Students Demonstrate against rising University Fees

Now familiar scenes in London of the student clashes with police. Tensions are running high tonight after a mainly peaceful start to the demonstrations earlier today.  Protesters are remaining in Trafalgar square as darkness falls.

After a march across London, demonstrators are being moved out of Trafalgar Square by lines of police.

Meanwhile in Wales, the assembly government has announced that its students will pay thousands less in fees than in England.  The Welsh Assembly Government announced its own fee plans, which will see Welsh students at university in Wales and England paying no more than £3,290 per year.  (This would mean that an English student at an English University could end up spending £17,000 more on a 3-year course than their Welsh counterpart or a student in a Welsh University)  This will be done via 

Student Finance Wales which is a partnership between the Welsh Assembly Government, Local Authorities and the Student Loans Company.

Student Finance Wales provides grants and loans to eligible students who normally live in Wales for both Further Education and Higher Education. This is regardless of nationality or where in the UK students are studying. 

There are also additional services for students with special circumstances, such as disabled students, or those with caring responsibilities.

Business Secretary Vince Cable says he might now abstain in the vote on fees. The vote in the House of Commons, expected before Christmas, will decide whether tuition fees in England will be raised to up to £9,000 per year.  However one of the organisers of today's protest said "abstention is not an option".  The Liberal Democrats are under pressure to honour their election manifesto and sitting on the fence is not considered enough.

Occupations have reportedly taken place in at least eight universities and in Birmingham about 30 protesters occupied the city council's offices.

There were also protests in Leeds, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Manchester and Bristol.

The weather has had a hand in reducing the numbers of protesters.  Only the die hard students have ventured out In today's freezing conditions.

So, will we see a huge rise in the applications to Welsh Universities?  

WikiLeaks - attack on the World!

The general consensus of opinion is "well done Wikileaks".  News around the world seems to think this is stuff that we need to know.  Wikileaks is providing a public service - removing the mystery and bringing out into the open the dealing that governments undertake in the name of the "people". 

However, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has denounced the release of classified diplomatic cables as an "attack on the international community".

She spoke after the release of some 250,000 messages from US envoys around the world by the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks.  Yesterday Wikileaks started releasing some highly sensitive cables sent by US Embassies worldwide.

The cables offer candid and sometimes unflattering views of world leaders and frank assessments of security threats.  Such things as King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia urging the US to attack Iran.  Other concerns include the security of Pakistani nuclear material that could be used to make an atomic weapon.

The US government condemned the release of the documents, which number in the hundreds of thousands, saying they put the lives of diplomats and others at risk.

Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks,  has said the US authorities are afraid of being held to account.

But Mrs Clinton said diplomats often needed confidentiality to be effective.  "This disclosure is not just an attack on America's foreign policy interests," she said.  "It is an attack on the international community: the alliances and partnerships, the conversations and negotiations that safeguard global security and advance economic prosperity.

"I am confident that the partnerships that the Obama administration has worked so hard to build, will withstand this challenge."

The leaks are deeply embarrassing for the Americans, and will infuriate Arab leaders whose remarks have been quoted.

God bless you Julian Assenge. We wouldn't be having so much fun if it wasn't for your geeky ass.

Snow and Ice grip the UK in unseasonal Freeze!

-17 degrees Centigrade - coldest recorded temperatures in a quarter of a century!
Drivers across the UK have been warned to be extra careful as the working week commences tomorrow.  Unfortunately where the snow has been cleared the extreme cold has ensured that the ice takes over and an even more serious risk occurs as ice is not so easily visible.

This is the earliest widespread snowfall in the UK since 1993.  Last winter's extreme weather conditions made sure that the council's have stocked up on grit and salt for the roads.  However, they were not expecting the weather to be so challenging so early in the season.  This may mean that in the traditionally bad weather months of January and February, the local Council's may well have run out of the grit and salt needed.


Snow and Ice have closed Jersey airport today and although its now open again its a rare occurrence for Jersey to be this badly affected.
There are early warnings of more to come on Monday and Tuesday, with eastern counties again the most at risk.  Apparently, according to the BBC weather experts there will be the added problem of quite a severe wind which will hugely increase the cold.

BBC weather forecaster Liam Dutton said:  "It will be really quite strong, so significant wind chill will be an issue. Even where there isn't new snow, what's there already will be blown about and roads that have been cleared could be covered up again."

He went on to say that towards the middle of the week many areas that so far have not been touched will also experience snowy conditions, this includes the South East of England.

