Terrorism hits Norway

OSLO and Utoya Island were the scenes for mass murder on Friday afternoon.  It is thought that 76 people were killed in two separate attacks which have rocked the world.  32-year old Anders Behring Breivik has been arrested and might even face the death penalty, although a long jail term of upto 21 years is more likely.

     On Utoya Island, around 20 miles away from the capital, Breivik dressed up as a police officer, enticed young political activists to him, as he let them know about the earlier carnage he’d caused outside the government buildings in Oslo.  He then went on a shooting rampage, which gave his victims very little chance of escape.  Initially, the death toll stood at 10 and had risen as high as 98.  This has been downgraded today, as in the carnage; it is thought that some bodies were counted twice.  Around 600 young people were estimated to be at the campsite for the summer.

WRECKAGE: A crumpled car lies in ruins after the Oslo explosion

     For those who escaped Breivik’s madness, they have been brought back to Norwegian mainland by the police, completely shocked and traumatised by the whole incident.  Just hours earlier, Breivik had detonated a car bomb outside the offices of Norway’s prime minister, Jens Stoltenberg.  Stoltenberg was due to visit the Utoya Island site on Saturday.  Seven people were killed in Oslo, which saw finance, oil ministry buildings and the PM’s office severely damaged.  Although they remain on high alert, the police have said that they aren’t linking Breivik to an international terrorist organisation, despite Norway’s small presence of army troops in both Libya and Afghanistan.  Instead, they believe that this was the work of a ‘madman.’

     PM Stoltenberg has vowed that the country will stick together.  He told the Reuters news agency; “We are a small country, but a very proud one.  Nobody can bomb us to be quiet; nobody can ever scare us from being Norway.”  Breivik’s apartment in Oslo was searched before his arrest.  A Christian fundamentalist, one of his friends told a media organisation that he was extremely right-wing in political aspects and used websites often to express his strong, unforgiving opinions. 

     Both David Cameron and Barack Obama have expressed their support with the Norwegian people following the trauma.  Obama, who collected his 2009 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, said that “our hearts go out to them and we will provide any support we can.”  Cameron told Sky News; “The Norwegians are old friends and allies and neighbours of Britain and I know all of Britain will stand with the Norwegian people in the days of sorrow that lie ahead.”

    Norway has always been seen as a friendly, peaceful country with a good society and no sign of any impending trouble.  The tranquil life that Norwegians enjoyed has now been terminally shattered on its darkest day, as the country and the entire world not only mourn the dead and pray for those seriously injured, but face up to the still severe threat of international and domestic terrorism.  

£3million fine for Network Rail

NETWORK RAIL has been fined £3million and been forced to pay legal costs of £150,000 following the Potters Bar rail disaster.

AVOIDABLE: Seven died after the tragic crash in May 2002

     Seven people, six passengers and one individual walking along the platform were killed when a lunchtime service from London to Kings Lynn crashed into the Potters Bar station in Hertfordshire.  The decision to fine Network Rail, taken on Friday at St. Albans Crown Court, ends the fight for justice for the families, who have waited nine years to gain some form of justice.

     At the hearing, Judge Andrew Bright described the accident as ‘catastrophic’ and the problems with faulty points at Potters Bar ‘could and should have been spotted sooner,’ before the tragic accident occurred on May 10, 2002.  Network Rail, who deal with the public railway system nowadays, have accepted the fine and apologised again to those who lost relatives and friends in the crash.

    Railtrack, which ran the railways at the time of the Potters Bar rail disaster were seen by many to be responsible for the accident.  The judge said that the running of the railways at the time, which had seen accident at Southall, Paddington and Hatfield in quick succession before Potters Bars that Railtrack’s procedures were ‘seriously inadequate.’  Also held accountable was maintenance company Jarvis.  Jarvis, now in administration, were responsible for the faulty point lines at Potters Bar.  In March, the Office of Rail Regulation, which bought about this prosecution against Network Rail decide to drop charges against Jarvis, as they felt it was out of the public interest.

