Man arrested following three-hour bank siege was carrying 'a bomb'

Today the police arrested a man after a three-hour siege at a bank in Watford, Hertfordshire. The man was carrying a bomb. The incident was not thought to be terrorist-related. Police were called at 10.18 am, they were reported of a man threatening to harm members of staff. Police sealed off the street and The Armed Response Unit and bomb disposal experts were spotted marking out a perimeter and discussing options. After three hours the man was arrested with guns pointing at him from every direction.

There will be police activity in the town centre for a while to come.

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I will always have the question: Why?! I think it is fine if you want to kill yourself, but please leave the others and innocents behind. You must be really sick to do this, in my opinion. Another thing I would like to point out is the fact that dozens of people will be traumatized for the rest of their life. If that’s what you want to achieve, you do not deserve to be here.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1393492/Watford-bank-siege-Man-arrested-carrying-bomb.html

'Killer cucumber' cases in the UK

THE killer cucumber bug which has led to the deaths of 17 people in Europe has reached Britain. The Health Protection Agency said in total seven Brits in the UK have been infected with E.coli. Three of them have developed the potentially deadly complication of haemolytic uraemic syndrome, HUS. The cases are all linked to ‘travel in Germany’ where 16 people have died. Germany has had more than 15oo infections so far.

A lot of people now avoid buying salad, but a Food Standards Agency spokesman said: "There is no evidence that any affected cucumbers have been distributed to the UK."

The bug has been found on imported vegetables in Europe. However the exact source of the contamination has not yet been determined. Russia has now announced that it is banning the import of al fresh vegetables from Europe.

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I must admit that when I heard of ‘the killer cucumber bug’ I was in shock. However, I still eat cucumber because I do not believe that the cucumbers in The Netherlands are infected. We do not import cucumbers, because we have our own. Let us all pray for the people in Europa who are infected with E.coli.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3614550/Killer-cucumber-cases-in-the-UK.html

Britain's Got Talent: Lorna Bliss performs with snake – but New Bounce and Jean Martyn go through

Britain’s Got Talent contestant Lorna Bliss performed with a snake last night. Lorna, 29 years old, sang Britney Spears’ ‘Oops! I did it again’. Despite the three “No” votes she got, she almost made it through yesterday. Britain’s Got Talent boss Simon Cowell insisted on having her back to ‘sex up’ this week’s semi-finals, but he was less impressed when he saw her act in the flesh.

The teenage boy band New Bounce and organist Jean Martyn made it through last night. The four boys of New Bounce stole the show with their cover of Jessie J’s Price Tag. However, their opponent Jean Martyn, the bubbly blonde, also wowed the judges with a medley of hits including ‘It’s Raining Men’ and ‘Crocodile Rock’.

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Sometimes I look up some videos of Britain’s Got Talent on YouTube and I must say this time I was very impressed. The four boys of New Bounce are so cute! They can even sing and dance! Jean Martyn is funny to watch for a couple of minutes, but then it starts to get boring. It must say that it is very hard to do what she does on her keyboard/ piano. If I had to vote for one of those two acts, I would vote for New Bounce! You should check this out on YouTube. 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/2011/06/01/simon-cowell-issues-rallying-call-to-risky-new-x-factor-judges-ahead-of-first-audition-115875-23170455/

London 2012 Olympics: those without any tickets will be top of list for more seats

When more tickets are released, those people who tried, but failed, to buy any tickets for the London 2012 Olympic Games will be given priority over anyone else in the second ballot. They will be contacted with about a week before they go sale. It is estimated that at least one in seven, or 250.000 of the 1.8 million households who applied for tickets, will not have received a single seat for the events. The organizers have said that if no money has been taken off an applicant’s card or from their account by the end of May 31, it is almost certain they will have failed to get any tickets.

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I think it is a very nice deal that the organization made with the hundreds of people who tried to get a ticket, but failed. They assume that people who did not try to get a ticket the first round, are not interested. However, I think this is not realistic. If you forgot it, or just decided later that you want to go to the Olympic Games, you now surely won’t get a ticket!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/olympics/8545971/London-2012-Olympics-those-without-any-tickets-will-be-top-of-list-for-more-seats.html

Royal couple announce first public engagement together since wedding

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate, will attend a gala dinner in aid of a children’s charity on June the ninth. This will be their first public engagement together as a married couple. The will be guests of honour at the event of the ARK, the Absolute Return for Kids, in London. The ARK will be celebrating their 10^th anniversary at this event. Prince William will deliver a speech to the 900 guests at the reception.

