Skip to main content

Month: February 2018

Dolly Parton donates 100 millionth book to children

Country superstar Dolly Parton went to Washington on Tuesday 27th February to hand-deliver her 100 millionth book donation for children to the Library of Congress through her foundation, the Imagination Library.

“When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true. I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor, or an inventor, or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer. The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.”

Launched in 1995, the core aim of the project is to give free books to children from birth until the age of five in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. As of writing this, there are 1,212,915 children registered who receive, at no cost to their family, an age-appropriate book every month. Audio and Braille books are both included too to ensure that no child is left out.

“Before he passed away, my Daddy told me the Imagination Library was probably the most important thing I had ever done. I can’t tell you how much that meant to me because I created the Imagination Library as a tribute to my Daddy. He was the smartest man I have ever known but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams.

“Inspiring kids to love to read became my mission. In the beginning, my hope was simply to inspire the children in my home county but here we are today with a worldwide program that gives a book a month to well over 1 million children. Of course, I have not done this alone. The real heroes of our story are the thousands of local organisations who have embraced my dream and made it their own. They raise millions of dollars each year and wake up every day with a passion to make sure their kids have every opportunity to succeed.

“It’s been quite a journey but we have so much more left to do. I would love for your community to join our family so please take the time to explore our website. Let’s share this dream that all children should grow up in a home full of books. The first step is always the hardest, but you’ll never know unless you try.”

Man City Women come back to keep title dreams alive

Nick Cushing’s women earned a vital point at the Academy Stadium.

Given just one point separates the blue of Manchester and the blue of South West London at the pinnacle of the Women’s Super League table, this meeting at the Academy Stadium was always going to have a massive impact on where the title would end up come the conclusion of the season.

City came into the match in good form having won four of the last six but their previous outing saw them slip to a 2-0 defeat away at Birmingham City. Chelsea, meanwhile, were also enjoying a good run having won four of the previous five and still unbeaten in the league this season.

All of this led to a title showdown between the two real challengers for the crown. City, having won the league last season, needed to lay a marker down and prevent Chelsea from extending their lead at the top while the London side were looking to grasp one hand on the title.

Within six minutes, the league leaders landed the first punch. Millie Bright rifled a shot from close range into the top left corner leaving Ellie Roebuck with no chance of stopping it. The goal came as City struggled to effectively clear a Chelsea corner and Bright was in the right place at the right time to put her side ahead.

City were struggling to get any real hold on the game and the next goal was looking likely to go to the visitors. Abbie McManus and Esme Morgan both prevented chances but in the 24th minute, the game had its second goal.

Crystal Dunn, in what was her last appearance for Chelsea before moving to North Carolina Courage, rolled the ball back into the path of Ji So-Yun who made no mistake and placed the ball into the bottom corner. It doubled the advantage of the visitors and gave Nick Cushing and his players a long way back if they were going to salvage anything.

The half time whistle blew on a cold Manchester Saturday morning with the blue of London firmly in control.

Chelsea continued the second half in much the same manner as they had throughout the first. They pressed forward, not allowing City time on the ball and looked to increase their lead even further. Ramona Bachmann had a chance saved by Roebuck while So-Yun looked to double her personal tally of the game.

However, with 49 minutes on the clock, the door opened on a possible City comeback. A pinpoint cross from Demi Stokes arrived squarely on the head of Nikita Parris who sent it goal-bound. It set the score at 2-1 and with over half an hour left to play, there was definitely time for more.

Chelsea also had chances to score more goals but were not playing with the same clinical edge that they had in the first half. Parris then missed a glorious opportunity to equalise having shot wide when it seemed harder to miss.

As the clock creeped towards the final minute, City got their equaliser. Substitute Georgia Stanway scored the goal of the game with a powerful edge-of-the-area shot that rose into the postage stamp of the goal. Unstoppable regardless of where the keeper stood and it sealed the unlikely comeback.

Stanway said after the game “It feels like we’ve won the game, although it was only a draw. [The comeback] shows what we’re capable of and that the bench is just as important as the starting team. Nick can put anyone on and they’ll do a job. We showed we have the character to come back from 2-0 down. We’ve got the endeavour and we’ll work hard to get to where we want to be.”

The game finished at 1-1 and with honours even but given the circumstances of the match, it is no surprise it felt more like a win to the City players. The result means City stay one point behind Chelsea going into the international break. City players have now departed to be with their national teams and will return to club action on the 14th of March in a Continental Cup tie against Arsenal.

Brand-less Beauty

The world of beauty and the culture surrounding it has been subjected to a huge shift in the last few years. As many brands look to online influencers as a marketing strategy in place of print and TV ads, brand requirements and collections of products have had to change.

In a pre-influencer world, brands relied on the consumers need to buy into a fantasy world through beautiful models, perfect lives and the illusion of wealth. Through portraying a certain sort of persona in their ads, they could create a correlation between the product and ‘result’ in order to ensure sales.

However, within the global online community, that sort of marketing  is rapidly becoming irrelevent. With the rise of online communication, the population has become jaded and suspicious now as their worldview is not restricted to what they are fed by the mainstream media and in turn, it’s become difficult to sell products based on pretty packaging and a beautiful, smiling woman holding it in a photo because there are people honestly reviewing the same product online.

Word of mouth has always been the best tool for strategic growth and with many huge brands jumping on the online influencer bandwagon, many are starting to realise that if the product is good, people will talk about it regardless of packaging and celebrity endorsement.

In light of these consumer shifts, brands like The Ordinary have endeavoured to “skip the bullshit” and produce simple products that do what they say on the label. In an interview with ‘Fashionista’, according to The Ordinary’s CEO, Nicola Kilner, word of mouth recommendation is what encouraged them to focus on transparency, naming their products after the ingredients in them as well as charging production-line prices.

Kilner adds that cheap is not synonymous with bad quality whilst high prices do not guarantee satisfaction. Without the mark-ups, she likens her products to those in the healthcare industry; if you know the own brand painkillers work, why would you spend a fortune on others?

The company Brandless takes a similar approach to its products. The ‘beauty’ section of the website sells everyday necessities like shampoo, soap and moisturiser without the ‘brand tax’, ensuring everything comes to only $3 apiece. Tina Sharkey, the co-founder of the site, told Business Insider, “the false narrative of modern consumption that brands have created and products have created, was actually dying a fast and painful death.”

By removing that element from their products, Sharkey and her colleague, Ido Leffler, fill the space left behind with a comprehensive list of the ingredients in the product, also appearing to take on the truthful and no-bullshit approach. Even though many people are choosing not to purchase into a false lifestyle that the big namesprovide, the fact still remains that the seek an aspirational lifestyle beyond their means.

Despite the fact that the products have no branding themselves, the marketing of them through social media personalities and celebrities perpetuate the concept. Perhaps in a distance future  we may outgrow our desire for branded beauty products all  together so long as they serve their purpose!

Fashion players of the week: Gigi and Bella Hadid

Gigi and Bella Hadid, the dual cover girls of the March issue of British Vogue, have been labelled the “most famous sister act in the world”.

Gigi rose to fame on the fashion circuit in 2013 when she was signed to the global modelling agency IMG models, Bella followed suit and joined the agency the following year. IMG models now represents all three Hadid siblings, including Gigi and Bella’s younger brother Anwar.

The sisters made their first fashion week debut in February 2014 in New York, and since then their fame has sky-rocketed and they are two of the most sought after faces in the modelling and fashion industry. Though the sisters have distinctive looks, labels quickly began to cash in on the popularity and the unrivalled beauty of the two sisters when they appear in campaigns together.