The Met Office have issued warnings and urged every region in Scotland, with the exception of part of Strathclyde, to be prepared for frozen roads and snow that could drift in some places.

The whole of Northern Ireland was also told to be on standby for similar conditions

The AA are also experiencing an unprecedented amount of callouts today and they expect that to significantly increase as people try to get to work tomorrow morning. The problem here is that cars have been safely tucked up in a garage on sitting on a drive all weekend and now they need to be persuaded to run in extreme cold temperatures and once running cope with extreme driving conditions.
Of course all the emergency services are concerned about ice because even the treated roads will have patches of it so vigilance is of paramount importance and to not allow complacency to take over when drivers hit the bigger roads. The AA advise drivers to leave extra time to get to work and to exercise extreme caution.

For advice on driving in these conditions 

Airports and trains are the next thing to be affected - this could be the pattern for the next week! 

German Home owners Opt out of Google's Street View Service

Essen West Germany and homes have been bombarded with eggs and had signs posted on their door saying 'Google's Cool' victims of anti-privacy vandals.

Many properties have opted to be blurred on the Google Street View service.

Google itself are not getting involved in the vandalism - of course - saying that people have the right to remove themselves from the street view and they do not condone vandalism for whatever reason.

The German government were adamant that its citizens should have the option to removed before the pictures went live.  Almost a quarter of a million people have requested their homes to be blurred out on this service.

The mayor of Oberstaufen wanted his town on the Street View map

Since going live in Germany, the service has captured a series of bizarre events, including a naked man climbing into the boot of his car on the driveway of a house in Mannheim, south-west Germany.
Another camera appeared to capture the birth of a baby on a street in a Berlin suburb, although there are question-marks over the veracity of the incident.

Germany is the first country to have negotiated with Google to allow citizens to opt out before the service goes live.


But in a recent blog on the German roll-out the search giant warned that it would not be able to respond to all requests immediately.

"Given how complex the process is, there will be some houses that people asked us to blur that will be visible when we launch the imagery in a few weeks time.  We've worked very hard to keep the numbers as low as possible but int any system like this there will be mistakes,"  (Andreas Turk - Product Manager for Street View in Germany said in his Blog at the beginning of the month)


Street View was launched in May 2007 to allow Google users to explore the world through images. At the time, coverage was limited to just five U.S. cities.

The World and Korea hold their Collective Breath!

 North Korean bombardment of Yeonpyeong island

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has been holding emergency meetings in secure underground bunker and has ordered the airforce to take out North Korean missile bases if there is a repeat of this outrageous provocation.  Countries around the world are advocating calm which is difficult after the North Koreans fired shells at a South Korean Island killing two soldiers and injuring civilians.

Tensions habitually run high between the two but this is the most serious confrontation since 1953 and the end of the Korean War. Relations strained at the best of times were pushed further by the new of the North Korean uranium enrichment facility.
 
In an immediate response to the artillery barrage, Seoul scrambled F-16 fighter jets to the western sea and returned fire.

Korean experts around the world don't believe that either want all-out war but incidents like this are not very  encouraging.  Analysts believe that incidents such as todays could end up with an "accidental" war.

The North, in a short statement carried by the official KCNA news agency, said the South had fired first despite repeated warnings. It threatened more strikes if the South crossed the maritime border by "even 0.001 millimetre".

Naturally the South has denied firing towards the North BUT they have been conducting live-fire exercise which are part of their regular drills.

South Korean officials said two marines were killed in the attack and 17 injured, while three civilians were wounded.

The US president, Barack Obama, who was woken just before 4am by his national security adviser, Tom Donilon, to be informed of the attack, issued a statement condemning it and planned to speak to the South Korean president late today.

A White House spokesman said "North Korea has a pattern of doing things that are provocative. This is a particularly outrageous act." but this was the sum total of the comments coming out of the White House this morning.


In London the British foreign secretary, William Hague, urged Pyongyang to stop further "unprovoked" attacks.

Russia's foreign minister, said there was a "colossal danger" of escalation, and China are sitting on the fence, refraining from apportioning blame. 

Stephen Bosworth, the US special envoy on North Korea, was in Beijing at the time. He told reporters he had discussed the clash with the Chinese foreign minister and they agreed both sides should show restraint.
The Pentagon was cautious over applying pressure in the form of sanctions  "It's hard to pile more sanctions upon the North than are already there," said Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary.