The ARK hopes to raise thousands of pounds at the charity evening. They will be using this for their operations in many countries. They focus on health-issues in sub-Saharan Africa, child protection in Eastern Europe and education projects in the UK, the US and India. Over the past 10 years the ARK’s programmes have transformed the lives of more than 200.000 children.

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As I might have mentioned before, I am keen on Prince William and his wife Kate. I think they are polite, beautiful and very kind people. I think it is a very nice motion that they have chosen to attend a gala dinner in aid of this children’s charity as their first public engagement together as a married couple. It might help this organization to raise more money at the charity evening, because of their attendance.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/8548703/Royal-couple-announce-first-public-engagement-together-since-wedding.html

Obama says the Queen symbolises the 'best of England'

President Barack Obama has told the BBC that the queen symbolizes the “best of England” to the whole world. President Obama has been in England before, when he was attending a G20 summit in London. This week’s trip to the UK is President Obama’s first state visit to the UK, as it is officially on the invitation of the Queen. The President and First Lady Michelle Obama will be guests of the Queen at Buckingham for three days.

President Obama and Prime Minister David Cameron will be talking about Afghanistan. Obama said : “I think Prime Minister Cameron and I very much agree on this issue”. Obama also said they both agreed that while the military effort needed to continue, this would not be successful on its own.

Reaction:

I think President Barack Obama is a gentleman, because he is so gentle and polite to other people. This time he is very polite to the queen by saying that she symbolized the “best of England”. However, I do not agree on him at all. I think that Prince William and Kate symbolize the “best of England”. She is too old and she should cede the throne.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13489879

Eurovision Song Contest woos back TV viewers

More than nine million viewers in the UK watched Saturday’s Eurovision Song Contest, according to early estimates. At the end of the show, as Azerbaijan won, 12,7 million people were watching. The average viewing figure for the three-hour broadcast was 9.5 million.

Boy band Blue came 11^th with 100 points, which is a respectable score compared to last year’s entry Dubovie, who came last with 10 points. Bulgaria and Italy both awarded the UK high scores. Ireland came eighth with the Jedward twins, who gained fame on The X Factor.

The event attracted 35,000 fans to the Fortuna Dusseldorf Arena.

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I also watched the Eurovision Song Contest and as most of you know, I am a huge fan of the boy band Blue! I did not even know that they were participating so I was really happy when I heard it. We were in Dublin for the UKOK school project when the contest took place, so we knew who the Jedward twins were. They were in all newspapers and they looked ridiculous, which made them so funny. Next year I won’t watch this show, because I think it is all cronyism. Last but not least: Blue is the best!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-13409689

Fears rise after dead whale found in Loch Carnan

In October last year 33 whales were found dead on a beach in the Irish Republic. The whales prefer deep water, but come inshore to feed on squid, their main food.

This week the body of a pilot whale has been found in a Hebridean sea loch. Conservationists fear more animals are at risk of being beached. Therefore tests will be carried out on the dead whale and rescuers will be looking to see if more whales has died.

Another group of 60 whales had been seen in the waters of Loch Carnan, some of them had injuries on their heads. The animals were observed and disappointingly they retraced their route back into the loch. Sadly, it is thought that one of the animals may now have died as a body has apparently been seen in the water.

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I think it is very sad that so many whales died last year and I do hope that it will be prevented this time. Maybe the tests on the dead whale that has been found this week will give the rescuers more information. Last year the killer whale Morgan was found in the North Sea that was in a bad condition. It could be that it has something to do with the pilot whales.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-13488302 

Facebook accused of removing activists' pages

The social network called Facebook has removed dozens of profiles from its site this weekend. These profiles were from campaigners who were trying to organize anti-austerity protests this weekend. Facebook uses technology to track relationships between groups and to find “fake” profiles. A Facebook spokeswoman denied that the removal of pages was politically motivated or instigated by law enforcement concerns before the royal wedding. She explained that the profiles were suspended because they had not been registered correctly. She also said the activists would be contacted by email and told how to reactivate their accounts correctly. The Open Rights Group, which campaigns for civil liberties on the net, said that Facebook should have emailed people first and given them some notice.

Reaction:

I do think that Facebook cannot remove profiles without any good reason or warning. In this case I think that Facebook removed these pages to prevent these protests and not because they had not been registered correctly. I also think that the Royal Wedding last weekend was an extra reason for Facebook to remove these pages so protests could be prevented.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/apr/29/facebook-accused-removing-activists-pages

Rabbit battery farms could return to UK

A Guardian investigation has discovered that planning applications have been made for at least six rabbit battery farms in the UK. The first intensive farms since 1990s have been proposed at sites from Nottinghamshire to Cornwall. In each facility will be up to 1100 animals locked up in wire cages in windowless barns. The cages are too small to allow the rabbits to move around normally by hopping or running or to get any meaningful exercise. The rabbits will be sent to slaughter for their meat at 12 weeks old. The developer told the Guardian that the environment will be light and airy, with lots of space in there, and the cages are 18% bigger than required by law.

