A girl that was just five years old died after she was trapped by an automatic sliding door. The door closed on her while she was playing. Emergency services appeared and had taken her to the town's Princess of Wales Hospital. However, she later died in the hospital.

People have left floral tributes, teddies and cards near the gate. Many people are devastated by what happened. Local councillor Peter Foley said: "It's a great tragedy.I don't blame the kids for playing here. They should be safe here."

A full investigation by the South Wales Police is under way.


It is horrible when someone dies because of an accident, but this time it is a little child. That is even worse if you ask me. She probably did not even know what was happening when she got stuck in the gate.

These gates are automated, but why is there no safety mechanism of some sort? There needs to be a way to prevent these things from happening again.

I hope the family is doing well. Mostly I hope they will install some sort of mechanism that prevents the gate from closing if there is something still in between.

Link to article:http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/fiveyearold-girl-killed-by-automatic-gate-2018572.html

Loss of Face(book) Results in Loss of Life

A teenager has stabbed an 18 year old former friend to death after a 'loss of face'. The victim, Salum Kombo, insulted the 16 year old boy on Facebook by calling him a pussy. The boy will be jailed for 14 years.

The boys who used to be friends had been insulting eachother for days before the stabbing occured. After the victim called the other boy a pussy. The insulted teenager felt he had to save his face because he felt so humiliated. Friends tried to stop him, but he was so angry that he could not be stopped.

The boy claimed he acted in self-defence. The jury however rejected his explanation and convicted the boy for murder. "You were angry and humiliated and you wanted to fight him and he was quite prepared to fight you. But you knew in a fair fight you would lose."


I do not think the boy really wanted to kill his former friend. However, he did wanted to do severe damage to him, so it does not make the matter any less worse.

I wish I could say: what if they had just talked it over and tried to make up. But with some people that kind of thing apparently just does not work. Of course resorting to violence is never the answer..

I really do feel sorry for the boy that has been killed, but insulting someone is not really nice either. Both boys were wrong, but the killer was just a bit more wrong.

Link to article: "http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/jun/22/teenager-jailed-facebook-insult"

Volcanic Ash Clouds: 1 - Airlines: 0. Airlines prepare their comeback

So far, no planes were able to fly during the volcanic ash cloud shutdown of the past few months. However, EasyJet is planning to install ash cloud radars in their airplanes by the end of the year. The radars will cost 20.000 Euros each but will allow the pilots to fly around the ash clouds.

The radar, two cameras - operating as heat sensors - will let ash clouds turn up at the pilots monitor. The system has been tested on active volcanoes in Sicily. However, the system's creator admits it still needs more testing before it can be used by EasyJet.

he Civil Aviation Authority, which has accused the industry of trying to shift the blame to the regulators for the ash shutdown, welcomed the announcement of EasyJet. Andrew Haines, the CAA chief executive, said: "I very much hope that this is a sign that the industry is ready to play its part in finding a fundamental solution ... rather than pretending that the problem does not exist."

Finally, airlines get to strike back! No more volcanic ash cloud terror. At least, if the system passes all of the tests. I surely hope it does.

It is a good thing that finally some people are stepping up to the problem by creating this system. Lets hope it works so we never have to worry about ash clouds again.

However, I have this gut feeling that the Eyjafjallajokull will stay dormant for a long while now, leaving the radar to be useless. But ofcourse there will always be other volcanoes!

Link to article href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jun/04/easyjet-volcanic-ash-radar"

Desperate Housewife?

Annemarie Squires, 40, a housewife has not been seen for three weeks now. The housewife who spent her most of her time on a website called imvu.com. The website lets people create virtual characters of themselves to interact with others. Everything seemed fine until three weeks ago her husband found a note saying she was fed up.

It is believed she had abandoned her family and with that her old life to meet someone she has met on the imvu site. Since she left her mobile phone has been turned off, therefore her family can not contact her. The last time she was seen, she was carrying two suitcases into a train.

The police is in fear that the person she has met on the site could be dangerous. Annemarie is being appealed to come forward for her own safety. Her brother-in-law said: "We are very concerned for her. The internet is an open forum for deviants and we are worried she may have met someone who has sinister motives."