In the often cut-throat modelling industry, the sisters bring a tender familiarity to their photo shoots and their deep sisterly bond is obvious in both their interviews and photographs. This is emphasised in Vogue’s up close and personal encounter with the pair.

The unstoppable duo has featured in various campaigns together including Balmain’s Fall 2015 ad campaign alongside more power sister couples such as Kendall and Kylie Jenner. Harpers Bazaar reported that the creative director Olivier Rousteing hoped to celebrate the “unique and unconditional love of siblings” in this project. The sisters have also co-starred in both the Fendi and Moschino 2017 campaigns to name a couple. Gigi and Bella also opened together for the final Tommy Hilfiger – Gigi collaboration “TommyxGigi” show in Milan this month.

The sisters have also walked together as Angels in the Victoria Secret 2016 show for Bella’s debut. Gigi previously walked for the company in 2015.

Both Bella and Gigi have become supermodel sensations in a matter of a few short years and also have a strong social media following, however, the sisters have expressed the wish to remain genuine and real on their online profiles among the Insta-famous turmoil. For example, Bella posted a shot of her Vogue cover on her Instagram page thanking the Vogue team for “having my beautiful sissy and I share the March cover showing how similar we really are”. The sisters’ gratitude is refreshing in an industry that is so obsessed with fame.

Vogue states that Gigi and Bella have “reached the level of fame where there is no longer a need for a surname” and I couldn’t have put it better myself.

Pep Guardiola, a yellow ribbon, and a can of worms

As the dust settled on City’s Carabao Cup win, one question in Pep Guardiola’s post-match press conference caught the attention.

The press conference in itself was quite extraordinary. After the customary thanking the owners, fans, players etc., Guardiola used the occasion to talk Catalan politics: “Before I am a manager, I am a human being. I think England knows very well what that means. You did the Brexit. You let the people make an opinion. You allowed Scotland to make a referendum about if they want to stay or not and the people voted. That is what they are asking (for in Catalonia). Then they are in prevention jail right now.”

This particular statement opens up a can of worms that delves into Guardiola’s past. He makes no secret that he is an advocate of a Catalan referendum and that he favours independence. Making it very clear he believes in the right to vote.

The FA fine was handed to him after a continual refusal not to wear a yellow ribbon in support of the Catalan politicians who have been imprisoned after the referendum late last year. The FA is against any symbol that could be seen as political and have in the passed handed out similar fines for political gestures. Guardiola wearing the ribbon is indeed political.

So far everything all seems reasonable for a proud Catalan to peacefully protest via the medium of a yellow ribbon but the criticism into the subject comes from digging into the past of Guardiola’s current employers. Guardiola opened his press conference by thanking Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the owner of Manchester City, who is also a member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and the UAE has come under regular fire from the likes of Amnesty International for their less than adequate protection of human rights. Amnesty International states: “the authorities continued to arbitrarily restrict freedoms of expression and association, using criminal defamation and anti-terrorism laws to detain, prosecute, convict and imprison government critics and a prominent human rights defender.

“Scores of people, including prisoners of conscience, who were sentenced following unfair trials remained in prison. Authorities held detainees in conditions that could amount to torture and failed to investigate allegations of torture made in previous years. Women continued to face discrimination in law and in practice. Migrant workers remained vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Courts continued to hand down death sentences; there was one execution.”

This questionable background of City’s owners has left many with a bitter taste in their mouth when reading Guardiola’s Catalan comments. The question in the press conference that was of most interest was not about the game nor about Catalonia but instead about how Guardiola can reconcile his views on Catalan democratic freedom and similar rights issues in the UAE.

“Every country decides the way they want to live for themselves. If he decides to live in that (country) it is what it is. I am in a country with democracy installed since years ago and try to protect that situation.”

It is a meek response and not one answered with the passion delivered when fielding questions about Catalonia. Guardiola himself also has links with Qatar having been an ambassador for their World Cup bid ten years ago. Since then, revelations have come out about deplorable working conditions for the stadium builders and the large number of deaths due to being forced to work in extreme heat. But, Guardiola has not come out and condemned these acts.

As is the case in football, the City fans have rallied to their manager’s side. Fans were given yellow ribbons on their way into Wembley in an act of solidarity with their manager. It takes a strong football fan to take a step back and criticise their own manager for past indiscretions, especially when that manager is a successful one.

It is of course no means Guardiola’s job to be football’s moral compass but when you preach about freedom and democratic rights in one country, you can be sure your dealings in another will be brought to the table.

Interview: Tiko Afrika

As I walk into Chirstie’s Bistro, Jaime — Spanish second-year Economics and Politics student at the University of Manchester — waves at me from across the room. He introduces me to Gitahi — also a second year at UoM but of Kenyan origin and studying International Management. Both lads were cheery and confident. Before starting our interview, Gitahi ordered a mocha — his go-to, always, he jests — and Jaime took a slice of cake. We sat down on some leather sofas in a corner of the cafe and started our conversation.

Jaime and Gitahi, posing with their bags. Source: @tobiassoar (Instagram)
Jaime and Gitahi, posing with their bags. Photo: Tobias Soar

How did you two meet?

Jaime: It’s funny, he [Gitahi], lives in a private accomodation, across the road from where I lived at Hulme Hall. I have a lot of friends there so I used to pop over there a lot. Gitahi…he’s a cool boy.

When did you guys decide to start Tiko?

Gitahi: We decided to start two years ago. It was with a friend of mine from high school, in Kenya. We finished school and say “we need to do something”, we sat down and decided to make bags out of Africa. We realised, especially coming from Kenya, that a lot of the commodities in the market are coming from Europe. There’s not really products inspired by African culture and materials. So we set out to look for people who could do the actual work.

What was the biggest challenge you came across when starting Tiko or even bringing it over to the UK with Jaime?

Jaime: I think the biggest challenge is, because the bags are unique but alternative, creating a trend in the European market so they see they cool-ness of the bag.

Gitahi: It’s building the brand name. Particularly credibility. To start the production process and put all the factors together, that wasn’t difficult. I can say that was probably the simplest part of the whole thing. […] Whereas now, the difficult part is actually getting to consumers and convincing people that “look, this is cool. It’s a brand you can trust.”

Jaime: Of course, it’s easy for us to sell bags from our online shop but we’d like to sell to actual shops. They could buy from us, say, 30 or 40 bags a months and this actually gives you a stable production but this is very difficult because either shops don’t know the brand or they don’t think customers are going to like it. So you have to convince them through people wearing the bags on social media to show that the trend exists.

As you were saying about generating demand, backpacks seem to be coming back in style but, as you can see, the minimalist trend seems to be what people are going for. What are your thoughts on backpack culture?

Gitahi: For example, in Kenya, that’s what’s keeping the business afloat because there’s a tendency for people to accept colour into their garments, whereas in Europe, or the west in general, people’s’ perception of colour in their garments is very conservative. The most interesting part is being able to get people to see “yo, that’s actually cool, man! I can actually put this on and I don’t look like a hippie.”

On the subject of colours, streetwear is becoming a much bigger trend, as you’ve probably noticed, and some brands – especially Nike, Adidas, Palace and Supreme – are bringing back the loud colours from the 90s. People are starting to like flashy sneakers and flashy jackets. What’s your thought on this trend of colours slowly being brought back into the market?

Gitahi: I think this is the representation of our generation. People are not fixed on tradition any more, people aren’t fixed on others’ perception on them. Therefore, people are open to new ideas. We need to take advantage of that.

