Andy Murray's big chance for success

Summary

Andy Murray, the British number one tennis player, is through to the final 32 with relative ease. Murray will play Tommy Robredo in the next round, an opponent he should be able to beat. The biggest surprise was the defeat of Roger Federer, who is now out of the tournament and therefore not able to defend his title and Rafael Nadal’s defeat in the first round. Murray won his first and second set 6-3 to an opponent who has beaten him in the 2008 Olympics. In the third set Murray lost his first match point at 5-4 but finally took the third set, and with it the match, 7-5.

My opinion

Andy Murray has been the only serious British challenger for the English Grand Slam tournament in a very long time, the British people feel like he is destined to be the first ever British Wimbledon winner. If there ever was a big chance, this is it. Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer are out of the tournament and also Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has been eliminated. Now, Andy Murray is the favourite to win this year’s Wimbledon after he won the 2012 Olympic tennis tournament in Wimbledon. The only one who can stop him now I think is Novak Djokovic, the current number one.

Bibliography

Newbery, P. (2013, June 26). Andy Murray beats Yen-Hsun Lu at Wimbledon 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2013, from BBC Sport: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/23066798

 

 

All your money to the queen!

Summary

The amount of money spent on the monarch has risen over the last year, an amazing rise of £900,000. The total of government spending on the monarch is now £33.3m, the official expenditure excludes the money spend on guards and armed service during ceremonies. Although there has been a rise in spending, the tax payers are paying less each year for their monarch. Over the last 5 years the amount of money that tax payers give to the monarch has been reduced by 24%. Most of the money going to the monarch comes from the Crown Estate. One of the main reasons for the rise is the maintenance on royal palaces.

My opinion

I think the monarchy is a big part of the British culture and it should remain like this. This article had some positives but also a few negatives, I think £33.3m is a lot of money spend on a ceremonial figure. This money could be spend in many better ways by the British government. One positive point I can take away from this is the drop is percentage of tax money that goes to the monarch, in my opinion tax money should be used for the good of the British economy or healthcare but not for a monarch.

 

Bibliography

Hunt, P. (2013, June 27). Spending on monarchy up by £900,000 to £33.3m. Retrieved June 27, 2013, from BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23082296

 

Women’s football is big

 

Summary

Football hasn’t been a sport just for men for a long time, but the women’s football is becoming a big sport in Northern-Ireland. There are already 50 teams in Northern-Ireland where in 1977 it were just 18 teams. This fact does not look like a big difference but with the increased amount of players comes a big increase in the level of football they play. In England the sport was already quite big but Northern-Ireland will have their first team in the Champions League next year, a great achievement. The sport is attracting more sponsors every day.

 

My opinion

It is a good thing that women’s football is getting bigger and it is true that the level of football is getting better but the women still have a long way to go. At the moment only a few countries are playing at an acceptable level: The USA, Germany, Sweden and England. The sport is getting bigger worldwide and in the Netherlands the biggest clubs have women teams. The sport is moving in the right direction but will remain in the shadow of men’s football. The thing people should not do is, as I just did, compare it to men’s football. The male variant of football will always be bigger and comparing men to women in football will only bring women’s football down.

Bibliography

Jackson, L. (2013, June 11). Starring role for women's football in Northern Ireland. Retrieved June 17, 2013, from BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22845966

Syria the main topic on G8 summit

 

 

Summary

The G8 summit in Northern-Ireland will have one main point of discussion: the war in Syria. For months there has been a civil war in Syria and now the G8 meeting will discuss what the best solution is. The biggest problem is that the American and the British support the rebels but the Russians support the current government. Obama announced that he wants to arm the Syrian rebels because the troops supporting Al-Assad are using chemical warfare. David Cameron is not sure arming the rebels is the right solution but he is certain that the regime of President Assad should end.

My opinion

If there ever was a reason to invade a country, this is it. Over 400.000 people died because of this civil war and there seems to be no end to it, it is time the biggest powers in the world unites and solves this problem. America wants to arm the rebels and Russia wants to arm the other side, if this happens it will just destroy the whole country and there will be no one left. This war will not be solved with words or by supporting one side, it will be won by stopping this war with force and when that is done it is time for elections, but the UN should have stepped in months ago.

Bibliography

Candle, B. (2013, June 17). G8 Northern Ireland summit: Syria set to top agenda. Retrieved June 17, 2013, from BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22930266

 



Matilda On Broadway

Summary

The British musical Matilda, based on the book of Roald Dahl,  has arrived on Broadway for its first performance abroad. The story is about a very smart little girls who prevails despite her abusive parents and a very strict headmaster. The musical has been a major success in Britain and has won many awards but can it survive Broadway and become as big as Les Miserables? The story targets both adults as children, the story is about imagination and it has the ability to inspire anyone. The book Matilda is a book that every child grew up with.

