Guilty verdict for Jackson's former doctor

LAST night was a sense of déjà vu for television viewers in the United States and on the rolling UK news networks.  The wall-to-wall coverage of the ‘trial of the 21^st century’ came to a conclusion.  However, unlike O.J Simpson in 1995, there was not a ‘no guilty’ verdict.  Conrad Murray, the doctor of the legendary pop star Michael Jackson was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in relation to the singer’s tragic death in June 2009.

SILENT: Conrad Murray remained unmoved throughout the verdict

      It was a guilty verdict from all 12 jurors as the six week trial concluded yesterday; the final outcome not surprising many in the US or journalists around the world.  The always opinionated Piers Morgan gave his thoughts on Twitter; “Whichever way you viewed the evidence, #ConradMurray’s behaviour was clearly unethical for a doctor.  Right verdict!  Murray has been remanded in custody and will be sentenced on November 29 where he faces upto four years in jail and almost inevitably, the removal of his medical certificates so he can practice in the future.

      Throughout the verdict at the Los Angeles superior court yesterday, Murray remained very pensive and showed no sign of emotion when hearing his fate from the jury.  Outside the court, fans of Michael Jackson reacted in delight at the verdict.  Throughout the trial, Murray’s stance was that on the fateful day when Jackson died in 2009, he had taken the fatal overdose of the drug propofol without any consent.  Last week, Murray’s defence team announced that he would not testify himself at the trial.  The prosecution’s argument was that Jackson had died after Murray had administered him an IV drip infused with propofol.  They also believed that Jackson was fully aware of his medication levels and he could get easily addicted to painkillers, especially as he was busy at the time preparing for the London farewell concert gigs at the O2 Arena later that year.

       However, it seemed like the prosecution had a stronger case.  A number of witnesses had agreed to testify and these included Jackson’s former bodyguard, who told the court that Murray had told him to hide drug vials.  Alberto Alvarez claimed to have trusted Murray’s actions as a doctor, but told the court that Murray had told him to put vials of medicine into a bag before calling an ambulance.  Alvarez was the first person to discover Jackson unconscious on that fateful day.  They also used pictures of some damming contents inside Jackson’s home, including a syringe in his bedroom and other items such as a saline bag and a bottle of propofol in evidence against Murray.

       This verdict might finally give Michael Jackson’s family the belief that justice has been done.  For Conrad Murray, a very dark time awaits the doctor, whose actions have not only seen him lose his medical career and his reputation, but sees him face time for what he has done.

An odd and tricky week

By Simon Wright (Personal piece)

I FEEL at the end of this week to be in a far more positive frame of mind about events, but even I have to admit, it has been an odd week for many of us.  It’s seen its fair share of sad events, which affected me and also brought tragedy on the University of Northampton.  I think this week has reminded everyone of the real perspectives in life because at the end of the day, no-one knows what is around the corner.

       Having believed that last week and the start of my third and final Uni year had been a blip extended into Monday.  It really shouldn’t have, but it did and again, I only have myself to blame.  I was buzzing last weekend, until I heard the tragic news of the crash in America that claimed the life of British racing driver Dan Wheldon in Las Vegas.  I didn’t take it well at all and seeing the accident really shook me up.  Throughout Monday, the crash video on YouTube kept replaying through my head and I lost my focus of the bigger picture, which was bad.  I’ve seen a tribute programme that Sky Sports did last night to the Brit, who won the prestigious Indy 500 event twice, which is a unique achievement.  He touched many people’s lives in motorsport and he will leave a legacy through that community and his many fans that have been saddened by his loss.  So, why did it affect me so much?  Basically, I’ve never witnessed death in motorsport, which as people who know me, is a passion of mine.  Throw in the fact that he was British and grew up in the tiny village of Emberton, within my hometown of Milton Keynes and that made me worse.  Now if that makes me an odd person; for me to love my hometown and British motorsport, then I’m sorry, but that’s who I am and whoever doesn’t like it, I don’t care.  In these instances, I’m a private person, couldn’t really share my thoughts on this sort of thing and that wasn’t a good thing.  As the week has gone on, I’ve felt better and more within myself, but I just didn’t feel like buzzing or smiling my face off on Monday.  I didn’t feel like it, no point faking it in my view.  In spite of that, I should have shown more motivation and belief in myself on Monday and had to have a serious think about myself that evening.  I wasn’t coming across well and it was time to refocus my energy and effort – no more excuses.

