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Month: November 2018

Women most likely to benefit from a university education, report says

New research has revealed that women are the most likely group to benefit from a university education, with women holding a degree earning on average 28% more than non-graduate women.

The study by the Department for Education and Institute for Fiscal Studies also looked at which courses are most likely to benefit graduates, with women studying Maths at Oxford and men reading Economics at Bristol getting the biggest increase in earnings from attending university.

Men with degrees earn on average only 8% more than non-graduates, and a third of men attend universities that only give them a “negligible” pay advantage.

The report was based on tax records of people who went to school in England and went on to higher education in England, Wales or Scotland. It analysed the salaries of these graduates at the age of 29 to determine how going to university might affect earnings.

It described getting a degree as an “excellent investment” for women – a woman with a degree on average earns £6,700 more per year than one without.

Male graduates were found to only earn £2,700 more per year than a non-graduate.

It was suggested that this could be because non-graduate women are more likely to be in low paid jobs, widening the gap between those with degrees and those without.

The London School of Economics (LSE) was named as the university that offered the best returns for women, with other London universities dominating the top of the rankings.

Bolton came in last, with UC Falmouth and Wales Trinity St David just ahead.

The subjects at the top of the pay scale for women were named as Medicine, Economics, Maths, Business, and Law. Medicine was found to give the best returns, with earnings at 78% more than non-graduate women.

At the lower end of the scale were Veterinary Science, Social Care, Psychology, Agriculture, and Creative Arts.

The most lucrative subjects for men were Economics, Medicine, Architecture, Business, and Law.

Subjects with the lowest returns were Psychology, Philosophy, English, Agriculture, and Creative Arts. Men taking these subjects are likely to earn less than men who did not go to university, with male art graduates earning 14% less than the average male non-graduate.

Philosophy at Sussex was found to be the least lucrative degree for men. For women, it is computing at Westminster.

The report raises questions over whether the current tuition fee of £9,250 per year is reasonable for those who are getting little financial return from their degrees.

Tuition fees have been under scrutiny recently, with proposals for costs to be cut to £6,500 for some subjects in the works, and plans to create cheaper, fast-track two-year degrees in the works.

Yemen: our silence means we are all complicit

What is happening in Yemen has been described by the United Nations as “the world’s largest humanitarian crisis”.

The civil war has been going on for more than three years, and currently, 22.2 million people are in need of humanitarian aid and protection. It is a crisis that is too catastrophic to imagine, and yet we don’t talk about it enough.

Talking about it might seem useless in the face of such horrific numbers, but it is everything. Since the civil war in Yemen broke out in 2015, UK sold almost £3.6bn worth of arms to Saudi Arabia, whose sea, land and air blockade of Yemen are causing what UN calls “the largest famine the world has seen for many decades.”

There are organisations such as “Stop the War Coalition” that are drawing attention to UK and US involvement in Yemeni war and carrying out demonstrations against it. As well as holding demonstrations against the government’s complicity in the war, the organisation is planning a public meeting in Manchester this December.

These kind of meetings are essential; we need to keep talking about the situation in Yemen, not only to raise awareness of the heart-breaking humanitarian crisis that is happening, but also to ensure that the complicity of the UK government is recognised.

In the past, the UK preferred to stay silent on the conflict and refused to call on either the Saudi-led coalition or the Houthis to end the conflict. Defence Secretary until November 2017, Michael Fallon, called on MPs to stop criticizing Saudi Arabia’s violation of human rights in the interest of securing a fighter jet deal in 2017.

Now though, with the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in October drawing attention to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, the UK has decided that it was finally time to at least support the UN-led peace process. 

However, whilst supporting UN peace talks is a step in the right direction, it is not enough. The UK still provides arms and military training for Saudis. It even has financial interests in this war.

Combined with the United States, the UK has the power to stop this conflict. Bruce Riedel, a former CIA and Pentagon official, said in 2016 that if the governments of UK and US told the Saudi King that the war in Yemen had to end tonight, it would stop tomorrow, due to the US and British support required by the Saudi Air Force.

So, what could we do about this? Despite the UN’s calls for ceasefire, the fighting continues. The coalition airstrikes continue to hit cities in Yemen. And the UK continues to sell arms to Saudi Arabia; making itself complicit in causing the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. The only solution right now seems to be civilian resistance.

Are the curtains finally falling for Dolce & Gabbana?

For many designers and fashion brands, social media has bridged the gap of communication from the distant world of high fashion to their customers and supporters. For those who do it well such as Tisci’s Burberry, Virgil Abloh and many others, their market is engaged and loyal. Yet Dolce & Gabbana (D&G), owned by Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce, have never been ones to grace social media with a ‘positive’ presence.

D&G’s most recent and downright dreadful campaign (that has since been abandoned) featured a Chinese woman attempting and failing to use chopsticks on large Italian foods such as Pizza and Cannoli. This sparked immediate outrage as it acted on racial misconceptions and reinforced negative stereotypes. The campaign was incredibly out of touch, especially considering the East Asian market’s powerhouse position within the consumption of designer brands, equating to an estimated 33% of all of global luxury goods.

Diet Prada, the notoriously outspoken Instagram page who broke the story described the racist advert as being “a tired and false stereotype of a people lacking refinement/culture to understand how to eat foreign foods” and part of a wider racial ignorance toward the Asian market that is deeply rooted within the fashion industry.

One would think that after the negative backlash D&G would immediately apologize, however things only got worse. After thousands of people flocked online to show their disgust and disappointment, Stefano took it upon himself to respond both on his personal Instagram, and the official Dolce & Gabanna account. In response to people calling the brand out for being racist, Stefano was even more racist, by replying to people in his DMs with comments such as ‘China ignorant Dirty Smelling Mafia’, ‘Country of **** is China’, and ‘eat dogs b**** I block you’.

