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Rugby World Cup

September 21, 2010 No comments

With only one year to go to the Rugby World Cup 2011, authorities in New Zealand have confirmed that preperations are well underway.

The country is going all out to make the World Cup an event to remember and is looking forward to hosting the thousands of visitors who will flock to the beautiful islands to watch their teams battle it out.

New Zealand’s capital Auckland is gearing itself up to host the majority of the visitors as 70% of the country’s tourists come through Auckland.

Rugby fans can look forward not only to a great tournament but also to experiencing the beauty and culture of New Zealand. Auckland itself has so much to do, from skydiving shopping to relaxing beside the sea, it’s all here.

If your heading to the World Cup or are interested in New Zealand, here are a few sites we found useful:

  • Hotels in New Zealand
  • Car Hire Auckland
  • New Zealand Travel Guide
    • Sport, Travel , ,

    Pakistani Cricketers Were Already Under Observation

    August 31, 2010 No comments

    The head of cricket’s governing body has revealed that the players embroiled in the current match fixing scandal were already being monitored by the body’s anti-corruption unit.

    Detectives from Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency are on their way to the UK to begin their own investigation into the allegations.

    The scandal surrounds Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, Mohammed Amir and Kamran Akmal. It is alleged that the player’s accepted bribes from to bowl no-balls at pre-arranged times during the Test match against England.

    The News of the World broke the story with a front cover depicting a still from footage of cricket agent Mazhar Majeed. The video appears to show Majeed counting out £150,000 given to him by ‘investors’ who wanted to bet on no-balls during the game. The newspaper claims that three no-balls were delivered exactly as described by Majeed.

    The chief of the International Cricket Council (ICC) has asserted that disciplinary action would be taken swiftly and firmly.

    The Pakistan cricketer’s have faced allegations of match fixing on a number of occasions including in a match against Australia earlier this year which resulted in the banning of four players.

    Sport

    SeaWorld Fined After Death of Trainer

    August 24, 2010 No comments

    SeaWorld has been fined $75,000 after one of it’s trainers was attacked and killed by a killer whale while performing in front of a live audience.

    Dawn Brancheau was grabbed by her ponytail and flung around violently by the whale known as Tilly as hundreds watched on. She died from “multiple traumatic injuries and drowning” during the show in February of this year. Health and safety chiefs said her death could have been avoided if the authorities at the theme park hadn’t exposed their staff to these potentially dangerous animals and had implemented health and safety changes that had been previously recommended.

    The six ton male orca had previously been connected to the death of a trainer in 1991 at Sealand of the Pacific. In 1999, 7 years after he was sold to SeaWorld, the body of a man who had sneaked into the enclosure was found lying on his back.

    Since the killing, SeaWorld has brought in a number of new regulations for handling and caring for the whales. SeaWorld have disputed the findings of the Health and Safety Association and claimed that the allegations lacked evidence and understanding.

    World News

    Response to Pakistan Disaster ‘Feeble’

    August 19, 2010 No comments

    The British aid agency Oxfam has described the response to the flooding crisis in Pakistan as “feeble and woefully inadequate”.

    The UN meets today to discuss relief efforts with member states expected to encourage the international community to offer fuller assistance to the crippled country. So far only half of the money required to fund the relief effort in Pakistan has been donated by government’s across the world.

    The EU has already committed to donating an extra £25 million with a number of other countries expected to follow suit. Oxfam representatives have urged Britain to take the lead in committing aid to the region and to make sure the aid is filtered through as quickly as possible to the Pakistani people.

    It is estimated that 20 million people have been affected by the flooding so far with around 1,600 losing their lives. Disease is the biggest threat with the first cases of cholera already reported. The UN estimates that 3.5 million children are at risk of contracting disease as a result of the flooding.

    Environment, World News

    Bold Bmibaby Given Smack

    August 17, 2010 No comments

    Bmibaby has found itself in trouble with the advertising watchdog for the second time in three months.

    A poster for the airline offering cheap flights was “misleading” according to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The poster featured cheap one way fares to Dublin or Murcia from only £25 including taxes when booked over the internet.

    However, the bottom of the advert then said “from East Midlands Airport, book on-line or call.” A member of the public complained to the ASA after attempting to book a flight to Murcia and being told that the offer was only available through the website.

    If you are planning to holiday in Murcia, here’s some factual information we found useful:

  • Hotels in Murcia
  • Car Hire Murcia
  • Murcia Travel Guide
    • Travel ,

    Speed Cameras Turned Off

    August 17, 2010 No comments

    Local councils can no longer afford to maintain speed cameras as the government has reduced road safety expenditure in an effort to tackle the budget deficit.

