Student cuts protest

Laura Smith is sitting in the sunshine in the crowded courtyard in front of Euston station, London. With her wheeled suitcase and smart outfit, she looks like any other young businesswoman killing time before catching a train home at the end of the working week. Smith is, however, one of the crop of new MPs; she is also the embodiment of something extraordinary that happened during the general election. A former teacher and mother-of-two, Smith inadvertently found herself a central figure in a campaign by parents to fight school funding cuts. The issue was to become a gamechanger over the election campaign, as support seeped from the Tories. Now Smith, who describes herself as “a northern kid” who likes pie and chips at the pub and has an opinion on everything, finds herself Labour MP for Crewe and Nantwich. This was never the plan. Until four years ago, she was a primary school teacher. After the birth of her second child she decided to work part-time, and left to set up a … [Read more...] about The teacher and school cuts protester who became an MP

In what is being called another attack on free speech at American colleges by campus liberals, a student-run programming board at George Washington University (GW) has responded to student outcry by removing a controversial rapper, who some say is transphobic and promotes rape, from an upcoming concert lineup. Action Bronson was hired to headline GW's annual Spring Fling, which is set for Saturday at the school's Washington, D.C., campus. But on Thursday, the student-run GW Program Board announced it had cut the rapper from the event lineup. "We apologize to the GW community for causing distress over the past few days and for attempting to bring an artist who is not consistent with our values of diversity and inclusion," the Program Board said in a statement. "Spring Fling is intended to be an event for all students to enjoy, and including Action Bronson in the day would go against this." The controversy began after the Program Board announced on March 25 that Action Bronson, a rapper … [Read more...] about Action Bronson Cut From University Concert: Another Free Speech Violation?

On Saturday I attended my first protest march. The weather was grey and drizzly, my banner, saying “No more cuts” was hastily made the night before and I really wished I had brought a whistle. But along with many other march virgins, I joined a crowd of about 6,000 people walking through Bristol, shouting “No ifs, no buts, no education cuts” at the top of my voice, in protest at cuts to the education budget. The tipping point for me came when I read an article in our local newspaper about how the cuts would affect each and every school in Bristol. The figures were startling. I discovered that funding would be down by 9% at my children’s infant school by 2019, and over at the junior school they would have to contend with over £200,000 worth of cuts: equivalent to about six teachers. That put the issue in context. Six teachers could be made redundant just to balance the books. Other equally unpalatable alternatives are reducing school opening hours, … [Read more...] about When schools can’t afford toilet rolls let alone teachers, we must fight

A 23-year-old Indian woman fighting for her life with 90 per cent of her body covered in burns has described how she was thrashed, stabbed and set on fire by her alleged rapists and three other men in northern India.  The woman gave her testimony to police while in New Delhi's Safdarjung hospital, where she was flown to by the emergency services and is now in critical care.  She said she was on her way to court near her village in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh for a hearing about her own rape complaint, when she was surrounded by five men, including two of her accused rapists.     Students hold placards and shout slogans to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a 27-year-old veterinary doctor in Hyderabad on Tuesday. A rape victim on her way to court was set ablaze Thursday by a group of five men, including the man who allegedly assaulted her  The burns casualty ward of a hospital in New Delhi where the 23-year-old rape victim is being … [Read more...] about Indian rape victim set on fire by her alleged attacker on her way to his trial describes how she was stabbed in the neck, had petrol poured over her and was turned into a human fireball

Mumbai: A 71-year-old depositor of fraud- hit PMC Bank died of a heart attack at his residence here, his relative said on Friday. Pratap Jiandani suffered a heart attack on Thursday afternoon at his residence in suburban Mulund, he said. Earlier, at least eight depositors, who had high quantum of money stuck with the bank, had died in the last couple of months, including one who committed suicide. Maharashtra Cooperative Bank (PMC Bank), which was put under restrictions by the RBI in September after an alleged Rs 4,355 crore scam came to light. However, his death was nothing to do with the bank scam, said Jiandani's relative Mukesh Chhandiramani. Jiandani's son is returning from Spain after which his last rites will be performed, he said. Untitled Carousel Maharashtra government suggests merger of scam-hit PMC Bank with MSC BankThe Maharashtra government has suggested merger of the scam-hit Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank with the MSC Bank in a bid to provide … [Read more...] about PMC Bank crisis: 71-year-old depositor dies of heart attack in Mulund