      For me, the rest of the week has ended up being far more positive.  A lot of my journalism course buddies are beginning to take stock of the fact that Twitter is turning into such a useful source for communication and keeping up-to-date with the news.  I got a BlackBerry last week (whilst all the signal problems were occurring) and can’t keep myself away from Twitter.  I will now aim to use this far more often than Facebook, especially for professional standards.  Note to self; no good moaning on Twitter now, just in case you get a famous journalist following you!  Maybe my tweet on Scottish poet Robert Browning in midweek wasn’t my smartest move, but there you go!

      I also feel that I made a significant breakthrough with my dissertation this week.  Although things had been going well, they had stalled in the past fortnight and I was in desperate need of gaining more research and academic references from books.  As a course, we have been strictly told to not rely on the internet, as it isn’t a preferable source.  The tutors are expecting between 10-15 books to be used in bibliographies come marking time and I only had six.  It wasn’t looking great, especially as books cost a load of money, which is always a commodity in this day and age.  I went to the Uni library in midweek and found far more useful information and books that I could have imagined.  Not only do I feel that I have saved a fair bit of money, which might have turned into a complete waste, but I feel that I have now made significant progress to begin typing up my first chapter next week, which is encouraging.

PARTNERSHIP: Me and Farida both know what it takes

      The post-group meeting from the Silverstone trip went fairly well too, despite my dismal mood on Monday.  Ideas have been drawn up for all three aspects that my group has to do now and I’d say we are in a strong position with at least two of the practical elements now.  The TV side of things isn’t looking fantastic as I write this, but that has the element to be changed, especially when you have the best journalist on the course that will always give 100 per cent and is working incredibly hard full stop.  No, I am not talking about myself here, I’m talking about Farida.  I don’t say much about friends on here, in case it embarrasses them, but this is what I will say about Farida.  She is committed to the cause, dedicated to her profession and has done so many work placements in the past two years; she has taken so much from them.  I’ve never seen anyone who I’ve gone through the education ladder as motivated and driven as her and I know that she is going places in journalism.  Plus, she is such a caring, trusting and respectful individual too.  In third year, I am slowly coming around to the belief like those Coca Cola adverts of ‘Eat football, sleep football, and drink Coca Cola!’  My motto for this is ‘Live journalism, breath journalism, succeeding at journalism!’  I know Farida is already doing this and I’m lucky to have met someone like her who you can have a laugh with and share information, but can motivate and drive anyone to do even more.  Oh and for all fellow journalists out there, follow her on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/FaridaZeynalova, it’s a great feed for her emotions! 

      However, whilst some of us go from strength to strength, others have opportunities taken away from them.  I started this blog talking about an incident that affected me, so I’ll finish mentioning about the tragic events of the early hours of Wednesday morning.  I’m sure a lot of you have seen the news reports of the crush at the Lava: Ignite nightclub in Northampton which claimed the life of 22-year old student Nabila Nanfuka.  Nabila was a third year student at the University of Northampton, studying Leisure & Tourism.  I personally didn’t know her; I know some on our course did.  These sorts of incidents just show how life can be so precious to us and remind us of the cruel twists of fate that can just happen, when you don’t expect them to.  RIP Nabila and thoughts go out to her family and friends at what must be a very difficult time for them.  I know there was an emotional memorial service on one of the campuses yesterday and I do hope the University will do something to mark Nabila’s time of studying here.  She shouldn’t be forgotten by anyone who is currently studying at the University of Northampton.

      It’s been an odd week, full of ups and downs, satisfaction and vindication, fate and tragedy.  What will October’s final week bring; who’s to say, but hopefully a quieter week for everyone after this week’s dramas.  For me, this involves a flying visit home to Milton Keynes and I can’t wait!

Thank you for reading!

RIP Dan Wheldon and Nabila Nanfuka

BlackBerry issues - The funny jokes

TROUBLE: The BlackBerry has had a number of issues in the last three days

ONE of the most popular smartphones has suffered three days of constant signalling problems, which has led to a major crash around the world.  Parts of Europe, the US, Asia, Canada and South America have suffered from the crash of the BlackBerry servers.  BBM, e-mails and internet on all phones stopped working, with a crash on the servers seems to be the problem.  Although all systems seem to be back to normal today, many customers want compensation for the trouble and some took to Twitter to raise their frustrations and come up with enough jokes, it could become a no.1 joke selling book for Christmas.  Here is a selection of my favourites;  

what did one #blackberry user say to the other #blackberryuser.....nothing.....so not funny!!!

Dear #blackberry: Thanks for the help! Love, Apple and Android

I have a #BlackBerry, but it doesn't work. The equipment's there, but it's useless. This must be what it feels like to have a vasectomy.

I love you #Blackberry - but if you continue to stop me BBM communicating with my sons, we're so, like, OVER.

