Belarus has to make a choice between Russia and EU

EU Foreign Policy Chief, Javier Solana recommends Belarus to refrain from recognizing independence of Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Javier Solana says in case of recognition, the relations of the EU and Belarus would be revised and changed not to very desirable direction.

"It is important as you know we don't recognise and we would like everybody that has a relationship with us to be on the same wavelength." Mr. Solana said.

But is it not too naive to think that Belarus, the closest ally of Russia, will take any notice of recommendation of the EU? 

Belarus depends so much on Russia and has so many business relationships that it will mean "committing suicide" for it to break relationships with Russia.

Is it not time for EU and Georgia to face the truth and say that it will be extremely hard to reach at least slight success in gaining the breakaway regions back, unless Georgia becomes so attractive to those people living there that they will rebel themselves and ask for rejoining.

Where is the law and its power when the separatist governors of the Gali district, Abkhazia, Georgia, are forcing ethnic Georgians to take new Abkhazian passports and threaten to evict them from the occupied region if they resist? 

Shoplifter gets leniency from the court

A drug addict was able to avoid fines for shoplifting today.

Oliver James Bland, 28, of St Clements Gardens, Bournemouth pleaded guilty to theft in the ASDA shopping centre, Bournemouth Magistrates Court heard today.

Andrew Newman, prosecuting, said Bland appeared in the ASDA store on March 9 this year with a blue bag and stole alcohol worth £17.75. He was arrested on the spot and interviewed by police.

Mark Proctor, defending, said Bland was a typical drug addict who tried to get off heroin three times.

''I ask you to give him one last chance. He does fully understand that he did a wrong thing and regrets it,'' Mr Proctor told the court.

Mr Proctor asked the judge to avoid fining Bland, who already owes money to the court.

District Judge Roger House said he hoped Bland would work hard to get off drugs and encouraged him, saying ''It's hard, but it's a joy to see success at the end.''

He placed a supervision order on Bland and granted him conditional bail

Elderly warned about scam

Police are warning elderly residents to be vigilant after Southbourne pensioners gave money to a young man claiming he was locked out of his house.

Dorset Police Constable Rob Bentall said: "This man appears to offer a similar story each time he attempts to trick a victim. He says that he needs around £30 for a locksmith, because his landlord has supposedly locked him out of his flat."

The incidents which have been happening since February.

The man is described as being in his early twenties with short brown hair, slim build and around six feet tall.

There are no reports about any violence or threat against residents.

PC Bentall explained: "This man is preying on elderly members of the community and I am also urging members of the public to keep a look out for their vulnerable neighbours and report any suspicious activity."

At the time of the offences he was clean and tidily dressed. He has a healthy complexion and is said to be well spoken.

"I would like to remind home owners, particularly our more vulnerable residents, to be vigilant at all times. Anyone who is approached in similar circumstances should contact Dorset Police as soon as possible", PC Bentall said.

The police asks anyone who has any information about these incidents or any other similar scams to contact Dorset Police in confidence on 01202 222 222 or the Crimestoppers line on 0800 555 111.

Poole business organisations get together

Business organisations are going to get together today in Poole to get a better insight into the current financial situation and get tips how to move forward.

Holding this series of meetings was decided by D+R The Solution LTD that is a full service marketing agency based in Poole.

These meetings, Business Development Club, will be held every month on the second Tuesday of the month at Holton Heath Industrial Estate.

This month’s meeting will feature a talk from Sue Baker from Clarity Financials and will cover managing the financial elements of business in these testing times.

Bryan Benjafield, Operations Manager of D+R The Solution LTD, said: “The idea of the meeting came from the current financial climate. It was the brainchild of David Dean who is the Managing Director here and we hope that it will help business in Dorset come together a bit and lend a bit of support to each other.”

They have been using their own business development programmes for over 10 years to help the businesses grow, but now they have to focus on not letting the businesses fall into an economical slump.

Mr Benjafield said: “We feel it is important to help businesses in these challenging times with a view of all Dorset businesses mucking in to help get through and help each other.”

They have also recently been involved with launching a scheme called Buy Dorset (www.buydorset.co.uk), which is an online database for Dorset Businesses.

The companies can post their details for free as long as they sign a pledge to try to source as much of their materials and products and work wherever possible with other Dorset businesses.

The Cabinet votes for compulsory purchase

A compulsory purchase of a land seems to the Cabinet of the Poole Borough the best way to start building of a long-awaited bridge in Poole. 

