Homeowners Face Flooding Misery in Leicestershire

Householders face a miserable clean-up following floods in Leicestershire, with homes swamped in sewage.

The Soar burst its banks at Barrow upon Soar, flooding Proctor's Caravan Park and forcing narrow-boat owners to leave home.

Houses in Loughborough were inundated with sewage with some residents facing the prospect of Christmas in a hotel.

The Environment Agency has just one flood warning in place in the county on the Wreake near Melton Mowbray.

Alerts remain in place on the Soar but forecasters predict a drier outlook.

"It is just horrendous - you see floods on the television but when you are in this environment it is very, very frightening and scary" - Villiage Pub Manager

Roads around the county remain closed with police and the fire service urging drivers to take care.

Dovelands Primary School, in Hinckley Road, Leicester, is closed for a second day on Tuesday because of flooding.

Residents on the Kingfisher estate in Loughborough face an uncertain future after their homes were deluged with sewage.

Law and Civil Liberties

A new law can be proposed by Parliament or any MP or Lord. Before it is approved a proposal for a new law is called a bill, which has to be presented and explained before being passed on to the House of Commons and House of Lords. The two houses will discuss and usually agree with each other on whether they should approve it or not. If it is not approved, that is the end of the bill. If they approve it, it will be passed to the Monarchy where the queen will decide if she approves of it or not (which she usually does).

Civil liberties are the idea that you have freedom of speech, freedom of religion. This means you are allowed to have your own opinion and you don't have to be pressured by Parliament or pressure groups. (Human rights).

Does the law protect or restrict?
CCTV cameras - can protect us mainly as it can be used as evidence in court cases when you have been a victim to violence, which makes criminals think twice about committing crimes if they are aware there is a camera watching them.
ASBOs - restricts devious members of public from committing offences.
Mosquito Repellers - restricts young members of public from committing ASBO worthy offences.

Pros and Cons of the Death Penalty

Cons

• Financial costs to taxpayers of capital punishment is several times more than keeping someone in prison for life.
• It is barbaric and violates the "cruel and unusual" clause in the Bill of Rights.
• The endless appeals and required additional procedures clog our court system.
• We as a society have to move away from the "eye for an eye" revenge mentality if civilization is to advance, as two wrongs don't make a right.
• It sends the wrong message: why kill people who kill people to show killing is wrong.
  

Pros

• The death penalty gives justice to the victim's families who have suffered so much.
• It creates another form of crime deterrent - others will be afraid to commit such crimes if they know that the result is death.
• Justice is better served.
• Our justice system shows more sympathy for criminals than it does victims.
• It provides a deterrent for prisoners already serving a life sentence.

Religious Beliefs and Their Effects On Society

Republic - a state or country that is not led by a hereditary monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people) have impact on its government. e.g Ireland

Dictatorship -   Absolute rule by leadership unrestricted by law, constitutions, or other social and political factors. e.g Zimbabwe

Democracy-   A form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system. e.g. Spain

Absolute monarchy -  A monarchical form of government where the king and queen have absolute power over everything. e.g. Vatican

Constitutional monarchy -  A form of constitutional government, wherein either an elected or hereditary monarch is the head of state, unlike in an absolute monarchy, wherein the king or the queen is the sole source of political power, as he or she is not legally bound by the national constitution. e.g. UK

Secular government- A NON RELIGIOUS GOVERNMENT

Non Secular government- A RELIGIOUS GOVERNMENT


Problems with a secular government:

• moral/ethical issues in society as some people may be religious.
• cause conflict.
• difficult for religious people e.g. taxes, homosexuality 

Difficulties with having more than one religion in a society:

• sharing land for places of worship.
• dieting rules
• conflict
• racism
• mixed marriages, could lead to honour killings. 

What is Sharia law?
Is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia deals with many topics addressed by secular law, including crime, politics, and economics, as well as personal matters such as sexual intercourse, hygiene, diet, prayer, and fasting.

US Presidential Election 2012

The rivals are running almost neck-and-neck in national polls

US Presidential Election 2012

Tens of millions of Americans have begun voting to decide whether to re-elect President Barack Obama or hand the job to Republican Mitt Romney.

Polling stations have opened on the East Coast and in parts of the Midwest - a winner could be known by midnight.
The voting ends a hard-fought race that began nearly two years ago and has cost more than $2bn (£1.3bn).
Polls show the race is neck and neck, although the president holds a slender polling lead in crucial swing states.
National polls by Washington Post/ABC News and the Pew Research Centre both give Mr Obama a three-point edge over his rival.

Race to the White House

Obama

50%

Romney

47%

Poll of polls,4 November

As many as 30 million voters have already cast their ballots, with more than 30 states allowing either absentee voting or in-person early voting.

On the stroke of midnight, the first votes were cast and quickly counted in the tiny village of Dixville Notch in New Hampshire. They resulted in a tie with five votes each for Mr Obama and Mr Romney.
Polling stations will begin closing in eastern states at 19:00 EST (00:00 GMT).

Mr Obama has already voted in his adopted hometown of Chicago, becoming the first sitting presidential candidate ever to vote early. Mr Romney is expected to cast his own ballot in Belmont, Massachusetts, later on Tuesday.
The election is decided by the electoral college. Each state is given a number of electoral votes in rough proportion to its population. The candidate who wins 270 electoral votes - by prevailing in the mostly winner-take-all state contests - becomes president.

The president appeared at rallies with singer Bruce Springsteen and rapper Jay-Z. He acknowledged frustration with the still-lagging economy but told voters "our work is not done yet".

"We've come too far to turn back now," the president said in Ohio. "We've come too far to let our hearts grow faint... We'll finish what we started. We'll renew those ties that bind us together and reaffirm the spirit that makes the United States of America the greatest nation on Earth."

The Relationship Between Politics, Religion and Science

The Relationship Between Politics, Religion and Science