"In honor of Steve Jobs, #Blackberry has decided to have a few hours of silence."

Tribute to Steve Jobs, #Blackberry celebrates him with a week of silence. Respect.

#Blackberry's are like elephants : nice to look at, but you wouldn't really want to own one.

#Blackberry down again, Looks like Steve Jobs has reached heaven and turned off the Blackberry server!

what did the iPhone say to the blackberry? iWork. (;

TIP: Turn your iPhone into a Blackberry by selecting Airplane Mode.

Dear Blackberry, what is a keypad? LOL! Sincerely, Apple.

I have a Blackberry and the fault is annoying but reading Twitter you'd think it was equal to the Ethiopian famine #getagripeveryone

How many blackberry users does it take to change a lightbulb? None. If they wanted to see the light, they'd change their phones first.

Today, iPhone owners are luaghing at Blackberry owners and Blackberry owners are laughing at iPhone owners.  I'm laughing at all of you. #HTC

What happened to the days when a blackberry was just a little tasty fruit. Sigh.

How useful is Twitter?

By Simon Wright (Personal piece)

SOCIAL networking has become a real force in our lives over the past five years.  In fact, it is difficult for many to imagine their lives without any force of connectively to the outside world, expressing your feelings worldwide.  However, some guy from the Netherlands doesn’t want to know if you are about to have a ham sandwich! 

     I, myself, had three social networking options, before deleting my MySpace account last summer.  I had only used it once after leaving college, which was the primary reason why I had one in the first place.  When I went to college in 2007, I was encouraged to join MySpace; just as the Facebook revolution was beginning (I had joined Facebook in July 2007.)  I wanted to convert everyone to the Facebook way of thinking and with mission accomplished at the end of my two years studying media production, I felt quite satisfied.  Despite the recent takeover by Justin Timberlake, don’t expect MySpace to be popular.  In fact, I’d rather read The Sun newspaper, and those who know me know how much I despise that newspaper.

      Facebook may have an integral part in how we go about life, though I’m not one of those who will meet someone new in a bar; then go ‘I’ll Facebook you!’  What is going on with today’s English language system when that is said.  The stupid people could think, ‘oh yay, my face will appear in a book!’  It’s a ridiculous term!  Plus, why do you need to poke people.  Who wants to do that?

     I used to really not get the point of Twitter, which is the other social network that really has taken off in the past four years.  Since its launch in 2006, it is gradually drawing alongside Facebook in popularity.  TV programmes and presenters certainly seem to prefer the ‘tweet’ indicator and understandable, when you have to round it off in 140 characters.  A Facebook status could simply turn into a lengthy, waffle essay.  I’d prefer to eat my Birds Eye Potato Waffles rather than read waffle, but I guess people have their differences of opinion.  I reluctantly joined Twitter as part of an assignment I had to do in my first year at the University of Northampton (2009/10).  I didn’t want to; in fact, I couldn’t see much point in it.  My first thought of Twitter was; “Another place to go and stalk those celebrities.”  Why don’t you get posters and lick them, at least you could kiss them, can’t really do that with a computer screen!  Actually, as it turns out, I’m finding Twitter to be such a useful source of information.

      Having used it sporadically to keep an eye on the 2010 General Election in this country, I have grown into using it every day, tweeting on a regular basis and moving my website updates from FB onto Twitter.  It might be a narrower audience, but more people might be more interested in what you are blogging about.  Some people on my University course are like me; they love using it.  Others don’t get the point of it and do not bother and some don’t tweet, but still find it very newsworthy at least.  I’d say at least 60 per cent of the 115 people I follow are news organisations, magazines or significant leading figures in journalism.  Of course, there is the odd celebrity you want to keep a check on; such as Jimmy Carr, Nicole Scherzinger, Barack Obama, Katy Perry, Jake Humphrey and Fearne Cotton, who are some of the people I follow.  Even I have 51 followers, including ITV Anglia the topical news show 10 O’clock Live and Nick Clegg!  That last one is embarrassing, so I save my Clegg opinions for the dartboard; to be released in some year around Christmas time. 

Twitter has become an invaluable source and gives you an interesting uptake in life, so for me, it’s valuable and very useful.  I predict its popularity will just continue to increase and as far as I’m concerned, that’s a good thing.

Follow me at http://twitter.com/#!/HappyDude88

SOME TWEETS I HAVE PRODUCED IN THE LAST MONTH;

“why do people explode over X-Factor, it's just a TV show - nobody died....”

“is expecting a lot, but feels it will deliver very little.”

“a beer and MOTD. Good times!”

“actions speak louder than words.”

“oh dear, looks like he missed a 'Nando!' Don't mean the restaurant either lol!”