I think it is very self-centered of this woman to just leave her family like that without telling them honestly. That she wants to leave her family is totally up to her, but she should have had the guts to tell her husband and son in person.

Of course I can only judge from what the article says, I do not know what the family was like and what reasons the woman had to leave her family. But by just reading the article, I do not agree with the woman's actions.

Link to article: href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/06/04/avatar-mum-is-missing-115875-22308044/"

England Under World Cup Curse

For the third world cup in a row, an injury has caused the preparations for the World Cup to be thrown in to dissaray. This time, it is Rio Ferdinand, captain of the English Squad, to suffer from a knee injury.

Ferdinand has injured his knee during the final moments of practice. Following his injury, his replacement Michael Dawson, yesterday left his wife Anna to celebrate the rest of their wedding anniversary alone as he made a dash to Heathrow Airport to catch an 8pm flight to Johannesburg.

This injury is said to be a serious blow to England's hopes of winning the World Cup for the first time since 1966.


Although I'd rather have the Netherlands win the World Cup, I still think it is a shame that the English squad won't be at its full power at the tournament. However, England is not the only team suffering from injuries, so it is not the biggest disaster in the world.

This is going to be a real easy excuse for England to use when they do not win the World Cup ofcourse. Lets just blame it on the injuries. I do not think it matters that much because the vice-captain, Lampard, will do a great job as well.

Thats all I know about football so far. (Yes I call it football, not soccer, do not try to discuss that issue with me)

Link to article: "http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1284010/World-Cup-disaster-England-captain-Rio-Ferdinand-out.html"

The Amazing Underwater Senses of the Otter

Charlie Hamilton James, a wildlife expert may have found proof that otters can smell underwater. Many scientists believe otters only use sight and touch to hunt. Now Hamilton James might be proving them wrong with his latest investigation to this theory.

In 2006 scientists had already proven star-nosed moles could breath underwater. By exhaling bubbles and then sniffing them back in, they would analyse the scent. Hamilton James wanted to prove that otters could do the same, so he started to investigate this theory.

Hamilton James has filmed otters in the dark with an infra-red camera. He placed a rotting trout underwater and waited for wild otters to appear. An otter indeed appeared and found the trout with ease.

Hamilton James said: “I always had an inkling that otters could smell underwater and I wanted to prove it." Hamilton James's findings are not yet scientific fact, but he plans to continue his research on the otter.


I must say I did not quite find this article that interesting. I like animals, so that made it less horible for me to read. But reading about an adult man devoting his time to whether an otter can breathe underwater or not? No, that is not really my cup of tea. I think it is nice for him that he devotes his life to something he loves, but I regret spending my time reading this.. I also regret the fact that useless information about otters being able to breath underwater is now stored in my head.

Link to article: "http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/7803714/Can-otters-smell-underwater.html"

Alexandra's Ashes

Monday the 17th of May hundreds of flights had been cancelled or delayed again due to the volcanic ash cloads in the skies.
The airports around London had been closed all morning before reopening around 1pm. However, delays still continued. Some long-haul flights which were expected to arrive that day, did not arrive until late. Some people had to wait for a whole day to fly again, while others could not fly at all due to complete cancellation.
But the most disturbing of this all is the fact that the airports might have been able to stay open. British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh said that the bans on flying were "A gross over-reaction to a very minor risk" he also said: "I am very concerned that we have decisions on opening and closing of airports based on a theoretical model" There was no evidence of ash in the skies over London that day, yet Heathrow and other airports were closed.
They are now looking at how they can allow safe flying through a somewhat higher threshold of ash.


When the first volcanic ash clouds came into the news in April, I was not very concerned about them. I did not want to fly anywhere anyway, so it was not my concern, as long as it did not harm our health.
However, my flight was scheduled May 17 at 7.10 am. So when I heard about this second ash cloud aproaching the day before, I did start to get slightly nervous. Arriving at the airport, my flight was indeed cancelled and postponed to 8 pm. (Our plane finally took off at ten to twelve that evening.)
But when I read this article and find out that closing the airports might have been a rash and not even neccesary decision, I feel slightly annoyed. We missed a whole day of London, just because of some ash cloud that possibly was not even there!
However, I must say that I am happy that they are now trying to find better ways to deal with these ash clouds. Because the ash clouds are causing more trouble than they are supposed to!


