Netherlands 6-0 Northern Ireland

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18297041

2 June 2012

Summary:

In yesterday’s friendly between Northern Ireland and the Netherlands the latter won with 6-0. It was since 1961 Northern Ireland conceded 6. The Dutch team was dominant during the whole match in the Amsterdam Arena. Robin van Persie made two goals, which made his total  28 at international level this season. After 11 minutes the Netherlands took the lead. Eventually they scored six goals, but there were chances for more. In August, Northern Ireland will have a last home friendly before the World Cup starts in Russia.

Opinion:

The Dutch team won the match with ease, that is really good for the player’s confidence. Hopefully, they will not think it is going to be easy in Russia. In order to win the World Cup they have to work hard for their success. Their opponents in Group B will be: Denmark, Portugal and Germany. The latter will be a dangerous opponent for our team. I wonder if many politicians will visit the games in the Ukraine, now that former prime president Timosjenko is imprisoned. She has said that the games should not be boycotted. Hopefully, the media will pay some attention to her situation.

Turner Price: 2012 shortlist announced

3 June 2012

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17905488

Summary:
The Turner Price is for a British artist, who has created the best exhibition of the last year. The shortlist contains four artists under the age of 50. There will be an exhibition with the artists’ work at Tate Britain, opening on 2 October. The winner will be announced on 3 December. The following four artists are nominated for the price: Spartacus Chetwynd, Luke Fowler, Paul Noble and Elizabeth Price. Spartacus Chetwynd makes performances in which the audience can participate. Luke Fowler has made a film about the life and work of Scottish psychiatrist RD Laing. Paul Noble creates installations with drawings. Elizabeth Price creates installations in which she brings different elements together.

Opinion:

I hope this year’s winner will be Paul Noble. Two years ago, Museum Boymans van Beuningen in Rotterdam showed some of his fabulous drawings and installations. His drawings are gigantic, they reflect a fictional town called Nobson Newtown. His drawings show a pessimistic view of city life, neighbourhoods are isolated and destroyed. He critizices consumerism, his malls seem a terrible place to be where you can be chained as a result of your shopping addiction. His drawings have many fascinating and precise details. There are also many comic book elements in his drawings, which remind me of the American cartoonist Robert Crump. Paul Noble worked 10 years on this project, he really deserves the Turner Price of 2012.

Diamond Jubilee Thames Pageant cheered by crowds.

3 June 2012

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18312403

Summary:

The Jubilee Thames pageant was the highlight of the Jubilee weekend which was held to celebrate the Queen’s 60 years reign. It was a very large parade with various boats; like kayaks, steamboats and small ships used during World War II to rescue troops in Dunkirk. The Queen and her family were on The Spirit of Chartwell, which was decorated with 10.000 flowers. The big parade referred to the British powers at sea during the British Empire. The parade set a new record for the Guinness Book of Records. The event cost 10.000 million pounds and was paid by donations, but the taxpayer had to pay for the security costs.

Opinion:

I have been a few times to Sail Amsterdam and the Thames pageant is a similar event. The Thames pageant was very impressive with various kinds of beautiful boats. This tribute to the Queen was worth the expense and people all over the UK were watching the spectacle on big screens. The Queen seems very popular at the moment, despite her decreasing popularity in the 1990s after her delayed response to Diane’s death. To me, the Queen does not seem very warmhearted but I can be mistaken. It does not matter, as long as the British love her.

Sin and the single mother: The history of lone parenthood.

26 May 2012
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/sin-and-the-single-mother-the-history-of-lone-parenthood-7782370.html

Summary:

Recently a new book called ‘Sinners?Scroungers?Saints?Unmarried Motherhood in the 20-Century England’ by research professor in Contemporary History Pat Thane was published. Maureen Paton, a columnist of The Independent decided after reading the book she wanted to find out more about her own history. She was a child of an unmarried woman in the 1950s. When her mother died she found her birth certificate. She did some investigation and discovered she was born in a hostel for unmarried mothers. Most unmarried pregnant women in the 1950s had to give away their babies for adoption. An unmarried mother was not socially acceptable.