It is clear that D&G did not do the appropriate research prior to the campaign, with many questioning who the advert was actually for: their Chinese customers or for the brand’s own racist entertainment. Either way, in the repercussions since, their brand image has depleted massively. Their 500-look show, DGTHEGREATSHOW, which was set to take place in Shanghai, was cancelled by the Shanghai Cultural Affairs Bureau. Additionally, many Chinese celebrities refused to go to the show. The whole story was a phenomenon on Chinese social media site Weibo, with #DGTheGreatShowCancelled being viewed over 540 million times.

The scale of this disaster is clear, and has affected the brand not only in Asia, with Chinese retail giants Alibaba and JD.com pulling the brand from their sites, but has sparked international outrage. The colossal YOOX Net-a-Porter Group to be the first international e-commerce retailer to make a stand against this insulting behaviour.

It is evidently fair to say that social media has the power to both make and break careers, but this leads to the question of ‘who is next?’. In a new culture of ‘outing’ behavior, it seems that almost every month a new brand is being exposed for corrupt and unethical ways, and this can be seen as a positive, because who really wants to be giving racists their coin? The rise of global markets and social media have has changed the equation on cultural sensitivity and the fashion industry forever. What’s clear from D&G is that the time’s up for out-dated racism and bullying ingrained within the fashion industry.

Preview: The Brickworks Venue

The latest addition to Manchester’s legendary collection of music venues can be seen in the soon-to-open The Brickworks, located beneath the Barton Arcade between Deansgate and St Ann’s Square. Hidden away from the city underneath its streets, this project comes from the team behind much-loved Joshua Brooks and promises to be a well-used space hosting both gigs and private events. With an aesthetic that fits the perfectly industrial mancunian vibe, could The Brickworks be the next contender for Warehouse Project?

Currently only hosting occasional special events, opening night on the 30th November is set to be a raucous techno-fuelled evening presenting Deborah de Luca. The Italian sensation is known for a sound that “veers from dark and pummelling to more minimal and stripped back”. Joined by Bill Rogers b2b Stephen Haymes, Jack Barnett, and Josh Newsham, it’s set to be an intoxicating welcome to the Manchester music scene.

Steeped in history, the hidden space was formerly a private members club frequented by the North’s biggest music stars, it is said to be defined by its character and distinctive sound, due to the exposed brick walls and unique architectural style. The two roomed space is an unusual network of arches and tunnels, exemplified by the industrial charm that many of Manchester’s buildings are famous for. The illicit, secretive nature of the venue is expounded by atmospheric lighting and its promise as a hideaway from the city above, allowing fans to become consumed by music. As ever, it’s arrival has excited both industry professionals and fans; the expectation of something fresh and original is a welcome assurance of good things to come.

Given the overwhelming domino effect of some of Manchester’s most iconic venues being set to close, the opening of a venue like The Brickworks could be exactly what we need.

For more information please visit their Facebook Page, or find out more on their Instagram: @brickworksmcr

Sony pulls out of E3

‘Who won E3 this year, Sony or Microsoft?’ It’s a question that’s been asked for millennia. Well, it seems that we won’t be getting another chapter in the saga that we’ve come to know as the Console Wars — not in 2019 at least. Yes, you heard me right: for the first time in over 20 years, Sony will be pulling out of the biggest event in the industry’s calendar year.

Whilst Sony’s official press release talks of wanting to look for “new”, yet “familiar” and still “inventive opportunities to engage the community”, the more observant among us (or provided you have eyes) might have noticed that E3 hasn’t gone so smoothly for them in the past couple of years, and this decision – albeit surprising and perhaps a tad rash – might give them some time to regroup.

Photo: E3 2012@ Wikimedia Commons

Whether it be their proxy-like appearance in 2017, where we got nothing but trailers and virtually no actual presence whatsoever; or 2018’s more focused but equally bizarre outing, where only four games were really showcased and instead of trailers we got a series of slightly jarring live musical performances: either way, Sony has become synonymous with misfiring stage presentation – but hey! Who needs games when you’ve got sick banjo riffs and some guy playing the flute?

In truth, 2017’s overly-simplistic presser suited me fine: I’ve become so disillusioned by E3’s obsession with cheap gimmicks and celebrity guests in recent years that a mindless barrage of trailers was just what I needed, especially being a PlayStation player. However, I understand that either of these extremes results in quite a soulless experience on the show floor, let alone flitting between the two from one year to the next.

So, with one of the main-stage and console heavyweights jumping ship this year, what does this mean for Sony, the next E3 and even those beyond it? Well, in the short term, one of the upshots of Sony’s withdrawal is that it gives the opportunity for some of the other equally big players to bask in the limelight for a change – Nintendo being one given the success of the Switch and big franchises like Pokémon returning to the platform and looking to the future with Let’s Go, Pikachu/Eevee!

Photo: E3 2018 @Wikimedia Commons

As alluded to already, taking a year off (presumably just one for now) will give Sony the time to re-evaluate the way in which they approach these big press conferences, and they seem to know how much they need it too given how much this year’s E3 cost them—quite literally!

However, given the rumblings in the company over the past few months, many have quite rightly inferred that this absence could also be a tactic designed to pre-empt their competitors, whipping up a journalistic frenzy and sending the hype training chugging away early for the official announcement of the PS5, which Sony has confirmed will launch within the next 3 years and many believe might debut next E3. Only time will tell.

‘How much worse can it get?’ – local businesses struggle to plan for a Fallowfield without students

Business owners across Fallowfield are being forced to plan for a future without a bustling student population, and many fear for the negative impact it will have on not only individual businesses, but the area as a whole.

As the latest State of the City Report has alluded to, the Council’s plans to move a considerable amount of Fallowfield’s student population out of the area are underway, with student accommodation becoming gradually more sparse and the rise of private halls elsewhere in the city. Efforts to change the face of Fallowfield may be harder to notice, but long term plans are in effect, and this is just one goal on a list of many with a due date of 2025.

