Student tuition fee protest ends in stand-off

Demonstrations were held in cities across the UK. More than a thousand students protested in the centre of Manchester. In Birmingham about 30 protesters occupied the city council's offices. Students are campaigning against plans to raise tuition fees in England to up to £9,000 per year, with a vote expected in the House of Commons before Christmas. Meanwhile in Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government announced its own fee plans, which will see Welsh students at university in Wales and England paying no more than £3,290 per year. This would mean that an English student at a university in England could pay more than £17,000 more for a three-year degree than a Welsh student on the same course. Vince Cable, Business Secretary, said he might now abstain in the vote on fees. In freezing conditions, protesters marched through central London, in smaller numbers than the two previous demonstrations this month. Demonstrators appeared to be trying to avoid being caught in police lines, after thousands were held in a "kettle" last week. It remains uncertain whether Liberal Democrat ministers will abstain or support the proposals to raise tuition fees to £9,000 per year, when it comes to a vote in the House of Commons.

Reaction

Many protests have been taking place around the country. I completely agree with this demonstrations and if I was in England I would definitely be part of it. I think it is unfair that English students would pay much more than Welsh students for the same course. If the tuition fees are raised it will be very difficult to many students and their parents to afford it, as a consequence only students from the middle and upper class would be able to study at a university in England. I hope that these protests will be taken seriously and that the tuition fees will not be raised up because to study at a university should be accessible to everyone. 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-11877034

Fresh heavy snowfalls and icy roads affecting the UK

The UK has seen the earliest widespread snowfall for 17 years and forecasters say it could last for two weeks. In north-east England, 35cm snow fell overnight. Police are warning people only to go out in emergencies. Scotland could get 15cm of snow on Saturday, with more also likely in other areas, especially Northern Ireland and south-east England. Norwich airport was closed for several hours and flights have been disrupted at Newcastle and Durham-Tees Valley. Some weekend sporting events have been cancelled because of the poor weather conditions. Like the Saturday's horse racing meeting at Newcastle and The weekend's FA Cup second round matches could also be at risk. Also travel is disrupted in some areas, especially north-east England. The A1, main east-coast link between England and Scotland,  is down to one lane, and rail passengers using the East Coast line are also being warned of delays. Darren Bett, BBC weather forecast, said: "It's the sea temperatures that are higher than the land temperatures that are helping to trigger this instability and trigger those showers - which is why we are seeing a lot of them near the coast.

Reaction

It seems like snowfall is affecting a lot the UK. Not only police are asking people to stay home but also some airports have been closed and some events have been cancelled. I think that this kind of snowfall is really dangerous because there can be serious traffic accidents if the necessary measures are not taken. People should  be conscious about this and if they have to go to work regardless of the weather then they have to adapt their drive style to prevent these accidents. I hope that the heavy snowfall stops soon and everything goes back to normal.

 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11852488

Royal Wedding date chosen by Prince William and Kate

Prince William and Kate Middleton will marry on Friday 29 April at Westminster Abbey. The couple, both 28, got engaged while on holiday in Kenya in October. Prime Minister David Cameron said it would be "a happy and momentous occasion" and would be marked by a public holiday. The Royal Family and the Middletons will pay for the wedding itself, but the taxpayer will meet the cost of extra security and transport. Westminster Abbey has hosted the weddings of the Queen and Queen Mother and was the venue for Princess Diana's funeral in 1997. William and Kate planned the wedding, but have a large supporting cast to help them. Prince William and his fiancé wish everybody to be able to enjoy the day with them. Daniella Relph said William and Kate wanted to marry on a Friday in spring and 29 April was chosen because it fell after Easter and Lent and before a busy political programme in May and June. The extra holiday will fall in the same week as Easter Monday, giving millions of workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland a three-day week. Anti-monarchy group Republic said creating a bank holiday for something "most people are not interested in" was "absurd" and that an extra day off should only be for something everyone could relate to.

