The prize is the first national award to be won by The Journal in its short, 7-month history. It was also highly commended in the Student Newspaper of the Year category.

Editor Ben Judge said: "This is a great achievement and a real vindication of all the hard work that has gone in to The Journal's first year in existence."

Described by the judging panel as "slick, stylish and incredibly easy to use," the Journal Online is the first website to win the inaugural New Media gong at the most prestigious student media event in Scotland.

Special recognition was given to The Journal's art director, Matt MacLeod, who designed and built the site.

The 2008 awards were hugely successful for the Glasgow University Guardian who took four of the eight awards, including Best Newspaper and Scottish Student Journalist of the Year.

The company's Falstaff undoubtedly comes an an odd time, following almost immediately on from Welsh National Opera's production starring Bryn Terfel in the title role. Enough glowing words have been written about Terfel, one would think, to unsettle followers on this year. In fact, Peter Sidhom is a fantastic Falstaff, showing no signs of an attempt to fill Terfel's fat-suit. An amalgam of The Merry Wives of Windsor and the Henry Plays, Falstaff tracks the famously fat knight's attempts to woo both Meg Page and Alice Ford at the same time. Convinced of his own powers of seduction, Falstaff is lured into several humiliations, including a dunk in the river which he survives only as a result of the buoyant properties of his belly. But in Sidhom's hands, the knight is not just "enormous Falstaff": Sidholm's Falstaff, of course, is ridiculous and brash. His voice rises, rich and satisfying, from deep in his belly. But he can also be paternal, magisterial and, at times, menacing. When he sings in typically aggrandising fashion of himself and points, hilariously and unwittingly, at a large wine stain on his grubby vest, there's a guilt in the laughter which is ever so slightly moving. It might be hard to laugh at Sir John were he not so damn funny.

He is supported by a here by a strong cast. Falstaff is lauded for the way in which Verdi and his librettist Arrigo Boito fused music and text and, under Peter Robinson's baton, this is the source of a great deal of fun. The cast are constantly engaged in slick synchronisation between music and action, erring very much on the side of slapstick. In another opera, the business might seem too much. But, since it lacks an overture, Falstaff must hit the ground running. This is achieved not only through careful choreography and an orchestra more than nimble enough to shadow it, but also through clever stage-setting. The first scene in the Garter Inn, for instance, distorts the perspective of the set with an angled beam across the proscenium arch. It's a subtle touch, but one which provides an exciting, disorientating stage picture for the opening drinking scene. Plaudits here must also go the female cast members who collectively comprise the Merry Wives of Windsor. Their scheming together could risk feeling like a necessary prelude to the hilarious denouements with Falstaff. Here, however, the women's energetic vocal acting—laughing, goading and mock impersonating—gives a real edge, as well as a lovely sense of cameradie to their ensemble work. The opera's real love interest, Nannetta (Lucy Crowe), in particular hits just the right balance between bold feistiness and a captivating romantic lyricism.

There is, however, one sour note struck, frustratingly, in the final scene. It's a shame, since Dominic Hill's staging of the episode, in isolation, is interesting. Set in Windsor Forest, the scene sees Falstaff tormented by evil sprites and spirits – in fact another trick arranged by the viciously merry wives. To denote the forest and, perhaps, to spirit in a touch of magic to accompany the other-wordly pageant, Hill has tree trunks drop from the rafters, ripping through paper panels in the set the remaining suspended in mid-air. Undoubtedly, this is visually appealing, and the idea of ripping the set prods at ideas about the artificiality of opera and of its ludicrous goings-on.

The problem is that this sits ill at ease with the rest of the production, which stays firmly on the side of the real, rather than the surreal. This is a production which delights in the ludicrous goings-on, lavishing not only believability, but also pathos upon Falstaff's trials. It is a production in which Falstaff is credibly dirty and balding, rather than wholly ridiculous, meaning the humour springs from fully formed—and grossly flawed—characters, rather than types. It is a production which works by allowing Verdi's music to poke fun at the action, leaving the characters for the most part unaware that their reality is an elaborate ruse. The final fuge, 'Tutto nel mondo è burla' ('All in the world is a joke'), could be a real revelation. Instead the trees pre-empt this and, as such, seem more appropriate to a very different production.

This sense of the uneasy trickery of opera, is much more of a focus point in Judith Weir's A Night at the Chinese Opera. Premiered in 1987, the piece has been seldom performed since. It's not tough to guess why: A Night at the Chinese Opera is hard work indeed for an audience in a way that Falstaff is perhaps not. And yet, despite the contrasts, the decision to place these works alongside each other at the end of the season appears to be very well judged. Falstaff is a reminder that Verdi, the great tragedian, was also an excellent comedian. Here it is also serves as a reminder that opera may well achieve nothing if it fails to entertain. In recognising that there lies a great deal of fun in Weir's complex opera, Lee Blakeley makes this point with aplomb.

It's a clever decision since, without making such links, one risks stranding an audience with very little to compare A Night at the Chinese Opera to. Overlapping layers of plot and of music unravel the story of Chao Lin who, orphaned after the invasion by the armies of Khubilai Khan, is driven by a misconception of his own fate towards tragically failed rebellion against his masters – masters under whom he has had great success building roads.

Cast adrift from familiar musical languages of mood and of character, Damian Thantray does brilliantly to flesh out the character of Chao Lin. Weir's music is exceptionally sparse and the doubling of instruments with vocal lines leaves little space for the sort of vocal inventiveness seen in Falstaff. But far from proving an obstacle, this produces beautifully taught passages of music and a tension between vocalist and orchestra in which subtle changes in instrumentation or vocal styles precipitate thrilling swings of mood or emotion. The director helps here, having cast a very striking looking actor in Thantray, whose strong facial features flicker between the imperious road-builder and the vulnerable orphan.

Elsewhere, however, looks prove less successful: the Military Governor, a counter-tenor, is frankly ridiculous with his shaven head, thin moustache and all in one robe. Sartorially correct, perhaps, for a figure-of-fun despot, the Military Governer is anything but. Reno Troilus is, in fact, vocally superb in the role, avoiding the man-with-squeaky-voice pitfalls which can make a counter-tenor seem effeminate. Instead, Troilus is cold and precise: in the final act when the tyrant's robe is unbuttoned to reveal glimpses of skin, the physical, latently violent edge here is far more chilling than a twee moustache could ever achieve.

His counterpart, Nicholas Warden as the Mongolian soldier, is truly menacing throughout the performance, particularly in the scene which sees the Military Governor and the soldier singing together, Warden's very deep bass and Troilus's high, aloof counter-tenor jarring at the extreme ends of the male vocal spectrum. The effect is startling: the physical and intellectual levels of military dictatorship clash and pull away from each other, but unite at that moment to squeeze out all of the voices onstage. Weir writes here of the terrifying coerciveness of rule by force, and Blakeley's production seizes upon opera's uncanny ability to reproduce this terror.

However, Warden skulks around the set maybe a little to much. It's a very slight criticism, but where most of the movement elsewhere is so beautifully choreographed this stands out, particularly in comparison to the triad of actors who tackle the play-within-a-play – 'The Orphan of the Chao Family'. Precise, varied and highly stylised, much of work's comedy and visual appeal—of which there is a great deal—stems from here. The shadow-puppet work behind (and in front) of an illuminated screen, one suspects, is the central set piece which can really make or break this opera since its themes and images extend throughout the work. It is a long scene and, here, the energy levels and excitement never dip. The vocal dexterity of the three is terrific, each negotiating multiple accents and styles with great success. Maze-like and beguiling, A Night at the Chinese Opera is a truly intriguing piece of contemporary opera.

Because none of this is new to the Tesco family, of course, Tesco Lotus has, with greater resources and savvy than “mom and pop stores anywhere”, typically invested in media and public relations to sell Thais on the virtues of the impersonal, monolithic, allegedly culturally disruptive shopping experience. One of its newest concepts in Thailand, for example, is that of the "Green Store": an environmentally-friendly mall, its website explains, with "70 energy-saving initiatives [that can] reduce energy consumption in a normal store by 30 percent…and carbon emissions by 40 percent."

