Venezuela's Hugo Chavez Dead At 58

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has died, his vice-president has announced.

Mr Chavez had not appeared in public since he returned to Venezuela last month after cancer treatment in Cuba.

An emotional Nicolas Maduro made the announcement on Tuesday evening, flanked by leading Venezuelan political and military leaders.

Earlier, he said the 58-year-old Venezuelan leader had a new, severe respiratory infection and had entered "his most difficult hours".

Billionaire Unveils New Titanic II

Australian billionaire Clive Palmer unveiled plans Tuesday for construction of Titanic II, a cruise ship designed as a "full-scale re-creation" of the Titanic, which sank in the Atlantic Ocean in April 1912.

Displaying a blueprint for the Titanic II at a press conference aboard the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Palmer announced that the ship will be built in China and begin carrying passengers in the third quarter of 2016.

Palmer, who refused to divulge the cost of building the ship, said "the Titanic was a ship of dreams," and "the Titanic II will be the ship where dreams come true."

The Australian businessman, who owns an Australian mining company and other businesses, said he has received an overwhelming response from prospective passengers who want to travel on Titanic II. He predicted that it "will be a real financial bonanza" so successful that he will "have to build Titanic III."

Some Titanic and cruise-ship experts doubt the Titanic II, which Palmer says will regularly sail across the North Atlantic, will be able to attract enough passengers after its maiden voyage. Some also question whether the new cruise ship desecrates the memory of those who died on the Titanic.

The Titanic II will be built 883 feet long – 3 inches longer than the original Titanic– and weigh 55,800 gross tons, according to Palmer. It will carry a maximum of 2,435 passengers and 900 crew members, and include a gymnasium, Turkish baths, a squash court, a swimming pool, a theater and a casino.

Its first voyage is scheduled to be from Shanghai to Southampton, England, and then on to New York.

The Titanic — the largest and most luxurious cruise ship of its time — departed from Southampton on its maiden voyage to New York in 1912 and made two stops in Europe before striking an iceberg several hundred miles off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. More than 1,500 people aboard died after the collision.

The Titanic II, which will be built by a state-owned Chinese company, CSC Jinling Shipyard, will honor the memories of those who died and survived on the Titanic, Palmer said. The Titanic was operated by the White Star Line, and Palmer's cruise company is called Blue Star Line.

Like the original ship, there will no TVs aboard and probably no Internet service, he says.

The press conference was held on an aircraft carrier in the Hudson River near where the Titanic was expected to dock in 1912 and next to another ill-fated form of transport, the supersonic Concorde.

Timing of the announcement for the unveiling of Titanic II wasn't smooth.

Palmer originally scheduled the unveiling of his plans at six kick-off events in December, but they were postponed because of the "devastation caused in New York and along the East Coast by Hurricane Sandy," which struck last October.

This month, the cruise ship industry received a black eye after a fire broke out on the Carnival Triumph, knocking out power and causing five days of hardship for 4,200 passengers until the ship was towed to shore.

Michael Driscoll, the editor of the industry newsletter Cruise Week, is skeptical about the future of Titanic II in the aftermath of the Carnival Triumph fire and last year's shipwreck of the Costa Concordia off the coast of Tuscany. The Costa Concordia slammed into a jagged reef and capsized, and 32 people were killed.

"Given all the safety concerns the industry has faced over the past 14 months — especially with Costa Concordia — such a ship would appear to have very limited appeal in this era," Driscoll says. "Themed cruises in general and even one-off re-creations of Titanic sailings in particular have proven popular in this business, but those thrive because they are done infrequently, not on a year-round basis."

Driscoll says he's been told by travel agents that Titanic II will have "very limited viability with the North American market."

Bad weather and big waves pose problems for trans-Atlantic sailings in winter, and the Titanic II "would appear to have no appeal" in regions with warmer weather, he says.