Han Seung-joo who was a former South Korean foreign minister does not think it will escalate into anything too bad. Han said: "It is not only because it involves civilian casualties, but the deliberateness of the bombardment."But he ad ded: "I don't think it will escalate into anything much more serious."
Bruce Klingner, a senior research fellow at the Asian Studies Centre, part of the Heritage Foundation, a Washington thinktank, said: "The situation on the peninsula is tense but unlikely to lead to war."

And so the world watches and waits as always when North Korea's has their cage rattled the rest of the world holds its breath.  Lets hope this is just a bit of swagger and sabre rattling - but its an explosive area at the best of times and there is little anyone can do!!

Prince William and Kate Middleton marriage wont last says Bishop Pete Broadbent

The "rogue" Bishop

Clearly not everyone is rejoicing from the mountain tops about the impending royal wedding and one such person, Bishop Pete Broadbent certainly worked on getting his fifteen minutes of fame this weekend.  Likening William and Kate to “shallow celebrities” and predicting the marriage would last seven years he made a reference to the marriage of William’s parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, as a “marriage between Big Ears and the Porcelain Doll” that he tried “to avoid”. He hopes the whole nation “isn’t paying for it.

The Bishop even likenend the Royal Family to “philanderers” with a bad record of marriages that cost the nation “an arm and a leg.”

I think that some knuckles got rapped quite severely after this because today the Bishop has apologised for the comments he made "I accept that this was a major error of judgment on my part," the 58-year-old church leader said "I recognise that the tone of my language and the content of what I said were deeply offensive, and I apologize unreservedly for the hurt caused."

“I have conveyed to Prince Charles and to Prince William and Kate Middleton my sincere regrets for the distress caused by my remarks and the subsequent media attention about the forthcoming Royal Wedding,” he wrote in a statement posted on the Diocese of London website. “I recognise that the tone of my language and the content of what I said were deeply offensive ... It was unwise of me to engage in a debate with others on a semi-public internet forum and to express myself in such language. I wish Prince William and Kate Middleton a happy and lifelong marriage, and will hold them in my prayers."

Hmm I wonder who got to him?

Latest News, Views and Opinions: The Pope says use of Condoms might be Justified

Latest News, Views and Opinions: The Pope says use of Condoms might be Justified: "At last the Catholic Church are moving into the 21st Century. For groups working to combat HIV this is a welcome turnaround. Using condoms..."

The Pope says use of Condoms might be Justified

At last the Catholic Church are moving into the 21st Century.  For groups working to combat HIV this is a welcome turnaround.  Using condoms may sometimes be justified to stop the spread of AIDS, Pope Benedict says in a new book, in surprise comments that relax one of the Vatican's most controversial position.


The Vatican newspaper unexpectedly published significant excerpts from the book on Saturday night, days before extracts were initially due to be made public. The book, called Light of the World, is to be published on Tuesday.


My point is - who is going to apply to the Catholic Church for permission to use a condom when in the throes of sexual passion?
Analysts say that this marks a softening of his previously hard line against condoms in the battle against HIV. However, the Vatican are quick to point out that this was no "revolution" in Church teaching.  The Vatican has long opposed condoms as an artificial form of contraception.  


Aids campaigners have vilified this as they say condoms are one of the few methods proven to halt the spread of HIV.

In excerpts published in the Vatican newspaper on Saturday, the pope cites the example of the use of condoms by prostitutes as "a first step towards moralisation", even though condoms are "not really the way to deal with the evil of HIV infection".

I wonder how he expects to curb the spread if not through the use of condoms.  After all total abstinence is not really on the cards either! 

UNAIDS, the United Nations programme on HIV/Aids, welcomed the comments as a "significant and positive step forward".

"This move recognises that responsible sexual behaviour and the use of condoms have important roles in HIV prevention," said UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe.

Can you imagine the amount of condom marketing that will now take off in Catholic Countries?

Oprah's "Ultimate Favorite Things 2010"

TV legend Oprah Winfrey  is already in the holiday spirit with her favourite things. She had decided she is recession proof and to demonstrate this she is giving away thousands of dollars worth of gifts including nothing less than a Caribbean Cruise.  Yes I did say "giving away".  This was day one of Oprah's "Ultimate Favourite Things 2010". 


Nearing the end of her shows Oprah is making sure that she is not forgotten.  She is determined to go out with a bang.  A regular scrimmage occurred when the audience went crazy over the idea of free gifts.  One man tripped over himself, falling over with happiness!!