Opinion:

It is such a disgrace that unmarried pregnant women were treated like dirt. To force someone to give away her baby is extremely cruel. Besides, many women could not get a proper house because they were alone and not a member of a British family unit. It took until the 1977 Housing Act that unmarried women could get a council flat. Luckily, many adopted children have traced their biological mum. They often say they immediately felt a bond because they had the same features and mannerisms. Despite the fact that many mums were so glad to get in contact with their child, they still grieved for the loss of their baby. Society was unnecessary harsh and inhuman towards pregnant unmarried women.

83-year-old gave blood 57 times - now he's donated a kidney

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/83yearold-gave-blood-57-times--now-hes-donated-a-kidney-7757977.html

Summary:

Nicolas Grace, a former charity director of 83 years old, has donated a kidney to a stranger.  For several years he was a blood donor and now he also has become a kidney donor. After the decease of his wife he wanted a new goal in his life, so he became a member of the club ‘altruistic donors’. He was tested and his kidneys seemed to be as healthy as the kidneys of someone in their 40s. Several studies have shown that a kidney from a living donor works better than one of a deceased person. Since 2006, almost a hundred people have donated a kidney to a stranger.

Opinion:

I admire Mr. Crace his decision to donate one of his kidneys. After all, an operation is a risk and especially an operation at his age. It is so wonderful he has done such a good deed out of altruism. I am curious if he has met the person who received his kidney. This person shall be very grateful to Mr. Crace, to be finally released from the misery of dialysis. It was amazing to read that a kidney from a living person seems to work better than a kidney from a deceased person; even if the deceased died at young age.

The illegal immigrants desperate to escape squalor (Speaker's corner) of Britain

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17183171

28 February 2012

by Chris Rogers

Summary:

There are many illegal immigrants in the UK. Most of them have been smuggled into the UK. The immigrants dreamt of a better life in the UK, but it turned out to be a disappointment. Many of them do not have a document, so they are in a no man’s land. Voluntary departures have risen the last six years. Legal immigrants offer illegal immigrants a shed in their backyard for a rental price of about £ 800 a month. Local councils think there are approximately 10.000 sheds in London and the Home Counties. They have to give landlords and tenants a 24 hour notice for inspection, so landlords have enough time to clear evidence.

Opinion:

It is so sad that landlords take advantage of the situation of illegal immigrants. Often, landlords use the rent to pay their mortgage. It is shameful  that in a civilized society people have to live in sheds that resemble slums in Third World countries.  Many illegal immigrants do not possess a document, they live in a no man’s land for many years. Britain does not want these immigrants and they cannot be send to another country.  Many of them get depressed and end up in the gutter. I think it is a disgrace to let people suffer for many years in a so called civilized society. Why can’t they be legalized?

'Forced labour' of migrants in the UK food industry

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18070849

15 May 2012

Summary:

The Joseph Rountree Foundation has published a report about migrants working in the UK food industry. The authors interviewed 62 foreign workers. The workers live in fear, because they are often threatened by their bosses.  Many workers have lent money from agencies to come to the UK. They are underpaid; they earn hardly enough money to repay their debt. Businesses which provide labour in the food industry  have to be licensed under the Gangmaster Licensing Act (GLA). This Act was set up to prevent the exploitation of workers. The authors of the report ask for support from the unions and they want Customs to tackle minimum wage violations.

Opinion:

It is scandalous that there is apparently not enough investigation in working circumstances in the UK food industry. The GLA body should play a greater active role in the detection of miserable circumstances and the unions should help to abolish these circumstances. Employers who exploit their employees should be persecuted in law. The exploitation is a form of modern slavery and forced labour is a criminal offence in the UK. Many workers cannot escape their miserable situation because they do not earn enough money to repay their debt. Besides, the possibility should be given to foreign workers to follow English classes, so they can learn about their rights.