Many businesses, when asked for comment, expressed great concern at the potential drain of students out of Fallowfield, no matter how gradual it is.

“It’s a ghost town without students”, one fast-food manager stated, a sentiment echoed by near enough every shop along Wilmslow Road, “it would affect all businesses here massively.”

“Students are important to every business in Fallowfield, of course they are,” were words heard repeatedly, with most businesses attributing some 60-70% of their custom to students, many even higher. Even the area’s less obvious hotspots, such as Lloyd’s Pharmacy, are fearful of any major demographic changes, as they see students as “nearly all [their] business.”

Fallowfield can be seen as a student metropolis of sorts, a place where the symbiotic relationship between students and local business owners is exercised and enjoyed to its fullest effect. Some would therefore argue that tt should be a major priority to protect this relationship and preserve one of the country’s liveliest student centres.

Many business owners were perplexed by the council’s plans to create a more family-orientated, residential Fallowfield. Alternatives such as the city centre were described as “too busy”, “less convenient”, and “lacking in personality”. It left a bleak picture for many in a time where violent crime is on the rise and many feel unsafe in their own homes, as Brad, who works at a local chain asked “how much worse can it get, realistically?”

While the Council wishes to transform local communities in the interests of extracting profit and meeting growth targets, students and business owners alike believe that retaining an area’s culture is vital to its survival. In the face of growing crime and apathetic responses to combat it, students are left with few options but to embrace the best, brightest parts of Fallowfield life and enjoy them for all they’re worth.

Review: ‘Proof’ by David Auburn

‘Proof’ was captivating and thought provoking, a triumph of the writing (David Auburn), direction (Joseph Houston) and an impeccable lead (Lucy Jane Dixon). ‘Proof’ is the story of a woman who took care of her genius mathematician father (David Keller) for years, as he deteriorated due to mental illness. When he dies Catherine (Lucy Jane Dixon) is left wondering if she has inherited her father’s illness along with his academic prowess. She must deal with her returning older sister Clare (Angela Costello) who wants her to leave the family home and a pushy past student of her father’s, Hal (Samuel Holland) wanting to go through her father’s work.

Auburn’s writing is clever and fast pace, creating moments of wit, hilarity and pain with equal impact. His work is astonishing in its ability to create comedic and heart wrenching moments that feel realistic and not at all staged.

Dixon as Catherine was incredible, she displayed versatility and nuance in her performance, consistently commanding of the stage whether she had a line or not. Dixon had impeccable timing with witty and sarcastic comebacks, but also demonstrated so clearly that this was an exterior hiding her grief and pain. Catherine felt human and barely a character, Dixon made her likeable and relatable, completely honest acting.

Costello as Catherine’s sister Clare succeeded in creating the archetypal and judgemental older sister who thinks she is helping. This allowed a heightened feeling that Catherine was in another world or on another level to the other characters, constantly misunderstood. Costello impressively developed the character of Clare in Act II and became more relatable as the concerned  and protective sister.

Samuel Holland (as Hal) did a good job of portraying the bumbling nerd, desperate to discover new mathematical research. His enthusiasm against the back drop of a funeral, demonstrated how academia encroached even on Catherine’s grief. Holland’s American (Chicago) accent was slightly jarring and inconsistent at times and the characterisation was somewhat one note and expected, but again this did well to contrast with the complexities Catherine’s character.

The ending of Act I was dramatic and clever, when Catherine led Hal to find a ground-breaking mathematical proof that he thinks was written by Catherine’s dad but is in fact her work. I did not question whether she had written the proof and was left shocked when neither Clare or Hal believed her. The audience was very much on Catherine’s side, experiencing the distrust of the other character’s with her. The sense of being attacked was tangible.

The underlying sexism was clever, as it was obvious without usurping the main plot. Hal clearly judged Catherine’s mathematical ability on her gender and his inability to name female mathematicians was telling of the gender-skewed nature of academia and the assumption that only a male mathematician could have achieved this proof.

The set (Matthew Gee) was interesting and complicated in itself. The whole play was performed on the porch of the family home. The wooden porch was built on pallets, creating a dilapidated atmosphere. The stage was also propped up by books, demonstrating the academic immersion of the house. Equations could be vaguely seen written across the porch, it was later revealed with ultra violet light that the set was covered in equations. Dried leaves were strewn around the edge of the set and more intriguing was the intermittent introduction of paper leaves amongst the real, that seemed to have equations written on them.

I cannot sing Dixon’s praises highly enough. She portrayed powerful emotion and frankly genius comedy, her delivery was flawless and charcterisation complete. ‘Proof’ by David Auburn is a literary work of art. It beautifully encompasses themes of academia, gender, relationships, grief and mental health and was performed beautifully by this cast at Hope Mill Theatre.

Corporate devolution continues as TalkTalk relocates to Manchester

Telecommunications giant TalkTalk is to move its headquarters from London to its Salford office.

The TalkTalk Salford office is already the base for its business and technology teams, but the relocation of hundreds more roles is now on the agenda. The company has justified the move by saying that it will “simplify operations”.

The majority of TalkTalk’s 500 London-based positions will now be moved as part of the shift Northwards. Only 20-30 roles will be kept in the capital, acting as a satellite office. The company employs 2,400 workers across the UK.

Tristia Harrison, TalkTalk’s chief executive, has said: “We’ve always had a base in the North West, but we want to build on that heritage and create a world-class campus for the whole business.

“Bringing all of our teams together will make us a simpler business, where it’s easier for teams to work together and deliver the very best service for customers.”

Recruitment for positions in the new office has already begun, with Salford-based vacancies already being listed on TalkTalk’s careers website.

There are a number of apprenticeship and graduate roles available as part of the transition.