     After Friday’s hearing, Ian Prosser, director of rail safety for the ORR made a statement to reporters.  He said; “Safety on Britain’s railways has improved significantly over the last nine years and statistics show we have on of the safest railways in Europe.  However, there can be no room for complacency and the safety culture of the rail industry can be significantly strengthened.”

     The recklessness of the Railtrack years seems to be a thing of the past.  Since Potters Bar, Network Rail, which is a private limited company, but gets most of its funds through public spending have taken great strides in improving the railway system.  That is something the families affected by Potters Bar have been happy to accept.  Unfortunately, it came at the cost of seven people’s innocent lives, in a tragedy as proven by Friday’s verdict, as an avoidable accident. 

You only live once!

SO THAT’S IT, the latest academic term at University is finished and Friday afternoon was the perfect reflection of the term; ‘You only live once!’

     I had personally worked so hard over the previous week to keep in control of the upcoming workload.  In fact, I look back at the week with a lot of pride and satisfaction.  Everything on my course from my perspective seems to be under control, which is a good feeling.  Although I can’t relax totally over the Easter holidays, I don’t have a load of unnecessary pressure underneath my shoulders.

     Last week, I proved that I don’t just talk and produce rubbish.  My group has put together an outstanding documentary for a module which requires journalists to explore more about film styles and techniques.  Our documentary was based on a common everyday problem wherever you go around the country, especially at colleges and Universities.  The University of Northampton was used as the prime example, and it does have; let’s say some situations that leave students incredibly frustrated.  We feel that a perfect counter-balance has been struck, highlighting a point which the University need to address, and promoting the student’s struggles and disapproval combined with how the new parking charges cope from an official viewpoint.  Major thanks have to go to the incredible Tamika, who had to put up with my obsessive ability at attempting to produce the perfect edit.  She has taken on a leading role in our production and I have been massively impressed by her dedication to the documentary.  Hopefully, we will get the final grade we deserve.  The final version can be seen on YouTube here: 

    The most boring piece of work was to produce the 1500 essay on a law that has affected working journalists since it came into force.  I know it is important to have supreme knowledge of these laws, especially if anyone wants to make it a success in the world of journalism.  Nevertheless, that still doesn’t hide the fact that studying these laws is extensively boring.  I hope no-one else mentions the 1998 Human Rights Act to me now, because I don’t want to know! 

REFRESHMENT: The perfect drink in the perfect weather, don't mind if I do!

     Friday afternoon bought absolutely gorgeous weather, which did make studying rather uncomfortable.  When I found out that some of my course mates had disappeared to the SU to sit in the sun and have some drinks, it made me jealous.  When I wrapped up at 3pm, I thought; ‘You only live once!’  I joined the party and it was great.  After such a hard-working week, which had seen me spend 21 hours of my own time in squeezing the best I could out of some tricky subjects, I took the approach that I needed some strong alcoholic drinks to wrap up a term that has provided success and traumas for me.  There are some wild characters on my course and others who are just pure sweet.  It was nice to spend to spend some time with my mates in a slightly different capacity to normal.  Farida was rebelling against her unfortunate run of bad luck, which has blighted the strong, hard-working abilities that she has traditionally shown.  She seemed excited to see anyone, bouncing down the road when she spotted Ellie.  Farida began to shout her name constantly when she approached us.  You could tell how excited she was.  The free spirit that Farida is means that life simply will never be dull!  We ended up chilling on one of the nearby fields in the fantastic weather.  Farida and another of my friends, Shamina ended up having a hilariously funny beer fight!  Together, these two individuals can be a very lethal double-act!  Friday felt like the perfect day!

     There’s no point holding back at all times.  Staying secure is important and taking risks all the time is a real gamble.  However, you don’t want to do one or the other.  Finding the right balance is the best input to life.  After all, ‘You only live once!’  Plus, you need to make the most of your opportunities offered to you, otherwise, where exactly are you going to go in life.   

Double disaster rocks Japan

JAPAN is reeling from the double disaster on Friday which has left tens of thousands still missing and hundreds more dead.     