Jaime: I think that people also very attracted by the “hipster” style. What makes Herschel so attractive, or the Danish brand Fjällräven? It’s that they’re completely different. Fjällräven has a kind of square shape for their backpacks and the Nordic colours they have brought into life. Or Herschel has brought this old American style of backpacks and people actually buy them because they want to be alternative. Our backpacks look happy and alive. We want to show people that you can be alternative by wearing our stuff.

Talking about our generation, nowadays, companies are pushing durable garments that technically last for life. On your website you mention durability as a selling point. Are you pushing to make “bags for life”?

Gitahi: For life would be pushing it because you also have to take into consideration wear-and-tear. For example, this bag [pointing to his orange backpack], I’ve used it for over two years. It’s one of the first we produced and I wanted to see how it wears, how long it lasts. We use 3 layers of denim and I’ve come to see that it’s not heavy but it’s strong. You want something that lasts for at least two years – or longer. I can ascertain that we’ve made something that gives you service to a point where you’re satisfied with it. […] We don’t make more than 10 bags of any particular fabric, therefore, if you’ve used your bag for a year you can come back and find new fabrics and different designs. The uniqueness in the fabric makes it look like a totally new bag.

Jaime: We don’t want to be like Herschel or Eastpak where you can always find your bag. […] When you buy your grey Eastpak bag, you know that 2,000 people at your university probably have the same bag. Our “10 bag per template” formula makes it so not only are you wearing Tiko Afrika but you’re also unique.

What’s the story behind the designs?

Gitahi: I’ve not only fixed myself to finding fabrics from Kenya, I’ve also got fabrics from Ghana, Tanzania… A lot of these fabrics came from stuff that women wore and used to make dresses. We need to be colourful people and I want to translate that into our dress. I have lived in Africa all my life and in my travels to Europe and America I have come to understand that people’s perception of Africa is dull. It’s not doom and gloom in Africa. We can make products that you can buy.

What’s next for Tiko? Are you going to venture into fanny packs or shoulder bags?

Gitahi: For me the future is heavily dependent on being able to prove to people that we can be trusted. The transition into other products is an organic evolution but in the near future we are sticking to our current plan. We simply need to get our name out there.

Jaime: We’re looking to expand on social media, especially influencers. Also, as I said earlier, getting shops to sell our products is crucial because they can feel and see the product and understand the change. In Spain, for example, this would be a perfect summer bag.

Before we parted ways we had a short photoshoot around the Old Quadrant of the university. Seeing the determination in their eyes but, above all, the confidence in the way they spoke about their brand, I knew that Tiko Afrika has a bright future ahead of it as a trustworthy, original brand.

Find Tiko Africa on their website tikoafrika.com, Instagram @tikoafrika and Facebook.

Outraged students compensated with vouchers

Students are outraged after being offered £20 retail vouchers as compensation for disruption to their water supplies for a period lasting over 10 days.

Residents at Denmark Road Sanctuary Students accommodation first experienced water outages on Monday the 5th of February, leaving them with any water for cooking, cleaning, or washing, before being provided with bottled water and subsequently water from a tanker lorry.

Frustrated students were still experiencing problems by Friday the 16th of February, when water supplies were interrupted again without any prior warning.

Sam McMillan, Director of Sanctuary Students, initially said that “residents at the Denmark Road scheme will be receiving a compensation payment” but residents received an e-mail on Friday the 23rd of February stating that they would be receiving the compensation in the form of a £20 voucher which could be spent at various retailers.

The decision has sparked anger amongst students who have criticised Sanctuary Students for the method of compensation and for their general communications with residents before, during and after the water outages.

Tess Angus, a Denmark Road resident, said: “I’m outraged. I don’t want to redeem a voucher for my ‘co-operation during this period of disruption’. We’re not children that behaved well and deserve a reward. We’re adult paying customers who are entitled to compensation for the loss of service and stress it caused.”

Matt Edwards,a Politics and Sociology resident who lives at Denmark Road, added: “I think it’s a joke to provide shopping vouchers in place of a refund. To give us a voucher for “co-operation” is laughable when we were kept in the dark by Sanctuary Students. This really just adds insult to injury.

“A £20 voucher costs them less than £20 to buy in bulk. £20 is less than a days rent, and they’re giving it to us as a thanks for cooperating. We didn’t have water for days, there was inadequate communication and their handing of it was dire. We deserve more than some £20 gift card.

“We are adults in a contract with them. We are paying a fee to them. They shouldn’t be treating us like children and rewarding us for good behaviour. It’s disrespectful, patronising and does nothing to redress any of our grievances.”

Adam Rogers, a first-year Pharmacy student at Denmark Road, added: “If I’m being honest, a £20 voucher doesn’t really cut it. We were without water for a week.

“I wonder if we would get the same treatment if we weren’t students?”

Residents at Denmark Road, hosting University of Manchester students but is run and managed Sanctuary Students, pay £145 per week for a single en-suite room.

Initially, there was confusion over whether or not the problem lied with the accommodation management or the water provider but Sanctuary Students offered to provide students with compensation.

Sam McMillan, Director – Sanctuary Students, said: “To support residents during the disruption, we paid for a rolling programme of water tankers to refill the water system manually, provided pizzas for each student, issued bottled water and offered alternative washing facilities. We also ensured extra staff were available 24 hours a day and provided regular direct updates as the work took place.

“Having liaised with the University, and taken into account the level of support offered, as a thank you for their co-operation during the disruption we are giving each resident a £20 voucher in lieu of the short-term loss of service.”

Don’t demand your money back!

In a wave of growing frustration, university lecturers have taken to protesting the proposed changes to future USS pensions, another ripple in the tide of policies that have served to undermine job security in higher education. The UUK have defended their decision to cut pensions with their newest valuations that put them at a £17.5bn deficit.

The issues behind the pension cuts are complex: some say that the projected pension deficits are emblematic of unsustainable schemes and have long since been building up, while some financial experts criticise that the deficit is a fiction spun out of excessively conservative predictions of the future. Either way, the changes are drastic — the salary threshold (the salary up to which defined benefits currently build) are proposed to crash from £55,000 to zero.

In the midst of huge financial insecurity that threatens the livelihood of university lecturers, one aspect of the situation is absolutely bewildering: online petitions for universities to compensate their students for lost contact time. In universities across the UK (Durham, Edinburgh, Manchester to name a few), student bodies have demanded that their institutions refund a set percentage of their tuition fees under the justification that the strikes pose significant disruptions to their education.

The petition for the University of Manchester to reimburse their students has gathered 6000 signatures, arguing that students are “consumers” and have paid for a quality education. Some of these sentiments are supposedly ironic: “Treat us like paying consumers and we’ll act like consumers.”

I’m sorry, but what are these people smoking?

First off, what makes people believe that universities will actually reimburse each student with an almost arbitrarily decided amount of money, a demand with no principled claim behind it? By that same economic logic, students should also be reimbursed if classes are cancelled due to bad weather or if lecturers take ill for a week.

Obviously, the reason why people are upset now and not when their lecturer takes unexpected leave is because universities have grossly neglected the interests of their teachers and have forced them to strike (an action that has not only financial but also moral consequences). So it’s incredibly bizarre that the petitions almost never demand better treatment of staff or even mention pension insecurity. The motivations behind the strikes are merely mentioned as an afterthought, attached at the end of most petitions.

