THE DIARY OF Z

As we said last week, the consternation and upheaval caused by the eruption of Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajoekull left hundreds of thousands of passengers stranded across the globe after airspace across Europe was closed for six days.

This week… rather as I predicted, (I do quite enjoy saying to the world; “I told you so”) airspace in northern Scotland and across Ireland has once again been closed due to high levels of ash concentration in the atmosphere. The ash is still drifting from Iceland and is disrupting a further 1300 flights and yet again leaving countless passengers stranded.

This fresh disruption to the skies comes as European Union transport ministers are meeting in Brussels to talk about ways to improve air traffic organisation in the wake of last month’s events. The Civil Aviation Authority has closed airspace for a minimum of eight hours because ash concentrations exceeded the levels agreed as safe by engine manufacturers.

I have to say I’m rather pleased, though. This seems to suggest that the CAA seems to have regained some sense of authority and dignity over the last week, and that they are continuing to keep people’s safety as their paramount concern.

But does it not go to show, that perhaps the flights that have been circling over Europe over the last 10 days were flying not because it was deemed safe to do so, but because the Governments of Europe didn’t want to bail out angry airlines? Speculations galore, indeed.

Contributed by Jenny Wren-Charlton

The terrorist attacks that took place in Mumbai in November 2008 shattered Mumbai and shocked the world. 174 people were killed in the brutal slaughter including 9 gunmen; the unpleasant incident further souring relations between India and Pakistan.

On May 3rd, an Indian court found 22-year old Pakistani, Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab, guilty of terrorism. He is the sole surviving gunman from the attack charged with 86 different crimes including murder and waging war on India. The prosecution team is hoping for the sentence to be the death penalty. Also on trial alongside Kasab were two Indian nationals, Fahim Ansari and Sabahuddin Ahmed, both charged with aiding the attackers in their preparation for the gun attack. But they were acquitted.

Ujjwal Nikamm, a special public prosecutor said the prosecution proved that Kasab was "part of a larger conspiracy to create terror and destabilise the economy ". He found the outcome to be the ‘right’ one, having amassed a huge range of evidence from eye witness accounts from 610 witnesses, to CCTV footage and more.

It’s indeed a relief that the 210-day trial finally came to an end. However, the real perpetrators who instigated Kasab are yet to be brought to book. Who are they? Are they really Pakistanis, Indians or indeed Americans? Or are they just terrorists who abhor peace?

Contributed by Jenny Wren-Charlton