Laudable.

But in winning hearts and minds, or at least silence, nothing saves on hot air (or methane) quite like the decision to finally just shut up, and compel everybody else to do the same. Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Thai Prime Minister who bought Manchester City, figured as much when his satellite and telecommunications conglomerate demanded $10 million in defamation damages against four Thai journalists and an NGO researcher who looked into Shin profits that skyrocketed on the first year of Mr. Thaksin's premiership. Taking a page from Shin, perhaps, Tesco has now filed four libel suits in a span of five months, seeking total damages of more than $40 million.

The latest of those suits, filed this month in Britain, targets The Guardian for a story questioning Tesco's tax filings. The three other defamation charges were all filed between November 2007 and March 2008 in Thailand by Tesco Lotus, and hail to court a consumer advocate and two columnists who all railed against the company's aggressive expansion in the land at the expense of small retailers. At least one of the columnists also raised questions about Tesco Lotus' accounting and tax filing procedures.

That the company would seek staggering damages against advocates and media practitioners signals to observers a resolve finally to abandon the civil discourse, and instead simply, by making examples of a few stunned souls, to stifle discussions and criticism altogether.

The hopeful view among free speech advocates in Thailand is that none of these cases will prosper in court. Shin Corp's case ultimately did not, and the fact is that Thai judges in the past have acknowledged a reasonable bar on defamation where public interest matters are concerned. But the heavy handedness demonstrated in such "mega defamation suits" arguably isn't about winning in court, but simply about showing one's heavy hand. In a developing country such as Thailand, especially, where journalists can earn less than $8,000 a year, $40 million in damages is staggering but also plainly ludicrous – yet undeniably there is enough of a chilling effect that comes with the hard and immediate costs of hiring a lawyer and attending hearings over a case that can drag on for years. Supinya Klangnarong, the researcher sued by Thaksin's Shin Corp. in late 2003, estimates that her two-and-a-half-year legal expenses cost her (and her supporters) more than $30,000.

It's worth noting that Tesco Lotus' defamation suits will have that much more of an intimidating edge as it tests a new law in Thailand that ironically seeks to protect and empower editors and publishing companies, but that apparently may also leave individual journalists feeling more vulnerable. Thailand's Press Registration Act of 2006, among other things, protects newspaper editors and publishers from automatically sharing in defamation suits brought against their writers. Under the 1941 law the Press Registration Act of 2006 replaces, the editor (and/or the publisher) had to share liabilities with the author. Now entities filing defamation charges have the option to sue just individual writers – which is exactly what Tesco Lotus has done. The strategy will no doubt resonate with individual journalists, while sending the signal to their principals and companies not to get involved.

It is as calculated and divisive, in other words, as even just a wounding attack on the isolated and the weak. Tesco Lotus actions in Thailand constitute harassment, pure and simple, not only of consumer advocates and civil society actors, but of journalists and commentators in general; of free expression and press freedom. The attack is on individuals, but the costs and reaping are, as it were, wholesale.

Our own missionary journey began in 1998 as an informal Christian Bible study in our flat at Haymarket. It wasn’t a very impressive beginning and for the first year we had a typical attendance of about 5 people. But as we near our 10 year anniversary we’ve just purchased a former 1000 seat Cinema/Bingo Hall in Gorgie, purchased through the generous and sacrificial giving of the congregation who are passionate about making a positive impact on this great city.So why have we made such progress? We present a timeless message in a timely way. We have found that while many have stopped attending church in Scotland, their desire and need to seek God was still there. Our approach has been to communicate the old school Christian message in way that our culture can understand. The human need hasn’t changed, the message hasn’t changed, but the culture has changed and so the delivery must change. So we have a great rock gospel band, we make and screen short films, we communicate the message through dance, rap and acting, and when I preach I aim to relate the Bible to real life. We acknowledge however that the way we "do Church" won’t appeal to everyone. Therefore we count it a great honour to be serving our City alongside other great churches who vary greatly in outward style yet carry the same core message.

We’ve realised that people don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care. In Scotland there is a saying, “it’s better felt than telt.” For us authentic Christianity isn’t merely about a message that can get you to heaven, it’s also a message that challenges us to love others and take responsibility for the world around us. St Francis of Assisi put it well when he said: “preach the gospel wherever you go and when necessary use words.” While Sunday services are important we also place high priority on our mid week community activities. On a typical week we connect with between 150-250 people most of whom don’t attend our services. We run 3 mum and baby groups and are about to start a 4th group for mums and babies with special needs. We run youth work, we offer a free counselling service and we offer free English classes for the growing Polish community. Recently we’ve launched a help line (www.destinyangels.org) through which we can help people who don’t have any where else to turn. We also have a food store from which we give out food parcels to those in need.

We welcome everyone. Jesus was a very controversial figure in his day. The religious leaders hated the way that he would spend time with anyone no matter their lifestyle, their religious persuasions (or lack of them), social class or race. He did this without compromising his message or his challenge. Jesus, unlike the religious leaders of his day, was known by what he was for rather than what he was against. Unlike Jesus, many churches today are hostile environments for the “unchurched”, they are cold, unwelcoming and judgemental, lacking in authenticity and credibility. As a result numbers dwindle. As a Church we work hard at welcoming everyone to our services and as a result we have an incredible mix of social classes, races, religious and philosophical backgrounds and histories.

It’s ironic that today I’m a pastor because as a kid my parents had to drag me to Church; it was the last place I wanted to be. My disinterest continued until I was 15 when one night in an alley in Glasgow I met God. From then on I had a new vision of how exciting and creative church could be.

The hysteria of a small number of city residents over the presence of students in certain areas of the city, such as the popular Marchmont and Bruntsfield areas, have been exploited as political capital by councillors such as Alan Henderson who professes to believe that the overly expensive, halls-of-residence style accommodation provided by such companies as UNITE, is the best thing for students.

As if worried that paying around £115 per week for a single room in a purpose built complex—when the average price to rent in a shared flat is between £75-85—may not be seen as the best thing by students, the Council have long had in the works plans to limit the housing stock available to students, serving to limit the options of some and raise the cost of living for others. Through regulating the number of HMO licence approvals, the council are effectively able to determine how many students are able to live in a given area.

This misguided policy does not only affect students, but young professionals and those unable to afford the heavily inflated prices of a city-centre apartment. The rental sector is crucial to any city, and the HMO quotas will do nothing but damage Edinburgh’s economy and socio-economic diversity.

It is true that anti-social behaviour among Edinburgh’s more transient population must be tackled, but to do so in such a manner that effectively tars all students, indeed all those who don’t own their housing, with the same brush is foolish, and—according to several legal experts—will not stand up when challenged in court. Nuisance neighbours are just than, a nuisance, and must be dealt with on an individual basis. Official warnings and anti-social behaviour orders are powers councils have at their disposal to deal with inconsiderate students keeping young families and elderly neighbours awake at all hours, and they are effective. To set aside “student areas” is really not the ideal way to deal with a relatively straight-forward issue.

The president of the Edinburgh University Students’ Association, Josh MacAlister, is right when he says "Students should be able to live where they want to. If they are fed up after first year of living in ‘hall-type’ accommodation, then they should have the freedom to live amongst the community." Students are so often maligned as loud, lazy and obnoxious, exploited by landlords, universities and employers and attacked by point-scoring politicians but let’s not forget our contribution to the local economy and the diversity of the city. We deserve the basic dignity of being allowed to decide where we live.

Perhaps the media was too caught up with Blair’s immanent departure? The painting of Gordon Brown as the all-conquering hero arriving to save us from the shallow, empty aestheticism of Blairism was well under-way and analysis of the 2007 Budget would have been denounced as plain, old-fashioned party-pooping; an irony lost, it would seem, on Her Majesty’s Press. Despite having been on the table for a year, it was only as D-day approached that the media noticed that abolishing the 10p tax band was Robin Hood-ism in reverse. Indeed, it was only two weeks ago that we collectively noticed that Gordon Brown had completed the transition of New Labour into Not Labour long before he had even assumed power.