"Titanic II is a curiosity and may have a draw as a floating hotel, but the idea of spending close to a week at sea on a vessel built around such a thin premise is seen as a stretch, at least by many within the industry," Driscoll says.

Titanic expert J. Joseph Edgette, professor emeritus of education at Widener University in Chester, Pa., questions whether cruise ship passengers will continue to book Titanic II "once the initial hype is over."

He says the Titanic's primary purposes were to carry mail and cargo across the Atlantic, and it was a means of transportation for European and American passengers. In contrast, Titanic II will solely be a cruise ship, he says.

Edgette, who is also folklorist emeritus at Widener, says a cruise ship named Titanic II is "a little tacky," and there is a maritime tradition of not naming a ship after one lost at sea.

Some people may not want to travel on it because of the tragedy suffered by its predecessor or a belief it would be disrespectful to those who died on the original ship, Edgette says.

Brad Matsen, author of Titanic's Last Secrets, says "some people" like Palmer "have too much money."

There was "an immense amount of hubris in the construction of the Titanic," and that may be the case in the building of Titanic II, he says.

Matsen says the story of the Titanic still holds the "public's fascination," but he doesn't know why anyone would name a ship after it.

"There were a lot of people who died on the Titanic," Matsen says. "That's what gets lost on this."

Helen Benziger, the great-granddaughter of Molly Brown, who survived the Titanic sinking, says she is "thrilled" that the Titanic II is being built.

Benziger said at the press conference that Palmer "has assured me that everything possible has been done to honor the passengers who perished and the passengers who survived."

Paul Kurzman, whose great-grandparents, Isidor and Ida Straus, died on the Titanic, says he has "no problem" with the construction of Titanic II. Isidor served in Congress and owned R.H. Macy & Co..

He says he thinks his grandparents would also not have felt offended.

"I don't think they would have had any problem whatsoever, as long as the Titanic II steers clear of icebergs," says Kurzman, a professor of social work at Hunter College in New York.

Karen Kamuda, vice president of The Titanic Historical Society in Indian Orchard, Mass., says a new cruise ship modeled after the original Titanic is a positive development.

"The Titanic was a piece of history and a symbol of an era," Kamuda says. "As we get farther away from that time, people want to feel that part of history."

Kamuda says it's not insensitive to build a ship today modelled after one involved in a tragedy.

"I'm glad people are interested in history," she says. "If a symbol like this makes people reflect on an era that's past, I don't have a problem with that."

Julie Hedgepeth Williams, whose great uncle, Albert Caldwell, survived the Titanic sinking, says she often spoke with Albert about the tragedy. She is author of A Rare Titanic Family.

She says Albert, who died in 1992, would have wanted to travel on the Titanic II.

"He would have loved to have seen it," says Williams, a professor of journalism at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. "He would have found a new ship intriguing. He always wanted to see the Titanic again."

Oscar Pistorius Granted Bail

South African athlete Oscar Pistorius, who faces murder charges over the fatal shooting of his girlfriend, has been granted bail after a four-day hearing.

Magistrate Desmond Nair said the state had not made a case that he would flee, or that he had a violent character. The Paralympic champion denies murder, saying he shot Reeva Steenkamp thinking she was an intruder at his home. The next hearing in the case has been set for 4 June. Bail was set at 1m rand (£74,000; $113,000). He was ordered to hand over his passport, avoid his home in Pretoria and report to a police station between 07:00 and 13:00 every Monday and Friday. Reeva Steenkamp's family say they want the truth. Mr Nair took almost two hours to deliver his judgement. He criticised the testimony of Detective Hilton Botha for not following up important leads and changing his evidence. But the magistrate also said he had difficulty understanding why Mr Pistorius had opened fire in the way he did. However, he said Mr Pistorius had "reached out to meet the state's case" and had given a full version of events at an early stage. "I come to the conclusion that the accused has made a case to be released on bail," he said. Mr Pistorius's family and supporters in the court gasped and cheered as the magistrate announced his decision.