Such opportunities include roles such as Project Manager, Data Engineer, and Fraud Analyst, among others.

Salford city mayor Paul Dennett has spoken out on the new location of the headquarters: “TalkTalk relocating their headquarters and executive team here and creating hundreds of new, high quality, technical, digital jobs speaks volumes for its investment in a digital future,” and said it was an “exciting new chapter in Salford’s success story as the fastest growing economy in Greater Manchester.

“Salford is already home to the second largest cluster of digital businesses outside London and the city is working hard to grow the digital skills and talent for the future,” commented Dennett.

The move comes at the same time as London-based Channel 4’s decision to move 300 of its staff members to Northern city Leeds, alongside the opening of creative hubs in Glasgow and Bristol.

The Ballon d’Or: an end to the two-horse race?

2018. A year where nineteen-year-old Kylian Mbappé lit up the World Cup finals, Luka Modrić scooped FIFA’s ‘The Best’ award, and Mohamed Salah’s shooting boots carried Liverpool to within touching distance of a historic Champions League win. Could this finally be the year when the recent duopoly of Ballon d’Or winners welcomes another to their exclusive club?

The usual suspects have taken their familiar places in the running, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi both being categorised in the top-five favourites to secure another confirmation of their ‘GOAT’ (Greatest Of All Time) status. However, unlike what we have perhaps become accustomed to, they are not alone this year, nor are they necessarily favourites for the prestigious award.

Ronaldo comes in above his Argentine counterpart (according to OddsChecker), well deserved considering his unrelenting goal-scoring abilities continued throughout the 2017/18 campaign for Real Madrid. The Portuguese talisman contributed greatly to Los Blancos’s third successive Champions League victory. After a mediocre World Cup, his personal highlight undoubtedly his phenomenal hat-trick in Match-Week 1, he secured a reported £105 million to Italian champions Juventus, where his form has resurged – with 10 goals in his first 16 games (a new record for the ‘Old Lady’).

That said, a debate about the current best player in the world simply cannot be had without mentioning the Catalan Hero. Messi grabbed 45 goals for himself in Barcelona’s 2017/18 season, guiding his side to the retention of the Copa del Rey and a 25th La Liga title. However, similarly to Ronaldo, he was perhaps too heavily relied upon by his compatriots in their World Cup attempts, with Argentina slumping to defeat at the hands of Croatia having struggled through their group. Though his 2018/19 season was initially blighted by an arm injury, he has recovered unscathed and continues in scintillating form as the top-rated player in both La Liga and the Champions League (according to FotMob)

With Manchester United’s disappointing year, Paul Pogba has already ruled himself out of serious contention for the 2018 award, yet it would be naïve to disregard any of his fellow countrymen. They are, after all, literally atop the world following the French footballing revolution in Russia this summer.

Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann have been amongst four players cited by Pogba worthy of winning the Ballon d’Or this year. With Griezmann’s Europa League victory and Mbappé’s Ligue 1 domination surely boosting the pair’s footballing CVs, they are surely worthy candidates, seeing as they come in at third and fourth favourites respectably.

Luka Modrić is the favourite for this year’s award. Having already scooped ‘The Best’ award in September, taking the award from its two-time inaugural winner Cristiano Ronaldo. The decision split opinion, with many glad that recognition was finally being granted to players other than the goal-scoring machines who’ve dominated worldwide recognition in recent years.

Football is a game played with 11 men, and Luka Modrić can be heralded as an example of not only a fine player but a model professional. Many have argued that the award being presented to the Croatian was an attempt by FIFA to bring variety to what has become a tedious recognition of two inhumane greats for the previous 10 years. Messi’s former team-mate Puyol gave his opinion on the award, congratulating Modrić graciously, but claiming the Argentine remained the ‘best in the world’.

In terms of successful years, Modrić’s place as the favourite to scoop the Ballon d’Or is definitely not a shock. After all, winning ‘The Best’, the World Cup Golden Ball, UEFA’s ‘Player of the Year’, a third-consecutive Champions League, and captaining an underdog country to within arms-reach of becoming World Champions is not exactly a bad year!

The awards ceremony takes place December 3rd, and with those previously mentioned joined by other illustrious company, it’s sure to be fascinating who claims the accolades for 2018. In my opinion, Luka Modrić has not quite done enough to prize the 18 carat-gold trophy from the clutches of Cristiano Ronaldo, seeking the award to accompany the five he already has.

Who knows, we could be in for a surprise, or it could prove to be a fairly standard occasion. One thing is for certain though, 2018 is the beginning of a new era in football, and the future looks bright.

England complete first ever tour whitewash of Sri Lanka

England have completed their first ever whitewash in Sri Lanka after an incredibly close 42-run victory in the third and final Test in Colombo.

It appeared as though Sri Lanka might be able to salvage a consolation win in this Test with Kusal Mendis scoring 86 and Roshen Silva reaching 65. The England bowlers struggling to make headway with the Sri Lankan batsman.

Eventually, Jack Leach continued his fantastic form with a run out of Mendis that set England back on the right track. Moeen Ali also proved himself to be one of the best spin bowlers in the world by taking four wickets, including Perera and Silva with only one run between them.

With the scorecard reading 226-9, it seemed routine for England to finish the game, the series, and the tour, however, it proved anything but. Lakmal and Pushpukumara managed a very respectable last-wicket stand of 58 before Lakmal finally succumbed by lbw to Leach, who joined Ali on a four-wicket haul.

Talking about the tour Joe Root, England’s captain, said “it has been a fabulous tour. It has been a complete team performance throughout the whole trip. Everyone has contributed in some shape or form and that is the most pleasing and impressive thing.”

England have sprung back from their own whitewashing by Australia in the Ashes by winning eight of their last nine Tests. They have just four more Tests left though, three against West Indies and a one-off against Ireland before the Ashes comes around again on August 1st 2019.