The petitions are almost always self-interested, primarily concerned with the fact that students are the ones being short-changed: that they pay tuition fees but face major inconveniences to their studies.  They sideline the wrongs done to university lecturers, implying that it is the losses of students are the most morally impactful. Though I understand the resentment of having to pay high tuition fees for an education that many are unsure is worth it, it’s probably the wrong time to protest that when thousands risk to lose an estimated £10,000 a month in pension cuts.

Already, these grievances are being weaponised– striking teachers are villanised for putting their own interests above their students and are pressured to end industrial action. The demands of students run regrettably parallel to those of their lecturers, showing little to no solidarity or sympathy to their plight.

Some say that demanding compensation is simply a symbolic gesture meant to put pressure on the university to end the strikes and renegotiate pensions. This also make little sense; how does incurring a pseudo-monetary cost that is completely made up put more pressure on the university than just simply demanding they treat lecturers with fairness? Why do you need the Orwellian double-think of opposing the university’s brutal consumer model and then proceeding to protest like a consumer?

Paradoxically, the petitions also entrench the commodification of education. They attach a price tag to the strikes (which is apparently £300 per student in Manchester, and £1000 in Edinburgh and Durham). This disempowers the profoundly principled motivations that drive the strikes: that lecturers have devoted their lives to the betterment of the university and they deserve to have economic security in their old age. The pension cuts aren’t just a threat to livelihoods but a fundamental affront to their contributions and dignity as academics, and the latter of which is priceless.

Instead of signing a petition demanding your money back, write a letter to the university, demonstrate with your lecturers, and remain vocal about your opposition. Refuse to be paid off.

Science around the world this week

Skin-tech breakthrough: New medical device displays heart rate on your arm

In a collaborative study published in Nature, Japanese scientists have created a novel electronic, wearable sensor. The thin skin-like device can comfortably attach to a patient’s own skin and detect vital medical information, such as heart activity in the form of a wave structure, also known as an echo-cardiogram or ECG.

This medical data can be viewed live on the patient, sent to a smartphone or even saved in the virtual cloud. The nanomesh device can be worn for a week and is highly flexible, stretchy, and safe. This futuristic medical aid could revolutionise patient care and be crucial in managing the ageing population.

 

Cyclone Gita pummels parts of Oceania

This week, Cyclone Gita, a category four tropical wind storm, has caused widespread disruption and damage to parts of the South Pacific. In severely affected Tonga, winds of up to 200 km/h, heavy rainfall and flooding have left two dead, 41 injured.

The cyclone has also destroyed the island’s parliament building and damaged over 1000 homes, leaving many without electricity or water.

After being downgraded by meteorologists to a storm, Gita has caused extreme weather in New Zealand. Seven metre high waves have left 100 people stranded in the south island, resulting in closed roads, schools and dismantled buildings. The clear up is underway with severe long-term consequences expected.

 

NASA’s Kepler collaboration discovers 95 new exoplanets which may harbour life

In a paper from 14th February, an international team of researchers from mainly American and Danish institutions announced the discovery of 95 new planets outside our solar system. These exoplanets were found using observations from NASA’s Kepler (K2) mission.

Astronomers analysed the telescope’s data for sudden drops in light caused by the shadow cast as the exoplanet passes by its star. There were 275 candidates and 95 confirmed as real exoplanets. They vary from rocky and earth-like structures to gaseous Jupiter-like formations. This study observed the brightest star that has ever been orbited by a Kepler planet. These observations increase Kepler’s exoplanet discovery to a total of over 5100, many may even be capable of harbouring life.

 

Nigeria’s New Year crisis: Over 40 die as WHO responds to 2018 Lassa outbreak

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has confirmed at least 43 people have died, and 450 have become infected, with Lassa fever in a recent breakout in Nigeria. The virus, endemic to West Africa and transmitted by multimammate mice or contact with infected bodily fluids, can occur without symptoms presenting. However, it is also known to cause bleeding from the nose, gums or eyes.

Experts have argued the outbreak is a result of Nigeria’s increased population density, ineffective hygiene practices and under-prepared healthcare system. The WHO is providing advice and equipment, and is sending medical experts to curb the outbreak throughout the region.

 

Micro-plastic substances present in ‘every three out of four’ North-West Atlantic Fish

In an Irish study, marine biologists found that out of the deep-sea fish living at 200-1000 meters sampled, 73 per cent contained micro-plastic material in their gut. This figure is “one of the highest frequencies … globally,” according to researcher Alina Wieczorek.

The fish sampled were from distant seas and differing depths and included species such as Tuna fish. Their micro-plastic level was measured and care taken to exclude air plastic contamination. The plastic toxins not only harm the fish themselves, but also spread pollutants when fish travel or journey to the surface.

The news of this research adds to a current ongoing debate surrounding the growing issue of plastic pollution in oceans.

Most Vice-Chancellors help determine their own pay

A Freedom of Information request by the University and Colleges Union (UCU) has revealed that 95 per cent of Vice-Chancellors at UK universities attend the committee meetings that regulate their own pay.

In addition, a substantial 47 per cent of those institutions admitted that the vice-chancellor was actually a member of the remuneration committee.

The average salary of Vice-Chancellors at UK universities increased by over 50 per cent since the 2005/2006 academic year.

Just seven of the 158 institutions surveyed said their Vice-Chancellor was in effect barred from attending.

The University of Manchester has confirmed that Nancy Rothwell is not a member of their remuneration committee, adding that “the President and Vice-Chancellor can only be invited to attend Remuneration Committee meetings for matters other than those relating to her own pay.”

In January, the Committee of University Chairs (CUC) advised universities that allow vice-chancellors should play no part in the decision-making process.

In addition, UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said staff and students should be given seats on the pay remuneration committees and all minutes should be made public.

The new information was released in mid-February, a week before the start of UCU members’ four-week-long strike plans.

UCU members are striking across 61 institutions  in response to a change to their pension schemes that could see members an estimated £10,000 worse off in each year of their retirement.

In reaction to the strikes, students have established several petitions demanding monetary compensation for contact hours missed.

The apparent influence many UK Vice-Chancellors have on their own salary level has also angered many students.

One first year student at the University of Manchester told The Mancunion: “we are paying some of the highest university fees in the world. The strike action is stopping us from getting what we are paying over £9000 for. It’s not fair to anyone that the chancellors are earning so much when it’s students who have to suffer.”

It has been reported previously by The Mancunion that the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester, Dame Nancy Rothwell, has an annual salary of £260,399.

Whilst one first-year student claimed this was “outrageously high, and a bit unnecessary”, many students have defended the salary. Dame Rothwell is close to, but still below the average salary of a vice-chancellor, and some have noted the difference between her pay and the pay of other vice-chancellors. Glynis Breakwell, former Vice-Chancellor of Bath University, for example, had a salary of £468,000.

Album Review: Rejjie Snow – Dear Annie

Rejjie Snow, originally from Dublin, Ireland and now residing in Brooklyn, has certainly been armed with a strong musical identity, with his diverse background reflected in his sound.

The bitter, dark, lyrical tone, delivered in the characteristic deep voice evident on his early work, is still clear on Dear Annie, but his cynicism has been added to by regular self-deprecation and an awkward and often relatable sexuality.

After showing early promise on his 2013 mixtape Rejovich, Rejjie Snow has produced a strong debut LP, often striking a fine balance between sadness and an almost psychedelic playfulness.

Dear Annie is an exploration of love. The hour-long project meanders through the ups and downs of a well-explored subject matter and when Snow approaches with a soft touch, his message and sound combine beautifully. At times Dear Annie is frighteningly relatable.