His uncle, Arnold Pistorius, said outside court: "We are relieved by the fact that Oscar got bail today, but at the same time, we are in mourning for Reeva Steenkamp and her family." The hearing began on Tuesday and both prosecution and defence laid out their cases. Both sides agree that Mr Pistorius shot through the bathroom door four times, hitting and killing Ms Steenkamp. But prosecutors allege the shooting happened after the couple had an argument at Mr Pistorius's home in the early hours of 14 February. Det Botha told the court that witnesses had heard shouting, screaming and gunfire from about 600m (2,000ft) away. But later he changed his evidence to suggest the witnesses were much closer.


Bail conditions

• Must hand over 1 million rand: 100,000 rand in cash up front, and proof that the rest is available
• Must turn in passports and any guns that he owns
• Cannot leave Pretoria without permission from probation officer, nor can he return to his home
• Forbidden to take drugs or drink alcohol
• Must report to police station between 07:00 and 13:00 every Monday and Friday

And on Thursday it emerged that Det Botha faces allegations of attempted murder, and he was removed from the case. Mr Pistorius says he woke in the middle of the night, and thought there was an intruder in the bathroom. The prosecutors sought to portray Mr Pistorius as man with a history of violence who was likely to flee the country. But the defence argued it would be impossible for Mr Pistorius to flee because his prosthetic legs would be noticed wherever he went. Ms Steenkamp, 29, was a model and law graduate with a burgeoning television career. 

Oscar Pistorius, 26, won gold medals at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012. In London he made history by becoming the first double-amputee to run in the Olympics, making the semi-final of the 400m.

Meteor Shower Explodes In Russia

A meteor streaked across the sky and exploded over Russia's Ural Mountains with the power of an atomic bomb, its sonic blasts shattering countless windows and injuring about 1,100 people.

- Shock wave blew in estimated 100,000sq m of glass
- Exploded above the Chelyabinsk region in Russia's Urals

The spectacle deeply frightened many Russians, with some elderly women declaring that the world was coming to an end. Many of the injured were cut by flying glass as they flocked to windows, curious about what had produced such a blinding flash of light.

The meteor - estimated to be about 10 tons - entered the Earth's atmosphere at a hypersonic speed of at least 54,000 kph and shattered into pieces about 30-50 kilometers above the ground, the Russian Academy of Sciences said in a statement.

Amateur video showed an object speeding across the sky, just after sunrise, leaving a thick white contrail and an intense flash.

"There was panic. People had no idea what was happening,'' said Sergey Hametov, a resident of Chelyabinsk, a city of 1 million about 1,500 kilometers east of Moscow.

"We saw a big burst of light, then went outside to see what it was and we heard a really loud, thundering sound,'' he told The Associated Press by telephone.

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius Faces Life

'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius faces life in prison if found guilty of murder.

Olympic superstar Oscar Pistorius wept in court Friday as prosecutors said they'll pursue a charge of premeditated murder against him for killing his model girlfriend, meaning the man who once inspired the world could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Pistorius' family and London-based management issued a statement disputing the murder charge he now faces for the slaying of Reeva Steenkamp. The athlete himself initially appeared solemn and collected in his first court appearance, but later sobbed loud enough for his cries to be heard over the more than 100 spectators gathered for the hearing.

His tears even drew the attention of Chief Magistrate Desmond Nasir, who at one point simply said: "Take it easy."

The double-amputee athlete's arrest stunned South Africa, which awoke the morning of Valentine's Day to hear that Steenkamp had been shot to death at Pistorius' home in a gated community in an eastern suburb of South Africa's capital, Pretoria. Police said investigators recovered a 9 mm pistol from the home.

In Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Friday, throngs of photographers, videographers and journalists besieged the brick-walled Courtroom C, where Pistorius appeared. Nasir's first ruling in the matter focused on the press: He dismissed requests from a private television station and the state broadcaster to air the hearing live.

