Its not because of the quality. Cheap alcohol means people can get drunk for a tenner in some parts of the UK. I decided to write an article after reading a report about young people in Newcastle about young people getting so drunk that some of them ended up being taken to hospital.

One of the reasons they were drinking so much is because drinks were so cheap. Here is a couple of examples: A bar was offering two cocktail jugs for just £10, and one club was offering a triple shot of vodka and vimto for just £2.50.

I’m not saying the price of alcohol is completely to blame but it certainly doesn’t help the problem when for £20 you could get completely wrecked.

I asked people if the prices of alcohol would help the problem and this is what they said:

“ Sensible drinkers shouldn’t be penalized by having to pay more for alcohol just because some idiots choose to drink far more than is necessary or safe. Leave alcohol prices as they are.”  

“ They raised the price of cigarettes to a very high price but people still smoke. If the price of alcohol is raised people will still do it. Maybe the better way would be to raise the price of certain alcoholic drinks that people use to binge drink, like all those nasty cheap white ciders that you see for sale in corner shops that are 5 litres for £3.00 etc. that is just ridiculous.”

“ The grand experiment in the USA in the 1930’s showed what happens when alcohol becomes scarce. Organized crime made millions and gang warfare broke out over supplying cheap alcohol to the consumer.

Raise the price and you make it unavailable to people of a certain income. Some entrapenuer will step in and start selling it on the black market at prices affordable to all. Soon gangs form and fight over distribution of the alcohol. 

The second problem is people start making their own alcohol, and if not done right, can cause blindness and central nervous system problems. 

It is better to have a clean product available without the gang warfare.”

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa was under intense pressure from India, United Kingdom and France to stop the Eelam War IV in April of 2009.

But “he did not cave in to external pressure,” Mr. Weeratunga has revealed.

Mr. Weeratunga was privy to the meetings. The Indian team, led by its then National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan, had arrived here in April, just as the Lok Sabha elections were on in India, and just before Tamil Nadu went in to vote. For different reasons, Foreign Ministers of England and France were here too, with the same agenda.

‘Violated sovereignty’

The book launch function, meant to celebrate Defence Secretary and President’s brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s contribution to the war, turned out to be an India-bashing session: India aided and abetted terrorism, and repeatedly violated Sri Lanka’s sovereignty. Its High Commissioner during the period dictated terms to Sri Lanka.

“…When the Vadamarachchi operation commenced, the Prime Minister of India at that time, Rajiv Gandhi, issued a strong statement against the operation…Sri Lanka could have been rid of terrorism [at that time, but for the] high-handed interference of the then Indian envoy, Mr. J.N. Dixit,” said Mr. Weeratunga, to an audience that comprised all top elected leaders and officials and diplomats in Sri Lanka, including President Rajapaksa and the Indian High Commissioner Ashok K. Kantha.

Sri Lanka firmly believed that if this operation had gone on, the country could have been rid of terrorism more than two decades ago. Reading from the book, Mr. Weeratunga said: “While the Vadamarachchi operation was on, the Indian Envoy Mr. J.N. Dixit had met President Jayawardene and bluntly told him that India will not stand by idly and allow Jaffna to fall into the hands of the Army, and if the military operation continued, there could be unforeseen consequences. Asked to explain what these ‘unforeseen consequences’ could be, Dixit had told Jayawardene that military aid may be given by India to the LTTE leading to the possible dismemberment of Sri Lanka.”

One famous example of this was a rumour that in the UK McDonald’s was going to ban under 18’s from eating in their restaurants. Personally I couldn’t believe this myself since most of their customers are under 18’s, plus what will happen to Happy Meals? McDonald’s latter replied that this was a rumour and would never promote such a ridiculous idea.

Lately however another rumour surfaced around Twitter, which people actually believed. This was because it was twitted by a Former Quebec Politician. He claimed the the Ex-Prime Minister of the United Kingdom was dead.

(Picture Sourced: http://s3.amazonaws.com/readers/2012/05/16/343e28d6443c82c4937f5434037a_1.jpeg)

Mario Dumont wrongly twitted that Margaret Thatcher was dead, by twitting the following message:

“R.I.P. Margaret Thatcher, a woman of vision and decisiveness. A rarity,” 

That alone caused outrage since people took offence to him calling Margaret Thatcher a rare woman of vision and decisiveness.