Snow finds this delicacy early on in the album, with ’23’ (feat. Caroline Smith) setting the tone for the entire LP. In this duet, sung alongside the likely semi-fictional character of Annie, both characters berate each other for a lack of affection.

It gives off a melancholic and love-drunk aura, colouring the album a deep blue; the loss of their love is inevitable and both characters are grasping at an idea which neither will achieve.

Yet, silliness is perforated throughout the track listing, with references to Paris, cheesy French lyrics and tasteless insults towards Annie cracking this album’s superficially serious façade.

This lightness reflects the often illogical and reckless nature of love. ‘Mon Amour’ and ‘Désolé’ are tracks in which Rejjie’s balance of poignancy and humour hit their mark. The French motif used in these tracks is personally very close to the bone.

Worst Track
The punky and almost ignorant silliness of ‘LMFAO’ misses the mark and sticks out as an anomaly in the listing. A sickly sweet hook and beat, founded in slap bass and a bratty delivery by Rejjie, nonchalantly describing a love for sex and Fifa, lacks the balance that he finds elsewhere on the LP.

Favourite Track
‘Bye Polar’ is by far the most accomplished track on the album, traversing along a versatile beat.

Beginning with a beat reminiscent of Tyler the Creator’s ‘Answer,’ a hypnotic guitar loop layered with soft keys and subtle bells transforms seamlessly into a stripped back bass line and Rejjie’s driving lyrical cadence, quickly giving way to upbeat keys and self-deprecation, which by this point in the album has become Rejjie’s calling card.

Growing up as “the only black kid on Dublin’s Northside,” Snow treads an unusual path into hip-hop, yet diversity is still the great strength of the genre. It is rare that an album hits you as Dear Annie has hit me. The more you listen the more you relate and discover.

This is not a perfect album but Rejjie Snow has found a niche for his emotional and dark lyricism and debuted with confidence and power.


9/10


Have a listen for yourself…


Check out more reviews and sharp chat at DSCVRY on Fuse FM midday on Sundays every week.

Album Review: Turnstile – Time & Space

Turnstile are one of those bands that have been making their way around the hardcore punk scene quite a bit. They’ve released several EPs and a previous album, Non-Stop Feeling, all of which have allowed them to slowly gather a dedicated audience.

Their style wasn’t really anything new, but the way they mixed in elements of 90s music with their classic NYC hardcore gave them a fresh retro tinge that made them stand out.

So after relentless touring and fanbase gathering, there was some pressure on the band to deliver with their second album Time & Space. But I’m glad to say that they certainly did and, oh boy, it’s a lot better than most people probably anticipated.

Right from the first notes of ‘Real Thing’ to the last of ‘Time + Space’ this album is a blast. Turnstile have unleashed their signature fast-paced retro hardcore punk sound in a visceral blaze of pure fury.

Its pent-up anger allows them to deliver massive tune after massive tune. Tracks like ‘Right To Be’ and ‘Big Smile’ are Turnstile at their most ferocious, and come with a massive bite.

The momentum pretty much stays consistent. There are two interludes but they’re both short and play into the pacing of the album. It gives it some breathing room before it unleashes its maddening haze upon you once again.

Their flow and energy never backs down and by the end, you just want to hit that replay button and relive it all again. Track after track is a relentless beatdown of fun and power. This could just as easily be a soundtrack to a party or punching someone in the face.

One of the things I love about Time & Space is that it is so much fun. ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Blind’ starts off with a swaggering bass line, then slowly builds up for it all to erupt in a frenzy in the chorus. Soaring hooks in the choruses are prevalent and keep pulling you in time and time again. Tracks will immerse you and you’ll get caught up in the blaze.

Despite keeping to their core sound, they do still mix it up a bit. It has somewhat of an 80s gloss to it. It’s kind of ironic that Turnstile look back to the past to keep themselves moving forward, but it works.

Elements of thrash metal and even psychedelic rock are placed subtly throughout the album, though never overpower. What might be a rift or just an effect they use, it keeps you on your toes.

This unique blend of elements they combine keeps it from ever becoming dull and because of how they introduce new sounds it never feels off-putting either. They lay the groundwork in the beginning with ‘Real Thing’ before they introduce what they truly have to offer.

Layered harmonised vocals, reverb guitars, and even a piano in the chorus of ‘High Pressure’. There is so much going, and it’s remarkable what they managed to neatly fit into the short 26-minute runtime.

One or two things don’t work so well. ‘Moon’ features bassist Franz Lyons on the vocals and while it gives a more soulful vibe, it doesn’t really have the same impact as Brendan Yates’ harsh cries. That’s not to say the track is bad, and it is good to see them willing to experiment in different areas, but it just feels like something is lacking there.

Production wise Time & Space is excellent. You only need to see the production on ‘Come Back For More / H.O.D’ to see the difference. These were on their previous EP, Move Thru Me, and it’s funny how much the production changes things.

It’s punchier and snarls with more than before. It breathes new life into the track, and all tracks follow this model. It certainly helps to give the album a bit of kick and flare.

Time & Space is 26 minutes of pure energy and fun. Its willingness to embrace new elements with open arms thoroughly stands out from other groups in the scene, and most importantly it’s a blast. I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun listening to an album, and I already can’t wait for what they have in store for us next.

8/10

Review: The Shape of Water

A true master of the cinematic fable, Guillermo Del Toro’s career bloomed with Cronos in 1993 – a supernatural tale with a biting subtext on South America’s relationship with the United States, before he delved into the Spanish Civil War in The Devil’s Backbone (2001). Two years after subverting the superhero genre in 2004 with Hellboy, he returned to Francoist Spain to create Pan’s Labyrinth. It was this 2007 Academy Award winner which has since been regarded his masterpiece, and was presumed to never be bested by the Mexican auteur. Or so we thought.

It is Cold War United States. Elisa (Sally Hawkins), a mute cleaner employed at a Baltimore military research facility, lives contently yet quietly in a flat above a cinema. Her neighbour is a struggling artist who is a closeted homosexual and her only other friend is Zelda (Octavia Spencer) – her vivacious African-American colleague whose entertaining rants fill the void left by Elisa’s aural impediment. One day, whilst scrubbing the floors of a laboratory, the two women stumble across a mysterious, humanoid amphibian, held by the government for scientific purposes. Elisa rapidly develops a bond with the creature through sign language, but the malign intentions of Michael Shannon’s Colonel Strickland spell peril for the creature and the love blossoming between the pair. Aided by her neighbour and Zelda, Elisa hatches a plan to rescue the creature.

Upon first glance, it might seem like a Spielberg-esque action picture, but this could not be further from the truth. As are all of Del Toro’s greatest works, his latest project is a tale in which romance is the driving force, and it is its partnerships with horror and the fantastical which gives the director’s films such fervour and ingenuity. The first encounter between Elisa and the creature echoes that between Ofelia and ‘El Fauno’ in Pan’s Labyrinth; both moments of fear but also beauty and awe (interestingly it is Doug Jones who plays both creatures, as well as Hellboy’s Abe Sapien – a character with an eerily striking resemblance to Jones’ latest amphibian).

The way which Del Toro transforms something so monstrous into a source of such endearment and tranquillity is astounding, but in The Shape of Water he builds on this, throwing romance into the mix. In live action it is infinitely difficult to attach love to an inhuman creation such as this amphibious creature – a problem 2017’s Beauty and the Beast faced – yet Del Toro pulls it off sublimely. Eyebrows may be raised at the idea of a woman and a scaly ‘fish-man’ being romantically involved, but not once did I find myself questioning the ethics of the relationship. Everything about the scenes which the two characters share is just mesmerising and Del Toro, just as he has done in previous works, somehow makes the unbelievable and preposterous completely plausible.