“and the worst miss in Prem history goes to Nando. El Nino shud hav scored with his eyes shut: at least he will hav somethin named for him.”

“thoughts are with the families of the miners who have lost their lives in Wales. Such a tragic story.”

“this is the point where I wished money grew on trees. . .”

“10 years on today from USA's darkest day. My thoughts are with the families who lost their loved ones on this poignant day. RIP”

London riots escalate

ONLOOK: Riot police watch a fancy dress shop on fire in Clapham

FEAR, astonishment and disgust are amongst the emotions for many British citizens after the dramatic pictures and videos last night.  For the third successive night, the police were fighting a losing battle against hundreds of violent gangs, simply intent on causing as much destruction and damage as possible.  Hundreds of arrests have been made as London begins to count the cost of the damage.  Homes and businesses have been looted and set ablaze as British society faces upto its biggest problem for many decades.  Prime Minister David Cameron has had no choice but to cut short his summer holiday in Italy and make pleas for calm.  Tonight, 15,000 policemen will be out on the streets of London, but the trouble has now also descended outside the capital.  There were major disturbances in Birmingham last night, along with minor skirmishes in Liverpool, Nottingham and Bristol.

     The trouble began at the weekend in Tottenham, after the shooting of Mark Duggan by police last Thursday.  It spread to Ealing and Brixton on Sunday, with cars being smashed up, shops looted and set on fire, with police seemingly standing back and allowing the mob to take whatever possessions they felt like.  Yesterday, the initial trouble began in Hackney, as hundreds of youths attacked riot police and looted stores in broad daylight.  As the Hackney situation was brought under control, fires began in Peckham, with a Greggs store and a local electrical shop set ablaze; the gangs having no regard for the safety of innocent bystanders.  As YouTube footage came in of a man having his bag pack ransacked, dripping blood on the pavement floor, more London boroughs were targeted.  Gangs flooded the high street at Lewisham, once again, torching cars and looting stores at almost freewill. 

     At Clapham Junction, remarkable footage came in from a Sky News reporter close to the scene of a Ladbrokes store being robbed, with windows smashed, cash points targeted and a plasma TV being hauled off the wall.  Amazingly, it seemed like these idiots were being cheered on by people who found it funny!  The spread of violence has come through organised rumours on social networking sites Twitter and Facebook, as well as the BlackBerry private messenger service.  Research in Motion, the Canadian company that owns BlackBerry has promised it will help police to catch those responsible.  In Croydon, a large local furniture store was set on fire and destroyed in one of the most dramatic images of the evening.  The owner is devastated, as it was a business that had gone through four generations of his family.  168 years of graft all burnt out in less than half an hour.

     Prime Minister Cameron has faced a barrage of criticism for his lack of response to the dire situation.  CNN figurehead Piers Morgan wasn’t impressed on Twitter; “Now Cameron’s finally woken up, he should recall Parliament NOW.  This is a national emergency and the British public need protecting.”  This morning, the PM held a meeting with the police and under-fire Home Secretary Theresa May, before revealing in a statement that parliament will be recalled on Thursday for one day.  London Mayor Boris Johnson and Labour leader Ed Miliband are also returning home early from their summer breaks. 

     May went on BBC breakfast this morning to refute claims that heavy-hitting police tactics should be the order of the day, rejecting calls for the army and water cannons to be used, which would be a first in this country.  Yesterday, she pledged that those responsible will face strict action;

“I want to be clear – those responsible for the violence and looting will be made to face the consequences of their actions.”

     The outrage on social networking sites was clear from many shocked onlookers watching on their television screens.  Journalism student at the University of Northampton Chris Ola told me via Twitter the implications will be felt for many; “I can understand the outrage over the police killing the man…but this is ridiculous…it’s going to hurt the taxpayer.”  Another student at the University of Northampton, Stef Ventura fears the worst; “I fear for our country, we might be rewinding to the 1980s.”

     The blame game has already started, with some of the blame being laid at the Metropolitan police, who were over-stretched massively last night.  They made pleas for parents to know where their children were and get them inside as the mayhem continued.  From the skyline, London looked more like a disaster movie, not a bustling capital city that should be looking forward to host next year’s Olympic Games.  Former Labour mayor Ken Livingstone blamed the coalition’s dramatic spending cuts, telling the Daily Mirror; “The economic stagnation and cuts have inevitably created social division.”  Ex-deputy Prime Minister John Prescott expressed his viewpoint by setting-up a Twitter hash tag #where’sthegovernment.