Mr Dumont later apologised for this incident and claimed that he got told of the rumour by a fake Twitter account. He later twitted: ”The news about Ms. Thatcher – not a reliable source,”  and ”News came from a fake Carla Bruni account. Sorry.”

Alarm bells should of rang since the fake account actually spelt Margaret Thatcher wrong “Margareth” and there was no news about it on the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) the UK owned Largest Broadcaster in the world.

Margaret Thatcher was elected three times and the longest serving prime minister in the 20th century. Even though many people didn’t like her she did wonderful things for this country and without her Britain would be in a much worse economic position if she had not solved the problems left by the previous government (a bit like the current situation in the UK really, except David Cameron is not very good at it)

(Picture Sourced: http://s3.amazonaws.com/readers/2012/05/16/margaretthatcher2_1.jpg)

Horatio Prince, © 2012

Population:  23.2 million

Shanghai is the largest city in China and the world’s third largest urban agglomeration. Only Tokyo and Seoul have more people. It is the largest urban area in the world that does not serve as a national capital city. It is ranked as a global city because of its influence in commerce, culture, finance, media, fashion, technology, and transport. It is a high-level command center for the global economy and one of the world’s major financial hubs and transportation centers. It sits on the East China Sea and is one of the world’s busiest ports.

 The city has one of the world’s most impressive, ultra-modern skylines. In the last 20 years it has been the center of the busiest, ongoing construction projects with soaring skyscrapers going up annually. The Jin Mao Tower and Oriental Pearl Tower are among the tallest buildings in the world. Shanghai is the commercial and financial center of mainland China, and ranks fifth in the 2011 edition of the Global Financial Centres Index.  In the last two decades Shanghai has been one of the fastest developing cities in the world with hundreds of thousands of Chinese moving into the city every year attracted by better opportunities there. The three largest service industries are financial services, retail, and real estate. The manufacturing and agricultural sectors accounted for 39.9 percent and 0.7 percent of the total output respectively.

 After spending its first years as small fishing village, slowly rising from village to city and to municipality, Shanghai began attracting foreign traders and investors in the 1800’s. European powers quickly recognized its potential. As more foreigners poured into the city it was only a matter of time before trouble boiled over. The United Kingdom occupied the city during the First Opium War. To avert further trouble, a series of treaties were signed ultimately allowing the United Kingdom, United States, Germany and France to carve out concessions, creating Shanghai’s International Settlement. During the 1930s it became the Far East’s wealthiest city. But it wasn’t to last. During World War II it suffered considerable damage and hardship under Japanese occupation. Then in 1949, after communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, the city’s

international influence declined. But in the 1990s, the economic reforms introduced by Chinese premier Deng Xiaoping resulted in an intense re-development of the city, aiding the return of finance and foreign investment to the city. By the 21st Century, Shanghai was long officially back in business. In 2010 it hosted the World Expo.

Official language: English

Land area: 3,619,239 sq mi/9,366,014 sq km

Population:  310,462,000

Dominant religion: Christianity

Capital: Washington, D.C.

Current leader: President Barack Obama

United States is a large country in North America, spanning the entire east-west distance of the continent. It is world’s fourth largest country in landmass and third largest in population. Only Russia, Canada and China cover more land and only China and India have more people. When the states of Alaska and Hawaii, both which are separated from the mainland, are included, the United States covers more land than China. The U.S. is bordered by Canada to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico to the south and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is comprised of 50 states and one federal district.

 The United States is widely considered to be the world’s most ethnically diverse country. Virtually every nationality and ethnic group in the world is represented. People of European descent make up about 65 percent of the population; Hispanics and people of African descent make up about 12 percent each; people of Asian/Middle Eastern and Pacific Islander descent make up about 10 percent and Native Americans comprise about 1 percent. Because of the country’s ongoing stubborn racial divide people of mixed ancestry have long been forced to identify with just one race or ethnic group and therefore the federal government has never been able to keep an accurate number of people of mixed ancestry. Only about 2.4 million, less than 1 percent of the population, officially acknowledge mixed heritage but this number is believed to include only those of mixed African and European ancestry. But if the vast number of blacks and whites who also claim Native American ancestry are included, as well as those of mixed black and Hispanic ancestry, mixed white and Hispanic ancestry, mixed Hispanic and Asian ancestry, mixed black and Asian ancestry and mixed white and Asian ancestry, the percentage of Americans of mixed ancestry can very well be as high as 15 percent.