It is easy to draw parallelisms between The Shape of Water and Beauty and the Beast – but there are arguably equal similarities with James Whale’s Frankenstein (1931) and even Alex Garland’s Ex Machina (2015). The appearance and tone of the film is littered with nods and homages to cinema – the creaky, claustrophobic flats which Elisa lives in almost resembles the apartment building from Delicatessen (1991) and there are constant references to old Hollywood musicals such as Royal Wedding (1951). However, despite all the allusion and pastiche, this gem from Del Toro undoubtedly stands on its own two feet.

Michael Shannon is chillingly brooding as always, offering the narrative its oppressive, cold-hearted antagonist. Just like in all good fairy tales, there has to be a villain, and Shannon fills these boots effortlessly. His cruel desire to destroy something so beautiful in the creature and its relationship with Elisa harks back to the fascist Capitan Vidal in Pan’s Labyrinth, both characters embodying evil and greed.

At the heart of the film’s brilliance however, is Hawkins’ performance. It was a stroke of genius by Del Toro to cast the English actress as the lead – a decision which Hawkins has said she struggled to believe even during production. Despite receiving Best Supporting Actress nominations for her role in Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine (2013), she is by no means an A-list star, and had one been cast as Elisa, The Shape of Water would have been an entirely different film, robbing the character of its sympathetic and understated charm.

After Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, it appeared the Best Film Oscar would be a shoo-in for Martin McDonagh’s critically acclaimed drama. However, Guilermo Del Toro appears to have given the Academy real headache with this magical fairy tale which could very well blow its opposition out of the water.

5/5

The Loneliness Experiment launched

The BBC, in cooperation with the University of Manchester, New Castle University, and London’s Brunel University, is launching The Loneliness Experiment, an internet-based examination of how people view loneliness.

The experiment, funded by the Wellcome Trust, comprises of an online 40-minute questionnaire that will anonymously ask adults from around the UK their attitudes and opinions on social connections, isolation, and how technology affects loneliness. It will also require two tasks that will gauge respondent’s reaction to certain images. The results of this study will be presented in the fall during a Wellcome Foundation event and a BBC Radio 4 series called Anatomy of Loneliness.

According to Professor Manuela Barreto of the University of Exeter, loneliness is quite common in all life stages. It is exacerbated during key periods in our lives like moving to a new city, divorce, and death of a loved one. Professor Barreto also explains that the feeling loneliness is not synonymous with being alone, which can be quite pleasant especially after being around lots of people. Rather, loneliness is “a subjective feeling that the quantity or the quality, more importantly, of our social relations, isn’t quite as what we wished them to be.”

For Professor Pamela Qualter of the University of Manchester, however, there is an upside to loneliness. It leads us to reassess our social connections and improve how we relate to other people. Professor Qualter, the lead psychologist on the project, believes that this emotion can be beneficial during transitional periods, but can also negatively impact wellbeing when prolonged.

Dr. Nicola Valtorta, a research associate at Newcastle University, confirms that people who report feelings of loneliness are more often prone to health difficulties. Most common were higher incidences of strokes, cardiovascular disease, depression, and increased consumption of alcohol and cigarettes. Though Dr. Valtorta is also quick to point out that it is unclear whether loneliness is the cause of these occurrences, or whether the opposite is true.

Culture is also a significant factor in determining what drives loneliness. Professor Barreto explains that in countries that value self-reliance, such as the UK, loneliness is affected by the satisfaction in relationships that an individual chooses; for example, friendships. In contrast, for countries like Italy, where interdependence is seen to be very important, loneliness is affected more by familial connections.

In 2015, the Wellcome Trust also conducted a similar examination of the nation’s resting habits with around 18,000 people participating. It is expected that thousands will also join the Loneliness Experiment, making it the largest survey of its kind.

You can take part in the Loneliness Project at www.thelonelinessexperiment.com.

E3 Look Ahead

The year is full of gaming conventions: Gamescom, GDC, PAX; but nothing compares to one — one glorious gaming extravaganza; the holy grail, if you will; the event we anxiously wait for all year round: E3.

As I’m sure you were all witness to, last year we were treated to some absolute gems. Some of the big hitters like Assassin’s Creed: Origins and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus received glowing receptions and even titles such as Far Cry 5, A Way Out and Bioware’s new IP, Anthem, look set to reach similar heights.

Last year’s stars also took some really unexpected turns. Whilst its fair to say that many of us were more than impressed by the look of Battlefront II, what we actually got was the gaming equivalent of the prequels: highly-anticipated but much maligned in reality, and arguably the same can be said about Shadow of War — but let’s not give microtransactions any more air-time shall we?

On the positive side: the likes of Monster Hunter World, which flew under the radar amongst the swarm of AAAs, is making a real case for game of the year; also, whilst it is hard to see any Super Mario game as anything but iconic, Odyssey’s success has been outstanding, selling just under 500 copies a minute in its first 3 days—making it the best-selling title on Nintendo Switch.

That being said, if we’re chalking up E3 2017 as a big one — whether that be good or bad overall — we’re surely going to need a new list of superlatives to describe how awesome this year’s conference is shaping up.

First things first, in case you haven’t read our ‘What to expect in 2018’, we here in the gaming section at The Mancunion have some personal favourites that we know many are dying to see. So, why don’t we start with what I personally predicted to win “Best of Show” in June: Red Dead Redemption 2.

Photo: Flickr
Photo: Flickr

Believe it or not, it’s been nearly 8 years since we first grabbed the proverbial reins and took control of John Marston in Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption – even GTA V is already coming up on 5 years. Given that we’ve already had 2 trailers – one a teaser and the other more cinematic – it only seems fair that Rockstar gives us a more detailed playthrough to get us ready for October.

What I’m interested in is seeing how this instalment lines up narratively with the previous game, as it seems that this is, in fact, a prequel given that the name Dutch — a big character in RDR — was revealed in the second trailer, as well as seeing how the hugely fun multiplayer might have evolved.

Whilst I’m betting that more Red Dead footage is a dead cert, most people are driving themselves insane with the thought of what the other big boys in the gaming industry might surprise us with this E3, and whilst we’re talking of games you didn’t realise were so old, although Wolfenstein was a great game: in truth it wasn’t the release most Bethesda fans were waiting for.

Bethesda Softworks tend to stick to 7-year period between their high-profile releases, and given that the last cycle was Fallout 4 and Skyrim is as far back as 2011, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched for us to finally revisit Tamriel. Disregarding remasters and the largely different game that was The Elder Scrolls Online, we haven’t yet seen a truly current-gen Elder Scrolls. Fingers crossed!

Photo: Flickr
Photo: Flickr

Now, no E3 is arguably complete without a customary Call of Duty game—I know what you’re thinking: “WWII has only just dropped!”. Point is, even if you’re like me and you’re not a big fan of COD, it epitomises the annual release policy alongside the likes of FIFA and Assassin’s Creed.

Even though many of us might prefer a Battlefield 5 — which isn’t entirely unfeasible —, it’s more likely that we’ll see the usual alternation with Treyarch and Black Ops 4 build on the relative resurgence of the franchise we saw at the end of 2017.

