Campus life can be a bubble and sometimes it is easy to forget that the rest of the world continues outside University. With that in mind, here is a quick round-up of the local, national and entertainment news to keep you up to date with what you might have missed this week.
Nottingham News
This week saw Nottingham University beat Nottingham Trent 4-3 at the closely fought Ice Hockey match in the latest in the series of Varsity events between the two Universities. The match is one of the biggest events in the hotly contested Varsity series, last year won by University of Nottingham and was this year played in front of a sold out crowd of around 7,000 people. Other high profile events including football and Rugby Union are still to come this year.
Aside from the varsity events, this week Nottingham University pulled off their own take on the internet dance sensation the Harlem Shake. Students gathered in front of the Trent Building to perform the dance, which was advertised on Facebook and filmed by the University of Nottingham Television Station NUTS. The video can be found here: – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVYuV-9imdc&feature=youtu.be
Birmingham Bomb Plot
Three men arrested in 2011 on suspicion of terrorist activities were this week found guilty of terrorism offences after planning a terrorist attack which police claim had the potential to be bigger than 9/11. Irfan Naseer, Irfan Khalid, and Ashik Ali, described as ‘committed, passionate, extremists’ by the police, were the ring leaders of a wider terrorist group who intended to use ‘rucksack bombs’ to attack communities in Britain. Although at the time of the arrest the lack of planning amongst the group was evident, with comparisons made to the comedy film ‘Four Lions’, prosecutors argued that the men were determined to carry out the plans, with evidence the men had been visiting terrorist training camps in Pakistan in preparation for the attacks. This week police have suggested that the terrorist threat in Birmingham remains high, but have reassured the public that they are working hard to continue to prevent attacks. The men now face life imprisonment when they are sentenced later this year.
Oscar Pistorius Trial
Oscar Pistorius has been granted bail in the latest stage of his case. The judge presiding over the case has order that Pistorius must hand over 1million rand and his passport as a condition of bail.
Prosecutors argued that Pistorius had the ‘money, means and motive’ to flee the country but the judge ruled that there was little evidence Pistorius would try to leave. Defense lawyers added that Pistorius’ high profile status meant that there was less risk of him breaking the terms of his bail. The main trial is expected to begin in June where Pistorius will face charges over the alleged murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day.
Brit Awards
Wednesday night saw the annual Brit awards ceremony, celebrating the achievements of British music and international acts in the past year. Ben Howard stood out as a big winner on the night, scooping both the Best British Breakthrough and Best Male Solo Artist prizes, following the release of his critically acclaimed EP ‘The Burgh Island’ in 2012. The Best Female Solo artist and Best Album awards both went to Emeli Sande after a year of high-profile performances for the artist, who performed at the opening and closing ceremonies of the London Olympics last summer. Other winners of the celebrated award include One Direction for Brits Global Success and Adele for British Single with her track ‘Skyfall’. Audiences also enjoyed performances from Robbie Williams, Justin Timberlake and Taylor Swift.