 The United States is the world’s largest market economy and widely considered to be the world’s wealthiest nation. American-made goods can be found in almost every corner of the globe. It is the most highly industrialized nation with vast deposits of natural resources and very few countries have made as much use of their natural resources as the U.S. has. Because of the country’s wealth and opportunities, the United States has long been the top destination for immigrants and it is one of the world’s top tourist destinations. Glitzy major cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Houston, Miami and Atlanta are symbols of vast financial opportunities and entertainment.

 Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas in 1492 but the land that is now the United States remained unexplored until the 1520’s, when the Spanish began exploring the southeastern U.S. The oldest incorporated city in the U.S., St. Augustine, Florida, was founded in 1565. At about the same time, however, the British and French were also beginning to stake claims to parts of the new land further north. In the 1600’s British territory was taking the shape of 13 colonies along the Atlantic Ocean. In 1775, these 13 colonies began revolting against British rule, sparking the American Revolution. On July 4, 1776, the colonies officially declared independence although the war would rage on for another seven years. For the next roughly 120 years, through a series of treaties, purchases and wars, and not to mention atrocities against Native Americans who were already inhabiting the land, the United States would expand westward until finally reaching the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Under the 1783 Treaty of Paris, it was given all the land east of the Mississippi River. It gained control of Florida from Spain and annexed Texas in the 1840’s. The Louisiana Purchase from France nearly doubled the size of the country. It was awarded what now makes up Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah in 1848 after defeating Mexico in the Mexican-American War. It fought another war with its colonial ruler, the United Kingdom, in the War of 1812, in which the British destroyed Washington, D.C. It would be the last time a foreign power would invade American soil.

 While the U.S. rapidly expanded there was one issue that was increasingly dividing the country – slavery. By 1819, every Northern state had abolished slavery but for the South, whose economy depended heavily on agriculture, slavery was part of the lifeline. In the mid-1800’s Congress was passing a series of laws which, in the opinion of the South, had the ultimate goal of ending slavery. In 1861, following the election of Abraham Lincoln as president, the Southern states broke away and declared themselves the Confederate States of America, sparking the American Civil War. Four years and more than 600,000 deaths later, the country was reunited. Afterwards, the country continued to grow. The Spanish-American War of 1898 marked the country’s debut as a global military superpower. It gained its first foreign possessions – the Philippines, Guam and Cuba. During World War I it showed its superpower potential again by helping the United Kingdom, France and Italy defeat Germany and Austria-Hungary. Although the country tried to retreat from the world stage but was called back in World War II, emerging from the war as the world’s most powerful nation and leader of the free world. During the Cold War, the United States was about all that stood between the free world and the spread of communism by the Soviet Union. In the Korean War it saved South Korea from communism although it failed to stop communism in the Vietnam War. In the 1991 Persian Gulf War it took the lead in turning back Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.

 While it was trying to keep the world safe from the Soviet Union in the 1950’s and 60’s the U.S. also had to save itself at home. During that period, blacks, long disenfranchised as second-class citizens, began taking to the streets in the civil rights movement, demanding more equal rights and an end to the humiliation of segregation. By the end of the 1960’s segregation was no more but racial problems continue to persist. Through it all, most people continue to consider the United States the greatest country in the world and the best example of democracy and it even with the removal of the Soviet threat, it continues to take an active role in global affairs as the world’s lone military superpower.

Official language: English, Irish, Scottish

Land area: 93,628 sq mi/242,495 sq km

Population:  62,761,000

Dominant religion: Christianity

Capital: London

Current leader: Prime Minister David Cameron

The United Kingdom is an island country in northwestern Europe, lying across the English Channel from France. It consists of the island of Great Britain, the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland and dozens of nearby smaller islands including the Channel Islands. Great Britain, Ireland and the nearby smaller islands are sometimes referred to as the British Isles.

