Britain: When alcohol takes its toll on you, where to sit or sleep doesn't matter.
Britain, no doubt, is a famous tourist country. Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Number 10 Downing Street, etc., are places that make Britain unique in the tourism sector.
But statistically, Britain is well known and famous too for the country's high percentage of alcohol consumption and the rise of teenage pregnancy.
Teenage pregnancy and alcoholism used to be social problems affecting Third World countries. For example, in Asia, Africa, and some parts of Latin America, poverty has escalated to alcoholism and underage prostitution.
Problems in relationships or marriages are very common.
What provoked a Belgian to the extent of killing his Black wife? This was the question on the lips of the African community in Antwerp. The shocking murder of Evelyn Amarim-Vanacker, a 31-year-old mother of two, led to a peaceful demonstration recently.
Evelyn, a native of the Anioma local government in the Delta State of Nigeria, was reported to have been strangled to death by her husband at their home on the 2nd of March 2009. According to sources, the murder took place while the children of the deceased, aged 4 and 1, respectively, were sleeping in one of the rooms upstairs.
After the brutal murder, the husband took the lifeless body of his wife into the boot of his car and drove 100 kilometers to dump the body in an open field by the border between France and Belgium, where the French police discovered the body the next day.
After committing the brutal crime, Mr. Vanacker reported to the Belgian police that his wife was missing. After a heavy interrogation that followed, he broke down and confessed to the killing of his wife.
The motive behind the murder is not clear, but according to sources, there was no more happiness in the marriage after five years. Constant quarrels and exchanges of words were bringing the marriage almost to its knees when this occurred.
The question is, how would the Belgian police handle this case? Especially in Antwerp, where such cases are not seriously dealt with. This has given license to many Belgians to treat foreigners, especially Africans, the way they like.
Many Africans are angry with the African ambassadors sent overseas. "They don't do anything to protect us; all they care about is corruption and greed. Europeans know that they are weak, so they take advantage of this to kill us," said one Nigerian who spoke to me about the killing of Avelyn.
Some of the survivors after the tsunami
Within a relatively short period between January 1st and December 31, 2004, thousands of people worldwide experienced many ups and downs, ranging from social problems to natural disasters.
As a matter of fact, the year 2004 was not all that amusing or a happy year for many people.
The ongoing war in Iraq, ethnic conflicts, and rebel activities in Africa have claimed thousands of lives, including children, and the lucky ones who miraculously survived the carnage suddenly become orphans because their parents have been killed.
Just as the year is coming to an end, a natural disaster, "Tsunamis" which has never been recorded in history, hit Asia, claiming over 120,000 lives, injuring scores on its deadly path, and rendering thousands of people homeless.
Life is said to be a delicate balance between planned activities and unexpected circumstances. That doesn't mean that one has to give up in times of crisis.
Since the year 2004 is gone forever, all our troubles should be buried with it, since the constant thinking of past problems could sometimes act as a stumbling block to our progress.
As the new year arrives, what are our hopes and expectations? Through God, faith, and positive thinking, our hopes and dreams could be a reality.
As individuals, we must put behind religious conflicts and live in peace to work together to make the year 2005 a prosperous and happy year for all.