These are some of the things Oprah considers her "favourite things"

    * A special Oprah watch commemorating her show’s 25 years. The watch featured 58 hand-set diamonds (whoa!) and two O’s on the watch’s face.

* A gray Tory Burch flannel tote with matching Tory Burch gray flannel flats.

* A Nikon D3100 Digital SLR camera.

* A Ralph Lauren-designed cashmere sweater and matching cable throw blanket. Lauren let Oprah decide the sweater’s color -- she chose one that reminded her of her beloved dog Sadie.

* Judith Ripka Eclipse canary crystal earrings with white sapphires.

* An Andrew Walker hair kit including his own formula of shampoo, conditioner, Q-oil and hair makeup. Walker is the only hair stylist she trusts with her famous tresses.

* Eighteen candles featured at $50 each. "It’s a candle-palooza!!!" Winfrey screamed.

* A Breville Paninni Press, along with the recipe for Oprah’s “Love Sandwich” -- the sandwich she makes for Graham.

* A bunch of kitchen goodies, including a Kyocera Ceramic Cutlery Set, Beecher’s “World’s Best” Frozen Macaroni & Cheese, Ghirardelli brownie mix, Baker’s Edge lasagna and brownie pans.

* Two books – Jay-Z’s Decoded and A Course in Weight Loss by Marianne Williamson.

* A five-year Netflix membership and a 52-inch Sony Bravia LX900 3D flat screen television and Blu-Ray player.

* A $100 gift card to use on micro-lending site Kiva.org.

* Oprah’s special season 25 T-shirt and Lululemon workout pants.

* Four pairs of Nike Free Run+ tennis shoes.

* A custom-built closet from The Container Store.

* A 7-day Carribean cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas. (the audience came unglued at this announcement!)

* The new album from the Black Eyed Peas.

Is this generosity or is she pushing our noses in it?  Its a fine line - and this writer is just going to sit back and see what the comments bring in!!



                                                          

27 Miners Missing on New Zealand's South Island after Mining explosion

The explosion at the Pike River mine is believed to have happened at around 1530 local time (0230 GMT) today (Friday).  Its unclear at this time what has caused the explosion.  Mining experts said it could have been a methane gas explosion, a coal dust explosion, or a combination of both.

Film of the area has shown charred trees and light smoke billowing from the top of the mineshaft. A cabin close by has been completely destroyed which indicates that the explosion was pretty strong.

Apparently an electrician went into the mine at 1550 to investigate a power failure, and 1.5 km  into the shaft he found the driver of a loader who had been blown off his machine. He then raised the alarm.  He, the driver and one other miner later emerged safely and 3 others emerged a bit later.  Although details are still unclear, the mine operators, Pike River Coal, have denied an earlier claim that a body had been found.  The Chief Executive of Pike River Coal, Peter Whittall said "I've not had any reports of that at all.  We've had two miners who've walked out of the mine and they're currently being spoken to and treated on the surface. We've had no communication with anyone else underground at this stage."

It appears the concerns about another explosion have hampered any attempts to rescue those trapped.
The mayor of Greymouth, south-west of the Pike River mine, said the situation was "pretty serious" but that rescuers were on hand. However there has so far been no contact with the missing miners, whose friends and relatives have gathered at the scene.


Police spokeswoman Barbara Dunn said rescuers were still assessing the safety conditions inside the mine, and making sure the ventilation system was functioning as there was a potential for a build-up of gas.
Until that happened, it was unsafe for rescuers to enter the mine, she added.
"They're itching to get in there and start looking for other people and a bit frustrated at having to stand and wait," Ms Dunn told reporters. "There is concern that ventilation inside the mine shaft may be compromised by the power outage."

Earlier specialist mine rescue services, ambulances and helicopters were rushed to the scene for the rescue but the helicopters were later stood down as no one was sure how long the rescue was going to take.  It appears that all workers in the mine carry emergency gear which includes breathing apparatus. Mr Whittall said "The issue for the rescue team will be to ensure that the ventilation underground is adequate for them to go in and find the men."  He added that all the miners are trained to find oxygen and a place of safety and wait for rescue.

There are plenty of experts at the scene and everyone knows what they are doing its just a patience game now - however, its going to be a slow process.  Friends and relatives arriving in the area will be given all the support and assistance possible with areas being set aside for them to wait.

Prime Minister John Key said the government would put whatever resources were needed into the operation, and stood ready to support the miners' families.