Nasir also ordered that no photographs be taken while court was in session. That left kneeling photographers less than 3 feet from Pistorius to simply stare at a man some previously photographed sprinting on his famous carbon-fiber blades as he cried uncontrollably. Pistorius' brother, Carl, and his father, Henke, reached out at separate times to comfort him as he sat in the dock.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel said in court he would pursue a charge of premeditated murder against Pistorius for allegedly killing Steenkamp, a 30-year-old model known for her vamping, bikini pictures in men's magazines and appearances in commercials.

Police said Friday that investigators conducted an autopsy on Steenkamp's body. Lt. Col. Katlego Mogale said the results of the autopsy would not be published.

Pistorius entered no plea at the hearing and his family left quickly, without speaking to journalists who followed them outside. In a statement later Friday, his family and management questioned the criminal charge the 26-year-old athlete faces.

"The alleged murder is disputed in the strongest terms," the statement read, without elaborating.

The statement also said Pistorius wanted to "send his deepest sympathies to the family of Reeva."

"He would also like to express his thanks through us today for all the messages of support he has received — but as stated our thoughts and prayers today should be for Reeva and her family — regardless of the circumstances of this terrible, terrible tragedy," the statement read.

South Africa continues to question itself over what to think about the shooting, with local newspaper headlines veering from the lurid to "Blade gunner?" on Friday morning, playing on Pistorius' nickname given for his running blades. The nation of 50 million has one of the world's highest rates of shooting deaths, behind only Colombia. South Africa as whole recently recoiled at the brutal gang rape and attack that killed a 17-year-old girl and many wore black Friday to demonstrate against the high levels of violence against women in the country.

Others focused their attention on Pistorius, who is fascinated by fast cars, cage fighting and firearms. He crashed a speedboat in February 2009, breaking his nose, jaw and several ribs and damaging an eye socket. He later required 180 stitches to his face. Witnesses said he had been drinking, and officers found alcoholic beverages in the wreckage, though they did not do a blood test on Pistorius.

His love life, the fodder of gossip columns in the country, also saw turmoil. In November, Pistorius was involved in an altercation over a woman with a local coal mining millionaire, South African media reported.

Gianni Merlo, who co-authored the 2009 biography "Blade Runner" with Pistorius, told The Associated Press in a phone interview Friday from Italy that Pistorius once drove out in the middle of the night to see his first love after a fight. Pistorius crashed his car when he fell asleep behind the wheel, though Merlo said it showed his devotion.

However, he said Pistorius once threw a friend's girlfriend out of his house, prompting police to investigate and take him in for questioning.

"He explained that this was a kind of (plot) against him, planned against him," Merlo said.

At the defense's request, the chief magistrate delayed Pistorius' bail hearing until Tuesday and Wednesday. Prosecutors and defense lawyers agreed to keep Pistorius in a police holding cell, rather than transfer him to prison like most normal suspects. While Nasir acknowledged that could give them impression that the athlete was getting "preferential treatment," he agreed to it. Police have said they oppose Pistorius being freed on bail.

In saying they'll seek a premeditated murder charge against Pistorius, prosecutors likely are claiming they have evidence that the athlete planned the killing ahead of time, said William Booth, a prominent defense lawyer from Cape Town. The charge, which carries a sentence of life in prison, also makes it more difficult for Pistorius to successfully apply for bail, Booth said, though it could be a challenge to get a conviction.

"It's quite difficult to prove that in a situation where there isn't a witness," the defense lawyer said. "If I just plan it in my mind and I arrive at somebody's house and there's no witnesses and I shoot the person, it's really tough for the prosecution to show that planning."

On call-in radio shows and in private conversation Friday, some in South Africa compared Pistorius' case to that of O.J. Simpson, a former football star accused of the slayings of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. That case, drawing international media attention, saw Simpson acquitted by a jury in 1995. However, in South Africa, there is no jury system, leaving Pistorius face largely to the judge who will oversee his possible trial.