     The most powerful earthquake in Japan’s history, measuring 8.9 on the Richter scale was followed by a 30ft tsunami which was similar to the devastating Boxing Day Asian tsunami off the coast of Indonesia in 2004.  The tsunami swept away people, crushed cars and destroyed buildings at speeds akin to a passenger jet plane.  The human cost is yet to emerge.  The Japanese government has declared a state of emergency across the country and has already confirmed that at least 400 people have been killed.  Tragically, the death toll is this set to rise into the thousands, especially as many communities and villages have simply been obliterated by this excessive force of nature.

     It isn’t just this that has caused concern for the shocked people of Japan.  Fears have grown over a possible nuclear meltdown after a cooling tower failed at the Fukushima power station. Over 300,000 people have been evacuated in this area and yesterday, a controlled explosion took place at the plant, which has released some radioactive gases into the air.  Although there are still fears for the longevity of the nuclear plant, any reporting of a similar catastrophe following the Russian Chernobyl blast of April 1986 are wide of the mark.  After the Japanese devastation, tsunami warnings were given out all over the Pacific Ocean.  Luckily, areas on high alert such as Samoa, Hawaii and Mexico seemed to have escaped with very little damage.

     Japan is one of the best prepared countries for earthquakes.  After all, it experiences nearly 200 of them a year.  However, it wasn’t prepared for Friday’s utter carnage.  Japan lies on three plates, and Friday’s quake came because the Pacific Plate went underneath the Eurasian Plate.  This produced a jolt as deep as 15 metres, hence the strength of the earthquake and resulting tsunami.  The quake struck at 4pm Japanese local time, when many parents are picking up children from school, and workers are slowly shutting down for the relaxing weekend.  Consequently, it struck at its busiest time, unlike the morning earthquake which devastated Kobe in January 1995.  The epicentre was just off the main coast of Tokyo and had a power 8,000 times more than the earthquake that devastated Christchurch in New Zealand just two weeks ago.

     The island of Sendai was the worst hit, as the port and airport were practically wiped out by the tsunami.  At the airport, passengers ready for departure were forced onto the terminal rooftops to escape the worst.  Masonry fell from buildings in Yokohama, as workers ran for their lives, quickly realising that this wasn’t just a normal earthquake.  At Ibaraki airport, the ceiling collapsed in the departure lounge, again leaving passengers running away in sheer terror.  Two trains and one ship are missing, with hundreds aboard and unaccounted for.  An oil refinery burned in Tokyo, thanks to the burst gas and electric lines.  The ferocity of the fire meant there was little that could be done but let the refinery burn into the dark sky.  Even a meeting of the Japanese parliament was interrupted.  The floor shook and the chandelier lights went crazy, which left major politicians stunned.

     The rescue will face major challenges to deal with.  As road and rail networks have literally been paralysed, it will only make things harder.  An expert on earthquakes David Rothery insists it was the tsunami that did the damage; “This earthquake didn’t actually cause much damage.  However, it was the resulting tsunami that the quake will be remembered for.”  Since records began in 1900, this was the seventh most powerful earthquake ever, with only the 2004 Asian Tsunami greater at 9.1.  As Japan is a hi-tech and more advanced country, it is likely to get back onto its feet far quicker than lesser developed countries, such as Haiti after their earthquake which destroyed the country last January.

     David Cameron, Pope Benedict XVI and Barack Obama were among the first to send their condolences to the Japanese people who have been affected.  The USA, Britain and Russia have already pledged to send out rescue teams, should the Japanese need extensive help.  At a press briefing in the States, US secretary of state Hilary Clinton pledged her support to help Americans stuck in Japan; “Obviously, the US is offering immediate relief.  We will assist 24/7 to help those Americans stuck in Japan and the Japanese government with the aftermath.  Also, we are deeply involved with the Japanese to help control the nuclear reactor failure at Fukushima.”

     

Seeing the pictures and videos of the sheer devastation in Japan on Friday certainly shook me up, and reminds everyone of the force that Mother Nature can leave yet again on the world.  It puts all personal events into perspective, because at least the majority of us can count our blessings that we don’t suffer earthquakes in this country, unlike those citizens in Japan.  My thoughts go out to all those whose lives in Japan have simply been turned upside down.