BURNING: The Sony warehouse in Enfield burns to the ground

     However, it isn’t now London where this is happening now.  Birmingham saw trouble too.  Over 50 businesses were targeted by yobs in the Bullring shopping centre.  Melissa Hicks gave me a quick update of the situation on Facebook; “Birmingham City Centre is being smashed up and the big Primark shop has been burnt down.”  In Liverpool and Bristol, it was a similar, if quieter story.  This morning, the large Sony CD warehouse store on the corner of the M25 in Enfield was still burning to the ground, after it was set on fire in the early hours.  The FA have cancelled tomorrow’s night international friendly at Wembley between England and Holland and Carling Cup matches at Crystal Palace, Charlton, West Ham and Bristol City have been postponed on police advice.  The Premier League is also in contact with the police on a regular basis, with significant doubts over the fixtures taking place on the opening weekend involving Tottenham, QPR and Liverpool.  However, despite the Birmingham trouble, the third Cricket test at Edgbaston between England and India is set to go ahead on time tomorrow morning.

     As the cleanup began this morning, the whole country has to reflect on the trouble and the damage it has done to our society, with fingers crossed that tonight doesn’t bring the same amount of carnage and chaos in the country that last night did.

News Corp sells MySpace to Timberlake

STAR of one of the hit films in 2010, Justin Timberlake now has his own Social Network.  The actor and singer, who featured heavily in the film about the birth of Facebook, now own MySpace, alongside another US advertising agency.

     News Corporation have decided to sell the social networking site, which in recent years, has really struggled to keep up in the social network world, largely thanks to Facebook’s domination and the rise of Twitter.  The deal is thought to be around £22million, but falls well short of the £60million that News Corporation wanted for the company.

     With Timberlake’s help, the new owners are hoping to be able to revive MySpace’s fortunes.  Understandably, Timberlake is delighted and sees some promising opportunities for his new venture;

“I’m excited to help revitalise MySpace by using its social media platform to bring artists and fans together.”

     Under the deal, News Corp will retain a minor five per cent stake in MySpace, and now has holdings in the US firm that has teamed up with Timberlake to thrash out the deal, believed to be Specific Media. 

UNPOPULAR: Can Timberlake turn around the fortunes of MySpace?

     MySpace has been around on computers, phones and various networks since 2003.  News Corp has owned MySpace since 2005 but in the last three years, it has simply failed to cope with the excessive craze people have for Facebook.  I know this personally, having had a MySpace account myself in 2007, but deleted it last year, due to the lack of use of the site.  The early plans for the change in MySpace will be to boost its content of music videos, blogging and original TV shows.

     It is a brave move from Justin Timberlake to enter into the social networking world and he will need to spend a lot of time to eclipse Facebook and turn MySpace into a worthy and strong challenger again in this particular genre.

BBC Television Centre up for sale

AFTER 50 years at its iconic London site on Wood Lane, BBC Television Centre was put up for sale last Monday.  The corporation, who gave their first indications of a possible sale for the site back in 2007, have decided to cash in as part of their budget restructuring plans.  Currently, BBC Television Centre is home to 5,000 employees, but by 2015, the site will be completely vacated.

     Relocation is already in the process of taking place.  BBC News will move its services to the modernised Broadcasting House near Oxford Circus.  Meanwhile, the children’s and sports departments will move to Salford.  Football Focus and Match of the Day will begin their new seasons at their new home, whilst BBC Breakfast is moving to Salford in January 2012.

SALE: BBC Television Centre is going under the hammer

     The BBC is looking for a buyer that will ‘maximise the value’ for itself.  They are hoping for a final sale figure of a price between £300million and £350million, though some property experts are expecting leading bids to only total £200million.  Interest has to be given by prospective bidders by July 1.  By selling the building, the BBC hopes to save £20million a year, which is enough to pay for 30 more hours of top-notch drama.  Reaction has been mixed to the news of the Beeb’s decision.  BBC F1 presenter Jake Humphrey used Twitter to express his fondness for Television Centre; “The place I call home is for sale.  I love BBC TV Centre.  It’s played a huge role in the history of British TV and my life.”  Comedian Charlie Brooker wasn’t so impressed with the news; “It’s like they’re going to saw up the Tardis and use it for firewood.”

     BBC Television Centre has a very distinguished history.  Classic programmes such as Doctor Who, Fawlty Towers, Allo Allo and Blue Peter are among the programmes that have been filmed at Television Centre.  The centre has also been home to controversy and embarrassment too.  The launch night of BBC Two in April 1964 had to be cancelled due to a massive powercut on the site.  In October 2009, protestors against the BNP stormed the reception of Television Centre when controversial BNP leader Nick Griffin appeared on Question Time. 