Through the bushes: Shenzhen’s shameful half-marathon

Marathon running is a sport that is seeing an incredible explosion of popularity in China, with the Chinese Athletics Association reporting (CAA) 1,072 marathons and road races have been held so far this year, up from 22 in 2011. While this explosion could help cultivate some world-class athletes, it also seems to be cultivating some world-class cheats.

A total of 258 runners have been penalised for cheating in the Shenzhen half-marathon. Organisers of the race found that 18 runners were running with fake bib numbers, with photographers even managing to snap pictures of two competitors wearing the same number.

Alongside those were three imposters and 237 others who were caught by a traffic camera taking a shortcut. Organisers said that runners were supposed to run to the end of a road, take a U-turn, then come all the way back. 237 runners decided against that and cut through some bushes, skipping two or three kilometres of the 21-kilometre race.

Thankfully the cheaters have been dealt swift retribution. The runners wearing fake bib numbers have been given a lifetime ban from the event, while the others are banned for two years.

Around 16,000 athletes run in the event, taking place in the fourth-largest city in the country. This means that an astonishing 1.5% have received bans for their actions. In the Beijing half-marathon last year, organisers used facial recognition software to combat the influx of cheaters, highlighting the growing issue in China.

The race organisers released a statement addressing the events: “we deeply regret the violations that occurred during the event. Marathon running is not simply exercise, it is a metaphor for life, and every runner is responsible for him or herself.”

Fellaini’s injury-time winner send United to the knockout stages of the Champions League

Marouane Fellaini’s 91st-minute winner against Young Boys gave Manchester United the three points they needed to progress to the last 16 of the Champions League.

Before the fifth round of games began in Group H, United manager Jose Mourinho knew that if his side dropped any points against the Swiss side it would leave everything to play for in the final game against Valencia.

Marcus Rashford almost put the Red Devils one up in the fifth minute of the game as he was one-on-one with the keeper. His chipped shot went over the bar as Mourinho faced the fans and shook his head, the trouble his side has had recently with converting chances clearly frustrating him.

United created several more opportunities in the first half but all of them were wasted, Young Boys keeper David von Ballmoos barely troubled. The second half saw United’s creative ability dwindle as they failed to make clear-cut chances.

Mourinho made three attacking substitutions to try and inject his side with energy with Pogba, Lukaku, and Mata all entering the fray. Sadly for the Portuguese manager, the changes barely made a difference and chances were few and far between.

As the game approached the final few minutes fans thought they might see a third consecutive Champions League home game without a goal but, luckily for them, that wasn’t the case thanks to their recently de-afro’d Belgian midfielder Marouane Fellaini.

Fellaini received the ball from a Lukaku pass and, while holding off Loris Benito, turned before firing the ball into the bottom corner. The crowd (or those who didn’t choose to leave early) went wild, seeing the breakthrough goal their team needed.

The reactions to the goal weren’t as wild as Mourinho’s though, who kicked one set of bottles before picking up a second set and slamming them on the ground. His Godzilla-esque display was perhaps the most exciting thing to take place in Old Trafford this season.

Upon seeing the replays for the goal, it looked as though the ball was handled by Fellaini, something he denies. “For me it was not handball. I controlled the ball, if it touched my hand it was not on purpose,” he said.

Regardless of what happens against Valencia in the final game, United are through to the last 16 of the Champions League. They will be hoping to progress to the last eight for the first time since the 2013/14 season.

The next game for the Red Devils is an away day at strugglers Southampton. A win here could see them leapfrog Everton into sixth place in the Premier League. It looks like the title is already out of reach though as they are currently 14 points off the pace.

Magnus Carlsen retains World Championship for a third time in London

World number one Magnus Carlsen has retained his Chess World Championship title for a third time by beating number two Fabiano Caruana in London. The Norwegian has held the title since 2013 when he defeated Viswanathan Anand.

Talking about the match Carlsen said: “Fabiano played very well and he’s an extremely strong player so it’s very special. It was very tense for these whole three weeks and there was no point in particular where I felt I was going to win the match. I didn’t particularly feel that I was losing it either. It was always hanging in the balance.”

The Championship match takes place every other year between the defending champion and an opponent who wins an 8 player double round robin tournament. This time it was American Caruana who won the Candidates Tournament in March this year.

With the two finalists decided all eyes turn to Championship match, this time taking place from November 8th-28th. The match comprises of 12 games of classical chess, one point for a win, half a point each for a draw, zero for a loss. To win all you need to do is reach 6.5 points, a majority.

This year, as Carlsen’s last defence against the Russian Sergey Karjakin, the 12 games ended with both players at six points apiece. What was special about this time, however, was that all 12 games ended with draws, something that has not happened in the history of the Championship.

The games were anything but dull though. In the first game, Carlsen was left kicking himself by missing a winning opportunity with his 34th move. Finding it would have made him the first defending champion to win Game 1 of a world title match as black in 37 years.

Game 6 was perhaps the best game of the whole series. Carlsen avoided a devastating defeat by the skin of his teeth in a six-and-a-half hour epic, achieving a draw when every expert had written him off.

While these games were taking place there was also some off-board controversy. A two-minute video was uploaded to the Saint Louis Chess Club Youtube channel before being quickly removed, showing some of Caruana’s preparation for the Championship, including openings being considered.

In the internet age, nothing is ever truly removed, as was proved by chess fans all over the world uploading snippets and screenshots, analysing every inch of what they could see. Other information in the video included the names of three grandmasters (the highest title a chess player can attain, besides World Champion) Caruana was using to train with: Leinier Domínguez, Alejandro Ramírez, and Ioan-Cristian Chirila.

The video’s release would have been comparable to Didier Deschamps’ World Cup final preparation against Croatia being posted online hours before kickoff. Caruana continued as though unaffected by the drama almost defeating Carlsen again towards the end of the series.