How inconceivable it seems, even five years ago, that a Labour government would have passed a budget that took from over five million working poor - of whom students funding their increasingly expensive degrees through increasingly necessary McJobs are a significant minority - to fund tax cuts for the comfortable. This is Gordon Brown’s legacy, the man touted as the courageous and principled egalitarian who in reality has shown nothing but cowardice in the face of issues of moral and political gravity. Having caved into the Catholic lobby over embryonic research which has the potential to save lives and relieve the suffering of countless millions worldwide, having made the wrong choices on ID cards and the extension of police powers to detain without charge, having bankrolled the Iraq war without whispering a peep of dissent and having now shown complete disregard for the corner-stone principle of progressive taxation, Brown is proving himself a far more dangerous figure to the Labour movement than any champion the Tories may send into battle.

Timing has seen to it that such a policy can’t simply be swept under the carpet. An economic crisis looms as the financial markets struggle to recover from the sub-prime fiasco and world food prices are sky-rocketing. These are not the days when even the most ardently Thatcherite neo-liberal can turn a blind eye to the plight of the British labourer, although Brown must wish this to be the case. While in 2007 Brown allayed fears of being seen as “too Socialist” for Middle England by the base-rate of tax by 2p, having done so at the expense of the poor and not the super-rich is mortifying. The Labour back-benches are fuming, talk of revolt is buzzing around Westminster and revolt on such a flagship policy will spell the end for Brown, long before he has the opportunity to lose the next general election.

Rightfully, then, his approval ratings have fallen faster than any Prime Minister since that suffered by Neville Chamberlain in 1940 – who, as Hitler invaded Norway, had much bigger problems to contend with than a dip in house prices and a yes/no decision on whether to hold an early election.

It is probably worth mentioning that “networking” is one of those overused corporate terms that every job seeker frequently runs into. In this instance, by networking I mean simply the act of seeking out and speaking to people that have some connection to a potential employer.

Before embarking on my own job search, I remember doubting that I would be able to find contacts to speak to who would actually prove to be helpful. I was pleasantly surprised not only by the ease with which I did find people to get in touch with, but also their willingness to provide assistance and advice.

In my case, the best source of contacts was my university’s alumni network, which provided me with names and details of individuals with links to almost every company I was looking into. Many of my friends and acquaintances were also able to find me helpful people to speak to at companies I was interested in. Though I personally didn’t call on them, I know many people who found valuable contacts through their parents and other family relations as well.

The importance of networking quickly became apparent to me during the first phase of my job search – figuring out what I wanted to do. Job descriptions can be remarkably poor at conveying any real sense of what one will actually be doing day to day. I found that talking to as many people as I could about what they were doing and what I wanted to do really helped me start to clarify what industries and companies I should be looking at.

When I began sending out applications, talking to people who worked or had worked at the companies to which I was applying was also incredibly useful. Most potential employers are looking for specific qualities in job applicants and I found that through networking I was able to get a much better understanding of what those criteria were. This helped me tailor my CV and covering letter to each specific company as well as helping me identify the companies I was best suited to.

Many organisations want to see that you have an understanding not only of what they do but of what their specific values are. By gaining an understanding of these and demonstrating this understanding in your application, you are much more likely to be invited to interview.

It is also worth mentioning that current employees at many companies may be willing to act as a referrer for your application. While the impact of this on your application is debatable and no doubt varies depending on the company in question, being referred by an existing employee will definitely not do any harm.

As is the case for most people, I was only invited to interview with a few of the companies to which I had applied. Having spoken to others who had been through the interview process with the same organisations proved very helpful. While you are unlikely to be able to reduce the amount of time spent preparing, having a good sense of what the criteria you will be evaluated on are is invaluable. At the very least, speaking to past candidates will ensure that you don’t find yourself surprised by the interview process.

While at first I was reluctant to reach out to people with whom I had no previous contact, I was surprised by how willing the vast majority of people I spoke to were to provide advice. I would encourage anyone starting a job search to try to network if for no other reason than to ensure you know what you’re getting yourself into.

However, one day in the summer before my final year, things suddenly changed. After an incredibly stressful shift running around with a Canadian TV journalist, I started to see a few cracks in my masterplan. Staring at this underpaid, undervalued and probably quite unwell 42-year old, I suddenly saw a terrible caricature of my chosen profession.

I was also beginning to feel increasingly frustrated with the temporal limitations of journalism, where I was usually expected to master a topic in a matter of hours and where the kind of substantial investigative work I loved was few and far between. It was also around this time that I began researching for my undergraduate dissertation, looking at the bizarre world of online gamers. I was struck by the time and freedom I had to breathe life into the project and slowly saw how outside reading enhanced the clarity of my thoughts. Put simply, over the following months I became a geek, a full-blown nerd, and my entire final year was spent in pursuit of that elusive first.

I'm not sure you strictly 'need' a first to go into academia but it certainly helps. A lot. Midway through my final year I decided to start looking for masters courses. I knew I wanted to follow the herd to London, but with my subject being sociology good post-grad options were scarce. I finally decided on London School of Economics, mainly due to reputation, but also stupidly because I was seduced by the fact they demanded a first.

Thankfully, I got my first and trotted down to The Big Smoke, full of enthusiasm and ambition. Eight months later the ambition remains but the enthusiasm has taken a bit of a battering. London is not the place to be an impoverished student and LSE not the best academic environment. Crammed full of the world's future elite, egos jostle for position throughout the tiny campus. And then there are the fees. LSE is a powerful international brand and somehow gets away with charging extortionate tuition fees. Thankfully, a combination of savings, grandparents and a very supportive father has helped me through. But it hasn't been easy. I currently live in "Britain's gun-crime capital" in South East London and I think our house is the only one in the borough which hasn't been burgled. Only last week our next door neighbour was broken into. The burglars were so enthusiastic they knocked the front door down so hard it completely came off its hinges. The poor old lady had no front door for the next week. A bit of a contrast from the tame utopias of Bruntsfield and Marchmont, anyway.

The other thing to remember about the 'academic route' is that a masters is less about indulging intellectual whims and more about learning the craft of research. In the case of sociology, this has meant courses and courses of statistics.

For those wishing to go further, a large part of a masters is also taken up agonising over a PhD proposal. And the big issue is funding. Again, you don't 'have to' get funding to do a PhD but from my experience it's not a pleasant affair otherwise. Over the last few months I've talked to a number of PhD students, some funded some not. Those with funding appear almost normal, bar the customary weirdness mentioned above. However, it's the unfunded students that you can't help but worry about. Usually trying to combine full-time study with 25 hour-a-week jobs, most wear permanent looks of wild-eyed desperation and report 4, 5 and 6 year PhD terms. As you might imagine, I was keen to avoid such a scenario so locked myself in the LSE library for months getting a funding proposal together.

Convincing yourself you can actually do a 100,000-word piece of research is pretty hard, but convincing a bunch of academics is even tougher. I advise staying on safe ground and picking something you already have some awareness or experience with. I have been lucky to be involved with the Edinburgh Fringe for the last four years, so picking my topic wasn't too difficult. Still, it still took reading about 40 books to feel I had a vaguely innovative angle and months of editing to cut my thoughts down to a three-page proposal. You also need to think about where you want to do your PhD, who is going to supervise the project and where you have the best chance of funding. In my case, my project and academic performance suggested Edinburgh as the only realistic choice.

Even then I had to contend with the reality that Edinburgh receives over 200 sociology PhD applications every year and there are only two fully funded ESRC places. Although the odds are better in the physical sciences, fierce competition is pretty consistent throughout academia. If you get the funding, however, the financial reality isn't bad at all. As well as paying £3,000 a year in fees, the ESRC will also give you about £13,000-a-year tax free, as well as about £1,000 for research expenses. Combine this with a couple of hours teaching a week and you're looking at the equivalent of a job worth well over £20,000 a year.