     Nevertheless, no-one can take any gloss over a sensational half century of programming and memories at BBC Television Centre.

Kubica fights for his F1 career after horror rally shunt

JEOPARDY: Robert Kubica is facing the biggest fight of his career so far

THE Polish racing driver Robert Kubica is fighting for his F1 career tonight, after suffering multiple fractures in a horror rally crash.  Kubica, 26, crashed into a church wall on the final day of a rally in Italy.  BBC Radio 5 Live’s David Croft reports that Kubica was trapped in his wrecked Skoda Fabia for upto an hour.  He was airlifted to hospital in Genoa, where he is undergoing surgery for multiple fractures.

REMAINS: The wreckage of Kubica's Skoda Fabia rally car

His condition is not life threatening, but his manager Daniele Morelli confirmed his injuries, which are a broken right leg, broken right arm and more worryingly, broken right hand.  Surgeons are attempting to resurrect Kubica’s feeling in his right hand.  If unable to do so, his Formula One career looks to be over.  Morelli told reporters at the hospital; “Surgeons are trying to re-establish the functionality of his right hand.  Robert is very strong and he will pull through.”

Kubica made his Grand Prix debut for BMW Sauber in the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix and is one of the leading stars in the rising talent of Formula One field.  The Krakow born driver has only won one race; the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal, but has put in a string of impressive performances in recent years, most particularly at Renault last season.  He finished eighth in the drivers’ championship last season, finishing second in Australia and third in Belgium and Monaco.  He is no stranger to massive crashes.  Robert had titanium bolts in his right arm inserted when he was seriously injured in a road accident in 2003.  Four years later, he walked away unscathed for a potentially fatal shunt at the Canadian Grand Prix, when he clipped Jarno Trulli’s Toyota and was launched into an aeroplane wreck.  A sprained ankle was the only injury here.

It was just over 4km into the first stage of the rally that Kubica was taking part in; a hobby he likes to do away from the F1 paddock.  Croft reported more on how the crash happened; “It is understood that when Kubica hit the wall, a barrier penetrated the footwell of his car, causing the injuries.”  “The main concern is with Kubica’s right hand, which has lost a load of blood.  However, reports of amputation are wide of the mark.”

FORM: Robert was fastest in testing last week, but his form has been halted

Even if he makes a full recovery, Kubica is all but certain to miss the F1 season opener in Bahrain, which is just 35 days away.  With the injuries looking so sustained, I’d expect him to be on the sidelines for the best part of three months.  The Renault team are devastated; especially after Kubica set the fastest time of the first F1 test of 2011 in Valencia last Thursday.  Reserve drivers, Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean are both expected to feature in this week’s testing programme alongside regular Russian Vitaly Petrov.  Both Senna and Grosjean have raced in F1 before, and would be seen as an excellent one-off choice.  However, if Kubica is going to be missing a large proportion of the campaign, then a more suitable replacement such as Force India test driver Nico Hulkenberg or his former team-mate at BMW Sauber, Nick Heidfeld must be considered.  

Support for Kubica has flooded through on Twitter from his fellow racing colleagues.  Jenson Button wrote on his page; “Shocking news about Robert Kubica, I wish him a speedy recovery.”  Toro Rosso’s Sebastian Buemi’s thoughts are also with his pal; “All my support to Robert Kubica.  I am with you man.”

The current surgery is thought to be going okay, but it is too early to say the implications.  However, Kubica’s presence in the F1 paddock will be missed come the season opener in Bahrain.  I wish him all the best for a speedy and safe recovery, and hope to see him back in a racing car real soon. 

Wikipedia celebrates its 10th birthday

THE free online encyclopaedia Wikipedia celebrated its tenth birthday at the weekend.  Launched by Jimmy Wales in San Francisco in 2001, Wikipedia has given the general public a new way to share and collect information, even if it still has its doubters as a valid and creditable source of facts. 

CELEBRATION: Wikipedia is ten not out

Currently, Wikipedia is available in eight different languages, including German, Italian and Spanish.  There is no doubt that its presence on our internet has changed the face of the World Wide Web, alongside the likes of Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.  The site now carries 17million articles in English, adding just over 1,000 new entries a day.

Often derided for allowing almost anyone to edit its pages, Wales has always claimed that this alone proves that its facts are completely true.  Many seem to agree with this argument, and with Wikipedia now the fifth most browsed site on the Internet, it’s hard not to disagree.  Wikipedia has also taken some flak in the past for the failing of academic studies from some students.  Traditional homework does seem to be a thing of the past, but in an interview with Jon Snow last Wednesday for Channel 4 News, Wales defended the allegation of homework shortcomings; “My argument is that teachers also have access to Wikipedia, and once they find out that a student has cut and pasted work, they will get an F.”  “My view is that Wikipedia should be as high quality as we can make it and that necessarily involves an open discussion/debate of people picking over detail as great as possible.” 

