of racism should be punished very quick and hard.