Suffice to say I probably wouldn't be writing this article if I hadn't been one of the lucky ones. Who knows, I might even have a real job by the time I'm 30.

If you have said yes to any of these it is worth considering Teach First. Set up five years ago, the charity has already opened the eyes of thousands of children across the UK, released a policy document, been graded outstanding by Ofsted - the board of the schools inspectors - and substantially raised the attainment of children in complex urban schools in the UK.

Teach First is an independent charity launched in July 2002. Its mission is to address educational disadvantage by transforming exceptional graduates into effective and inspirational teachers and leaders in all fields. As an organisation, our aims are: to recruit over 350 additional teachers a year by recruiting, training and placing graduates for an initial two years in challenging secondary schools throughout London, the North West and the Midlands; to attract exceptional graduates from leading UK universities that would not otherwise choose to teach but, with the right training and support, relish the opportunity to make a difference to the life-chances of pupils in the most challenging schools; and to build a new generation of leaders committed to advancing education beyond their two-year commitment to Teach First, regardless of whether they remain in teaching.

On the other side of the coin, you will complete a bespoke leadership development programme at Tanaka School of Business and the Institute of Education at Imperial College. The leadership course is supported by more than 80 of the UK’s most prestigious employers all of which recognise and value the skills and experience developed in teaching. These organisations include; Capgemini, Capital One, Citigroup, Clifford Chance, HSBC, KPMG, McKinsey & Company, Microsoft, Shell, Credit Suisse, First Boston, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, Goldman Sachs, and UBS. You are encouraged to take part in one of our fantastic internships in any sector after your first year. Not only will you explore that field but you will also learn about how other organisations are run and enjoy an experience to weave into your rich tapestry of life. Alongside those internships offered by our supporters you could work in any organisation from social enterprise to the Government, from banking to Teachers TV. There are also skills training sessions (such as ‘How to manage your manager!’ - Sometimes a crucial workshop if you want to get things done in a school) and chances to be paired up with a mentor, a professional from any sector. You will attend lectures in Marketing, Strategy and Finance to help with a role in school management or another career choice. Overall you will build towards your Teach First Diploma certificate.

Upon graduating from the programme, you will become an Ambassador of Teach First. This glorious title is not to make for a mere talking point, more to support you in the positive impacts that you can still make in education. Roughly half our ambassadors move out of teaching, to lead in other fields. You will have the opportunity to use the experiences and insights you have gained in teaching to inform future decision-making in a way that will positively impact education. Our 70 Edinburgh ambassadors have already paved their way at Unilever, the Council of Economic Advisors, Deloitte and other consultancy firms, to list just a few.

Already this year, 22 budding Edinburgh graduates will be starting on their Teach First journeys. Each of these individuals will have a different adventure interacting with hundreds of children, their families and their colleagues on a daily basis.

Teach First encourages graduates to recognise teaching as one of the few professions where they can really make a difference in society through improving the life chances of young people, while also developing transferable skills in a highly challenging environment.

Pedram Parasmand, a Physics graduate from Imperial College crystallises the experience: ‘When you know that you’ve got through to someone and helped them understand, it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.’

Professor Michael Worton, Vice-Provost, UCL comments: ‘At UCL, we set out to provide our students with an education for the challenges of global citizenship: to encourage them to develop academically, but also personally and socially. Teaching is an ideal career for our graduates: a chance to work directly with young people, to contribute to their development, and to channel academic knowledge into a tool which encourages others to be ambitious for themselves and to achieve their full potential.’

Jo Owen, a former partner with Accenture and Capgemini explains: ‘Future leaders learn early on the tough skills of managing people, leadership, initiative and entrepreneurialism. Teach First helps graduates gain these skills – skills for a lifetime that lead to the top.’

Mortgage lenders have virtually shut up shop, with some providers halting all new lending of any kind.

Those seeking finance for their first home who do find a lender willing to take on new business are faced with the prospect of having to produce a deposit worth 25 percent of their desired property’s value, or accept punitive interest rates.

Rises in the cost of mortgages have wiped out any relief for borrowers granted by the Bank of England’s cuts to the base interest rate. Speaking to The Guardian, a spokeswoman for a major lender said: "Our costs of funding are higher and like all lenders we have to adapt to changes in the marketplace."

In the wake of the current lack of liquidity between major lending banks, Prime Minister Gordon Brown has called on financial institutions to disclose the level of bad property loans they have in their portfolios.

Halifax, Britain’s largest mortgage lender, has increased the cost of its two-year deals by half a percent - adding £1,000 a year to a £200,000 home loan.

16 buy-to-let mortgage lenders, including NatWest, have withdrawn all their products from the market.

The government has been forced into providing further aid to struggling banks; a program by which banks can exchange risky mortgages for stable short-term government bonds is expected to pump up to £50 billion of government money into the sector.

Meanwhile, house prices in Scotland have failed to follow the national trend, with 37% of local property surveyors reporting a rise in prices despite a national fall of some 4% - the worst such decrease for three decades.

The number of first time buyers has fallen to a record low, with the Council of Mortgage lenders reporting only 50,300 mortgages being taken out at the beginning of 2008. Only 18,000 of these were taken out by first-time buyers, the lowest figures since records began.

The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) reported that the average number of new home buyers per month, by its calculations, has fallen from 276 to 243.

Stewart Lily, president of the NAEA, said: "The figures reported in February echo the current climate of confusion that is clouding the property market at present.

"Invariably, the global credit crunch, especially the US situation, has had a knock-on effect, which coupled with consumer inflation, is placing continuing pressure onto the property market."

According to the study, 4.2 per cent of those living in the most deprived areas of the Lothians have diabetes compared to 2.4 per cent in more affluent areas. Surprisingly, the Edinburgh-area also has a worse debetes rate than deprived areas of Glasgow, where 3.2 per cent are sufferers.

Speaking to The Journal, Dr Sarah Wild, senior lecturer in epidemiology and public health at Edinburgh University, said: "The key message of the paper is that risk factors for heart disease among people with diabetes that can be treated with tablets such as blood pressure and high cholesterol are at similar levels regardless of deprivation, showing that health services appear to be equitable, but lifestyle risk factors such as smoking and obesity are more common in deprived than affluent populations and are much more difficult to address."

Type-2 diabetes, the form of diabetes that tends to develop in adulthood and may not require insulin treatment, is the most common form of diabetes and accounts for 85-90% of all cases of diabetes in the UK. The largest contributory factor to the disease is obesity, and patterns of diabetes generally correlate with areas where the population is overweight or have poor diet.

“This is the major concern," said Dr Wild. "Fantastic improvements have been made in heart disease but that is now starting to level off, or even increase, because of higher diabetes prevalence.

"If children are starting to develop diabetes – it used to affect people during middle age – they will be living with it for longer, and will have more time to develop problems such as heart disease, kidney failure and blindness.

"So it is a concern that we are seeing more and more people with diabetes."

A woman was shot in the face by a paintball-gun toting thug on a car showcourt in Portobello last week.

The 34-year old was wandering around the Arnold Clark showroom on Seafield Road East when she was hit from close range by a pink paintball pellet.

The woman was taken to hospital by paramedics.

Arnold Clark Motorstore manager Paul Brown said: "Kevin was showing her round the cars when she all of a sudden collapsed. The paintball had hit her in the face, and if it had been a few centimetres higher it could have taken her eye out.

"If you've ever been hit with a paintball you'll realise that it hurts when you're wearing two pairs of heavy trousers, but I can't imagine what it would be like to get hit full on in the face – at point blank range – without goggles.

Wiki-aye, wiki-naw

A UK-based web development, entering it's public beta-testing, is looking to become the next big thing online: a social debating website.

Aiming to be the "Wikipedia of debates", Debatewise.com offers people the chance to do intellectual battle with others all over the world on a wide range of burning issues from the news cycle.

David Crane, CEO and founder of Debatewise.com, said: "The aim of Debatewise is to further debate and to start where Wikipedia ends.

