He Can Still Bend It

England striker Michael Owen insists David Beckham is good enough to carry on and add to his 100 England caps.

Beckham was replaced in the 63rd minute after a subdued display in Wednesday's 1-0 defeat by France in Paris.

"I think David can keep playing for England, he's still got the quality," Owen told BBC Sport.

He can still bend it

Beckham is still playing at a high level despite the weakness of the MLS. That is evident due to the fact that his European club team tried to get him to stay before his departure to America. If England's strikers have faith in the veteran, shouldn't the fans?

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Six baby cough medicines pulled

Cough remedies aimed at very young children are to be removed from shelves amid fears of accidental overdose.

The Medicine and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has ordered six products be permanently removed from sale for children aged under two.

They are Asda Children's Chesty Cough Syrup, Calcough Chesty and Boots Chesty Cough Syrup - one year plus.

Also, Children's Chesty Cough and Boots sore throat and cough linctus one year plus and Buttercup infant cough syrup

Link

All people need to have good medicine, especially babies. I wonder how many medicines are over looked and pulled.

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Budgets Capped

Five police authorities in England will have their budgets capped, the government is expected to say.

The authorities are likely to be Lincolnshire, Cheshire, Leicestershire, Cleveland and Warwickshire.

Lincolnshire police authority has the highest request. It has increased its stake of the council tax by 80%, adding an extra £2 a week to the average bill.

News

If the budgets are not capped then spending could get out of control. The police need money, but it is a business as well. Their work needs to be done efficiently and productively.

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Unlawfully Killed

A six-year-old boy who died when he was pushed off a hotel balcony by his father in Greece was unlawfully killed, an inquest has ruled.

Liam Hogan died after falling 50ft (15m) from the Petra Mare Hotel, in Crete, with his father, John, and sister, Mia, then aged two, in 2006.

Liam died of head injuries and Mia broke several bones in the fall.

Story

It's awful that a young boy would be the victim of this act, or anyone for that matter. What would motivate a person to commit something like this?

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Jersey 'punishment rooms' found

Police have found two more "punishment rooms" at a former Jersey children's home at the centre of an investigation into alleged abuse.

The underground chambers were found by forensic teams at Haut de la Garenne, the home where 100 people claim they were abused.

Search teams have already excavated two other cellars at the site.

Police say tests on the remains found on the site were inconclusive, but they were placed there no earlier than 1920.

Link.

I am not sure what a punishment room is but it doesn't sound pleasant. I am assuming they are where bad people at this house were punished.

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Judges criticised over gun crime

A senior policeman has accused some judges of being lenient on gun crime by overlooking mandatory five-year sentences for possession of a firearm.

Merseyside Chief Constable Bernard Hogan-Howe told the Times it was wrong for judges to ignore such sentences.

He said no-one wanted a repeat of last year's murder of Rhys Jones, 11.

The Ministry of Justice said the five-year term was "a starting point", but mitigating factors must be weighed in deciding the final sentence.

Linkage:

As ever weird it may be a law is a law and a punishment is something for breaking that law. Obviously there should have been some jail time thrown around for these crimes "punishable by law."

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Hiatus

The blog is taking a hiatus this week due to the Georgia High School Graduation Test. But we'll be back next week with a fresh batch of posts. Keep visiting and remember the British Culture Series will return....


I know, the anticipation is almost too much

Browne makes surprise Iraq visit

UK Defence Secretary Des Browne is visiting the Iraqi city of Basra.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed Mr Browne was on a "general visit" to the country, but declined to say how long he would be there.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown went to the UK base in Basra, in the south of the country, last November.

There are currently about 4,000 UK troops in the area. The Iraqi government took responsibility for Basra province's security in December.

Link

Have you ever noticed how many Brownes there are in the UK government. Currently there are a lot of troops over in Iraq from the UK, maybe this is the beginning of a with drawl.

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UK pounded by second severe storm

Northern Ireland, north Wales and north-west England are being pounded by gales and heavy rain in the second band of storms to hit the UK in three days.

Forecasters say gusts of up to 80mph have hit Northern Ireland as the Atlantic weather front moves eastwards.

Motorists faced chaos as several major bridges were affected by the gales and some areas were placed on flood alert.

Link

The British government needs to handle this situation delicately if these storm patterns continue. President Bush lost a lot of support after Hurricane Katrina, the British government does not need to do the same.

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Lost 2 Million?