Reaction:

Prince William and his fiancé have finally set a date to their wedding and I think that it is the perfect date. In my opinion they have chosen a good date because their wedding will be after Easter so everyone will get an extra day off to celebrate and enjoy their wedding with them, this is exactly what the Prince and his fiancé want. So everyone will get a chance to enjoy the royal wedding although there are some people that are not interested in this wedding because they do not feel related to it. But I am sure this wedding will be very beautiful and unforgettable so I am definitely going to watch it on the television.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11818049

Harry Potter film breaks five UK box office records

The latest Harry Potter film has broken five UK box office records, according to Warner Bros.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 is the penultimate installment in the fantasy film franchise. The books' author JK Rowling said that the seventh in the series was her favourite.

This latest Harry Potter film has broken five UK box office records, according to Warner Bros. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 now holds the record for the biggest three-day opening and the biggest single day in ticket sales. The film made £18.3m over the three-day weekend, taking £5.9m on Friday, £6.6m on Saturday and £5.7 on Sunday. The records were previously held by Quantum of Solace and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. According to Josh Berber, the president and managing director of Warner Bros Entertainment UK, these remarkable box office numbers are a testament to the talents of the film-makers, cast and to the vision of JK Rowling, the creator of this magical world.

Reaction

I was very surprised when I read this news because I wasn’t expecting that the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows film would break five UK box office records.  Although I really like the Harry Potter films I also think that there are other good films that could break this record too. I  hoped that this latest Harry Potter film would be good because the last one I saw, Harry Potter and the half blood prince, was very disappointing. I have seen every Harry Potter film and also read all the books, so you can say I am a fan and I have to admit that the latest Harry Potter film is the best so far. I  cannot wait to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11807279

Murder jury shown baby attack phone clip

Jurors watched as the video clips taken on a mobile phone by Darren Newton were played to Manchester Crown Court. They were told the 32-year-old recorded the footage of the baby, Charlie Hunt, for his own "pleasure" while the baby's mother, Laura Chapman, was at work. Darren Newton, Laura’s new partner, has pleaded guilty to 12 counts of child cruelty but denies murder. Police found a series of clip titles stored on his mobile phone, including one entitled "happy slap". In this clip, Newton is seen to aim 12 slaps around the head of the crying baby. Charlie, the murdered baby, was taken to hospital and died from head injuries on 19 November 2009. Ms Chapman met Newton in early 2009, believing he was a "quiet man, a caring man and a loving man" who got on well with her baby son. On 19 November, Newton returned home after his shift at a local factory to look after Charlie. At 1630 GMT he went next door to his parents' home for help with Charlie was struggling to breath and had a tremor down his left-hand side. An ambulance was called and Charlie was taken to hospital, where he died aproximatly one hour later. Doctors later noticed he had bruises on his right eyelid, right cheek and right big toe, the court heard. Post-mortem examinations later revealed the extensive damage to his brain and head. The trial is expected to last around three weeks.

Reaction

I cannot understand how people can enjoy making others suffer specially those who cannot protect themselves like babies or children. These people have many psychological problems and like to see others in pain. Most of the time it is difficult to recognize them because they seem pretty normal although they are not. I hope Darren Newton will be punished for his crime and that he will stay at prison for many years.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-11776623

Phil Woolas ejected from parliament over election slurs

The high court ruled that Phil Woolas, the former immigration minister, knowingly made false statements about his Liberal Democrat opponent. Phil Woolas was ejected from parliament after two high court judges secured that he lied about his Liberal Democrat opponent during the general election. Woolas claimed the ruling  which also triggered a by-election and barred him from standing again for three years. Elwyn Watkins claimed that Woolas knowingly misled voters in Oldham East in a desperate bid to stir up religious tensions in the last days of the election by claiming Watkins had persuade Islamic extremists. The court upheld those arguments after it saw confidential emails between Woolas's team. This proved that Woolas  knowingly made false allegations about his opponent. As a consequence Woolas lost his seat in the Commons, is barred for three years and was also suspended by the Labour party.

Ed Miliband, Labour leader, told Channel 4 News: "The court has made a very clear judgment in this case, a clear finding of fact about what happened and what Phil Woolas did. This is certainly a reminder and warning to all politicians about the importance of a clean fight.

Reaction

I didn’t expect a minister was capable of doing something like this, lying about their opponent to win an election. I think this is really sad and disappointed for many people who voted for Phil Woolas and trusted him. I totally agree with the decision of the court and expect that ministers will learn from this case and that this will not happen again because lying in a democratic election should not be tolerated.    

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/nov/05/phil-woolas-ejected-parliament-election