"Wikipedia proves that huge numbers of people are willing to contribute what they know in order to better inform others. However, one of their founding principles is neutrality, which means posting opinions is forbidden. Yet the vast majority of the eight million posts people make to forums and blogs every day are opinions."

The site allows people to go head to head over issues such as ID cards, cannabis declassification and how much longer Facebook is likely to last.

Nothing is safe from the "special relationship"

Gordon Brown's love for all things American is to be reflected in a series of higher education schemes to be developed by leading academic ambassadors that will lead to greater cooperation between universities in Britain and the US.

Mr Brown has assigned Kings College London principal, Prof Rick Trainor, the task of building a closer relationship between universities on both sides of the Atlantic. He will buddy-up with his New York University counterpart to examine ways to better cooperate.

Mr Trainor said: "I am delighted to take forward this initiative with New York University and other US and UK universities.

"Here at King's we recently collaborated with New York University to be among the first to receive the new Transatlantic Digitization Collaboration Grant so I know that the partnership group will be able to build on many important academic collaborations.

"As a member of the UK/US Fulbright Commission and a Rhodes Scholar, I also have a great personal interest in student mobility."

"Barristers and solicitor firms who actively seek to represent students who have a complaint have contributed to the rise," said Lady Deech, the chief adjudicator, who blamed a “litigation culture” for the increase.

She told The Guardian: "The rise in the number of complaints is due to many more students challenging their degree and exam results. This is probably because there are so many more graduates emerging onto the job market now that graduating with, say, a lower second, is insufficient for success. They want very good marks in order to stand out."

"Older students might have given up a job and will be more focused on the employment prospects than the life experience that 18- or 19-year-olds get at university."

At present, 6 out of 10 complaints are made by students over the age of 25. Last year, £173,000 compensation was recommended to be given out following 732 complaints. That list is 148 complaints longer than in 2006, when 586 were received.

However, Bill Rammell, the higher education secretary, said: “The six hundred complainants represent less than two hundredths of 1% of the student population.

"And only a quarter of the complaints received were upheld. That's about 150 cases out of almost three and a half million students in the system."

Lady Morgan, the minister for students, said: "We need to hear students' views so that we can help improve the university experience for them and future learners."

Mr Ramsay secured a sizable victories over his rivals, winning 2271 first-choice votes (49.77 per cent of the first round) and only narrowly missed out on avoiding a second round of voting.

In the following round, after Nick Ward – who only secured 12.86 percent – was eliminated, Ramsay was awarded enough votes under the single transferable vote system to triumph over nearest rival Gabriel Arafa who took 23.45 percent of first-choice votes.

Harry Cole won 13.68 per cent of the vote and finished third.

In total, 4563 votes were cast in the presidential election, representing a total turnout of approximately 19.24 per cent of eligible students. Turnout fell some two hundred votes short of last years record of 4750.

The election results had been withheld for six weeks, while Mr Ramsay appealed against his disqualification from the race after being accused of cheating.

It was announced on 29 March that Mr Ramsay had won his appeal, following a decision by the elections appeal committee, which consisted of the university secretary Melvin Cornish and Prof Douglas Brodie, dean of the Law School.

The appeal itself had been delayed for several weeks after wrangling over who was allowed to sit on the committee, which usually consists of the sitting EUSA president, the vice president (services) and the rector of the university. Complaints were received about perceived conflicts of interest and all three were withdrawn from the committee.

The announcement was delayed a further three weeks until it was made certain that none of Mr Ramsay’s rivals were to challenge the appeal committee’s decision at an extra-ordinary general meeting.

Mr Ramsay was disqualified on 5 March, the second day of voting, was disqualified from the election by the students’ association’s returning officer, Graham Boyack, after two supporters were found to be campaigning at the University of Edinburgh’s Pollock Halls of Residence out-with permitted hours.

Mr Ramsay told The Journal: “I am very much looking forward to taking up the position of President over the summer. In particular, I am looking forward to working with the three Vice Presidents - George Thomas, Naomi Hunter, and Guy Bromley; and the whole team at EUSA.

"I am delighted that the appeals committee found in my favour. I did not personally break any rules in this election. The only rule that was broken was by my supporters had almost no impact on the final result.”

Harry Cole, who suffered in the polls as a result of revelations that he had mislead the electorate over his involvement in the now-infamous attack-blog EUSAless, said at the time of Mr Ramsay’s disqualification: “Nobody wants a cheat as president and nobody wants the EUSA elections process dragged through the mud.”

Losing candidate, Nick Ward, also said at the time: “I really do not think that the students want a cheat as a President and I cannot see how he will be able to form any relationship of trust with any other elected officials or members of staff.”

Next year’s sabbatical team will be made up of Mr Ramsay, Guy Bromley as Vice President (Academic Affairs), Vice President (Services) George Thomas and Vice President (Societies and Activities) Naomi Hunter.

In the TNS System Three poll, 41% of Scots questioned favoured the Scottish Government negotiating an independence settlement with Westminster, compared to 40% against. This is one of a very small number of surveys that position support for independence ahead of support for the union.

In previous TNS polls, conducted in August and November 2007, support for independence has stood below that of the status quo. In their first survey, 50% of respondents did not agree with Scottish Independence, compared with 35% who did.

Scottish political commentators have put the change down to a strong period of successful governance by the SNP since their election victory in May 2007. Such success in power is a central pillar of the SNP’s attempts to win over the Scottish people to the thought of independence.

TNS managing director Chris Eynon said: "This represents a very dramatic turnaround over the period of eight months since August 2007. The poll suggests that, based on the SNP's performance in power since the May election, public confidence in the ability of Scotland to run its own affairs as an independent state has increased."

First minister Alex Salmond said: "The poll is further and dramatic evidence that as the SNP delivers good government in the devolved areas, so support for Scotland to be governed equally well in all areas with independence is surging. And the poll clearly indicates that Westminster attempts to bully Scotland and the Scottish Government is also boosting support for equality for Scotland, and a parliament with full powers.

"People want a government that will speak up for Scotland - not shut up for London. It is a tremendous boost for the SNP in the run up to our conference - it will have our opponents choking on their cornflakes."

Comedienne Elaine C. Smith, who convenes the SNP’s Independence Convention said: "This poll is welcome, but the support for independence is something we have known about for some time. The Scottish people must now have their right to speak in a referendum."

Conventional wisdom has long suggested that, should a referendum be called, Scots would ultimately vote against it, with many independent surveys suggesting barely more than a quarter of the population supports a break-away.

Whilst this poll is encouraging for the SNP, it still lacks the parliamentary majority to call a popular vote. The Scottish Government currently face staunch opposition from Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

Labour MSP Jackie Baillie said: "There is no doubt that the vast majority of Scots don't want an end to the Union, and the SNP are well aware of that. Scots want to walk tall in the Union, not walk out."

TNS polled 977 respondents between 26 March and 4 April.

Originally put forward in Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s last budget as Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2007, the proposals have drawn fierce criticism from Labour MPs who feel that the move penalises low income workers.

Led by prominent Labour Party figures, such as former Welfare Minister Frank Field, back benchers are threatening to embarrass the Prime Minister when the measures come to a vote on Monday 28 April.

“We have never had a measure where we are being asked to vote for a package that makes 5 million of the poorest people worse off, who are doing exactly what the government has asked people to do, that is work,” Mr Field told the BBC.

“It looks to me like this is a train wreck going to happen. I didn't come into politics to make my constituents who earn £6,000 a year worse off,” one Labour MP told the Guardian.

The leader of the Trade Union Congress, Brendan Barber, also condemned the proposed tax system.

"We have concerns that on a whole range of issues the call has been wrong, that the government has been paying too much attention to the siren voices of those campaigning for the super-rich and the corporate elite," he said. "They should not be intimidated by self-interested lobbies. They should have greater political confidence to set out their programme."

Tory and Liberal Democrat MPs will join any Labour rebels in opposing the government, heightening the chances of a defeat for Mr Brown and the current Chancellor, Alastair Darling.