The helpline for the Foreign Office should it be required is +44 0 20 7008 0000

£113 Million Result for UK EuroMillions Winner

THERE was a British winner of the EuroMillions jackpot on Friday night, bagging a massive £113million in the process.  However, Camelot has revealed that the identity of the winning ticket is yet to be revealed.

If the winner can be found, it will the biggest win for any UK individual since the lottery format came into existence back in November 1994.  The winning numbers on Friday were 9, 30, 35, 39 and 46 with the two lucky stars being 6 and 8.  It is still unclear also where the winner lives, or whether it is an individual or syndicate victory.

Nine European countries play the EuroMillions draw, which has been around since March 2004.  The UK winner was the only ticket to match all seven numbers from across those countries that participated.  Until Friday’s win, the most that anyone had won the EuroMillions jackpot was £84million earlier in this year.

EuroMillions is now played in Luxembourg, Austria, Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Switzerland as well as in the UK.  Since June last year, ten people have scooped the EuroMillions top prize.

Goldtrail Collapses, Increasing The Travel Industry's Bleak Year

The doom and gloom for the travel industry in 2010 increased at the weekend, with the collapse of British tour operator, Goldtrail.

Goldtrail, based in south-west London went into administration on Friday afternoon, leaving 16,000 customers overseas and stuck in their efforts to return home.  The company specialised in low-cost flights to Turkey and Greece.  The CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) has confirmed that there would be no more flights going out underneath the organisation and that it was doing what it could to get stranded passengers home to the UK. 

The collapse of the company, established just before the end of the 20^th century is a mid-sized operator that didn’t specialise with any particular airline, unlike many of their rivals such as Ryanair and Easyjet.  Goldtrail instead earned their money by booking seats on charter airlines like Saga and Viking Airways.  The summer plans of approximately 50,000 holidaymakers now look to be in ruins. 

The CAA is doing what they can to cope with the situation, and has said that flights home from Turkey shouldn’t be affected.  However, those in Greece should be warned that changes are likely to occur and to double-check with local representatives at airports of the future plans.

Despite knowing of their troubles, many customers travelling with Goldtrail were only told of the company’s flight late on Friday night.  Mark McLay arrived at Glasgow airport on Friday night at 8.45pm, for a flight to Turkey with his girlfriend.  However, he was not told of the company’s demise until the early hours of Saturday, long after they had already checked in.  He told the BBC News Website of his frustration:

“At 1am, we were called together and told over the Tannoy that Goldtrail had gone into administration, that we would not be flying and we would be escorted out of the building.”  “One woman was crying and it was bad for the families, although everyone took it as well as could be expected.”

For several months, there has been intense speculation that Goldtrail was on verge of extinction.  The CAA has predicted that smaller tour operators, who don’t have the funds to attract customers, advertising exposure and package deals may find it incredibly hard to survive.  Last year, the company appeared in a BBC Watchdog consumer affairs programme and feedback of late has not been very encouraging.  One comment on a travel website described the experience of travelling with Goldtrail to Turkey as a “holiday from hell!”

Although their demise has been widely reported, I feel sorry for those whose plans have been affected, and it is just another painstaking blow for an industry, which has had a horrific 2010, dealing with adverse weather conditions, the volcanic ash shutdown in Iceland over Easter and pointless strikes from British Airways cabin crew. 

Goldtrail customers can call the CAA on 0203 4410846 for more information.

The Hunt Is Over For Raoul Moat

After a week of chasing and a six-hour gripping stand-off on Friday night, gunman Raoul Moat shot himself, bringing a drama that gripped the nation to a conclusion.

Moat, 37 has been involved in a tense stand-off with the police in Rothbury, Northumberland for a week.  He was released from prison in Durham, after an 18-week sentence for assault last week.  He insisted on his Facebook page that ‘bad things were going to happen.’  In the resulting days, he shot his ex-girlfriend, Samantha Stobbart and killed her new partner, Chris Brown.  PC David Rathband was shot by Moat 24 hours later in Newcastle, whilst sitting in his patrol car.  There is speculation going around that Moat was incensed with the police, believing that Rathband had been having an affair with Stobbart.