With the scores tied though the game progressed to tie-breakers. We begin with four games with a reduction in the time allowed for moves per person. If it is tied after those we play two games of Blitz chess, games with even shorter time allowances. Finally, if the scores are tied after those we play one game of Armageddon chess with, you guessed it, even less time allowed.

Carlsen was favourite to win the tie-breakers as he is also ranked number one in the world for Blitz chess, whereas Caruana is only ranked number 18. True to the ranking, Carlsen won the first two games leaving him one win away from defending his title.

Again in the third game, the Norwegian was on top, and his opponent resigned when he saw that his fate was sealed. The 27-year-old had defended his title yet again, but he recognised that it wasn’t as easy as it had been for him previously.

“It is a lot about the mindset. There is no pure chess reason in terms of understanding the game that I should play worse than I have before. But these games show that I have not been able to take all my chances. I need to work on that to be even sharper the next time.”

Carlsen’s sister, Ellen, hinted that if he lost he might have retired. When asked about this he said “for sure, if I had lost, it could very well have been my last world championship match. I have a lot of time over the next two years to improve my game.”

After months of a strict regimen including a controlled diet, intensive exercise routine, and hours of study each day, Carlsen celebrated his victory by heading to Wetherspoons. He can now relax knowing he has two years before it all takes place again, with Caruana favourite to return as his opponent.

Hamilton finishes title-winning season in style

Lewis Hamilton secured victory in the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi, having already clinched his fifth World Championship title at the Mexican Grand Prix in October.

The Mercedes driver qualified in pole position and made an impressive start. The race was almost marred in the first lap, however, by a horrific crash which took Renault’s Nico Hulkenburg out of the race. Fortunately, the German sustained no injuries.

Another early retirement came in the eighth lap for Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen. The Virtual Safety Car that this brought about was used by Hamilton to his own benefit, seizing an opportunity to make an early switch to ultrasoft tyres. The pitstop put the Englishman into fouth position, just nine seconds behind the lead.

With no further stops required, all Hamilton had to do was bide his time, maintaining pressure on those in front of him until they made stops. He did just that, and cruised to his 11th win of the season.

Hamilton shared the podium with Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in second, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in third. Behind Verstappen was his teammate Daniel Ricciardo. In fifth was Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas, who somewhat disappointed after qualifying in second.

It was also an emotional day for Fernando Alonso, who raced in his last ever Grand Prix, finishing 11th. The Spaniard spent 17 successful years in Formula One and retires as one of the greatest ever drivers in the history of the sport. He won two World Championships, with 32 Grand Prix victories.

The win for Hamilton in Abu Dhabi took him to a final points tally of 408, 88 ahead of his closest rival Vettel. Kimi Raikkonen held on to third spot in the driver’s standings, closely followed by Verstappen and Bottas.

In the Constructors’ Championship, Mercedes secured top spot for the fifth season running. Ferrari and Red Bull came second and third respectively. Renault, who finished fourth, will also be pleased with the season they had.

The dominance of Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton continues, but the points gap has been closing in the last couple of years.

The Formula One World Championship will re-commence next March in Australia. Expect 2019’s contest to be even more enthralling.

In conversation with Jill Furmanovsky

The ‘There Is a Light That Never Goes Out’ exhibition will certainly have a lot to offer for anyone with an interest in 20th century rock music, or even anyone with an interest in Manchester’s cultural history – not that the two are really very easily separable.

A collection of around a hundred photographs features the grins and grimaces of all the usual suspects associated with the city’s musical heritage. As to be expected, Morrissey, Ian Brown, and the Gallagher brothers are all here, along with a host of other familiar and less familiar faces. Like great photography should, most succeed in feeling they capture a time, a place, a moment, a distinct personality. The exhibition also does well to incorporate pictures of some contemporary acts too, including Manchester lad-rock torchbearers The Courteeners and Blossoms, as well as artists from outside the rock world like rapper Bugzy Malone.

The pictures on display were provided courtesy of rockarchives.com, a website and organisation founded in 1998 by Jill Furmanovsky dedicated to maintaining a record of music history and making photographs more accessible to fans. Jill was present at the exhibition in the library on the day that I visited, and very kindly agreed to a short chat with me.

Jill recalls her introduction to the world of music photography as a teenager in the 1960s. “I was a Beatles fan and I used to take Instamatic pictures. I used to go to Abbey Road and hope they would come out. They were very friendly!” Many music fans will be able to relate to the thrill of meeting an idol, and will be able to imagine the impact that can have on an impressionable adolescent.

However, it wasn’t clear from as early as this point that photography was something that Jill would pursue as her career. “I went to art school to do textile design and wasn’t planning to be a photographer, but all art students had to do a two-week photography course.” And it’s fortunate that they did, as at appears that this was where Jill concluded that she had found her calling. A loss for the world of textiles perhaps, but a remarkable gain for the world of music photography.

It’s hard to imagine any great group becoming a great force of culture without their image playing a part in capturing people’s imagination. I asked Jill her thoughts on the importance of ‘the image’ in rock. “Very important. And it’s manipulated in all kinds of ways. Even having no image is a kind of a statement. Pink Floyd is a good example – they had no image, they were faceless. And then on the other hand you have a band like The Beatles, who changed their image and went from looking like boys you could introduce to your granny to looking a bit unkempt and a bit stoned. For us growing up with them, this was very exciting.”

The experience of talking to someone who’s a master of their craft is a privilege. When that person is as interesting and as disarmingly friendly as Jill, it’s an even greater privilege. I leave the library feeling that I must have barely scratched the surface of all the insights and stories Jill could have offered, but extremely happy that I got the opportunity to chat to her.

The exhibition which is described as ‘a photographic celebration of Manchester’s rock music history’, can be found at Manchester Central Library until 22nd February 2019.