The Prime Minister was forced to take time out from the schedule of his trip to the United States last week to avert the resignation of a senior parliamentary aide, Angela Smith, and avoid the embarrassing headlines that would result.

While no frontbenchers have yet broken ranks over the policy, the prospect of further resignations remains. Two further aides working under Cabinet Office minister Ed Milliband, have written to the Prime Minister to "to express [their] concerns over the effect that the 10p tax rate abolition will have on [our] constituents.”

Proposals to appease dissenting voices within the Labour Party are being leaked to the press in advance of Monday’s debate, with suggestions that the minimum wage could be raised or the tax credit scheme widened attracting most attention.

The women, four teenage gap-year students and their guide, died after a lorry crashed into their bus on a road between the Ecuadorian towns of Manta and Jipijapa. 12 other Britons were injured in the collision alongside a French national and their Ecuadorian driver. According to local police, the lorry driver fled the scene.

Indira Swann (18), Rebecca Logie, Emily Saddler, Lizzie (all 19) and their guide, 26-year old Sarah Howard, were killed on 12 April 2008 after the collision at around 6.30pm local time.

The group were travelling from the Ecuadorian capital Quito and the small, Pacific-coast village of Puerto Lopez. The bus had been travelling all day and was approximately 30 minutes from its destination when the accident occurred.

They were three weeks into a 15-week “Inca and Amazon venture” run by Warwick-based gap year organisation VentureCo which was due to take them through Ecuador, Chile, Peru and Bolivia.

Mark Davidson, chief executive of VentureCo, was surprised that the accident occurred on what is a comparatively safe road.

“By the time you get to the coast the terrain is much more undulating, the roads are straighter and the roads are newer," he said. "It's most unexpected to have an accident there. This was an Ecuadorian driver who was reliable, and he was on the home run. We have used that company for many years.”

Ecuadorian police have begun an investigation into the crash which has been welcomed by the acting British Ambassador to the South American country.

According to the World Health Organisation, Latin America has some of the world’s highest rates of road fatalities. A disproportionate number of the 1.2 million road deaths per year happen in South America, which is typified by poor roads, dangerously maintained vehicles, excessive speeding and a high instance of drunk driving.

One survivor, Sarah Martin, said that she hoped the accident would not stop young people from taking a gap year before university.

"I think a year out has a huge amount of benefits, and I think a tragic accident shouldn't be stopping people from travelling," she said during a press conference.

Paul Lister, who owns a 23,000-acre estate near Inverness, is attempting to build Europe’s first wilderness reserve in the North of Scotland. The reintroduction of the two wild moose is the first stage in a controversial plan to bring back lost species which include lynx, brown bears and wolves.

Mr Lister, whose father founded the furniture chain MFI, is spending millions of pounds in a bold attempt to create a 50,000 acre nature reserve, in which the animals are free to live. He told BBC News: “What I'm aiming is to create a wilderness and wildlife reserve similar to those that exist in Southern Africa; something that is controlled, managed and fenced.”

However, while lauded by wild-life conservationists, Mr Lister will have to face formidable opposition from local farmers, who fear damage will be done to their livestock, in addition to plenty of red-tape.

If Mr Lister is to introduce large predators such as bears or wolves, by law they have to be enclosed by electric fencing. However, such fencing conflicts with the “right to roam” enjoyed by Scottish ramblers throughout the country.

Mr Lister said: "We have covered our countryside with motorways, highways, buildings, golf courses and so on to our own benefit and satisfaction to the detriment of every animal that has ever lived there.

"I get quite angry when I think about the fact that when we want to put back just 1% of the Highlands, we get potential resentment from some quarters.

"When someone wants to come along and do something good for the native flora and fauna, we ought to put our hands up and get on with it."

He believes that the reserve will have the capacity to bring in tourism and money to the local economy in addition to supporting over 100 jobs.

The council are set to negotiate with the Scottish Government to allow lower home and business rates for those who make an effort to lessen their environmental impact.

The plans, put forward by Council Labour leader Ewan Aitken, would see significant cuts in council tax for those who have put in developments that reduce their household’s carbon footprint or who have purchased a house in a carbon-zero development.

Mr Aitken said: “I was delighted this got universal support at committee. I think there are some issues, like the environment, which transcend politics. This is about giving people another incentive to do something about climate change, where they know their choices are reducing emissions but also bringing them a personal benefit.

"We now have local emissions targets so we need to the powers to achieve this.”

This proposal is in line with existing city targets to make Edinburgh a carbon-zero economy by 2050. The council has also agreed to carry out environmental impact assessments on all new building projects in the city.

Green Party councilor, Steve Burgess said: “Creating incentives for people to take action on climate change would be welcomed, and I think this would also help to show the impact that individuals' actions can make.”

Council leader Jenny Dawe, said: "Climate change is acknowledged by many as the single biggest threat to our planet.

"As a council we have set exacting targets to ensure that good environmental practice is at the core of all of our policies to preserve resources for future generations."

Ms Kercher, 21, from south London, was killed in the Italian city of Perugia in November while participating in an Erasmus exchange from Leeds University.

The graphic details of her murder have shocked the public in Italy and this country: the student was found by police in the flat she shared, naked and with her throat cut.

After an initial flurry of accusations between the various suspects, four people were arrested: Ms Kercher’s American flatmate, Amanda Knox; her Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito; a Congolese local bar owner, Diya Lumumba; and Rudy Hermann Guede, an Ivorian citizen who was extradited back to Italy in December after fleeing to Germany following the murder.

Mr Lumumba has since been released, but remains a suspect. The others remain in custody after being denied bail.

Ms Knox originally suggested that Ms Kercher had been killed while resisting the sexual advances of Mr Lumumba, telling the media that she heard her flatmate screaming after the bar owner had entered her room.

Further investigations by Italian police uncovered evidence that Ms Kercher may have been killed as part of a forced violent group sex ‘game’ involving Mr Sollecito and with the full knowledge of Ms Knox.

However, the investigation has been rocked in recent weeks by revelations which undermine both the suspects’ alibis and the official case against them.

In January, an Albanian man approached the authorities in Perugia claiming that Ms Knox had been in the company of her co-accused – despite the fact that Sollecito and Guede claim to never have met – when she threatened him with a knife following a car accident.

On 16 April, the police case was undermined by the release of the report from a second autopsy on Ms Kercher’s body, which suggested she had engaged in sexual intercourse, but had not been raped.

Most damaging to the standing of the police in the Kercher investigation, however, has been the steady trickle of leaks to the media of details pertaining to the case, culminating in the broadcast on local Italian television of a police videotape of the crime scene which shows Ms Kercher’s dead body.

Addressing the media ahead of the hearing to decide what charges can be brought against the suspects, Lyle Kercher, the victim’s brother, spoke of his family’s displeasure with the unfolding controversy.

He said: “We have been a bit disappointed with some of the information that has been leaked, both with the frequency and the content of the leaks; none more so than the images and the photos that were leaked a few weeks ago.

“Of course this was, in our opinion, in poor taste and unnecessary.

“All that we can hope is that we can work together to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice. Despite attempts to discredit evidence and undermine the process, we have confidence in the police and the forensic experts, our legal team and Italian justice.”

All four suspects deny murdering Ms Kercher.

Miss Black, who will be moving out of University halls next year stated: ‘If Edinburgh had been known to be a place where it was difficult to rent normal residential flats then that would greatly have affected my decision to study here.’

A UNITE spokesperson said: ‘The company’s existing properties and our plans for further developments are designed to ease the shortage while increasing the choice of quality, well-located student accommodation and hospitality services that are available at affordable prices. This, in turn, will alleviate pressure on the traditional rented sector.”

The company argue that: “Purpose built student accommodation helps to facilitate sustainable communities and alleviates the pressure on local housing stock that could be freed up for families or first time buyers.”

Speaking to The Journal, Mr Pike, UNITE’s Acquisition and Development Manager said: “It’s understandable that communities don’t want large numbers of students in the area. Clearly, when you get them together in one space, there’s less chance of friction.”