After a week of unknown whereabouts, yet a lot of clues to where Moat was hiding out, it all came to a head on Friday night.  The former nightclub bouncer was cornered by police, whilst in his supposed hideout area, not far away from the River Coquet.  Six hours of tense, stand-off negotiations followed, with police from around the area called in, both as negotiators and ready to fire, should Moat, armed with a gun try and shoot his way out of trouble.  In the early hours of Saturday morning, Raoul Moat finally turned the gun on himself, though it has now been discovered that police did fire two stun shots at him.  Examinations have shown that he died from gunshot wounds, which were similar to the bullets he had used on his three victims previously.  After being rushed to hospital, he was pronounced dead at 2.20am on Saturday morning, at Newcastle General Hospital.  Flowers and tributes have been left outside his Newcastle home. 

As the community of Rothbury tries to return to normality, after a week of mayhem, here is a brief lookback at some of the week’s key moments.

THE RAOUL MOAT CHASE

Thursday 1^st July: Raoul Moat is released from Durham prison, after serving an 18-week sentence.

Saturday 3^rd July: Chris Brown is shot dead and Moat’s former girlfriend, Samantha Stobbart is shot twice.  Police launch a manhunt for Moat, believing that the shootings are connected.

Sunday 4^th July: PC David Rathband is shot on a roundabout in Newcastle, whilst sitting in the driver’s seat of a patrol car.  Once again, the shooting is connected to the previous incidents.  Police appeal again for Moat to give himself up again, and the public are warned not to approach this man.

Monday 5^th July: Extra firearm officers from Cumbria and Yorkshire are brought in to help with the search for Moat, a revelation on Moat’s Facebook status suggests the trouble “just got out of jail, I’ve lost everything…Watch and see what happens.”

Tuesday 6^th July: A black Lexus car, believed to be in possession of Moat is found in Rothbury.  Northumbria police warn the public to stay indoors, armed police officers and dogs are now searching almost everywhere for Moat, and an exclusion zone within Rothbury has been set-up.

Wednesday 7^th July: The search intensifies.  Stobbart is no longer in a critical condition and has made a direct appeal for Moat to give himself up.  Police offer a £10,000 reward for information, which could lead to his capture.  They also find a detailed letter in a tent, that Moat had written to Stobbart, which suggests he has been sleeping rough.

Thursday 8^th July: A CCTV image of Moat in a B&Q shop in Newcastle is released to the public.  This was taken one day before the shootings.  Threats have been made towards the wider public; two men are arrested, accused of being “part and parcel” of Moat’s attempt to kill PC David Rathband.

Friday 9^th July: Three mobile phones used by Moat are recovered by the police and a RAF Tornado has joined the hunt, equipped with satellite imaging.  At 7.27pm, the public are encouraged to stay indoors, as a major operation takes place.  Moat is found at 8pm and negotiations begin for him to give himself up.

Saturday 10^th July: After a six-hour stand-off, Moat shoots himself at 1.15am and is rushed to hospital, where he is pronounced dead an hour later.  It is revealed that police involved in the stand-off with Moat fire two taser stun guns at him

Glastonbury 2010 - Hot Weather And Hot Acts

Last weekend saw the music festival circus move onto Glastonbury, for undoubtedly, one of the biggest music festivals in the world.  Celebrating its 40^th anniversary in 2010, the organisers of the event were hoping to put on a spectacular show.  They weren’t to be disappointed, though the headlining acts weren’t as strong as in recent years.

The festival-goers were treated to the unseasonably warm weather that has hit the UK in recent weeks.  Traditionally, Glastonbury is associated with mud-baths and foul weather conditions.  This time around, it wasn’t anoraks and wellington boots required.  Instead, it was sunglasses, plenty of bottled water and suncream.

