Le Nurb - March 2011
4 News
NUS President to step down Gaz Corfield Aaron Porter, the embattled president of the National Union of Students, has announced that he will not be seeking re-election at this year’s annual NUS conference. Porter’s re-election manifesto – not due to be released for another two months – was leaked to political journalist Harry Cole late in February. In it, he claimed to have secured a “historic partnership with UCU and other trade unions,” despite the NUS conspicuously failing to support a demonstration in London that was organised by UCU and other national trade unions. Speaking to the Press Association, Porter said, “I feel immensely proud of what we’ve achieved this year. I feel we are going into a new landscape next year, and I think we need a fresh start to ensure NUS moves forward. I’m pretty proud of what
we’ve done, and it’s best for the NUS and me to have a fresh start.” During Porter’s time as president the NUS has lurched from crisis to crisis, with serious internal splits forming amongst the NUS leadership over his poor handling of the London demonstrations and their aftermath. It is rumoured that Mark Bergfeld, a spokesman for the shadowy Education Activist Network, may stand for the NUS presidency after Porter’s departure. “I am confident there will be a new leadership to reflect growing anger among students over fees and jobs despite the democratic deficit within the NUS which makes it very difficult for a left wing candidate to win,” said Bergfeld. Porter claimed that a “moderate” candidate would run against Bergfeld in the April election.
Overseas students hit by new visa restrictions The plans included raising the students’ language requirement, lowering their rights to work, and an overall decrease in the number of foreign students studying in the UK below degree level. There is also a proposal to improve the accreditation process and to provide regular reviews of universities, colleges, and schools to detect bogus education providers. The report that pointed out the faults in the new policy was carried out by the vice chancellor of the University of East Anglia.
He indicated that foreign students bring in £5bn a year for the economy through their fees and off-campus expenditure. Overseas students are normally charged higher tuition fees than those from the UK, but Britain prizes itself for its multi-cultural society both in and out of universities. Professor Acton, the vice chancellor of the University of East Anglia said: “To implement the proposed measures as they stand would amount to a hostile act against Britain’s universities.”
Uxbridge crime ‘average’, say Met police Tom Scott Levels of crime in Uxbridge and Hillingdon have been classed as “average” according to a new website. According to the website, police. uk, there were 382 reported crimes within a 2-mile radius of Brunel University during December alone. This means that crime in the Brunel area has been classed as “average” in comparison to the rest of the country. This statistic has come as surprise to many, especially considering that two men were stabbed in Uxbridge High Street and a car set ablaze on February 19th. Police.uk, which was launched on February 1st, highlights all cases of crime and anti-social behaviour and places them on Google Maps, allowing users to view crime in their local area. Due to the popular demand of the public, the site crashed on the day of its launch after receiving almost 75,000 hits a minute.
It became one of the most popular government-based websites in history, with almost 400 million hits on its first day. The website is not without controversies, however; many have questioned the accuracy of the site, and some fear it could affect house prices in certain areas. Policing Minister Nick Herbert has defended the site, saying: “This will enable people to see exactly what’s going on in their street.” According to Police.uk, levels of burglary, robbery, and vehicle crime are low near to Brunel University, yet certain hotspots are high in both violent crime and anti-social behaviour. Numerous incidents of antisocial behaviour have occurred along Cowley Road, Hillingdon Hill, and outside student nightspots in Uxbridge town centre. The website also reveals an astonishing 124 reported crimes in Uxbridge High Street alone.
Metropolitan Police Uxbridge not a hot-spot for crime?
Coffee stabbing Gaz Corfield Two men were stabbed in Uxbridge’s Caffe Nero on the morning of Saturday 19th Feb as shoppers went about their daily business. The men were in Cafe Nero on the High Street at about 11am when the stabbing occurred. Police and the London Ambulance Service attended the scene and took the two men to Hillingdon Hospital. Artan Doni, 30, of Park Road,
News 5
Berlusconi ‘bunga bunga’ bash blown
Lidyanne Aquino
Bess Browning Increased restrictions on higher education are causing yet more controversy with a proposed restraint of student visas. Brunel has thousands of international students and this new policy could result in dire circumstances. A study by the Higher Education Policy Institute said that the anticipated plan could lose the economy billions of pounds as it would completely cut the numbers of foreign students coming into the UK.
March 2011 - Le Nurb
Uxbridge, appeared at Uxbridge Magistrate’s Court on Feb 21st and was remanded in custody. A witness who did not wish to be named said, “I popped out of the shop for a fag and then I saw blood on the pavement. It was really scary.” Anyone with information about the stabbing is asked to call Hillingdon Police on 020 8246 1447 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. I think Le Nurb is a pretty cool guy. Eh encourages recycling and doesn’t afraid of anything...