 The island of Great Britain is divided into three self-governing political units – England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland is also self-governing. While all inhabitants of Great Britain are commonly referred to as British the people of Scotland and Wales, with their own cultures and political opinions that sometimes differ greatly from those of England, prefer to be called Scots and Welsh, respectively. Whites make up about 93 percent of the United Kingdom’s population. Among them, about 5 percent are people from nearby European countries such as Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands in addition to a small number of people from poorer European countries such as Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Ukraine who came seeking better opportunities. The United Kingdom’s non-white population comes primarily from its former colonies in Africa and Asia, especially from member-states of the Commonwealth of Nations. Over 90 percent of the U.K.’s population resides in urban areas.

 The Industrial Revolution began in the United Kingdom in the 1700’s and today the country remains one of the world’s five most industrialized nations and leading economies. As an island nation with a large population, manufacturing and trading constitutes the bulk of its lifeline. It is also the largest producer of petroleum and natural gas in the European Union. The country also has deposits of important minerals such as chalk, clay, fluorspar, gypsum, salt and gravel. Another important source of income for the country is the millions of tourists who visit this beautiful country every year to taste its rich culture and history. The United Kingdom is also a top destination for students hoping to broaden their education, particularly at either Cambridge or Oxford, both which are considered by many academics to be the world’s finest universities.

 Very few nations in the world can boast a prouder and more storied history than United Kingdom can. In terms of percentage of the entire world, the British Empire, at its height, was the largest empire ever amassed. By the dawn of the 20th Century, roughly one-quarter of the world and its population was under British rule and for the better part of 200 years its navy was the master of the world’s seas. While the loss of its American Colonies in the American Revolution was one of its greatest setbacks it continued to build a great empire that eventually consisted of large swaths of Africa, Asia, North America and Oceania. But fall from glory awaited. The aftermath of World War I began spelling doom. The Japan and the United States were emerging as world powers while the citizens of the Empire’s possessions, particularly Ireland, were becoming increasingly restive and demanding greater freedom. In 1931, the United Kingdom granted independence to Australia, Canada, the Irish Free State, New Zealand and South Africa although all of them would remain members of the Commonwealth of Nations. World War II, however, was the final seal of death for the British Empire. While the United Kingdom fought bravely and fiercely under the leadership of Winston Churchill, bringing Germany’s successes to a halt in 1942, its failure to protect its possessions in Asia against the Japanese juggernaut exposed its weakness. Immediately after the war, more colonies demanded and were granted independence. In 1947 the United Kingdom lost both India and Pakistan. The following year Burma became independent. In the early 1960’s it lost Malaysia and Singapore and most of its possessions in Africa. By 1980 all that remained of the once mighty British Empire were Hong Kong, Gibraltar and a few island protectorates and dependencies in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

 Despite its decline, the United Kingdom remains one of the world’s most influential countries as well as an economic superpower. Its monarch, Queen Elizabeth, remains the head of state in most of country’s former colonies. In 1982 it proved that it was still a military force to be reckoned with in its naval shootout with Argentina in the Falkland Islands War. It played a role in expelling the Iraqi army from Kuwait in the 1991 Gulf War and also helped removed Saddam Hussein from power during the 2003 Gulf War.

Official language: Arabic

Land area: 32,278 sq mi/83,600 sq km

Population:  5,108,000

Dominant religion: Islam

Capital: Abu Dhabi

Current leader: Sheik Khalifa bin Zayid al-Nahyan

The United Arab Emirates is country on the Arabian Peninsula. It consists of seven self-ruling states – Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ash Shariqah, Ajman, Umm al Qaywayn, Ras al Khaymah and Al Fujayrah. The country is bordered by Qatar and the Persian Gulf to the north, Oman to the east and Saudi Arabia to the south and west.

 About 80 percent of the people of the U.A.E. are Arabs but only about 35 percent are natural-born citizens of the country. Most of the people in the country are from other Arab countries as well as Bangladesh, India, Iran, Pakistan and the Philippines. Almost all came to work for the U.A.E.’s oil industry. Many others are domestic workers for wealthy families.