In the interview, Wales also confirmed that Wikipedia will always remain user-friendly and user-based, although they might tighten their policies when it comes to editing biographies of famous people.  Wikipedia intents to keep it status as a non-profit organisation so will not use advertising to promote its site. 

Congratulations Wikipedia, I predict this Internet phenomena, no matter the criticism it draws will go from strength to strength.

Tax demonstrations add to coalition issues

LAST weekend, the fast-growing movement UK Uncut stepped up their campaign over evasion of taxation regulations.  Across the country, demonstrations and blockades of shop entrances led to several major top-chain stores being forced to close their branches on their busiest day of the calendar year.  Why are these big businesses and individual avoiding the system and is it fair?  Journalism student Simon Wright looks into this controversial detail in closer form.

WITH the highly anticipated tuition fees vote in the House of Commons tomorrow, the budget cuts that the coalition government have come under severe fire in recent weeks. 

DEMOS: Protests take place last weekend at Oxford Street

One issue that seems to be dodged by all politicians is the lack of action on tax avoidance by some of the wealthiest in our country.  Last Saturday, campaigners from UK Uncut carried out some deep pop-up protests about the regulations, which force several branches of TopShop and Vodafone around the country to close their doors, on one of the busiest trading days of the year.  Several campaigners and journalists were ejected by security guards as demonstrations took place in 21 towns and cities across the UK.

UK Uncut is a fast-growing movement that is gathering growing support via social networking sites Twitter and Facebook.  Already, demonstrations have been planned this weekend for Aberystwyth, Chester and Bury St Edmunds.  A website was set-up as recently as November 28, with many people already getting involved.

A spokesman for UK Uncut, James Kelly told the Guardian; “Tax avoidance is a big issue and we believe this is the alternative to the cuts the government are making.”  UK Uncut is taking their action on two organisations in particular.

Vodafone dodge

TAXING: UK Uncut's strong opinion of Vodafone

OVER the last ten years, communications giant Vodafone have been fighting tooth and nail to avoid paying the government around £6billion in tax.  After a defeat this summer in court to HM Revenue and Customs, current chancellor George Osbourne let Vodafone off the hook, rather than force through the payment in October.  The UK Uncut called the action ‘shameless’ and furious ex-Vodafone customer Tamika Short agrees; “Everyone has to pay their way and the higher should pay more than poorer families and students.  What Vodafone are doing is an absolute disgrace!”

The campaign continues against Vodafone, and they aren’t the only businesses to be affected, with Boots, HSBC and Barclays Bank avoiding similar laws.

Greedy Green

THE ninth richest man in the UK, Phillip Green is also taking a lot of stick from UK Uncut.  Green, whose wealth was, estimated at £4.4billion in 2008 runs some of the biggest names on Britain’s high streets.  His retail empire includes TopShop, BHS and Dorothy Perkins.  Even though Green lives in the UK, he runs the Arcadia retail group that he doesn’t even own.  His wife does, and by living in the tax haven of Monaco, doesn’t have to pay a single penny.  One of the demonstrators, Chris_Coltrane posted this chant on Phillip Green in London on his Twitter account last weekend; “Where did all the money go?  He sent it off to Monaco!”

In 2005, Green awarded himself a cool £1.2billion, and divided it via tax havens in Monaco and Jersey.  It is costing the annual taxpayer around £300million, which angered protestor Benjamin Neem.  Neem told the BBC; “Phillip Green’s missing millions need to be reclaimed and invested into public services, not his wife’s bank account.”

Recently, Green was made an advisor on the spending cuts by David Cameron, which adds to the pain for many protestors, including James Kelly; “Phillip Green is a well-known tax avoider and today, we’re bringing our campaign right to the heart of the empire.”  In fact, his £285million dodge could pay the salaries of 20,000 NHS nurses and the full tuition fees of £9,000 for almost 32,000 students, an extraordinary statistic. 

Link with students

I ASKED accounting and finance expert at the University of Northampton, Christopher Cook on the issue, but he declined to comment, only saying “It would cause heated and long debates.”

The evasion of tax payments links in with the tuition fees issue, as these were two of the Liberal Democrats four key pledges that have been broken from their manifesto.  The newly-formed group UK Uncut is also believed to feature public sector workers, the unemployed and pensioners.

This is one debate that won’t go away, and the coalition government have now got major tests infront of them, if they are to control the growing frustration from many on the spending cuts.