Link to article: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/heathrow-and-gatwick-reopen-following-ash-cloud-delays-1975228.html

Modern Day Jack the Ripper

Police are questioning a man who is being suspected of the murder of three women. The body parts of these women have been found floating in a river.
Although one of the bodies is yet to be identified, it is believed to be the body of Suzanne Blamires. The other bodies are identified as Shelley Armitage and Susan Rushworth. All three of the women were prostitutes. All of these women had been missing for several months.
The man who is being questioned was originally questioned just for the suspicion of murdering Blamires. But officers had been granted extra time to question him about the other two women.
Blamires had been missing since Monday 26 April. Earlier this month the police launched a search for her. Blamires was engaged in drugs and alcohol, which made her a risk.
Detectives say that the murder of Rebecca Hall, also a prostitute, who was murdered in 2001 is not linked to these murders.



This story reminds me of the story of Jack the Ripper. A man who for some (unknown) reason mutilates and kills prostitutes. I however see one large difference in detail. Whereas Jack was never arrested, an actual suspect for these recent murders has already been found.
I think I will never understand why someone would kill another human being, but this case is even harder to understand. There is no explanation for what the man did, it seems like he just killed them for no reason at all.
Although he has not yet been proven guilty, I do hope they have caught the right man, so he can be locked away safely. I would not be able to walk the streets safely myself if I knew wicked people like him walk those streets as well.

Link to article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/may/26/police-arrest-man-bradford-murders

"If I can't have you, nobody can"

A man from London was jailed today for murder. The victim was his own wife. Businessman Mark Campbell, 53, killed his own wife, Olga Pleguezuelos, after she told him she wanted to leave him to start a new life in Las Vegas.
Campbell married Pleguezuelos after leaving his former wife and children for her. However, Pleguezuelos became tired of Campbell and she decided to accept a job offered to her in the US.
A week after Campbell found out his wife was offered the job, he read a text message from a man she met abroad. After reading this message Campbell became overly jealous and obsesive. After that, it did not take long before Pleguezelos was dead. Campbell attacked her at their bedroom, placed a pillow over her head and stabbed her with a knife.
The judge says Campbell must now serve a minimum term of 14 years.


There is no justifying this. It is simply horrible and selfish what this man did. Murder is always a horrible thing, but when it happens because a man is jealous, obsessed and will not let a woman go, it is even worse. This woman should not have died, she had the right to choose for her own life because the life she was living with her husband was not making her happy.
In my opinion 14 years is not enough for murder. When you take somebody’s life it is only fair to spend the rest of your own life in jail.
I also think it was very brave of the wife to decide she wanted to leave her husband and start a new life of her own. If her husband was not so possesive and controlling she probably would have never left him.


Link to article: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/jealous-husband-jailed-for-killing-wife-1981823.html

Britain's first campaign debate.

Nick Clegg was voted as winner of Britain’s first campaign debate. The debate was held between party leaders Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg. Mr Clegg won with 61 per cent of the votes. He won the crowd over with words such as: “I know you think that all politicians are the same. I hope I have tried to show you that that isn’t true”
The opponents, Gordon Brown and David Cameron quarreled over a range of topics without making any convincing statements.
Mr Clegg made a smart move by portraying himself as the alternative to the two main parties. He acted like the outsider. He also referred to his opponents as “these two”. This way he made sure to show the crowd that he was unlike the other politicians.
After a while Mr Brown sensed that Mr Clegg was winning over the crowd and started to point out the similarities between him and Mr Clegg. This way making Mr Cameron seem like the outsider. Mr Clegg however did not fall for his scheme.

I am fairly new to British politics, the only face I knew until now was that of Gordon Brown. I am happy to see that other politicians are gaining in popularity amongst the Brits. Nick Clegg seems like a good politician to me because he was able to win over the crowd. However, I must not form my opinion about him over just one debate.