The headlining acts on the main Pyramid Stage in 2010 were Gorillaz, Muse and Stevie Wonder.  Gorillaz kicked the entertainment off last Friday, having stepped in as late replacements for U2, after Bono was forced to withdraw, having undergone surgery on a back injury.  It was brave of Gorillaz to step in at the last minute, but as the critics have reported, they failed to win over the expected crowd.  Gorillaz are not the most well-known band and DARE aside, having had many star-studded hits.  Consequently, the attention of the crowd dwindled when they were on stage.  It was always going to be a tough act for them to step into U2’s shoes, and it showed. 

Pop took over on Saturday afternoon, with sparkling performances from the likes of Shakira and the Scissor Sisters.  The Pet Shop Boys rolled back the years, with a fantastic back catalogue of songs that made the crowd go mad.  It was the turn of Muse to headline on the Pyramid Stage, and they got mixed reviews, both from the audience and reviewers.  Muse is a personal favourite band of mine, but they do have the tendency to produce some absolute classics, then some songs that leave you thinking, ‘What on earth was that?’  Once again, the main feeling seemed to be a tinge of disappointment around the place, though it sounds like it was more livery than Friday’s disappointing start.

Last year, Glastonbury was overshadowed by the death of the ‘King of Pop,’ Michael Jackson.  This time around, it was England in the World Cup that gripped the attention of the fans.  A big screen last Sunday was set-up to watch our capitulation at the hands of the Germans in Bloemfontein, and that left everyone lacking the party mood to celebrate the finale.  Stevie Wonder finished things off on the Pyramid Stage, and sadly, the atmosphere seemed to be lacking the edge that Blur had when they signed Glastonbury off in 2009.  Whether that had to be down to the football result is questionable.  Stevie Wonder was always a surprising choice to headline I felt, and the general consensus was it was a performance that improved gradually, after a slow and dreary opening.

On the outset, Saturday seemed to be the better day overall, with Shakira a pleasant surprise and the Scissor Sisters turning out to be the strongest out of all the performers.  The headline performers slightly disappointed in all honesty, but the weather was exceptional and the spirit of Glastonbury remains as strong as ever.  It sounds like it wasn’t the best festival ever in its established history, but it was a respectable showing for its 40^th birthday.  Let’s hope it will be slightly stronger and less dominated by other global events across the world in 2011.    

U2 Out, Gorillaz In At Glastonbury 2010

The organisers of the Glastonbury Festival received a massive blow to their preparations for the 2010 event last Tuesday, when it was announced that Irish rock band, U2 have been forced to pull-out of their headline performance act.  Animated-band the Gorillaz, will step into their shoes for the top billing on Friday 25^th June.

U2’s front singer, charity campaigner Bono has just undergone back surgery for temporary paralysis and consequently, needs to rest for upto two months, meaning performing at Glastonbury was simply never going to happen.  Sixteen tour dates in the US and in Canada – scheduled for July have also been postponed, because of the recovery process.  Bono has admitted his heartbreak, as he was keen to see U2 put on a show for the crowds on opening night.  Behind such classic songs such as ‘Elevation,’ ‘Beautiful Day,’ and ‘Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me,’ U2 were due to share the headlining at the 2010 extraganvanza with Stevie Wonder and Muse. 

Glastonbury boss and founder Michael Eavis disappointment at seeing this dent in his line-up was cleared slightly by the quick announcement of the Gorillaz replacing U2 on the Pyramid Stage on June 25^th.  He said this of the announcement:

"This is going to be Gorilllaz's only UK festival appearance, and it'll be a massive audio visual spectacle which will really ignite the Pyramid on the Friday night, with Muse, then Stevie Wonder to follow.
"I'm very excited about Gorillaz's show coming here because they're so open to guests and collaborations. The alchemy of Friday's show is going to be astonishing, a perfect, contemporary way to kick off the 40th anniversary celebrations."

Despite the adequate replacement, there is no doubt that Glastonbury’s preparation for this celebration year has been badly hit.  Everyone wishes Bono a speedy recovery from his prognosis and hope he and U2 will be back touring soon, and the group’s fans will be devastated by this blow.  Let’s hope Gorillaz can step-up to the mark, because they no doubt have big shoes now to fill.