    Oxfordshire is one of the first locations to lose their speed cameras and the local road safety partnership has reported that the decision has already led to an increase in driver’s speed. The Thames Valley Safer Road Partnership has been monitoring the speeds of drivers on two particular 30mph zones where the cameras have been taken away but the speed recording radar has been left operational.

    The Partnership have found that there has been an 88% increase in drivers exceeding 35mph in the 30 zone in just 5 days. While this data has been collected from a tiny pool of locations over a short period of time, the possibility of this trend being repeated across the UK as speed cameras are turned off is worrying.

    A small increase in speed can mean the difference between life and death.

    Travel ,

    Jellyfish Shut Alicante Beaches

    August 12, 2010 No comments

    A number of beaches across Spain have been closed to holidaymakers due to an invasion of jellyfish.

    The Costa Blanca to the north of Alicante is one of the worst affected areas with several beaches closed due to swarms of Mauve Stinger jellyfish. The purple jellyfish deliver mild stings but in severe cases of allergic reaction, can cause heart failure.

    50 people were treated for stings in just half an hour on a beach on the east coast of Spain and medical services fear the number of stings could rise to the level of 2008 when over 4,000 had to be treated.

    The Costa Blanca region is one of Spain’s most popular tourist destinations and attracts an estimated two million tourists each year. The Spanish government has dispatched boats to patrol the coastline and give advanced warning of approaching swarms.

    Experts have not yet determined the reasons behind the jellyfish booms. It is thought that the decline of natural predators and changes in climactic conditions are largely to blame.

    Here are a few sites we found useful when planning our holiday to Alicante:

    Useful Information:

  • Alicante travel guide
  • Car hire Alicante
  • Hotels in Alicante
    • Environment, European News, Travel

    Girl Guides Reiterate Call For Airbrush Rules

    August 5, 2010 No comments

    The largest organisation representing females in the UK has called for strict rules to be imposed on airbrushing.

    The practice involves enhancing the attributes of faces and bodys and editing out their flaws. Glossy magazines have come under particular scrutiny for their frequent use of airbrushing. The Girlguides want the government to make it compulsory to label images which have been airbrushed.

    The organisation has received support from the equalities minister, Lynne Featherstone who praised the organisations endeavors in her blog. The petition has continued to gather momentum after numerous studies have shown that these unrealistic images affect young girls and women.

    A number of other organisations are supporting calls for labelling to be introduced. Included among them is Beat, a charity for young people with eating disorders. Their chief executive said that we all know the difference it would make to young people’s self esteem “if they could be sure which of the images they see are natural and true to life.”

    While the petition has received the equality minister’s support, the subject is under the jurisdiction of the Dept. of Culture, Media and Sport who have not, as of yet, announced any plans to change the law.

    Check out the stories video on Sky News

    Media ,

    Electric Car Rental Scheme for Paris

    August 3, 2010 No comments

    Paris will launch the Autolib electric car hire scheme next September.

    The city is attempting to emulate the success of it’s bike rental scheme, known as Velib, and aims to offer residents access to a car whenever and wherever they need it. Deputy Mayor, Annick Lepetit has claimed that many will be able to do without their cars when the scheme is up and running.

    Both the Velib and Autolib concepts have been met with praise from around the world. Paris is seen as providing the model that many other countries will eventually imitate.

    However there are some obvious hurdles to overcome. As many as a quarter of the bikes rented out under the Velib rental scheme were stolen or vandalised. According to Parisian officials, the vehicles will be designed in such a way that they will be difficult to damage or steal.

    Environment, European News, Travel , , ,

    Death of the Love Parade

    July 27, 2010 No comments

    The death toll from the stampede at Germany’s Love Parade over the weekend has risen to 20 as the country launches an investigation into the causes of the stampede.

    Over 340 have been hurt at the popular techno festival which was held in Duisberg. Scores of people attempted to push their way through a narrow tunnel leading into an old railway freight yard which was being used as the festival ground. Panic set in as festival goers found they could not move in or out of the tunnel and a stampede broke out.

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel has ordered a comprehensive investigation of the tragedy which has shocked and angered many of the local residents as well as the country’s political leaders. The festival organizers have already ruled out any further Love Parades.

    The Mayor of Duisberg faced a heated reaction when he attended a ceremony for the victims. He was chased away from the vigil amidst angry scenes with locals making clear that they felt he was in some way responsible.

    The investigation into the disaster has already begun.

    European News , , ,
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