Pistorius made history at the London Olympics last year when he became the first double-amputee track athlete to compete at any games. He didn't win a medal but did make the semifinals of the 400 meters and the final of the 4X400 relay, propelling the world's best-known Paralympian to the level of an international track star and one of the world's best-known sportsmen. But police hinted at a troubled lifestyle away from public scrutiny for the runner Thursday when they said there had previously been domestic incidents at Pistorius' home.

America's Most Deadliest Sniper Shot Dead

Chris Kyle, the most deadliest American sniper, has been shot dead at a Texas gun range.

Chris Kyle, 38, on tour in Iraq.

The Iraq veteran and ex Navy Seal was found dead along with another, unnamed man, at Rough Creek Lodge gun range on Saturday 2nd February.

Mr Kyle, aged 38, wrote  best selling book "American Sniper" in which he said to have killed more than 250 people over the course of four tours in Iraq, in which he was decorated with an award of bravery. During his time in Iraq, insurgents nicknamed Kyle "The Devil" and put a $20,000 bounty on his head.

The shots were fired at round 15:30 local time, the gunman then fled in one of the victims vehicle.The police have said they know no reason as to way the men were shot but have said a 25 year old suspect is being detained by the local police.

Follow El Senores for future news on this story.

Doubt Over Alan Turing's "Suicide"

The truth behind Turing's death?

Today, 23/06/12, is the birthday of Alan Turing the famous mathematician, war time code breaker and leader in early computer science. Who was said to have commit suicide after the poor treatment he received after being revealed as a homosexual.

But that has been bough into question today after prof. jack Copeland questioned the evidence of the 1954 inquest into Turing's death. Copeland feel in today's terms the evidence would not be sufficient to conclude that it was a suicide. it's well know that Turing die of cyanide poisoning, his housekeeper found him perished in his bed with a half eaten apple by his bedside, he was aged just 41.

It is said Turing was haunted by the story of the poisonous apple from snow white and the seven dwarfs,and resorted to the same means to kill himself because of the suffering and ill treatment he faced because he was gay. However Copeland thinks this can not be necessarily true as Turing had an apple every night and it was very unlike him not to finish it, so it somewhat rules out that it was deliberate, the police never even tested the apple of cyanide traces. Copeland also stressed the point that if the case where modern day then the authority's would of looked for premeditation of suicide of which there is none, in fact Turing was said to be in a very cheerful mood.

Turing also left a note of things he must do at his practice before he "killed himself", why would a man who intended to kill themselves leave a note of tasks they know they will never have the opportunity to do?

Many people have disregarded Copeland's evidence, saying that it was well know how Turing was an unpredictable man, his mood could greatly vary from one day to the next. They also state how Turing had very little reason to live, he faced losing his job a Manchester university where he had access to one of the world only computers and the possibility of a jail sentence so he turned to the only alternative of being  "chemically castrated" with was said to make gay men straight.

Copeland replies with yet more evidence of a man not on the verge of suicide but despite his hardships was in a rather good mood, regularly joking about events in his life that many today would find shocking. After being found to of been having a relationship with a mister Kjell Turing had written "for sheer incident, it rivaled the Arnold [gross-indecency] story" and on the day of his try was stated as saying, "The day of the trial was by no means disagreeable.Whilst in custody with the other criminals, I had a very agreeable sense of irresponsibility, rather like being back at school." Turing's neighbour had described how he had thrown "such a jolly [tea] party" for her and her son four days before he died.

Was A Poisson apple, the cause of death?

Copeland feels that Turing did not in fact kill himself but rather died for an accident. Turing used cyanide for many of his experience which took place in what he referred to as "the nightmare room" Turning was well know for being somewhat careless, he had severely electrocuted himself by accident in the past. Copeland feels perhaps Turing put his apple down in a puddle of cyanide by mistake or even more likely would be that Turing died for cyanide inhalation rather then ingestion, which would explain why the cyanide was found spread through out his body's organs which is common which in cyanide inhalation cases.