Some notable mentions for this year’s E3 too. There are many games that were teased at last year’s convention that have drip-fed little more information beyond the title; ones to watch are the likes of Beyond Good and Evil 2; an absolutely wacky looking game of massive scale, as well as Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding, which remains the ultimate enigma in gaming right now.

Moreover, the aforementioned Anthem, which got a resounding applause when it debuted last year, looks to be the next big open-world RPG with co-op à la The Division or Ghost Recon: Wildlands. Oh, and how could I forget? The Last Of Us Part II! I need that storytelling perfection in my life.

Photo: Flickr
Photo: Flickr

And finally, it’s always fun to look at your Christmas list, if you will, of rare Pokémon and veritable pipe dream games that you’ve been waiting for. I’m not going to be so unoriginal as to recycle the dead meme of “Waiting for Half-Life 3 like…”, but there are other series might just have lain dormant long enough to catch us off guard.

We’re thinking of games like Fable, Skate, Diablo; series that have more than a sufficient fan-base who will throw money at the very mention. Some selfish desires of my own would be something like a new Killzone or a console aimed Civilization title. I know I won’t be entirely indulged and neither will you, but E3 always gives you what you need even before you knew you needed it. Roll on June!

Manchester Hockey Firsts into the Semis

The University of Manchester Hockey 1sts moved into the quarter-finals of the Hockey Trophy with a tense victory over Sheffield Hallam 2nds this week. Manchester ran out in their traditional UKIP colours on a crisp Spring evening, and optimism wafted through the Armitage Centre, in equal parts a reflection of the lengthening evenings and of Manchester’s successful season.

The side currently holds first place in Northern A, eight points from second place, and mathematically assured to retain their title. Their defeat to Liverpool John Moores in December has been the one foul stain on an otherwise undrawn and unbeaten season.

Their opponents, Sheffield Hallam 2nds, have been rather more downtrodden this season, punching above their weight perhaps in a league of 1sts. They sit beleaguered at the bottom, with interesting implications should their scrap for survival end with an encounter with their snooty first-team counterparts in March.

But one couldn’t justifiably accuse Sheffield of focusing on the league. The enduring blight of weakened teams appears yet to have filtered down to the British Universities and Colleges Sport league system. For the opening twenty, it was an even affair, Manchester dominating down the right but Sheffield making headway through the middle. Manchester’s Ryan MacGowan opened the scoring midway through the half before Rowan Poots scored from a penalty corner.

Vocal and encroaching support in the second half caused a minor kerfuffle with the official, but you couldn’t expect the purple and yellow to be anything other than buoyant when James Bennett made it three after the break. Sheffield fought back to 3-2 late on, and in the dying minutes brought their ‘keeper out, who in hockey looks like the Michelin Man.

Manchester will play the winner of Cardiff and Oxford on February 28 at the Armitage Centre. The days are getting warmer and it’s a short three-minute stroll from Squirrel’s.

Corbyn the ‘communist spy’ is another smear to add to the Tory collection

It is a historical trend that whenever the Right has been on the back foot, it has responded in kind with misinformation, smears, and outright attacks on the Left.

In 1924, after the meteoric rise of the Labour movement, the Daily Mail, backed by the Conservatives, published a letter which suggested the Labour Party was in contact with the Bolsheviks and were planning to unleash a communist coup in Britain. This of course never materialised, and the ‘Zinoviev letter’ was revealed to be a complete fabrication on the part of Britain’s secret service and political and economic elites.

The 1945 General Election saw a Conservative politician lie and outrageously smear the Labour Party. Winston Churchill argued that Labour would need to “fall back on some kind of Gestapo” in order to implement its socialist manifesto. British voters ignored these absurd and insensitive claims and were right to. They were vindicated when the Labour Party was able to introduce policies such as the National Health Service without the need for any Nazi-styled secret police.

In the 1992 election, with the Labour Party projected to defeat the Conservatives, The Sun published an outrageous headline. In the event of a Kinnock government, the paper asked ‘will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights’. The Sun‘s suggestion that economic calamity would be assured under a Labour government ultimately proved to be fallacious, as after the Tories were re-elected Britain was ejected from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism on ‘Black Wednesday’.

Recently, the right-wing press has engaged in increasingly personal and vindictive attacks against the Left. In 2013, the Daily Mail wrote a headline stating that the Ed Miliband’s father, Ralph, was “The Man Who Hated Britain.” Making tenuous links between Ralph Miliband’s Marxist credentials and the leader of the Labour Party, the Daily Mail engaged in a vicious, personal, and desperate attack on a far from radical Labour leader.

Indeed, the patently absurd claims Ed Miliband was responsible for his father’s supposedly ‘Britain-hating’ views, seem at best misplaced. At worst though, they were a vile slander against Ralph Miliband, a man who far from hating Britain, had fought for his nation during World War Two.

In 2015, with Labour reaching near parity with the Tories in the polls, the onslaught against Miliband’s Labour continued. The claims of the Right were less personal, but remained equally as misleading, with the press arguing that Labour’s overspending in 2008 was to blame for Britain’s economic problems after the financial crash. The Daily Telegraph and Prime Minister David Cameron claimed that it was Labour who broke the economy, and that given the keys to Downing Street they would do it again. What the Conservatives of course forgot to mention was that the Tories backed Labour’s spending prior to the crash.

This brings us to the present. In the last week, claims emerged suggesting Jeremy Corbyn had links with a communist spy from Czechoslovakia and had divulged British secrets.

The story was front page news across many right-wing publications: The Sun, the Daily Mail, and the Daily Telegraph, with Tory MPs and ministers alike questioning Corbyn’s credentials and suitability to hold public office.

Despite initial speculation, Czechian defence authorities have since confirmed that the claims against Corbyn were indeed fabricated. Such a revelation highlights that, yet again, misinformation has been perpetuated by the right-wing media in an attempt to undermine the Left.

Conservative politicians were quick to smear Corbyn. In a similar vein to the Mail’s attack on Ralph Miliband, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson questioned Corbyn’s loyalty to Britain: “Time and time again he has sided with those who want to destroy everything that is great about this country.”

With similar absurdity to the Zinoviev letter debacle in 1924, Conservative MP Ben Bradley also ran with the story, claiming the Labour leader had sold British secrets to “communist spies.”

The reasoning behind these claims are clear. In line with the historic responses of the Right in 1924, 1945, 1992, and 2015, the misinformation espoused by the Tories and the right-wing press has come at a time when the Left is on the ascendancy.

Since the 2017 election, Labour has not died down, and now the Right is running scared from a resurgent British Left. As it has historically done since the Zinoviev letter in 1924, the Tories are clinging to falsification as a means to maintaining power. As Labour becomes a greater threat, the vitriolic, false, and absurd attacks by the Conservatives and the media elites are intensifying.

The outright lies charged by the Right in 1945 were unsuccessful and Labour gained a landslide majority. If the Tories aren’t cautious, they may suffer a similar fate.

Review: Brief Encounter

Ever fallen in love with someone you shouldn’t have fallen in love with? Along with The Buzzcocks, this is the question Emma Rice posed in her musical adaptation of Brief Encounter. Set in 1938, it begins with the chance meeting between Alec and Laura.

These two middle-aged souls are desperate for excitement in their lives. Although both are married to other people, they find themselves developing a romantic relationship together. Their complex journey is juxtaposed by the apparent simplicity of the love shared by those around them.

The conflict between love and the reality of life was central to this production. How we as human beings must choose between what we ought to do, and what we want to do. Although an interesting concept, at its heart this is still a love story. This was where Brief Encounter failed to deliver.

