zaterdag 6 juni 2009

Atomic bomb test veterans win right to sue MoD


This article concerned with the nuclear consequences in Britain in the 1950s. In the 1950s there were many nuclear tests and now 1000 servicemen blame the Ministry of Defense for their health problems. All these servicemen now want to open a case against the Ministry of Defense. Britain’s atomic test veterans gave their permission to sue for compensation. In the 1950s there were programmes in Australian Mainland, Monte Bello Islands and Christmas Islands. Since the hearing at London’s High Court in January seven people have died. Evidence shows that the men who took part in these programmes are now very ill and most of them have teminally illnesses such as cancer or skin defects, etcetera.


Reaction
I think it is very good of these veterans to open a case against the Ministry of Defense and to sue them. Why did they not gave those men extra protection during these tests. Everybody knows that everything that has got to do with nuclear energy is just too dangerous. Well, and these men are the living proof of it. Now we can hear that all of them have got serious diseases and most of them are terminally ill. They have cancer, skin defects or other bad diseases. I feel sorry for them. So it is good for the government to be sued and to take responsibility. I think they owe that to these people. This is not the way how to treat people. They are people, human beings, they are not guinea pigs.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/06/05/atomic-bomb-test-veterans-win-right-to-sue-mod-115875-21417260/
Iceland to repay £2bn UK savings
Saturday, 6 June 2009 13:09 UK

There is very good news from Reykjavik. Iceland is going to pay the £2.3bn back to the British and Dutch government. There were big tensions and worries between the United Kingdom and Iceland, since last year. This was because the Icelandic banking system was owned by the state and controlled by the government. This caused big problems because de depositors who saved their money on Icesave were affected. But now even Iceland says that they also will pay the plus interest. According to a Treasury spokesman this is not only good news for the taxpayers in the United kingdom but for Iceland as well.

Reaction
This certainly is good news for the United Kingdom as for The Netherlands. The bank was a topical subject in the news last year. There were a lot of people who held accounts there. Not only in Britain but also in Holland. The bank collapsed because of the financial crisis. I think this step is positive and it will be a good solution for the tensions between Reykjavik and London. After long waiting the depositors will finally get their money back, but I wonder how long the local authorities and bodies have to wait before they get their money back. A year? Maybe two? Or longer?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8086997.stm
Killer 'may have raped two more'
Saturday, 6 June 2009 11:19 UK

This article concerned with Michelle Samaraweera, a woman at the age of 35 who is raped and strangled on 30 May in a very cruel way. They have found her dead body in Queens Road Park in Walthamstow, East London. She was on her way to her boyfriend after she went to the shop first. Earlier this year two other women were also raped. The ages of the women are 59 and 46. Police thinks the suspect is the same as in the Michelle Samaraweera case. The suspect is described as a man with dark skin. Both victims described the age of the suspect between 30 and 45 years.

Reaction
What an awful article. It makes my flesh creep. I cannot understand why people hurt other people so badly. Men are always stronger than women, so attacks like this are just not fair. Reading about it is scary enough, not to mention how it would be if you go through such a thing like this. You would not wish that on your worst enemy. Horrible. If two women have described the suspect as an Asian man, the chance is too big that this indeed is the same suspect as in Michelle’s case. I think it is no coincidence.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8086845.stm