However Ms Ford argues: ‘People who complain about HMO tenants are primarily concerned with a desire to see more community involvement. Shoving students in one massive complex of buildings and in effect babysitting them doesn’t really encourage that in my opinion.’

Despite support from council officials, UNITE has also encountered resistance to some of its proposed developments. Permission for a £22 million development on MacDonald road was denied after local opposition and the Chalmers Street development, although still due to go ahead, has recently suffered set backs.

Mr MacAlister told The Journal, that this is what he sees as part of a wider problem with student accommodation and relations with the community.

He commented: “When it comes to working with the community to ease tensions there is no easy answer. It requires a strong and open dialogue; students need to take some responsibility for the running of their community and residents need to be understanding about the changing demographics in Edinburgh.”

Ten uniformed 'Visitor Guides' will offer assistance and information to shoppers while also targeting troublemakers, should a new initiative to establish a Business Improvement District in the area between Princes Street and George Street be implemented.
Through a number of measures the BID scheme, known as Essential Edinburgh, aims to improve the area’s security, for shoppers and businesses, as well as to improve its appearance, accessibility and commercial profile.

The wardens will be among the more visible components of the initiative and are to have a variety of responsibilities. Elinor Jayne, the project’s development manager, told the Journal: “The emphasis is on them being visitor guides but they will have quite a number of roles. They’re to be a welcoming face to the area to welcome visitors and point them in the right direction. But they will also work with businesses and the police to cut down crime.”

The wardens would observe activity on the streets and liaise with the police, informing them of individual crimes as well as longer-term patterns of anti-social behaviour.

The proposal is closely modelled on the introduction of security personnel to central London six years ago, known as the 'Red Caps' on account of their distinctive headgear. The scheme has met with broad success on Regent, Oxford and Bond streets, where crime has reportedly fallen by over 12 per cent and businesses are joining waiting lists to set up in the area.

As well as providing a helpful and reassuring presence, the Red Caps are expected to tackle criminal activity directly by making citizens arrests, and have also been charged with asking beggars and homeless people to move out of the area.

As yet, these tasks are not part of the responsibilities of the Edinburgh wardens. Ms Jayne told the Journal: “They’re more just eyes and ears on the ground at this stage.

"It’ll be a matter of seeing how it works and potentially the service will be adjusted as we go along. No-one can move a beggar just for begging, it’s only really for causing a nuisance or being aggressive. If that’s the case then they will work to resolve the problem either directly or by being involved with the police.”

The initiative has been put to a vote of 570 businesses in the area, which have until the May 23 to make their decision. The BID will then be implemented if 25 per cent of voters agree to the scheme, each of whom will pay an additional levy of 1 per cent of their rateable value.

The BID proposal has received a significant amount of support from leading companies and smaller businesses in the area. The managers of the St James’ Centre and Edinburgh branches of the House of Fraser and John Lewis have urged their neighbours to vote with them in support of the BID.

Steve Hudson, director of Digisnaps in Hanover Street, said: "Edinburgh's city centre is special and justifiably famous all over the world. A vote in favour of the BID will be an extremely positive step and will help make the most out of what is a unique resource."

Although the scheme is billed as a partnership between local businesses, the council and the police, it has been suggested that the needs of the area should be met by existing business rates rather than with private sector finance or initiative.

Nathalie Thomas, writing in Scotland on Sunday, said: "The business zone idea is a good one but only if the services the BID provides are a supplement to, not a substitute for, services that should be provided as standard."

However, Enterprise Edinburgh has highlighted the efficiency of a private enterprise of this sort, stating on their website that: “A BID is a way of securing sustainable investment for additional services and projects over a 5-year period, without the red tape and bureaucracy that is often associated with public sector investment. Funds raised are controlled and spent in line with business priorities. Business rates are spent on existing services across the city – they are not ring-fenced to the area in which they are raised”

Nevertheless further concerns have been raised about the ability for independent businesses in less well off areas of the city to compete with the attractions of the BID.

If approval is received in May, the BID arrangements will be implemented in June. Contracts to operate the Visitor Guides are yet to be put out to tender, and a uniform is still to be designed.

A crowd of eyewitnesses, including several University of Edinburgh students, reported seeing strange lights hovering in the sky at around 9pm.

Lyle Brennan, 19, said: “We were trying to find our way home when we saw a series of orange lights rising very slowly into the sky. They appeared to be coming from behind the hill, drifting to a high altitude and eventually extinguishing.

“I’d like to think I’d have fought them off or taken a Pulitzer Prize winning photo, but I’d probably just hide in a bush and weep.”

Air traffic controllers from Edinburgh Airport noted nothing unusual in the area, and an Army Spokeswoman tentatively offered an explanation.

"We did have Territorial Army troops carrying out training at Dreghorn on Saturday, and while we don't know if they used flares, that would be one explanation.

"Of course, I can't say for certain. It could have been a genuine UFO sighting."

This is the fourth such sighting in the Lothian area, according to de-classified documents recently released by the Government.

In 1998, witnesses reported a series of flashing lights over Costorphine Hill, and similar incidents have been recorded in Leith and East Linton.

The subject of extra-terrestrial life is a vogue area of scientific research at the moment, with numerous recently published articles devoted to the subject.

A fourth year physics student, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “Astro-biology is an active area of research. I think there was a planet discovered last year that seemed to show similar conditions to Earth so who knows what might be lurking there.”

Edinburgh’s landmark department store, Jenners, is offering students who own or rent a flat in the city the opportunity to profit from the massive tourism market over the summer months by organising subletting options with reputable national and international businesses.

Ed Thomson, chief executive of Jenners Property Letting told The Journal: “Students are often forced to sign 12-month leases when they are only actually in their flat for ten. The vast majority of student housing, which is in ideal locations such as Marchmont, sits empty for large parts of the summer.

“Our initiative will allow students to cover the cost of their rent and also make a profit.”

Jenners Property Letting are offering to arrange subletting leases for students, allowing them the option to sublet their flats with minimal risks as 95% of their clients are business organisations that arrange accommodation for their staff. Jenners also take care of legal proceedings and their corporate reputation has made property letting agencies more comfortable with allowing their tenants to sublet.

Mr Thomson said: “Rents during the Edinburgh Festival can go for up to three times the regular monthly usual. If the student owns their flat, or are subletting a rented flat, they can make a killing.

“Students [that rent their accommodation] who are looking to sub-let must get written permission from their landlord/agent. If their landlord/agent is unsure then we will happily discuss the process with them to put their mind at ease.”

During August, approximately 70% of festival-goers come from outside the city of Edinburgh and demand for accommodation is high. £49 million was spent on accommodation during August last year.

Whilst student movements led to varying degrees of political change in Europe, the US and South America, the uprising in Paris which eventually led to the collapse of the De Gaulle government is widely regarded as the most significant revolt of May '68.

The demonstrations coincided with the wider General Strike, and - at its worst - saw pitched street battles with police in the Latin Quarter. The rioting forced the creation of a military headquarters in the city to control the violence.

Most recently riots in the Northern suburbs of Paris, after two youths were killed in an accident involving a police car, led to reprisal by youths armed with air rifles and shotguns.

But whilst the rioting sporadically surfaces, an unseen youth rebellion manifests itself underneath Paris.

It’s 11pm on a Friday night, and I’m standing in an abandoned train tunnel, clad in Wellington’s, waterproof trousers, an anorak and a head torch- the light from my brow illuminating a hole in the hard clay where the tunnel wall meets solid ground.

And this hole, I know, is but one humble entrance leading to one of the largest networks of underground tunnels in the world.

The system dates back to the 12th century, when limestone was quarried to build the Louvre, Notre Dame and other notable edifices. Bones began to accumulate by the 17th century in quarry’s now known as the Catacombs

But these bone galleries, now open to the public, are just a tiny slice of the true extent of underground Paris. The intersecting tunnel network is estimated to cover 300km; these being used for military operations and police training.