Copeland concluded by mentioning how he did not want to rule anything out, even the possibility of foal play. Copeland added "The exact circumstances of Turing's death will probably always be unclear."

I agree with Copeland in that turnings death will always be mysterious, I think maybe however we should concentrate less on his death and rather more on his life, for he truly was a man ahead of his time, not just scientifically but also socially. Turning to me, will always be someone I hold in high regard, no matter how he died.

Leave a comment below telling us what you think.

16/06/12 Anorexic Woman To Be Force Fed

The term "force fed" can be misinterpreted, 'E' would not be
forced to eat but instead have a tube inserted providing the correct
amount of nutrients similar to the image above.

In Wales, a severely anorexic woman wished to starve herself to death, but a decision was made by judge, Peter Jackson, which meant that she was to be force fed. He made the decision last month, but it only became public recently. Mr Jackson believed the woman did not have the capacity to make decisions for herself.

The conservative MP for Montgomeryshire tweeted, calling the ruling a
"shameful decision" and saying
"she should be allowed to die with dignity". The woman, known as ' E' for her protection and privacy,
had the case brought forward by her local authority's after she refused to eat and took only small amounts of water. `E' has suffered from eating disorders since the age of 11. Now 32 years of age it leaves me asking the question: "Why has nothing more been done to try and prevent her disorder getting this severe?"

No official statement has been given by 'E's family but it is known that they believe the ruling is wrong, thinking she should be allowed a dignified death.

My opinion on this is that, I would have to compare the force feeding to a medical treatment, because we all have the right to refuse medical treatment, unless we are deemed medically insane. In this case, I believe 'E' was likely to be 'medically insane' Anorexia is a mental condition, as a result, it could influence her judgement. Therefore the decision should be made for her and in this case, I believe it was the right one.

17/06/12 Stage Collapse In Toronto

The collapsed stage which cause fatalities. 

The massive stage that will hold the band Radiohead while they are doing a concert in Toronto has collapsed, killing one man and critically injuring another, it is reported another two people were also injured it is claimed by paramedics.

The incident happened at around 4pm at the Downsview park in the Canadian city of Toronto, and it happened while the sound crew were doing their checks. An employee at the park told local media that the band were due to arrive just after the stage collapsed, it is believed that the deceased man is in his 30's and that the other man is in hospital with head injuries.

Fire crews have declared the stage a no go area, as it is not known how much more of the stage may come down, also officials from the Ministry Of Labour have been called to investigate the accident.

Fire Captain Mike Strapko told local media that the piping which makes up the roof and supports the lights collapsed down on top of the workers setting up the stage.

Radiohead were quick to announce on their twitter that due to unforeseen circumstances that they would not be able to perform and Downsview park tonight, the 572 acre park has been used by bands such as the rolling stones and AC/DC, Radiohead were also marking the 15th anniversary since their classic album OK computer.

Our thoughts are with the friends and families of the deceased and the injured people that came about from this incident.

Forced Abortion In China 15/06/12

The Chinese have never been known for their amazing human rights but latest stories coming out of the country claim that a woman was forcibly given an injection for breaching the countries one child policy.

Dead mother and the also dead baby.

The mother Feng Jianmei, told local media that she was given an injection that induced an abortion and her child was stillborn 36 hours later. pictures showing the woman and her blood covered baby have shocked anti-abortion groups in China and the fury is quickly spreading throughout the world, with one writer commenting on a social media site saying "this is what they say the Japanese devils and the Nazis did."

The One Child policy was introduced in 1978 and initially applied to only first born children in 1979, it was created to tackle China's economic social and environmental problems. It has claimed to have stopped around 400 million births by 2011.