My opinion

Although I am certainly no musical fan, the story of Matilda is something special. I think everybody has read the book and can remember the hate they felt against both the parents and the headmaster. Some are worried that the musical is not American enough for Broadway but I strongly dispute that argument; Broadway has the most diverse types of musical, of course there will be some who do not like the musical but that goes for every musical. I have no doubt that the musical Matilda will be a success on Broadway and perhaps in the rest of the world

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIj-gVVszXo

Comic Relief: Being funny for charity

Summary

It has become an annual charity event, Comic Relief, a whole evening of comedy for a charity organization that does work not only in Britain but in the whole world. Many celebrities take part in this event such as Ricky Gervais, Rowan Atkinson and popular boy band One Direction. Founder of comic relief Richard Curtis said: “we thought it would be a one of.” But 25 years later is has become an annual tradition. It is not only comedy that is used on this night, a group of celebrities went to Africa and tackle the longest river in Africa, the Zambezi.

 

My opinion

I think it is a great tradition, it is good television for a good cause. Celebrities are role models for a lot of people and by doing this it will engage people and thus bringing in more money for the charity. The charity, named as the TV show deals with a lot of different problems, domestic and global. Many charities only focus on one big issue but Comic Relief uses all their money to help and tackle as many problems as they possibly can. I think it is a great initiative and it is a pity that it is only in Britain, other countries should adopt this annual charity event.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnk7ZK4eyhc

NHS doesn’t care for the obese

Summary

A report by the Royal College of Physicians says NHS services for people who are overweight are often inadequate. Across the NHS the problem of obesity is tackled insufficient, the problem of obesity has grown over the last decade and with the inadequate service of the National Health Service the problem seems to get even worse. In 2012 25% of adults in Britain is obese and it is expected that within 40 years the number will rise to 50%. Annually 5 billion pound is spend on obesity. Because of the rising number of obese people the number of people with heart problems or diabetes will rise with it.

My opinion

In my opinion the problem with obesity is not with the NHS but with the obese people themselves, there are of course exceptions but over the whole obese people just lack exercise and the correct diet. On the topic of the NHS’s actions to deal with the problem my opinion is that there is enough money going in but it does not reflect the quality that the NHS delivers. The money should be spend more effectively to get the quality of service to an adequate level all over the country. Obesity is a major problem worldwide and people do not realize that obesity causes other diseases.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQqeYoY32xA

Will the UK divorce the EU?

Summary

On the television program crosstalk the big question of the day is: Will Britain stay with the EU? David Cameron recently announced that he had doubts about the UK staying in the European Union. This statement of David Cameron is received in different ways; some say he is just saying that to gain voters for the next elections, some agree with him and of course some disagree that the UK should leave the EU.  The general opinion among the British population is that they would not really mind if they leave and they want a referendum.

My opinion

Britain is one of the biggest powers within the European Union and therefore it would be a loss to the EU, but on the other hand the UK is acting like a little kid disagreeing with some important decisions the rest of the EU agrees with. So I cannot say I really agree or really disagree with David Cameron, I understand both sides of this debate. One thing that is clear that the next elections in the UK will be all about the EU and it will therefore determine the future of that relationship. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d9bJXjZeN0

Last minute deal to regulate press

Summary

The three major parties have come to a deal to regulate the press following the phone hacking scandal. One of the main points of this deal is the royal charter which gets its authority directly from the queen; this was something that the Tories came up with, the labour party insisted on a law which would stop the royal charter from being changed and the last point is one they all came up with: there will be big fines and apologies.  All parties have agreed on this deal but they went and bragged about the points in the deal they came up with and they are convinced it was the most important point.

My opinion

This is a great deal, after this phone hacking scandal there had to be something to regulate the press. Although it is a country with free press, the press went too far with the hacking of phones to get their most important news items. It is funny to see that after the deal had been struck all three parties went and made it into a story where they would come out as the most important part of the discussion. This is a great example why I cannot stand politicians; it always seems as if the only thing they care about is the time they get in front of a camera.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9je24xUyp8

A shortage of school places

Summary

By autumn next year an extra of 250.000 places will be needed in schools, because of a baby boom there is a shortage of spaces in schools. The Labour Party is blaming the ministers for failing the next generation while the ministers claim that there has been a rapid increase in spending to get more spaces in schools. There is one positive thing in the report, for the time being schools manage to teach pupils and at least for this year there are enough spaces in schools. Many schools have started placing temporary classrooms on the playground.