With graffiti dating back to the 1700’s, the spirit of rebellion is historically evident; when the French Resistance used them as a base to sabotage the Nazi occupation in the Second World War.

And now I’m standing here waiting for the Catephiles to arrive, an infamous name referring to urban explorers who navigate the system of tunnels, tombs and bunkers.

Small pockets of light appear in the distance, with the accompanying sound of trudging boots becoming louder and louder. They move quickly, and don’t look at all surprised when they see me there waiting, uninvited, for them to descend.

"Excuse me," I say in my limited French, "I am looking for the Catacombs." They look me up and downprobing further before my assimilation into their group can be completed.

After crawling through the gap in the wall, our feet splash into the trickle of water that lines a small clay passage and we descend through a series of small tunnels that twist and turn into obscurity.

I am introduced to the guide who calls himself ‘Cosmo-Flow-Flow’. He leads the small group and they all shout lyrics to a lively, clan song, characteristic of Cataphilic groups to assert their identity- and to let everyone know they’re coming.

Cosmo-Flow-Flow estimates a rough figure of around 400 explorers in the tunnels with us, with Friday night being particularly busy.

Whilst ‘the Cataphiles’ is a catch-all term used to describe the many different, mostly young groups of teenagers who traverse the tunnels, other more notorious groups use names like the Perforating Mexicans or Les UX.

In 2004 the police discovered a bar and cinema complex under the river Seine, complete with professionally installed electricity and telephone cables. Les UX claimed responsibility, and when the police returned three days later to assess the electricity installation they found a note that simply read ‘Don’t try to find us’.

The construction of the tunnels varies wildly from area to area in terms of size and shape, as well as materials. Some are large concave, red brick tunnels whilst others are damp, and made from clay tunnels with low ceilings that seem to constantly come into contact with my head.

As the ground begins to level, and the descent seems to be over, we enter a long tunnel lined with concrete foundations. Wide gaps in the big grey pillars open up into intersecting clay passageways of varying sizes.

Cosmo-Flow-Flow points to a big opening on the left. We all stop to shine our torches into a massive hole filled with luminous, clear water that sits just beneath the tunnel floor. Though mesmerizing, the incalculable depth of the hole is frightening.

Then there’s the shouting. I can’t hear what’s being said, just the muffled, barks coming from ahead. Cosmo-Flow-Flow is nowhere to be seen, whilst a younger member of the group next to me says "Ah merde! Les Cataflics!" (Oh shit, it’s the police!).

Two plain clothed men run straight for us, one of them continuing past us, while the other stops and round’s us up. They demand identity cards, taking them from my three acquaintances.

A third police man joins us; he is in full uniform, with a powerful torch that is blinding in the darkness. I pretend to not speak any French, and say as badly as I can "Je suis Australian."

We move quickly, one policeman behind me checking every intersection, whilst another policeman in front of me snaps questions at Cosmo-Flow-Flow.

The one thing they want to know most is what group we are, and who the guide is.

Since November 2, 1955, access to the tunnels has been forbidden and now a special police task force known as the Cataflics patrol the tunnels looking for trespassers.

The police group is made up of 16 officers, and are well known amongst the Cataphiles and other groups, with some of them intercepting police radio’s to check their location as well as mapping out areas where police patrol.

We are taken to a room where, along with around 50 other Cataphiles, we are routinely searched for weapons and drugs. The police want to know if we are associated with other notorious groups, and once they realise we aren’t they become more relaxed.

We are then led up a ladder shaft, where on the surface we are made to line up and receive fines of 60 Euro. Myself along with five other Brits are let off as we do not have ID on us.

As we are released and walk through the Paris streets en masse, covered in mud and sharing anecdotes, it soon becomes clear exactly where everyone is going.

Back at the train tunnel, and slipping into the hole it occurs to me that it would take a lot more than a slap on the wrist and a 60 Euro fine to keep these enthusiasts from unlawful trespass.

It may not be the of the political kind, but this is a sure sign that the anti-authoritarian spirit of 68’ persists in the youth today.

According to the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services, the most important aspect to your candidacy after your degree qualification is work experience and additional skills attained while your studying for your degree. But getting experience can be a challenging chicken and egg scenario without a starting point or personal connections.

Carol Matthews, chair of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Scotland suggests that the one of the best ways to overcome this issue is to get involved with a professional body.

“The trade organisation of your chosen field will not only provide valuable advice to help with your studies, but may also provide a mentoring service or open doors to future employment. Many professional bodies offer students help with finding placements during their studies or for a year out in industry” she says.

An encouraging example of how this can work in your favor is given by student Bill Ranatunga, who in February used support from CIPR to carry out a successful networking event involving students from across Edinburgh and training sessions from industry professionals.

“I really recommend doing as much work experience as possible while you’re at University, even if it’s for free. It’ll look great on your CV and you’ll be more certain whether, whatever industry it is, is the right move for you.

“You have to manage your time a lot better, but if it’s something you enjoy, it just becomes a part of being you.”

University can be a fairly hard slog. We often hear about the vibrant social life of Scotland’s students, and I know the brimming study calendar is more then enough to keep anyone busy. People’s student days are often referred to as the best of their life, but rarely are they labelled as quiet.

In amongst all the hustle and bustle of university life, students also face the daunting question of what they will do when they leave. It’s a natural apprehension, wondering how the skills and knowledge learned will transfer to the workplace.

I want to reassure Scotland’s university students that their efforts are central to this government’s vision of creating a smarter, more successful county.

People and their potential is any nation’s greatest asset. That’s why we are working to expand opportunities for all Scots to succeed, through university access, and by developing a lifelong learning agenda so everyone gets the chance to improve their skills.

For Scotland to be all it can be, then all our people need to develop skills, in the widest sense, so they can fulfill their potential. By increasing sustainable economic growth, we can create a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish.

Our university graduates have a crucial part to play in all of this. We know that our levels of research, innovation and the higher education system in general are regarded as world class.

Yet that doesn’t mean we will be complacent and by continuing to cultivate strong economic conditions we can create more opportunities for highly skilled graduates.

University is all about fostering and stretching ambition. In Scotland, we have a proud egalitarian tradition and I want to build on that, removing barriers that hold people back and giving more people the chance to realise their potential.

Education should be based on the ability to learn, not the ability to pay. We know the fear of debt can be a real deterrent, discouraging many promising students from going to university. That’s why this government has moved swiftly to scrap the unfair graduate endowment fee, ending the £2,289 charge for tens of thousands of students.

I firmly believe everyone should be given the chance to share in Scotland’s success. Fee costs can also be a particular barrier for part-time students. So, in December, we announced a package of £38 million in grants to help ease their debt burden. Not only will it relieve pressures on part-time students on low incomes but it will open up new opportunities for people considering part-time study to retrain or build their skills for the changing needs of our economy.

We are determined that opportunity should be extended as widely as possible. Scotland can be proud of its diverse, vibrant student community and we are building on that – providing opportunities for young asylum seekers and the children of asylum seekers to go to university and exploring better support for students who are disabled.

There are undoubtedly challenges facing universities in Scotland over the coming decades. We must ensure Scotland continues to be at the forefront of higher education provision, which is why we have set up the Future Thinking Taskforce to ensure the contribution of universities is optimised.

Making sure everyone can invest in and apply learning will also help to generate the attitudes, ideas and technologies to improve health, wellbeing and the environment. Such achievements will help drive wealth creation and fairness by putting opportunities to succeed within everyone's reach and making full use of people's skills.

This has to be about change in the system. Society has moved on from the days when people had to accept what they were offered. We must open learning and our institutions up to a new and wider range of learners. Learning to learn will be essential in the new knowledge economy. Candidates demonstrate their ability to exhibit intellectual ability and learning skills to a standard, depth and level which gives employers confidence in their ability to perform.

My vision for success in this area is very simple. I want to ensure that what you know matters more than who you know, that what you can do overrides what you can’t do and that where you’re going matters more than where you have come from.