The chemistry between the pair was, unfortunately, missing throughout. Their relationship was passionless and, as a result, hard to believe. The real fault seemed to lie with the script. Jim Sturgeon and Isabel Pollen performed diligently but weren’t provided with enough good material to generate an organic romance with.

The standout performance of the night came from Jos Slovick as Johnnie. Flawless singing and a remarkable proficiency on several musical instruments were what kept the show engaging. The supporting cast, on the whole, gave strong performances. Beverly Rudd, in particular, provided a charming energy, despite some of her scenes being overplayed for comedic value.

The music was toe-tapping and succeeded in adding atmosphere to otherwise dull scenes. The choice to refrain from having a sickly sweet love song thrown in was a wise one. Each intimate song was tinged with a sadness, hinting at the futility of Alec and Laura’s love.

Rather than distance this production from the original 1945 film written by Noël Coward, Emma Rice embraced the classic. Clever use of tech blurred the lines between cinema and theatre. There were some truly astounding instances where characters moved from onstage to onscreen. These were used to great effect in mimicking classic scenes from the film.

The only disappointment was that they were not used more. Confident and slick direction from Rice ensured the minute details were accounted for. This was evident in the seamless transitions between scenes, both onstage and onscreen.

The pacing was an issue towards the finale, with the show fizzling out as the interest in the love affair of the central characters waned. The set was utilised effectively but not enough was done to discern different locations, as it still clearly resembled a train station. There were also occasions where there were so many characters onstage that it was confusing as to where the eye should focus.

Brief Encounter had a fascinating premise with some truly great elements. A lack of a convincing central partnership, however, means this can only be considered above-average viewing.

Copper-coated uniforms could be the new armour against hospital infections

Researchers from the School of Materials at the University of Manchester, alongside scientists from China, have created a ‘durable and washable’ composite material that has a stable copper nanoparticle coating. It has antimicrobial properties, and retains these properties even after being washed 30 times.

Their paper, published in the Journal of Nanomaterials, explains how the durability and stability needed for the copper-coating to be effective is achieved. Through a process called ‘polymer surface grafting’, strong chemical bonds between the metal and the fabric are created.The nanoparticles are evenly and firmly attached to the surface of the fabric using this technique, and the resulting material has a reinforced ‘concrete-like’ structure which is able to survive washing.

Prior to this new research, it has been difficult for scientists to find a way to employ the properties of copper by combining it with wearable material. The new technique, however, which uses a polymer ‘brush’, can bind the nanoparticles to both cotton and polymer fabrics. The copper nanoparticles, when bound to cotton and polyester fabrics, have demonstrated valuable antibacterial properties against microbes that cause huge problems in UK hospitals.

With an estimated spending of £2.3 billion on bacterial infection in the NHS, this potential new protection against such microbes could help reduce the amount of money spent on tackling this issue in the long run. Although the precious metals silver and gold also show excellent antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, the use of copper nanoparticles cuts costs significantly.

Despite using copper rather than silver or gold, the process of making this new composite material is still highly expensive. However, lead author Dr Xuqing Liu, from the University of Manchester, is optimistic and says this is a problem further research will address: “These results are very positive and some companies are already showing interest in developing this technology. We hope we can commercialise the advanced technology within a couple of years. We have now started to work on reducing cost and making the process even simpler.”

The composite material showed resistance to the bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). E. coli infections caused approximately 5,500 deaths of NHS patients in 2015. S. aureus bacteria, present as the deadly methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), the so-called ‘superbug’, is resistant to many widely used antibiotics, mainly affecting patients staying in hospitals.

Both E. coli and S. aureus are spread from patient to patient via a number of routes, being transferred to humans from clothing and other surfaces that carry the bacteria. Staff uniforms that incorporate the new composite material may prevent nurses and doctors spreading infection among hospital occupants.

Alice Charles, a 3rd year medical student at the University of Manchester, tells The Mancunian that incorporating the new technology into hospital environments is a step in the right direction: “Infections such as E. coli and MRSA carry high risks for patients and staff, and using materials that reduce this risk is a good step in outbreak management. Although there’s PPE (personal protective equipment, such as gloves plastic aprons) in place, additional protection may be important.”

The new copper-coated material has great potential in dealing with a serious challenge faced within healthcare, and with further development we could soon see copper nanoparticles as an essential part of hospital staff uniforms.

What to do if you are dissatisfied with your university home

Below is some general guidance from the Advice Service on what to do when you find your living standards in private accommodation aren’t up to scratch!

Often issues such as mould appearing in a property only arise during the colder months. Living with a leaky roof/mould/broken boiler can be really unpleasant, but what can you do about it?

Your landlord is legally responsible for keeping the following in repair:

 

1. The structure and exterior of your home, for example, the walls, roof, foundations, drains, guttering and external pipes, windows and external doors

2. Basins, sinks, baths, toilets and their pipework

3. Water and gas pipes, electrical wiring, water tanks, boilers, radiators, gas fires, fitted electric fires or fitted heaters.

 

Therefore, if for example, you have an issue with a leak or broken boiler which is causing mould then this is an issue your landlord should be resolving. The first thing to do is to inform the letting agency or the landlord responsible for the problem.

If you have already done so via text/email/telephone then it is advisable to write a formal letter of complaint regarding the issue. Within this letter you should include:

 

1. Information regarding the problem, e.g. where the mould is, how long it has been there for etc.

2. If you have tried to get the issue resolved previously but no action has been taken include details of when this was and how you contacted them.

3. Details of how the issue is affecting you, e.g. exacerbating health conditions, making clothing damp etc.

4. Highlight clauses from your tenancy agreement which state that you should report repairs to show you are taking the agreement seriously. Further to this, you can then highlight any clauses regarding the landlord’s responsibility regarding repairs.

5. State what you would like as an outcome of the issue and request a response to your letter in writing as soon as possible.

6. Explain that you understand the law and make them aware that Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 confirms that it is the landlord’s responsibility to keep in repair the structure and exterior of a rented property and this includes the walls, roof, foundations, drains, guttering and external pipes, windows and external doors.

7. Finally, it is advisable to keep a copy of the letter and obtain proof of postage in case no response is received.

 

In some cases, it is possible to request compensation with regards to disrepair in a property, this would be most appropriate in cases where you have been unable to occupy the property due to the severity of the problem.

If this is something you would like to consider further then please contact the Advice Service directly for further guidance.

The Advice Service can also review any written letters of complaint you may wish to send and offer you feedback on the content.

If you submit a formal complaint and no action is taken to resolve the matter then you may be able to take your complaint further via an independent re-dress schemes.

The requirement can be enforced by local authorities who can impose a fine of up to £5,000 where an agent or property manager who should have joined a scheme has not done so.

The re-dress scheme allows tenants to complain to an official body about their letting agent and this can be investigated independently and impartially. The schemes are free to use and if your complaint is upheld the schemes may direct your letting agent to award compensation.

All estate/letting agents must be registered within a scheme in order to operate within residential property.

The three schemes available in the UK are:

The Property Ombudsman Limited
Ombudsman Services
Property Re-dress Scheme

If you would like advice on any issues regarding housing or would like further guidance on submitting a complaint then please contact the Advice Service during our opening hours of Monday to Friday between 10 am and 4 pm.

You can do so either by dropping into the office (located on the ground floor of the Students’ Union building), via telephone on 0161 275 2952 or email [email protected]

Since October 2014, it has been a legal requirement for lettings agents and property managers in England to join 1 of 3 government approved re-dress schemes.