University Women’s Rugby supporting Stonewall UK

Earlier this month, former Welsh international Rugby Union player Gareth Thomas was the victim of a homophobic attack in Cardiff. Since then, many international teams including the All Blacks, USA, and France have played wearing the Rainbow laces to show their support.

In light of this, the University of Manchester Women’s Rugby Union Club has been showing their support for the charity StonewallUK, a charity that campaigns for the equality of LGBT people across Britain. The rainbow laces work focuses specifically on inequality within sport, including exclusivity, insensitive language or chants, and abuse within the sport.

The club said: “our club has a high proportion of LGBT members and we believe its very important that everyone feels included, valued and respected as a player, that is why we have chosen to support this charity and its great work!”

The 28th November 2018 was Rainbow Laces Day, during which sports teams of all different levels posted on social media to show their support for the rainbow laces cause. Rainbow laces can be brought from the Stonewall website for £2.99, not including postage.

Research from Stonewall recently found that one-in-five 18 to 24-year-olds say they’d be embarrassed if their favourite player came out, and young people are twice as likely to say anti-LGBT language is harmless if it’s just meant as ‘banter’. Therefore it is extremely important that University sports team specifically take the issues faced by their LGBT members seriously.

The Club Captain, Sannah Ifzal, had this to say: “it’s so important to support charities regarding the LGBT community, which is something that means a lot to me, and to a lot to the team. Stonewall is truly a great charity, and we are so proud that we can support in any way that we can, especially a team which has a high proportion of LGBT members.

“We, as a club, are also looking forward to working with the charity Lifeshare which help meet the needs of homeless and vulnerable people in Manchester and Salford.

“We will be gathering together boxes of items to donate to the charity specifically aimed at women, for example sanitary products and toiletries. This cause is particularly important over the winter period as the temperature drops and more people are at risk. If you would like to help us in supporting the charity by donating any items, or making a donation to help us fill the boxes, please contact us as [email protected]”.

Meet Young Identity

Young Identity (YI) is an organisation dedicated to giving space to eager young writers from all around Manchester. I was able to chat to Kayleigh Jayshree Hicks to find out exactly what the group are about, and how to get involved.

Firstly, visiting their website, they have one of the coolest promo videos for a society I’ve ever seen, which you should definitely check out if you like well-shot compilation videos. The group is made up of a diverse cast of people from all across the city and, as the ages range from 13-25, you get more of a variety of perspectives than at a regular university society.  

The organisation deliver spoken word and poetry workshops in well know venues HOME and Contact Theatre, as well as in more further out locations across the Greater Manchester area. Kayleigh was able to tell me what one might expect from one of these workshops.

They usually start with a freewrite, which is a warm up writing session where you do not lift your pen from the page and write whatever comes to your mind. Then, they usually have an introductory discussion of a theme chosen for that particular workshop (an example Kayleigh gave me was Damani Dennisur’s happiness workshop) and the group debates their ideas about this subject. They then go into the main task of the evening which is around half an hour’s worth of writing, and finish by sharing some of their work with each other. To my surprise, she said that new timers always share!

With Young Identity being placed so centrally in a city like Manchester, they have had many opportunities to work with some big names in the industry, including Lemn Sissay, international spoken word icon Saul Williams, dub poetry legend Linton Kwesi Johnson, Ted Hughes Prize Winner Kate Tempest, and the late Amiri Baraka. Working with these industry giants allows the group to have a real taste of what it takes to create work that can inspire consumers, but also a real sense of possibility. Having the opportunity to meet and work with people who have successful, published art is truly inspiring and gives young people the confidence and the belief in themselves to put pen to paper.  The blank page can be one of the most terrifying things, as anyone who has ever sat down to write poetry will know, but to have inspiring people encouraging young writers is invaluable to their confidence and their work.

They have enjoyed a lot of success in recent years, including being featured in the Manchester International Festival as part on FlexN, which is a dance style joining local dancers and the poetry collective to explore different ways of storytelling. YI have performed all over the UK, from BoxedIn in London to Hay Festival in Herefordshire as well as internationally at Frankfurt Youth Poetry Slam in Germany to America’s Nuyorican Poetry Café.  

As Young Identity gives their contributors so much opportunity to perform their work, I asked Kayleigh about her experience on stage. She replied that it’s different for everyone. “I suffer from stage fright and anxiety so every time I go on stage I am s*itting bricks. However, hearing people connect with your work, making new friends and having fun without social pressure of drink or drugs makes it worth it.” Kayleigh also runs an open mic which has branched out from the Creative Writing Society, called ‘TOO SHY? OPEN MIC!’, which is based in Northern Quarter coffee shop, Chapter One. The December event is full up with early birds but head on down to show your support if you can, and they may have a few spaces on the night for brave newcomers.  

Excitingly, they have announced the publication of their latest anthology, ‘No Disclaimers’, set for release on the 6th of December  Kayleigh remarked that compiling the anthology was stressful at first, with everyone working on it together whilst working and studying. They really had to pull their socks up and communicate effectively, edit with care, and be supportive. She says her favourite memory of creating the anthology was sitting down with her good friend Joel, editing, which involved eating some home made bread, with his animals sat nearby. The anthology includes short stories, poetry about taps, advice on life, metapoetry, and the most emotionally charged, technically skilled writing Manchester’s underground scene has to offer.

If you want to get involved with Young Identity, they have a workshop on Monday 3rd December from 7pm – 9pm at HOME theatre, and another on Tuesday 4th at Powerhouse Library from 7pm – 9pm. Make sure you pick up a copy of their new anthology ‘No Disclaimers’ on the 6th of December.

Piers cannot tell me how to feel empowered

On International Men’s Day this year many famous faces took to social media to use their voice to raise awareness of the grim statistics surrounding male suicide, homelessness, and a reactive criminalisation of maleness. Incredibly, however, Piers Morgan managed once again to use his platform to push his insatiable vendetta against the most formidable and severe threat to our social climate right now — naked women.

