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.

The first comet landing

By Anya Stacey

On the 12^th of November the first space probe ever landed on a comet, this comet was called Rosetta.

Comets are huge lumps of rock that orbit planets such as earth.  Scientists wanted to explore the comets in more detail than we already have.

This programme has been going on for a very long time and finally a space probe landed. As the space probe landed, the probe projected its landing gears into the nucleus of the comet to keep it attached, however, various reports have said that the probe is already starting to detach.

So, big space programming companies like NASA are getting involved in this operation.

Scientists are excited to find new discoveries such as the elements that the comet contains, and what dangers it could bring to Earth as life goes on.

The space probe will project and take various pictures of the comets surface and maybe even look for bacterial life’s existence, however scientists highly doubt that.

Currently scientists believe that comets are spare or stranded lumps of rock that were left over after the Big Bang was caused, but looking into even more detail can always make new discoveries.

Let’s hope for exciting new discoveries after this overwhelming news!

 

 

More female characters to be in the new Lego film

By Aydah Ashraf

The Lego Movie directors have said they'll put more female characters, like heroine Wild-style, in the sequel. They think it’s not fair just to have men, as women are active and strong as well.

They told the BBC that it's important to inspire young women as well as young men. 

They haven't revealed whether the main character would be female, but they did say they think there's a shortage of female leads in recent years. 

The Lego toy company made headlines in August when it released a set of three female scientist figures - a palaeontologist, an astronomer, and a chemist - but it has also faced criticism for the predominantly pink Lego Friends range, which is aimed at young girls.

The Lego Movie has made more than $468m (£294m) worldwide and will make more in many years to come.