 The economy of the United Arab Emirates is mostly dependent on the country’s production and export of petroleum but in recent years the country has increasingly become a global financial and tourist hub, resulting in a major building boom. The world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, is in the city of Dubai, which is now a major financial and economic center.

 With the Persian Gulf region being part of a major trade route, many European countries began setting up trading posts in the region in the 1500’s. The area gradually came under British influence and by the late 1800’s it had become a British protectorate, with the United Kingdom controlling the country’s foreign affairs. It gained independence in 1971. The United Arab Emirates participated in the United States-led coalition that liberated Kuwait from Iraq during the 1991 Gulf War and it also supported the U.S. in the 2003 Gulf War that ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Official language: English, Maori

Land area: 104,454 sq mi/270,534 sq km

Population:  4,516,000

Dominant religion: Christianity

Capital:  Wellington

Current leader: Prime Minister John Key

New Zealand is an island country in the South Pacific Ocean, lying about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) southeast of Australia. It consists of two main islands – the North Island and the South Island – and over dozen much smaller islands. New Zealand is part of the Polynesian island group. The British monarch, Queen Elizabeth, is the recognized head of state for New Zealand. The country is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

 People of European ancestry make up about 70 percent of New Zealand’s population. About 15 percent of the population are Maori, New Zealand’s original natives. Most of the rest are people from Australia, China, the United Kingdom and Vietnam as well as other islands in the South Pacific.

 New Zealand is very industrialized and has a strong economy. Its factories produce textiles, machinery and transportation equipment and its mines produce clay, coal, lime, limestone, natural gas and other mineral products. New Zealand also attracts millions of tourists from countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States and other countries. In recent years New Zealand has also become a favorite location for the filming of many Hollywood-produced movies. The blockbuster trilogy Lord of The Rings was shot mostly in New Zealand’s wilderness.

 British explorer James Cook was the first European to visit New Zealand, setting foot on the islands in 1769. In 1835 it was made a protectorate of the United Kingdom and in the 1840’s it became a British colony. In 1893 New Zealand became the first country to extend voting rights to women. It was granted the status of a self-governing country within the British Empire in 1907. The country sent troops to fight alongside the British in both World War I and World War II. In the early 2000’s New Zealand hit an unprecedented milestone when the country’s top three positions – prime minister, speaker of the parliament and chief justice of the supreme court – were all simultaneously held by women.

Ethereal views of Titanic’s bow (modeled) offer a comprehensiveness of detail never seen before. COPYRIGHT© 2012 RMS TITANIC, INC; Produced by AIVL, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Modeling by Stefan Fichtel. 

With her rudder cleaving the sand and two propeller blades peeking from the murk, Titanic’s mangled stern rests on the abyssal plain, 1,970 feet south of the more photographed bow. This optical mosaic combines 300 high-resolution images taken on a 2010 expedition. COPYRIGHT© 2012 RMS TITANIC, INC; Produced by AIVL, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. 

As the starboard profile shows, the Titanic buckled as it plowed nose-first into the seabed, leaving the forward hull buried deep in mud—obscuring, possibly forever, the mortal wounds inflicted by the iceberg. COPYRIGHT© 2012 RMS TITANIC, INC; Produced by AIVL, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. 

The first complete views of the legendary wreck Titanic’s battered stern is captured overhead here. Making sense of this tangle of metal presents endless challenges to experts. Says one, “If you’re going to interpret this stuff, you gotta love Picasso.” COPYRIGHT© 2012 RMS TITANIC, INC; Produced by AIVL, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

Two of Titanic’s engines lie exposed in a gaping cross section of the stern. Draped in “rusticles”—orange stalactites created by iron-eating bacteria—these massive structures, four stories tall, once powered the largest moving man-made object on Earth. COPYRIGHT© 2012 RMS TITANIC, INC; Produced by AVIL, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. 

National Geographic magazine’s April 2012 issue provides the first-ever complete images of the Titanic wreck. (Credit: National Geographic)

ALSO READ:  TITANIC PHOTO SHOWS HUMAN REMAINS

http://socyberty.com/history/titanic-photo-shows-human-remains/