Because Feng Jianmei already had one child, local birth authorities ordered her to pay a £4,400 fine, and because she did not have the money to pay this then a team from the local planning authority came to her house to collect her for the forced abortion, Feng told the planning department time and again that the reason she could not pay the money is because she was saving it for her mother-in-law's cancer treatment. Feng told local media that around 20 staff from the local planning department came to her house, she also claimed that when they were en route to the hospital she began to resist which meant she was beaten.When her father-in-law heard about the apparent forced abortion he tried to go see her however he was not allowed in to the obstetrics ward.

Overall I believe that this is a massive misuse of human rights and that a baby is something special to a family, and that maybe it should have been put up for adoption that way the child would have lived instead of being killed in such a horrible manner.

Euro 2012 Violence In Warsaw - 13/06/12

Video demonstrating the riot.

With the Euro championship well underway now its no wonder why people are already getting hurt, the lasted fiasco comes as Russian fans marked their national day by marching towards the match.Heavy Riot gear police were on hand to stop any violence however this did not stop 10 people getting injured. Official police reports put the arrest count at around 120 people.Tear gas and rubber bullets were used by the Warsaw police to desperse any unrulely fans at the end of the march. In a seperate incident 50 Polish fans wearing masks attacked Russian in a Warsaw cafe.The riot police had glass bottles thrown at them and in response to this they fired back rubber bullets and tear gas.Russian fans are already in trouble for allegley abusing the Czech Republic's only black player, some fans were also caught punching and kicking stewards both are said to be investigated by UFEA.

Gay Marriage

The government has defended plans to change the status of civil partnership in England and wales to allowed marriage.

54% of people said it 'Should' and 42% of people said it 'Should not'.

'Gay' campaigners speaking their
views in this protest.

The Catholic Church in England and Wales has started an online petition with 550,000 signatures against same sex marriages.
So, the question is: Is society ready for gay marriage? Well, at the moment yes and no. Younger generations are more accepting of same sex relationships than perhaps most of their grandparents or even parents. It's becoming more socially acceptable but is not fully accepted. In a lot of ways it's similar to the battle for civil rights, things can and will improve but there will always be discrimination and prejudice towards same sex marriages, people will always fear things that are different or they don't understand.
If it does go through in 2015 then here is what the law will entail;

• To allow same-sex couples to marry in a register office or other civil ceremony.
• To retain civil partnerships for same-sex couples and allow couples already in a civil partnership to convert it into a marriage.
• To allow people to stay married and legally change their gender.
• To maintain the legal ban on same-sex couples marrying in a religious service.

Also in the news 12/06/2012

• Clashes break out between rival Russian and Polish football fans in the Polish capital Warsaw
• Spain's borrowing costs hit a euro-era high
• Exhaust fumes from diesel engines do cause cancer, a panel of experts working for the World Health Organization says- Falkland islands will hold a referendum on sovereignty.
• Lib Dem MPs will withdraw their support from the culture secretary in a Commons vote calling for an investigation into whether Jeremy Hunt broke the ministerial code.
• The Church of England replied to the plan by saying the move would  "alter the intrinsic nature of marriage as the union of a man and a woman". 
• The law is not being passed anytime soon, ministers hope for it to be put in place by 2015.
• CNN carried out a survey to see how many people agreed or disagreed with gay marriage.

What do you think? email us at admin@elsenores.com or answer our poll below.

Should gay Marriage be legalized?

Spain In Trouble 09/06/12: The Bailout Of Spanish Banks

Spain's main bank "Bankia".

Spain is set to get a maximum of 100 billion euros from EU funds to help its troubled banks.
The decision was made by EU finance minister during talks.

Spain's Economy Minister Luis de Guindos stressed that the help would be for the banking system , not the economy.

Spain's  government were reluctant to ask for a bailout similar to Ireland, Portugal and Greece because they came with spending cut demands from other EU nations.

The conditions attached to Spain's bank bailout were described by De Guindos as "micro-economic conditions".

The exact amount that Spain will receive will be decided after two audits of its banks, set for completion by the end of month.