Prince William and Kate Middleton to Marry in 2011

The ring worn by Lady Diana Spencer

Finally Prince William has done what all the romantics in the world have been waiting for and the beautiful Sapphire and Diamond ring of the 1980's Princess Diana is once again in the news!! Poignant memories of the very shy Lady Di are revived with the sight of the huge sapphire surrounded by diamonds that Prince Charles gave to Lady Diana Spencer in February 1981.

Prince William and Kate Middleton met at university in Scotland and have known each other for 9 years.  Although there have been a couple of hiccups along the way they have forged a solid and respected relationship.  Earlier, Prince Charles said he was "thrilled, obviously", at the news, joking: "They've been practising long enough."  Speaking about their relatively long courtship, William said: "I didn't realise it was a race, otherwise I probably would have been a lot quicker.  Miss Middleton added: "We have been going out a long time. We had spoken about our future and it just seemed the natural step for both of us."

Same ring nearly 30 years on!

So are we in for a long engagement?  Apparently not - the couple are set to marry next year in the Spring or Summer. He carried the ring around for 3 weeks whilst trying to decide on when and where to propose and the result is we are going to be treated to a Royal extravaganza next year!!

The marriage will be taking place 30 years after Williams parents.in 1981 and although expressions of "surprise" have been reported it has also been said that the couple had discussed marriage in more recent months.

This writer wonders what kind of wedding this will be.  The 1981 wedding of Williams parents was a pageant of colour, fashion, pomp and ceremony and its interesting to speculate on how a modern royal bride will attack this.  Will Kate Middleton just go all out for the "fairytale" or will style and good sense prevail for a lower key and more elegant version.  Perhaps she will not even have a say in it.  Hopefully in these times of recession too much flagrant waste of money will be deemed to be lacking in taste and sensitivity.  However, we do want some kind of spectacle don't we?  After all one has to consider the tourist trade.  If anything was designed to bring in the Americans its a Royal Wedding.

Tonight dress designers, cake makers, stationary designers and many more will not be able to sleep.  For my part - I will sleep really well.

Did UK Aid free Hostages?

Paul and Rachel Chandler freed from their traumatic experience at the hands of Somali pirates describe their ordeal. 

The retired couple may have been were reportedly freed on the strength of a ransom paid by a mixture of Somali Government and private investors.  The Chandlers were freed on Sunday after more than a year in captivity.  The Government have been quick to deny reports that at least some of the money put up came from British aid paid the African country's government.

A spokeswoman for the Department for International Development (DfID) said "No part of the UK aid budget has been used to help secure the Chandlers' release, nor to benefit pirates. The British Government does not pay ransoms to hostage takers."  However, in the last couple of years the DfID gave more than £30 million to Somalia which was earmarked for humanitarian relief, health and education.


The couple were snatched more than a year ago during a round-the-world sailing trip when their yacht was overtaken by armed pirates.
 
They were taken to the British High Commission in Kenya to prepare for a flight back to the UK. The 60-year-old said: "We're fine. We are rather skinny and bony but we're fine."  Medical check-ups were available in Nairobi for them.  The Chandlers revealed details of their ordeal. Mr Chandler said: "The worst time was when we had to abandon our home and boat... in the ocean."  His wife agreed that was a terrible time and the other really bad time was when they tried to separate the husband and wife. 

"We were really distraught, we were very frightened at that point. We refused to be separated and we were beaten as a result. That was very traumatic."

The Chandlers had only the vaguest idea of their rescue.  They were told by their captures of their imminent release but having been told similar lies over the 13 months that they were held captive the did not give it much weight.

Mr Chandler, 60, said they had been driven across Somalia, then were left locked in a car to sleep overnight.
"Just after dawn, about 7 o'clock, we were asked to leave and join our rescuer. It was hard to have any feelings really, almost disbelief, it was too good to be true,"


Today Paul had to cope with some sad news.  They have asked the media to give them and their families some time and space to come to terms with the death of his father whilst they were held captive.

They are expected to return to the UK tomorrow.

OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING, A SOLDIER DIED TODAY.

http://www.poppy.org.uk/

A soldier

~ Author unknown ~

He was getting old and paunchy

And his hair was falling fast,

And he sat around the Legion,

Telling stories of the past.

Of a war that he once fought in

And the deeds that he had done,

In his exploits with his buddies;

They were heroes, every one.

And 'tho sometimes to his neighbors
His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew whereof he spoke.

But we'll hear his tales no longer,
For old Bob has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer
For a Soldier died today.

He won't be mourned by many,

Just his children and his wife.