My opinion

The government could have anticipated a lot earlier on, children go to school when they are four and only now is the government realizing that there are too many two and three year old children who will start their education soon. A very essential part of a country is to enable every person in the country to have a proper education and an economically superpower such as England should have started creating more spaces two years ago. The fear now is that schools will be forced to have classes of over 30 pupils which is way too many to teach properly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsgW_UDoZmA

The end of a Mancunian era

Summary

Sir Alex Ferguson retires, 27 seasons, 71-years old, 13 premier league titles and a total of 1500 matches as a Manchester United manager. A true legend announced his retirement, after winning his 13^th premier league title as manager he will not be in charge but he will be still available in an advising role. Players are not responding yet but they will be shocked and disappointed especially Ryan Giggs who has played under sir Alex for twenty years. In his early years he was not very successful for Manchester but surprisingly the board decided to stay loyal for a change. 27 years later he has a statue in front of the Old Trafford stadium.

My opinion

From the moment I was able to form an opinion on football I have been a huge fan of sir Alex Ferguson and when I heard the news he was going to retire I did not know how to respond, I just sat quietly at my desk for a moment out of shock. To imagine Manchester United without him is impossible for me and he will be missed throughout the whole world of football. I would rather not see him retire from football but he will retire with exactly 1500 matches as manager which is a great number, fitting for a manager of his stature.

Click to watch

England’s Under-21 side fails to impress

 

Summary

For the second European Championship in a row the English youth team has failed to survive the group stage and they are going home after three games. After losing to Norway and Italy the match against Israel doesn’t matter anymore, they are going home. But what is wrong with the England Under-21 side? Experts give multiple reasons for this, the manager may have lost his touch after six years of managing but the main reason that is given is the lack of Premier League experience in the squad, only a few play matches on the highest English level on a regular basis.

My opinion

England is experiencing the downside of the money that clubs have these days, instead of developing players through youth systems the English teams are buying the best players from other countries. In countries like The Netherlands the emphasis is on developing young Dutch players and steadily preparing them for the Dutch national team, this philosophy has resulted in European championships in 2006 and 2007, whereas the big English football nation hasn’t  won anything over the last years. There is one easy solution to force English teams to develop English players, English premier league teams should use at least four English players per match, this way the premier league will have British influence and the National teams can only benefit from that.

Bibliography

Magowan, A. (2013, June 10). What's gone wrong with England's Under-21 side? Retrieved June 11, 2013, from BBC Sport: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/22840724

   

The GCSEs are getting tougher!

 

Summary

In the summer of 2017 pupils in England will take the new GCSEs, this week the new GCSEs will be presented and there will be some major changes. The exams will get more difficult and the whole structure will change for the core subjects like English, mathematics and literature. The major changes are:

·         Students will be graded 8-1 instead of A-G.

·         No more modular courses(science experiments are an exception), there will be exams taken at the end of two years.

·         Exams will be more essay-based.

·         Passing grade will be pushed higher.

A major change for literature is that pupils will have to read a 19^th century novel and a full play written by William Shakespeare.

My Opinion

I partially agree with the changes and I think it is a good thing that the passing grade is pushed higher, this will eventually result in more competent pupils. Despite all the positives I think it is a bad idea to throw away the modular courses,  with the new system pupils will have to work towards exams for two years long, a very long time. Also the full play by William Shakespeare is in my opinion not necessary for the GCSEs, I agree that he is very important to English literature but I do not think it is a good idea to have pupils read a full play.

Bibliography

Coughlan, S. (2013, June 11). GCSEs: New-look tougher exams revealed. Retrieved June 11, 2013, from BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-22841266

 

Woolwich murder suspects appear in court

Summary

This article describes the day in court of one of the suspects of the Woolwich murder. The suspect, Mr. Adebolajo, was wearing a white shirt and white pants and was carrying the Koran with him. The suspect had his left arm in a cast because he was shot by a police officer. During the hearing he was asked to stand, he replied: “May I ask why? May I ask why?” He then refused to stand. Besides the murder of Lee Rigby, the suspect was also charged with the attempted murder of two police officers and the possession of a firearm. Mr. Adebolajo is the second of the suspects to appear in court.

My opinion

In my opinion, the judge should not take long before giving his sentence. These two murderers should be imprisoned for the rest of their life, preferably in a solitary confinement. The damage that these men have done to the reputation of the Muslim society Is really terrible. The day after the murder English people were protesting outside of a mosque, the more Islamic people do these kind of things the worse it will get. The Muslim society is in fact a peaceful society but they will be associated with terrorism because of the actions of a minority.

Bibliography

M, P. (2013, June 3). Woolwich murder suspects appear in court. Retrieved June 3, 2013, from BBC News: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22748021