Some local people said: “They are moving away from battery farming in chickens, so it seems like a retrograde step.” Also the Compassion in World Farming think it’s time to banning these ‘cruel’ systems.

However, Kerry said the ability to produce lower cost feed has grown. Each year 3000 tonnes of rabbit meat was eaten in Britain and all of it imported.

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Personally, I think should be forbidden. I really like animals and I think that animals should have lived a peaceful life when they are sent to slaughter. The local people are right about the fact that this is a retrograde step. It is not logical to start rabbit farms when the chicken farms have just been closed. If there is less rabbit meat, people can always eat other meat. 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/apr/29/rabbit-battery-farms-could-return

Fanatics' fury at Muslim Playgirl

Sila Sahin, a star of German soap Good Times, Bad Times, has caused a storm by posing naked for Playboy. Islamic fanatics have posted threatening messages and called the 25 year old Sila a ‘Western Slut’ and said she must pay for this. Her conservative Turkish parents have reacted with abhorrence and her mother has cut of all contact. Sia said The Playboy shoot was a total act of liberation. She wants to say with these pictures that girls don’t have to live according to the rules imposed upon them.

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I think what she wants to say with these pictures is very brave, but I do not think this is the right way to communicate this message. Everybody should live the way they want to live and if you want to pose for The Playboy, that is fine to me. I hope that people won’t hurt her, because everybody should be free in their choices of life.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3548816/Muslim-actress-causes-storm-after-posing-naked-for-Playboy-mag.html

Kate Middleton dreams she is a naked bride

The day of the Royal Wedding is coming soon and a Royal source said that Royal bride Kate Middleton has the last-minute jitters and just wants the day to arrive. Her nerves have manifested in an interesting way: she has had a nightmare in which she finds herself in front of the wedding congregation and then becomes suddenly aware she is completely naked. However, Kate is not the only one who is nervous. Everybody wants to let this be a perfect day and do their best for the Royal wedding.

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I think Kate’s nightmare is hilarious! Can you imagine it? A Royal wedding in which the bride is naked? For me, this also means that Kate is just a normal person. I think all women who are going to marry someone are going mad! In this case, the whole world is watching her, so I can imagine the pressure that’s on her.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/royalwedding/3549087/Kate-Middleton-dreams-she-is-naked-before-wedding-congregation.html

Schools 'refusing to teach yob pupils' after attacks on staff

Staff walked out of Darwen Vale High School in Lancashire over pupil indiscipline. They refused to teach 16 troublemakers after they were allowed to remain in lessons despite brandishing knives, attacking teachers and fellow pupils and making malicious allegations.

For permanent exclusion schools have to follow a procedure, but a lot of pupils are allowed to remain in lessons after a couple of weeks. The National Union of Teachers shows that there are around 70 teachers claiming that they failed to receive support from senior staff after being insulted and shoved by children. The Government is now proposing to ban panels from reinstating pupils who have been permanently barred from school as part of a fresh crackdown on indiscipline.

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For permanent exclusion students have to go really far. So I think it is irresponsible to let them remain in lessons. If a student has attacked me and he or she is allowed to remain my lessons, I would be afraid that he would do it again, because he will think he can do what he want without any consequences.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/8453448/Schools-refusing-to-teach-yob-pupils-after-attacks-on-staff.html

Gay couple 'kicked out of London pub for kissing'

When Jonathan Williams and James Bull kissed during their first date at the John Snow pub in Soho, central London, they were asked to leave. A woman, who said she was the landlady, told the pair that they were being obscene. Mr Bull rang the police when they got home and Mr Williams took to Twitter to protest at the treatment they had received. His tweet provoked a storm of protest and 456 supporters have planned a ‘ kiss in’ at the pub.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/8452789/Gay-couple-kicked-out-of-London-pub-for-kissing.html

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I think it is ridiculous to send two men kissing away, because if it were a man and a woman kissing it would not have been a problem at all. People should be threatened the same way. So it should not matter if you are gay or not. I really like the fact that so many people supported these two men on Twitter. I think that their ‘ kiss in’ at the pub can be a way to show people that there is nothing wrong with gay people and that they want to be treated the same way as others.