In his column for The Daily Mail last week, Piers clings desperately to underlying, traditional misogyny to appease his regrettably large following — which I can only presume consists of other ludicrous women-haters. Not only does Piers describe feminists as having “gleefully hijacked” the #MeToo and #TimesUp campaigns — a worrying example of victim blaming — but in classic angry Piers Morgan style, he rambles on spouting non-corroborative nonsense. I tried to follow his arguments logically, but soon forgot all about the context of International Men’s Day, being lost in his trivial and unrelenting attacks on skin-bearing women.

The idea that models Emily Ratajkowski and Kim Kardashian have built their careers solely out of “stripping off” is not only false but highly demeaning. What Piers claims is “selling sex and nudity” is nothing more than successful women celebrating their sensuality and sex appeal. Not because they need to in order to stay relevant but, as nicely put by singer Ariana Grande in a recent spat with Piers Morgan, “I use my talent AND my sexuality all the time because I choose to. Women can be sexual AND talented.” As a society we must move beyond the idea that female talent, class, and integrity are mutually exclusive with promiscuity and sexuality. I struggle to think of one male celebrity who has been even remotely condemned for “selling sex and nudity”.

Piers says, of female nudity, “don’t pretend it benefits any other woman or is anything that Emmeline Pankhurst and her Suffragettes would have ever done.” As a woman myself, I can frankly say that I do feel benefited by the likes of Kim Kardashian and Emily Ratajkowski should they chose to “writhe naked in spaghetti” because, in a world where women are still taught to be modest and courteous, they own their sexuality and take no shame in expressing love for their own bodies. Not because I am an ‘impressionable young girl’ — quite the opposite — but because seeing successful young women flaunting their bodies is liberating, no matter how much Piers doesn’t want it to be.

Men don’t get to tell women what is and isn’t liberating, or what is or isn’t empowering to modern women. As for the ridiculous comparison to the suffragettes, I am almost lost for words. Lo and behold, we have a 53-year-old apparently competent journalist attempting to draw parallels between feminist ideologies with over 100 years of social progression between them. It’s awkward and embarrassing. This impossible contrast only furthers the perception of Piers as a deteriorating public figure clutching to controversy and notoriety to stay relevant.

Ariana Grande, Little Mix, and the Kardashians are just a few of the women slammed by Piers on Twitter in recent weeks for getting naked. The descent of Piers Morgans’ column into the demonisation of successful young women clarifies just how fragile his threatened concept of masculinity is.

When his column about preserving masculinity quickly becomes a piece of rhetoric demonising successful young women, it becomes clear that those like Piers Morgan, who harbour such feelings of resentment towards openly sexual women, must be threatened by their success.

UoM contestant becomes unlikely star of University Challenge

The University of Manchester is through to the quarter-final of the BBC’s University Challenge after defeating Hertford College, Oxford in the final 16.

The showdown also led to one of UoM’s contestants becoming a social media star.

Joe Hanson, who is studying for a PhD in data-intensive science, was noticed by a number of viewers who took to Twitter with jokes about him flinching in response to the quiz show’s buzzer.

One user said: “Just caught up on last night’s University Challenge and Hanson might be my favourite contestant ever!”

Another person tweeted: “I am snorting at University Challenge, when Hanson jumped at the buzzer. He is me when I wake up every morning, remembering I’m alive. #UniversityChallenge”

Hanson, originally from Gravesend, Kent, also joined in on the gag – tweeting a GIF of himself captioned: “Playing it cool on #universitychallenge.”

UoM have secured a place in the next round after defeating the University of East London last month.

Hanson’s teammates include PhD students Alex Antao and Georgia Lynott. This year’s UoM team captain is James Ross, a master’s student from Coventry. The team has an average age of 26.

The University of Manchester has previously won University Challenge 4 times and are tied with Magdalen College, Oxford, for the highest number of victories.

University of Sheffield students to avoid distressing exam questions

Staff at the University of Sheffield have been told not to force students to write essays or answer exam questions on subjects that they might find distressing.

Guidance has reportedly been offered telling staff to “offer alternatives” so that students can answer ‘safer’ questions that won’t trigger them. Many exam papers already offer a variety of questions to choose from.

According to The Times, issues highlighted by the University of Sheffield as potentially sensitive material include “race, gender identity, politics, incest, HIV/Aids, faith and religion, sexuality, mental health, paedophilia, drugs and alcohol, abortion, rape, suicide, domestic and sexual violence, disability, torture, death and bereavement”.

Some students at the University of Sheffield complained last year about the distressing material contained on their English Literature course. The students wrote a letter arguing that they shouldn’t have to “put their own mental health at risk to receive an education”.

It is likely this will add to the debate about the extent to which students in higher education are exposed to things that might be considered upsetting.

Lecturers at Leeds Trinity University have recently been asked to stop using capital letters in assignments to avoid upsetting students and staff at Newcastle University have also been told that students could be eligible for resits or exemptions if they’re upset by material in exams.

After the University of Manchester Students’ Union passed a motion encouraging the use of ‘jazz hands’ to make events more accessible a media storm ensued, leading to The Daily Star newspaper decrying ‘snowflake Britain’ and denouncing the policy as ‘claptrap’.

People quickly took to Twitter to respond to the new advice given by the University of Sheffield to fellow staff members. One user said: “University is now for closed-minded snowflakes, not people who want to learn.”

Another said: “Why not go a step further so not to distress the poor Snowflakes? When they register just hand them their 1st class degree certificate. What is happening in this country?”

A spokesperson from the University of Sheffield said: “The guidance around teaching sensitive topics is to help staff confidently encourage debate, scrutiny and critical thinking – it is not aimed at preventing it.”