The money will help the finances of Spain's weakest banks, which have been left with billions of euros worth of bad loans because of the collapse of the country's property market and the recession that followed.

House prices have fallen by 25% on average, this is one of the reasons for the banks failing.

Spain put 34bn euros into the banking system in an attempt to strengthen it. Spain recently nationalised Bankia, its fourth largest bank.

Spain was very keen to ensure that any money went directly to its banks, rather than to the central government.

Will the need for bailouts stop at Spain? Or can it only get worst for the EU?

Also in the news ...

- Floods hit England and Scotland .
- The number of confirmed and suspected cases of Legionnaires' disease in Edinburgh has risen to 80.
- Prince Phillip leaves hospital today after treatment for a bladder infection.
- 11 arrested at EDL protest
- China puts new manned rocket into space

Football And Racism

Racism and football.

Here is a story perhaps drifting away a little from usual politics but in this article I will discuss how politics plays a major role in football and vice versa. I chose this topic to cover as it is dominating headlines at the moment.

UEFA has confirmed speculations that some Netherlands players experienced racial abuse during a training session for the for Euro 2012. Mark van Bommel, the dutch captain said "monkey" was yelled at players.

UEFA is stated as saying
"UEFA has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to discriminatory behaviour and has given the power to referees to stop matches in case of any repeated racist behaviour."
Whether referees will carry this out is yet to be seen.

The Dutch FA said it will make an official complaint for the incident. It is rumoured that this is what happened: a few players heard sounds, which could be described as possible monkey chants. However, the training staff on the pitch were not aware of this. Players then moved to the less noisy, opposite side of the pitch.

While Van Bommel complained specifically of racist abuse, the Dutch FA had earlier said this was mixed with anti-Euro 2012 chanting believed to have been prompted by the fact the city has not been given any matches in the tournament.

20,000 fans had turned up to watch the training session at the Stadion Miejski on Wednesday.

An episode of the program, Panorama,  made the public more aware of the chance of Racism at Euro 2012 Examples of this are: supporters in Ukraine imitating Nazi salutes and taunting black players by miming monkeys.

Earlier this week, UEFA president Michel Platini said the issue was one for wider society, not simply football. Showing us football is a big part of politics. How players and fans behave in games reflect the nation and society as a whole.

For more on the Euro 2012 championships keep up to date with Senor Deportes .

Also in the news..
- President Obama backs Europe over economic crisis
- UN soldiers killed in Ivory Coast
- Denmark pull over a shock 1-0 win against Netherlands. Germany beat Portugal 1-0 from a Mario Gomez goal.

Yet Another Massacre In Syria - 07/06/12

Yet another massacre in Syria, and other news.

Syria government forces have killed at least 86 people in Hama province, according to pro-democracy activists. It's speculated that around 40 of the dead were women and children. This news comes just 2 weeks after a similar attack in Houla that left 108 people dead. In an interview with BBC news tonight an activist in Hama said this;
"They executed [nearly] every person in the village. Very few numbers could flee. The majority were slaughtered with knives and in a horrible and ugly way,"

This shows some of the violent protest taking place in Syria.

I feel little can be done in Syria at this point in the conflict, not without greater lose of civilian life and damage to the relationships we have with other nations. We can only hope that the rebel forces will mange to overthrow Syrian government and the people involved will be brought to trial for there crimes against humanity.

Supposedly, Bashar al-Assad, syrian leader, oversees the killings. But, could a man who before his father died said he lacked interest in politics or the military, a man educated in medicine and with a wife and two children of their own be capable of allowing such things? I think Assad is a puppet, the question is; who's pulling the strings?

Also in the news 07/06/12

• Prince William becomes Sea King Captain.
• UK government ministers will boycott England's group games in the European football championships
• Clinton cards is sold to a US company.
• Legionnaires' disease outbreak in Edinburgh has risen by a further 10, taking the total to 61.
• 6 men who shot a police officer during the long riots, are given sentences ranging from 18-30 years imprisonment.