A compulsive gambler has lost his bid at the High Court to force bookmaker William Hill to repay his £2m losses.

Greyhound trainer Graham Calvert, 28, from Houghton-le-Spring, near Sunderland, said the company failed in its "duty of care".

But Mr Justice Briggs ruled on Wednesday that William Hill was not liable for the losses.

Story

This is gambling the likes of Charles Barkley haven't seen. How could this man lose the equivalent of 4 million dollars? Double or Nothing is not always a good decision. The man is now ruined. It isn't worth it.

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Personal Data Found Out

Personal data breaches affecting thousands of people have been uncovered by BBC Scotland's Investigations Unit.

The information was revealed through freedom of information requests to NHS boards, councils and police forces.

These included lost patient notes, information on sex offenders and compromised payroll data.

Link

This problem could lead to identity theft. If a news organization can find all this information out, then an intelligent criminal certainly could. It is a dangerous possibility for these people involved.

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Assessment Complete

Bank keeps interest rates on hold

The Bank of England's rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to keep interest rates on hold at 5.25%.

The decision was in line with analyst and market expectations.

Analysts have highlighted that the Bank faces the threat of a slowing economy at a time when inflationary pressures are rising.

In February, the bank cut rates by a quarter of a percentage point from 5.5%, amid signs of a slowdown

Link!!!

So holding of interest rates can be a good thing. They are definitely not increasing which is a good thing.

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House prices continuing to slow

House prices are continuing to slow down, says the Halifax, the UK's biggest mortgage lender.

According to its latest monthly survey, prices across the UK fell by 0.3% in February, taking the annual rate of inflation down from 4.5% to 4.2%.

That means the average UK home now costs £196,649, according to the lender's calculations.

The Halifax said prices would be flat over the coming year if the economy and employment continued to grow.

"House prices fell by 0.3% in February. Prices in the three months to February, however, were marginally (0.2%) higher than in the previous quarter," said Martin Ellis, the Halifax's chief economist.

LINK!

So the oil prices are at an all time high, the American dollar value is continuing to fall, but if you are looking to buy a house in the UK now is the time. The Home prices are continuing to fall

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USA vs. England at Wembley

CHICAGO (AP) - The U.S. soccer team is likely to play an exhibition game against England at Wembley on May 28, with negotiations nearing the final stages in recent days.

The match, which could feature David Beckham making his 100th appearance for England, would be the first between the nations since the English defeated the United States 2-0 at Chicago's Soldier Field on May 28, 2005.

After beating Sweden 2-0 and tying Mexico 2-2 in its first two games this year, the Americans play at Poland on March 26 and at Spain on June 4. They also may host Argentina at a Northeast U.S. site on June 8.

Sports news

This is a great matchup between an up-and-coming American team and a struggling English side. The Americans are setting up a challenging friendly schedule before their first World Cup qualifying match. The English, who missed the Euro tournament, need to save some face in the eyes of their fans.

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Lethal Nurse

A nurse who murdered four elderly hospital patients has been ordered to serve at least 30 years in prison.

Colin Norris, 32, from Egilsay Terrace, Glasgow, denied killing the women with insulin at two Leeds hospitals in 2002.

He was convicted on Monday at Newcastle Crown Court and was also found guilty of attempting to murder another woman.

News

It is scary that a nurse can commit acts such as these. They are allowed access to all sorts of medicines and drugs. What if it happens again? How can it be stopped?

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'Mixed picture' on 24hr drinking

A government review of new licensing laws has found what it calls a "mixed picture" of their impact.

Crime and alcohol consumption are down overall but some areas have seen a rise in disorder and drink-related violence has increased in the early hours.

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham said councils and police need to do more to use "the considerable powers" open to them to tackle the problem.

Shadow home secretary David Davis said ministers were "deluding themselves".

LINK!!!

Alcohol related crimes may be down, but the government seems to be concerned about it anyways. I is a mixed picture of sorts.

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Liverpool to Dubai

Liverpool's owners have been given a £400m take-it-or-leave-it offer from Dubai International Capital to buy the club, BBC Sport understands.

Government-run Dubai investment fund DIC have been in talks with George Gillett and Tom Hicks to buy the club.

BBC 5 Live understands Gillett is willing to sell, but co-owner Hicks is not, but both have to agree to sell for any deal to go through.

Story

This story gives an insight into business goings-on in Great Britain. It shows that the continent is not that big of an area if a group from Dubai can bid on a team in England. This would never happen in the United States.

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Assessment Complete