Secrets in the headlines

This week, people have spent a lot of time talking about the UK’s laws on privacy, and how they don’t work in the age of the internet. This is because there have been several cases where well-known people have got the courts to issue rulings saying that certain stories about them must not be published. Journalists are not allowed to say that the person has got this kind of ruling, either.
But it is very difficult to keep secrets like this, because of the internet and because most of our big social networking sites are based in the US, where UK privacy law does not apply. So this week began with a Scottish newspaper naming the well-known footballer who has a privacy ruling. Lots of people knew who he was anyway, because of Twitter and other internet sites.
Newspapers in England then went to court to get the ruling lifting. The judge refused, but then an MP named the footballer in Parliament. This meant that everyone could name the footballer, even though the judge had banned this from happening.
The Government is now planning to look at our privacy laws. In the meantime, newspapers are busy hinting about who the other people with injuctions are.

Obama in the UK

Barack and Michelle Obama visited Ireland and England this week, creating lots of good publicity. President Obama and the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, did a barbecue in the garden of 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister’s official home.
The Obamas stayed with the Queen in Buckingham Palace. President Obama said that the UK and the US had an “essential” relationship, and Mrs Obama spent some time visiting schoolchildren and urging them to do their best.
The visit went well but there were some funny moments. President Obama made the mistake of saying “Her Majesty The Queen” in the middle of a speech to her, rather than the end. Unfortunately the band immediately started playing the National Anthem because they thought he had finished speaking. And the Obamas’ bullet-proof car, called The Beast, got stuck on a speedbump.

Denmark bans favourite British food

If you haven’t heard of Marmite, you will when you arrive in the UK. Marmite is a salty, sticky spread made from beer yeast which lots of us love on our toast. Not everyone likes it. Marmite’s advertising campaign asks people if they love it or hate it.
Marmite has just been banned in Denmark because it contains added vitamins. The law banning food with added vitamins was passed in 2004, and other foods, including breakfast cereals, disappeared from the shops. So it is surprising that Marmite has only now been banned.
UK people living in Denmark are not happy. “What am I going to put on my toast now?” asked one man. A woman living in Copenhagen said she planned to buy some overseas. “If they want to take my Marmite off me they’ll have to wrench it from my cold dead hands.”

Manchester United lose final

Manchester United have won a lot of competitions but they lost 3-1 in the final of the European Champions League to Barcelona.
This is the second time Sir Alex Ferguson’s team have lost to Barcelona in the final – the same thing happened in 2009. The only English goal was an equaliser scored by Wayne Rooney in the first half of the match.
"In my time as manager, it's the best team I've faced,” said Sir Alex after the match.