For he lived an ordinary,

Very quiet sort of life.

He held a job and raised a family,

Going quietly on his way;

And the world won't note his passing,

Tho a Soldier died today.

When politicians leave this earth,

Their bodies lie in state.

While thousands note their passing,

And proclaim that they were great.

Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young.
But the passing of a Soldier
Goes unnoticed, and unsung.

Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Someone who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man?

Or the ordinary fellow
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country
And offers up his life?

The politician’s stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.

While the ordinary Soldier,

Who offered up his all,

Is paid off with a medal

And perhaps a pension, though small.

It is not the politicians

With their compromise and ploys,

Who won for us the freedom

That our country now enjoys.

Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out,
With his ever waffling stand?

Or would you want a Soldier--
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Soldier,
Who would fight until the end?

He was just a common Soldier,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his like again.

For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Soldier's part,
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start.

If we cannot do him honor

While he's here to hear the praise,

Then at least let's give him homage

At the ending of his days.

Perhaps just a simple headline

In the paper that might say:

"OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,

A SOLDIER DIED TODAY."

Patriotism – Pass it on!
YOU can make a difference!!!

Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest due to end

Saturday is the day when Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest is to due to end in Myanmar.
However, may skeptics say that if they want to keep her under house arrest they will fabricate some excuse.

Security has been stepped up in Myanmar, but it was unclear whether that was because of Suu Kyi's possible release or because of the country's first elections in two decades, which happened Sunday.

Unable to take part in the elections on Sunday because of her current court conviction she has been deemed to be less of a threat.  Benjamin Zawacki, Amnesty International's Myanmar specialist, said it makes "perfect sense" for the regime to free her since she's "no longer an electoral threat to them."

During his ongoing visit to Asia President Barack Obama has added his voice to the calls for her release. 
However, Zawacki believes she will be freed only be because the nation's ruler, Senior General Than Shwe, believes it's in his interest, not because of international pressure.

If Suu Kyi is released Saturday, one of the first things she'll do is challenge the legitimacy of the elections.  She'll also meet with leaders of her political party and challenge the legitimacy of Myanmar's recently overhauled constitution, which the military regime redrafted to tighten its grip on the country.  So one wonders really how long she will remain "free"!

Her release would have to be approved by Shwe because Suu Kyi has been held under house arrest at his discretion.  However, the political activist has made demands as well. "She has made it categorically clear that she will not accept conditions; that she will not walk out of the house with conditions," Zarni said.

Such limitations could include restrictions on where she could go, with whom she could meet and how she could communicate. For instance, she wants a Twitter account so she can communicate with Myanmar's younger population,

So watch this space - will she be released?  and if so and, more importantly, how long will she remain free!

Harry Potter the end Part 1 - First Reviews

Did you know....

The first five Potter films have made £2.5 billion in box office receipts - more than any other movie series - which means they could afford to spend £150 million on making this film

Sadly, for this writer anyway, the action does not take place at Hogwarts but actually out in the big wide world where the gang must fend for themselves and where everyone is a potential enemy!

But the final book is not the final film - no cleverly Warner Bros have turned this into a two part ending so this is THE END part one and they get to do it all MORE next year!! Lucrative eh?

"So Part I is the beginning of the end, and director David Yates sets out his stall early. "These are dark times, there is no denying," intones a doomy Bill Nighy in the opening scenes. The wizarding world has become a very dangerous place." Anita Singh of the Telegraph earlier this evening who gave it a 5 star rating.

Not quite so ecstatic Xan Brooks of the Guardian

"It's going, going, almost gone, and yet its long goodbye comes in two separate instalments: a prolonged death rattle that begins with tonight's London premiere of part one, and won't conclude until the release of part two in July 2011. Only then can the wake begin."

With great Wizardry the final book of celebrated author J K Rowling has been split asunder and as if by magic two parts created - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 hitting this Christmas and Part 2 concluding the saga next summer.

Chris Tilly - IGN UK says
"The filmmakers claim that the decision was taken to do justice to J.K. Rowling's lengthy final tome, and while it does allow the audience to spend more time with these beloved characters at this most significant time, one can't escape the feeling that Part 1 is all set-up and no pay-off, resulting in a somewhat empty cinematic experience."

Harry Potter trying to catch the Golden Snitch

So will we take on board what the reviewers say or will we make up our own minds?  Those who enjoy can go and enjoy, for not one but two final times, and those who don't can stay at home and grumble.
Situation normal then.

For me, if they don't play Quidditch I lose all interest !!!