UK terror threat 'at highest since 1970s IRA plots'
BBC News reports that "Britain faces a level of terror threat not seen since the IRA bombings. According to the report it says that UK cities are likely being targeted by Islamists. The threat level in the UK has been limited over the years by the work of the intelligence services but the threat has increased. The news reports also mentions the number of British people going to Syria and Iraq to fight for IS and that some of them could be returning back to the UK is a major concern especially now that the threat level is at its highest since the 70's.
In my opinion, that because of the increase in attacks over the last 2 years that it is just a matter of time before an attack in the UK. Over 2016-2017 there has been more frequent terrorist attacks all across the world in which many people have died. I think making this kind of news public is important because these types of attacks affect everyone as it is a possibility that they could be impacted by them.
Weekend is a British romance drama written and directed by Andrew Haigh which was released in November 2011. The film focuses on the lives of two men who are starting a relationship after meeting in a gay bar. Masculinity, as a theme, is massively present in the film as they show a possibly controversial relationship to some people as 'normal', which the audience may not have seen in other films before. The film had a budget of £120,000 and in the opening weekend received £27,245. The film has won awards mainly in gay and lesbian categories but the director has also won awards such as breakthrough British film maker in 2012 at the London Critics Circle film Awards.
The film offers an insight into a world that they may not have seen before as it is not often shown in mainstream films. The film is centered around the building relationship and sex life of Russell and Glen and also show the problems they face in every day life. The film definitely focuses on masculinity within homosexual relationships.
A scene in which this is shown is when Glen and Russell explain how they cant talk about their relationship in public as openly as they would like to. They begin to go on to say that it could be because they are ashamed of who they are and how they come across to other people. This scene is significant because it shows that homosexual relationships aren't really accepted because it goes against the idea of what a man is. A man, according to the media, is supposed to strong and the alpha in the relationship who has to save the girl. Being in a homosexual relationship goes against this idea because homosexual men are seen to be less masculine than straight men. The film tries to target this issue by forcing the viewer to see the relationship from the perspective of Russell so that the audience sympathises and understands him and the situation he is in. The main message behind the film, in my opinion, is to open the viewers eyes to homosexual relationships and how they aren't any different from heterosexual relationships.
Another important aspect of the film is the way it is constructed and presented. Unlike mainstream films, this film doesn't follow Todorov's Narrative theory as clearly as other films. The film has a state of equilibrium which it starts on and then concludes on, but arguably there is no real big disruption to the state of equilibrium. The reason why this is important and the reason why i think the film makers have done this is to show a real depiction of life. Rather than creating a massive disruption to the story they have shown what relationships are really like to try and make it as realistic as possible. The film has gone against conventions to allow the audience to get a real understanding that homosexual relationships are normal and that it is a thing not just in films. In my opinion they have gone out of there way to try and make the film as realistic as possible.
NHS Health Check: Nine in 10 hospitals 'overcrowded' this winter.
Reports from BBC news have shown that 137 out of 152 hospitals have been over crowded this winter. With the NHS hospitals under more pressure, they are becoming overcrowded increasing the risk of infection for patients. According form NHS bosses they are having trouble with discharging frail patients which is causing more beds to be taken up. This news report is important as it links to other stories in the news. Other reports have shown that the NHS is looking to target the issues on 'health tourism' by possibly making tourists pay for treatment if they are not eligible for free medical care. The NHS has been under scrutiny because of the increase in patients and decreases in funding.
However the new idea could be introduced as a way of raising money for the NHS. A survey was carried out to get peoples opinions on the idea of making people pay for health care and the majority seemed to disagree with this idea.
However in my opinion I could see how this method would be effective and improve the situation the NHS is in. Also it would face the issue of people from outside the UK coming in for treatment.
BBC News reports that "Britain faces a level of terror threat not seen since the IRA bombings. According to the report it says that UK cities are likely being targeted by Islamists. The threat level in the UK has been limited over the years by the work of the intelligence services but the threat has increased. The news reports also mentions the number of British people going to Syria and Iraq to fight for IS and that some of them could be returning back to the UK is a major concern especially now that the threat level is at its highest since the 70's.