Abigail Dede Italian Prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is set to stand trial in April for engaging in prostitution with a minor and abusing his power. The media mogul turned politician is said to have allegedly paid for sex with Karima El Mahroug, the then seventeenyear-old night club dancer who goes by the stage name ‘Ruby the Heart Stealer.’ The incident is said to have taken place at one of his infamous parties at his Milan residence on Valentine’s Day last year. Berlusconi, 74, is denying the charges against him. Speaking at a press conference in Rome he said, “I am not in the slightest bit worried,” but declined to comment further on his upcoming trial. If found guilty, Berlusconi could face a maximum of fifteen years in prison. However, in leaked prosecution documents published by Italian Newspaper La Repubblica, Mahroug, now 18 said, “I told him
the truth: I was a minor.” Although prostitution is not a crime in Italy, the legal age is 18. Berlusconi is further alleged to have used his presidential power to get Mahroug off theft charges. She was arrested for stealing £2500, and upon being questioned by police she claimed she was the granddaughter of the deposed Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak. This latest scandal is one of many to have hit Berlusconi. He has been embroiled in a series of scandals involving wild private parties, where young women would receive gifts or money when they attended. He has also been chastised for appointing former ‘showgirls’ to official posts within his cabinet. Many Italians are fed up with their president’s antics. Over the weekend, thousands of women descended on the streets of Italy in protest, calling for Berlusconi’s resignation. One protester said, “His dalliances with young women humiliate the sex as a whole and degrade female dignity.”
Alessio85
No, you’re not sticking that up there!
Prisoners barred from compensation bid Chris Thorne The High Court has blocked an incredible set of compensation bids from prisoners unable to vote after last year’s general election. A staggering 585 criminals have launched claims against the government who believe that their human rights were breached. Mr Justice Langstaff, one of the country’s leading judges, said, “The courts could only rule on laws currently applicable in the UK.” The decision follows the recent debate instigated by MPs Jack Straw and David Davis, both who strongly opposed the government’s plan to give prisoners serving up to four years
the vote. However, MPs have voted to keep the blanket ban despite the fact it has been ruled incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The House of Commons decision is not legally binding but will place immense pressure on ministers to go against the Strasbourg court. The government’s main legal advisors informed Prime Minister David Cameron that he could defy the ECHR ruling, in a document leaked to the Times. The PM has previously warned that he would be pained to take on the latest legislation but would be powerless to stop it. Despite this, legal analyst Clive
Coleman does not believe the UK will suffer severe sanctions from the European community. “The Council would be loath to press the nuclear button and would look for some other form of sanction. “However, the consequences for the UK in terms of its international human rights reputation would be severe, [and] weaken its position in dialogue with non-EU states such as China and Zimbabwe.” A suspension is also a possibility, and such a decision would leave the UK with Belarus as the only major European state outside the council. Extensive dialogue between the government and its legal advisors is expected in the coming weeks.
Inflation spike Jade O’Donoghue After a surge in VAT and oil prices this January, inflation has hit an all time high. The UK Consumer Price Index annual inflation rate sat at 3.7% in December, but this month it was announced by the Office for National Statistics that it rose to 4% in January. This is double the Government target of 2%. The average price of petrol has gone up, hitting a record high of £1.27 a litre. Alcohol has risen by 6.7% from December to January with spirit prices swelling the most. The UK Consumer Price Index measures the prices of goods and other services that we frequently spend money on. After a spike in the value of crude oil and VAT increasing to 20%, the cost of living in the UK has risen significantly. Inflation is calculated by working out the percentage change in
these prices, compared to what they were this time last year. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, speaking to the BBC this week said, “It’s not just Britain alone, you’ve got higher prices around the world.” He added that the only way to curb inflation was to “get tough” on the budget deficit. The Bank Of England are predicting inflation to remain high over the next year and warn that the recovery from the increase in food and fuel prices will not be smooth. One way they might try to subdue this is to increase interest rates, which would in turn effect mortgages and savings accounts. Jimmy Carr on Channel 4’s 10 O’Clock Live said, “You know all that money you haven’t got? Well it’s now worth 4% less than it was this time last year.”
Gas cylinders cause fire in Cowley shed Amy Blackford Emergency services were called after a shed caught fire in Bosanquet Close on Sunday 6th February. The street, which is home to many Brunel students as well as young families, had to be evacuated as a safety precaution. Resident Claire Mason said: “I was in the Hub at the time, having a Sunday roast, when my housemate saw our neighbour’s status about having to call the Fire Brigade, so we rushed back home. It was clear the fire was being a
tough one to put out; they were here for a while. There was a lot of speculation about what had caused it. I didn’t know when I was going to be able to get back in so I went over to my friend’s house after they told us to leave.” Residents were allowed back into their homes just over 2 hours later. It is thought a number of gas cylinders were involved, which caused the hazard zone to be instigated. The fire destroyed several wooden fences across the houses. No one was injured.
Ben Watts
Fire causes residents’ removal All your recycling are belong to us