The Star Online: World Updates
The Star Online: World Updates |
- Chaos expected for university places in Britain - Independent
- Europe shocked, appalled by Syrian Hama assault
- Strong quake off Papua New Guinea, no immediate reports of damage
| Chaos expected for university places in Britain - Independent Posted: 31 Jul 2011 09:45 PM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - More than 200,000 university applicants in Britain will fail to get places this year, the head of the admissions service said in an interview with the Independent newspaper published on Monday. Chief executive of Ucas Mary Curnock Cook said a "carbon copy" of last year's confusion, when 210,000 youngsters did not get places, is inevitable.
This year has seen record interest from teenagers ahead of increasing tuition fees next year, the newspaper said, citing the University and College Admissions Service (Ucas). The number of candidates who fail to get into university is expected to rise when results are published in two weeks, which would repeat last summer's scramble following the publication of A-level results in August. Disappointed teenagers will have to accept that their applications were just "not strong enough," Curnock Cook told the newspaper. Applications have increased by 1.4 percent (9,000) but the number of university places available remains about the same. Curnock Cook said that those who fail to find a place on A-level day will be faced with two choices: "One is to go into clearing and the other is to re-apply next year." Last year, 50,000 students found places during the clearing process. (Reporting by Stephen Mangan; Editing by Alistair Lyon) Copyright © 2011 Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. | ||
| Europe shocked, appalled by Syrian Hama assault Posted: 31 Jul 2011 09:45 PM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - European leaders said they were shocked and appalled by Syria's use of tanks to storm the city of Hama on Sunday, an assault that activists say killed 80 civilians. President Bashar al-Assad's decision to send troops and heavy armour into the city where his father crushed an Islamist uprising in 1982 suggested he intends to use all means to snuff out protests rather than carry out his promises of reform.
Some analysts regarded the offensive, which came on the eve of Ramadan, as an attempt to deter further unrest during the Muslim holy month of fasting. "This attack and the continuing crackdown in other Syrian cities is even more unacceptable coming on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan," said European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. "The Syrian army and security forces have the duty to protect citizens, not to massacre them indiscriminately." EU governments plan to extend sanctions against Assad's government on Monday by slapping asset freezes and travel bans on five more people. The EU has already imposed sanctions on Assad and at least two dozen officials and targeted military-associated companies in Syria. "I am appalled by the reports that the Syrian security forces have stormed Hama with tanks and other heavy weapons this morning, killing dozens of people," British Foreign Secretary William Hague said. "The attacks are all the more shocking on the eve of the Muslim holy month. President Bashar is mistaken if he believes that oppression and military force will end the crisis." Italy called for a U.N. Security Council move on Syria, something opposed by Russia up to now. Even Syria's former ally Turkey joined others in calling for dialogue and a political settlement to end the violence. "Along with the rest of the Muslim world, Turkey is deeply disappointed and saddened at these developments on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan when it was expecting work to create an atmosphere of peace and quiet," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "The ongoing developments leave open to question the Syrian administration's sincerity and will to solve the problem by peaceful means," it said. (Additional reporting by David Brunnstrom in Brussels, Daren Butler in Istanbul, Catherine Hornby in Rome and Olesya Dmitracova in London; Writing by Jon Hemming; Editing by Mark Heinrich) Copyright © 2011 Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. | ||
| Strong quake off Papua New Guinea, no immediate reports of damage Posted: 31 Jul 2011 08:44 PM PDT CANBERRA (Reuters) - A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck off the coast of Papua New Guinea on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, but no tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of damage. The USGS said the quake was recorded at 2339 GMT on Sunday evening, 81 miles (130 km) east of the town of Wewak at a depth of 10.4 miles. But no tsunami warning was issued for nearby areas. A spokesman for Papua New Guinea's Geophysical Observatory in the capital Port Moresby said there had been no initial reports of damage. He said the quake was felt in Wewak with an intensity of five. No local tsunami alert was issued. PNG's National Disaster and Emergency Service said its office in Wewak had received no reports of damage. Copyright © 2011 Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. |
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