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On Thursday 8th March, ForeignStudents.com held a very special event with Lord Karan Bilimoria, founder of Cobra Beer, and Patrick Shervington MBE, Chairman of the Cobra Foundation. Both spoke to a crowd of students and distinguished guests at International Student House (ISH) as part of India Week.

The Malaysian student who was the victim of one of the most shocking videos to come out of the London riots last year has hit the headlines again this week, after his attackers were sentenced to prison.

In August 2011, twenty-year-old Ashraf Rossli was caught up in the riots in Barking, East London. He was punched to the floor, suffering a broken jaw in the process, before apparently being helped to his feet by one of the rioters. However, as he was standing groggily, another man opened up his rucksack and helped himself to Ashraf's mobile phone and PSP games console.

Attackers Sentenced

The two assailants who rifled through Ashraf's bag were found to be John Kafunda, 22, and Reece Donovan, 24. Both were convicted of robbery last week, before being sentenced this morning. Kafunda was jailed for four years and three months, whilst Donovan received a five-year sentence. Ashraf gave evidence in court, describing:

The coffee chain Starbucks has been running a promotion this morning, offering anyone a free latte. We went to our local branch to check it out (we love a freebie) and who should be there serving, but comedian Jimmy Carr.

He was a barista for the day, helping the staff out on what is probably going to be their busiest day of the year. We caught a quick word with him, and as you can see from the video above, he thinks ForeignStudents.com is "bloody marvellous".

Free coffee and a celebrity endorsement? Not a bad start to the day.  

Last Friday I watched the most excellently produced theatre production titled ‘A Few Man Fridays' (above). The plot line is of an ex-rasta in London, Prosper, seeking his history and family heritage to only find out there is little hope of returning to the place called home. As he searches for his ‘roots' the secrets of history hidden for so many years, come to life to reveal what really happened in Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean.

Diego Garcia was part of ‘Lemuria'- the mountain range between Africa and Asia when the world was once one. As the land masses separated, the peaks of the mountains remained above water to form the islands in the Indian Ocean as the mass sunk beneath sea level. For generations, on Diego Garcia, there was a coconut plantation where the men picked the coconuts, the women peeled them and the children helped. The men then went out fishing. There was no cash economy but they were paid in wine and could exchange with those who wanted more. They were close to their dogs and had very tight knit families. Little did they know, they would one day have to leave paradise.

Looking for Leeds student accommodation can be a stressful experience, particularly if you're moving away from home for the first time or studying in a new country. However, if you bear a few things in mind on your search, and remember that as a student renter you have the same rights as any other private tenant, you could soon be on your first step to a great year at uni.

The majority of landlords you'll meet will be open and honest about the property you're moving into, but it's still a good idea to be observant when you're being shown round a house or flat. Look for signs of damp, such as dark patches on the walls and flaking paint, as well as indicators of pests like mouse droppings or slug trails. There should be plenty of plug sockets to go around and your landlord should be able to show you a valid Gas Safety Certificate.

Security is also an issue that is often overlooked by students, which is why they are so frequently targeted by burglars. Make sure the windows are all lockable and there is a five-bar mortice lock on each external door - a security grate and burglar alarm are also great assets for keeping out intruders.