Russell & Katy Get Hitched In India

US POP sensation Katy Perry tied the knot last Saturday with the controversial comedian Russell Brand.  In a private ceremony in India, Perry and Brand exchanged vows infront of a selection of celebrity guests, including Rihanna, David Walliams and Jonathan Ross.

Brand and Perry first met in September 2009 at the MTV Video Music awards and have been almost inseparable ever since.  The popular comedian, who has his own Channel 4 show, ‘Ponderland,’ proposed to Perry outside the Taj Mahal whilst enjoying a romantic holiday last Christmas.  They have desperately tried to keep details of the wedding under wraps, to stop a massive intrusion from the British and American media. 

Consequently, few pictures have appeared of the celebration, with the belief with many is that an exclusive magazine deal may have been put in place at a later date.  Perry also revealed on Twitter that she pleaded for privacy whilst the wedding was happening.

Russell Brand made the headlines for the wrong reasons in 2008, when along with his best pal Jonathan Ross, the pair left obtrusive and insulting messages on the answer phone of former Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs.  The scandal that followed led to Brand having no option, but to resign from his very successful show on BBC Radio 2.  Since then, he seems to have grown up and taken responsibility for his action and Katy Perry has certainly played her part in a change of cultured personality.  Perry has been successful in the charts with hit songs such as ‘California Gurls,’ and ‘I Kissed a Girl,’ in the last two years.

We shall see how long the happy times can go on for, but I wish Katy and Russell the very best of luck with their newly-found happiness.

Commonwealth Chaos

Delhi has taken an absolute battering in the worldwide media, due to its complete lack of disorganisation and preparation that has threatened to completely destroy the Commonwealth Games.  This week’s events have been nothing short of a disgrace, and although some athletes have pulled out for safety reasons, it is surprising that all 71 countries look set to take part in the showpiece event in India which starts next Sunday.

The first signs of trouble were highlighted by concerns over security levels for the athletes around the city, in case terrorists struck.  Next, there were rumours of the standard of accommodation in the athletic village simply not being upto scratch.  Then on Tuesday afternoon, a footbridge collapsed near the main stadium, injuring twenty-three people, the majority being workers on the site.  Five of these were taken to hospital with critical injuries, though luckily, there were no fatalities.  Government officials said that the bridge had been weakened by heavy rain within the area of recent.  Since then, the roof at the weightlifting area has also collapsed, though no-one was hurt in this relatively ‘minor’ incident.

World and European triple jump champion Phillips Idowu has pulled out of the defence of his Commonwealth title that he brilliantly won in Melbourne four years ago.  He announced the news on his Twitter homepage.

"I can't afford to risk my safety in the slightest.  "All the press today about bridges collapsing and 23+ people being hurt, floods and inhabitable living conditions, getting my daughter ready for school this morning and seeing all of that put me off.  "So statements like toughen up, I'm toughening up, was a tough choice to make but I made it for my children."

Pictures attained by the BBC on Friday afternoon showed the state that some of the accommodation is in.  To be honest, a typical room at University’s Halls of Residence looks better, so no wonder why Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has entered into the debate, by saying that “time is running out.”  However, it does look like the Games have been pulled back from the brink of being totally obliterated by the travelling nations.

Competitors were due to start arriving in preparation for the games on Thursday.  After consultation with the leading delegates from all sports taking place, the English team began leaving for Delhi on Friday afternoon, with another batch due to fly out tomorrow.  The Scottish, Australian and Canadian teams, who had all delayed their journeys out to Asia, before getting absolute total guarantee of necessary improvements, are all on the way out to the location in the next 48 hours.  The only question mark of a country participating seems to be the New Zealand team, who seem to have been the country that has been the most outspoken about the events over the past five days.

The English team will also be missing the likes of Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis and Lisa Dobrinsky.  All four will not be competing due to fatigue of injuries, though Dobrinsky’s absence is also thought to be around a safety issue.  Sprinting ace Usain Bolt will also not take part in the games for Jamaica, due to injury.

Considering that India was awarded the Commonwealth Games for 2010 way back in 2004, this is a startling story, but one that doesn’t surprise many.  Warnings were adhered last year, and don’t seem to have been taken seriously by the Indian government.  To me, although it can make for fantastic television, I think the Commonwealth Games are largely a waste of time, especially when so many top stars pull out of what used to be such a star-studied event on the sporting calendar every four years.  I just hope that when the Commonwealth Games begin next Sunday, the two weeks of competition will go off without a hitch and make all the messy and confrontational build-up a storm in a teacup.  However, that may take quite a bit of convincing for many experts and fans across the world.