The Cabinet of the Poole Borough recommended the Council on Tuesday to use its powers to buy the land for construction of the second bridge in Poole. 

The Council has been holding negotiations with landowners, including Gallagher Estates and Lands Improvement Holdings, to acquire the land since 2006. 

The Council still hopes that the voluntary purchase will take place, but the Cabinet proposed the compulsory purchase to ensure that the Twin Sails Bridge project will be launched before the end of 2009.  

Councillor Ann Stribley, Deputy Leader of the Borough of Poole, said: “The bridge is essential for Poole. But it’s not about getting the land cheap, it’s about getting it quick.”

Councillor Ron Parker, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for the Economy said: "The Twin Sails Bridge will be an iconic structure for Poole, generating job opportunities at a time when the local economy is feeling the impact of the global economic downturn."

Councillor Brian Leverett, Leader of Borough of Poole, said: “We’ve been waiting for 50 years for the new bridge. This bridge is so important to the economy of Poole and to the wellbeing of the whole town.”

He added: “First of all we have a Transport and works act, which give us a legal planning permissions to build the bridge and that would be running out in 2011 if we’ve not made a start on it. 

Second is that the government has given us a grant in 2001 £14.1 million and less we get on and use it, the government’s likely to claw that money back, especially in the current financial situation. So we could lose this bridge all together if we delay.”

He says the project is going to cost between £36 and £37 million. An authority like Poole can’t find that money. It is only in December this year that we got the final government loan of £10 million, which will enable us to go ahead.”

Liberal democrat Councillor Brian Clements said: “We’ve been working on that bridge for many years and I look forward to see it completed.

He also thinks that the compulsory purchase is in the interests of Poole council taxpayers. “The bridge should have been finished five years ago, so the delay is intolerable.”

However, he sees a problem with the loan that the council received: “There is an issue that the Council is not facing up to the fact that if they are borrowing £10 million they will well end up supporting that land, the interest on that land from the Council tax and so that could be a problem building up for the future.”

Leader of Borough of Poole Councillor Leverett says: “It is a loan, but effectively it’s people that own the land by the side of the bridge who will have to pay it to the government, because this bridge will open that land up for development, house building, commercial purposes etc.”

There are two houses on the land that is to be used for bridge construction. 

But Councillor Leverett says they are not inhabited, so there is no need for forcing people to move out. 

“These houses were bought by one of the companies, because they knew that they would be needed for the road and unless that bridge is put in then they cannot develop their land for housing. So it’s in their interest as much as it’s in the interest of the council to provide this bridge.”

Daisy Boman’s sculptures displayed in Westover Gallery

Sculptures loaded with philosophy of life by Daisy Boman are displayed in Bournemouth Westover Gallery.

In her sculptures figures climb, interact with each other, fall, crawl and run mostly in groups, making people see what we have to live through to survive in a cruel world.

As you see them you can’t escape thoughts about all the challenges and traps that we have to overcome if we want to achieve something.

On one of her wall sculptures “Imagine” there are figures crawling from left bottom corner towards right top corner pushing each other to make their way up.

As you see this sculpture you feel small, as if you imagine yourself between these figures. You think over and over again whether you had such a struggle in your life to achieve your goals.

And lucky you if you see that you have found your way up without pushing someone down. Or unlucky you who have not achieved anything and you have all of this challenging way ahead.

Boman’s figures are all the same colour and the same shape. You realize that for her the colours and races doesn’t matter. She tries to make us see that we are “from the same mould” conditioned by the society we live in.

Her figures might make you laugh when you first see them, but look closer and you will quickly discover how serious they are.

Boman’s another wall sculpture is “Time To Go Higher”, which again shows figures crawling up, but this time there is more optimism in it.

There is a rope ladder on it and figures are trying to push themselves up, but at the top there is one figure that is looking back and reaching out its hand to help another figure.

This sculpture makes you feel that not everything is so bad and there are people in this world who still care about others and who are trying to make the world a better place to live.

There is one more sculpture by Boman in Westover gallery that attracts lots of attention. It was a brick of marble with two figures on top of it. They have their arms around each other’s shoulders and you see that they are having a heart to heart conversation.

It’s not possible to identify their sex and the reason is quite obvious. For Boman sex doesn’t matter either.

Plagiarism advertised at the entrance of the Bournamouth University

Tamila Varshalomidze_final TV assignment_Plagiarism from Mammj on Vimeo.