Next government faces hard choices on English universities, say experts

Posted on by

Ministers left with unpalatable options of raising tuition fees, making grants or capping student numbers, says IFS

The next government faces “unpalatable” choices between raising tuition fees, making direct grants or capping student numbers to rescue universities in England from their financial black hole, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned.

The thinktank said universities that relied on teaching UK students for the bulk of their income were most vulnerable, calculating that undergraduate tuition fees would now be £12,000 if they had kept pace with inflation, rather than the £9,250 rate frozen since 2016.

Continue reading...

Gaza aid depot where food waits as Israel and UN trade blame – BBC.com

Posted on by
  1. Gaza aid depot where food waits as Israel and UN trade blame  BBC.com
  2. Smotrich recorded describing ‘mega-dramatic’ plan for civilian control over West Bank  The Times of Israel
  3. UN says Israel must ensure aid restored to Gaza  The Jerusalem Post
  4. Getting Aid Into Gaza  The New York Times
  5. 'Visible Signs of Wasting': Heat, Forced Malnutrition Strangle People of Gaza  Common Dreams
Posted in Uncategorized

‘War how it truly is’: Ukrainian director turns accidental footage into a film

Posted on by

Oleh Sentsov’s film Real is 90 minutes of frontline action captured when he didn’t realise his camera was on

In the new film by the Ukrainian director Oleh Sentsov, soldiers pinned down in a trench try to organise the evacuation of a group of fellow fighters who are stuck and wounded in a frontline position.

Sentsov, who spent several years as a political prisoner in Russia and is now fighting in the Ukrainian army, found the 90 minutes of shaky footage six months after the battle. He was going through old files on his GoPro camera and realised it had been switched on that day.

Continue reading...

ICRC says 22 killed in strike near its Gaza office – BBC.com

Posted on by
  1. ICRC says 22 killed in strike near its Gaza office  BBC.com
  2. At least 22 Palestinians killed in shelling near Gaza office of Red Cross, agency says  The Guardian
  3. ICRC says 22 dead in attack that damaged its Gaza office; IDF: No signal it was us  The Times of Israel
  4. Red Cross Says Gaza Office 'Damaged' By Shells  Barron's
  5. Red Cross says 22 killed in shelling near Gaza office  The Anniston Star
Posted in Uncategorized

At least 22 Palestinians killed in shelling near Gaza office of Red Cross, agency says

Posted on by

Territory’s health ministry says Israeli attack targeted tents of displaced people; Israeli military says report ‘under review’

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says 22 people have been killed in a shelling attack that damaged its Gaza office, which is surrounded by hundreds of displaced Palestinians living in tents.

The health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said there were 25 dead and 50 injured in the shelling, which it blamed on Israel. The ministry said Israeli shelling on Friday had “targeted the tents of the displaced in the al-Mawasi area”, which is around the ICRC base.

Continue reading...

Israeli strikes on tent camps near Rafah kill at least 25 and wound 50, Gaza health officials say – The Associated Press

Posted on by
  1. Israeli strikes on tent camps near Rafah kill at least 25 and wound 50, Gaza health officials say  The Associated Press
  2. Israel war on Gaza live: At least 45 killed in latest Israeli bombings | Israel-Palestine conflict News  Al Jazeera English
  3. Israel-Hamas War in Gaza Live Updates: Strike in Al-Mawasi Kills Up to 25  The New York Times
  4. Before occupying Rafah: Netanyahu tries to defeat IDF opposition  The Jerusalem Post
  5. 25 Gazans Reported Dead in Rafah Strike; IDF: First Probe Does Not Indicate Strike There - Israel News  Haaretz
Posted in Uncategorized

China threatens death penalty for Taiwan independence ‘diehards’

Posted on by

Beijing ramps up pressure over ‘crime of secession’ while Taipei says China has no jurisdiction over Taiwan and urges its people not to be intimidated

China has threatened to impose the death penalty in extreme cases for “diehard” Taiwan independence separatists, a ratcheting up of pressure even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction on the democratically governed island.

China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, has made no secret of its dislike of President Lai Ching-te, who took office last month, saying he is a “separatist”, and staged war games shortly after his inauguration.

Continue reading...

China threatens death penalty for Taiwan independence ‘diehards’ – The Guardian

Posted on by
  1. China threatens death penalty for Taiwan independence ‘diehards’  The Guardian
  2. China threatens death penalty for Taiwan 'separatists'  Financial Times
  3. Beijing targets 'die-hard Taiwan separatists' in guideline for secession cases  South China Morning Post
  4. China threatens death penalty for Taiwan separatists  Voice of America - VOA News
  5. China to Hand Down Death Penalty for 'Taiwan Independence' Crimes  Newsweek
Posted in Uncategorized

Coldest start to winter in decades in some areas with polar air mass predicted across Australia next week

Posted on by

Many parts of Victoria, NSW and Queensland have shivered through temperatures between 2C and 5C below average, the BoM says

It has been the coldest start to winter in decades for parts of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, and temperatures are expected to remain cooler with a polar air mass predicted to sweep through the entire country in the coming week.

Dean Narramore, a senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, said many parts of south-eastern Australia experienced temperatures in the past week between 2C and 5C below average for winter.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Why The Hindujas, UK’s Wealthiest Family, Face Jail Term In Switzerland – NDTV

Posted on by
  1. Why The Hindujas, UK's Wealthiest Family, Face Jail Term In Switzerland  NDTV
  2. British billionaire Hindujas sentenced to jail in Swiss exploitation case  The Guardian
  3. Swiss Court Convicts Hinduja Family of Exploiting Domestic Workers  The New York Times
  4. UK's richest family get jail terms for exploiting staff at Swiss villa  Yahoo! Voices
  5. Hindujas Found Guilty of Exploiting Servants at Geneva Villa  Bloomberg
Posted in Uncategorized

Barcelona to ban apartment rentals to tourists in bid to cut housing costs

Posted on by

Spanish city is one of Europe’s top destinations but its popularity has made housing increasingly unaffordable for residents

Barcelona, a top Spanish holiday destination, has announced it will bar apartment rentals to tourists by 2028, an unexpectedly drastic move as it seeks to rein in soaring housing costs and make the city livable for residents.

The city’s leftist mayor, Jaume Collboni, said on Friday that by November 2028, Barcelona would scrap the licences of the 10,101 apartments currently approved as short-term rentals.

Continue reading...

Three Columbia deans placed on leave over disparaging text exchange during antisemitism panel – New York Post

Posted on by
  1. Three Columbia deans placed on leave over disparaging text exchange during antisemitism panel  New York Post
  2. Three Columbia University deans placed on administrative leave over disparaging texts  Fox News
  3. Columbia Administrators Fire Off Hostile and Dismissive Text Messages, Vomit Emojis During Alumni Reunion Panel on Jewish Life  Washington Free Beacon
  4. Columbia administrators suspended over alleged antisemitic texts  The Jerusalem Post
  5. Columbia Task Force Finally Weighs In: Yes, Anti-Zionism Is Antisemitism  The Intercept
Posted in Uncategorized