Syrian Refugee Crisis

 

The shocking image that made the World take notice.

It appears that in recent months attitudes toward Syrians on a government and social level have been increasingly hostile and xenophobic. Everyone will remember the shocking image released last week of Alan Kurdi, as pictured on the right, a 3 year old boy who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea along with his mother and brother. His life taken away from him before he even reached the shores of Greece.
Many other Syrians, Iraqis and Africans are leaving their native countries; in fact 1700 people have died in the Mediterranean this year alone. The point is innocent Syrians are fleeing the wrath of the civil war and terrorist threats in the hope of starting a better life in Europe. But before they can even seek asylum they are stopped at the borders. This has occurred most recently in Hungary who are now refusing to give them entry. A razor wire fence has been erected along their border and the police are using water cannons and tear gas and other weapons to keep them away.
Charities are supporting camps and giving out essential aid. However supplies are short and people urgently need food, drink and clothing. At the end of the day these people would do anything to reach a safe haven. They have witnessed bombing and violence; many children have become orphaned through the war. A whole country has been destroyed and left in ruins, a vibrant Middle Eastern culture left in dismay.
No matter what your views are on the Syrian war and refugees, they are still human beings and should be treated with the sympathy and dignity they deserve. So next time you see camps and refugees on the news don’t make assumptions as they are ordinary people like you and I.
Adesua, Year 8
Boston High Newsroom

Popularity can buy you a trip to Sweden

By Virginia Mitreva

A hotel in Sweden is offering accommodation to those with a high number of Facebook friends and/or Instagram followers. If you have either more than 2,000 Facebook friends, 100,000 on a fan page or over 100,000 followers on Instagram, the hotel offers you a free seven-night stay at the luxury hotel, which will usually cost you £260 per night.

So what do you have to do? All you have to do is post when you make the reservations, when you check in, when you check out and you have to tag the hotel's website and Facebook page.  The same rules apply for those on Instagram, in all posts, guests must use #nordiclighthotel and tag Nordic Light Hotel when you're there and have checked-in. 

The hotel believes by doing this “they increase their income by accepting personal social networks as currency.” The CEO of the hotel commented on this bizarre giveaway by saying that he believes that “the promotional benefits outweigh the cost of giving away free hotel rooms”.

And for guests who are not quite so popular on social media, but have a fair share amount of friends or followers the Nordic Light Hotel has something to offer too.

Facebook:

100,000 fans or more= 100% discount

2,000 friends or more= 100% discount

1,500 friends or more=15% discount

1,000 friends or more=10% discount

500 friends= 5% discount

Instagram:

100,000 followers or more= 100% discount

15,000 followers or more= 15% discount

10,000 followers or more= 10% discount

5,000 followers or more= 5% discount

Thousands of Students Protest against University fees in Central London

By Rhea Panjwani
On Wednesday 19^th November 2014, thousands of students from over forty towns and cities, organised by the Student Assembly Against Austerity, marched along the streets of central London protesting against student loans and demanding free education. The protestors clashed with the police who attempted to stop them from entering the Parliament square. This student demonstration was the biggest in the last four years. They carried banners and signs which had slogans such as ‘Free Education, Tax the Rich’ and shouted:
“What do we want? Free Education! When do we want it? Now!” and “Shame on You!”

Missiles were thrown at police officers and in some places, protective fencing surrounding the parliament square was pulled down.

It all started with the government’s decision in 2010 to remove the limit on university tuition fees from £3200 per year and raised it to nearly three times the amount at up to £9000. A recent study by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) has revealed that an average student who leaves university has a huge debt of about £44,000. About 75% of students who have taken student loans will only clear them when they are in their fifties. By that time, most of them will need the money to manage their own families, pay off their mortgage and fund their children’s education.

Towards the end of the day six arrests were made, including two for affray and two for assault.