News

There was a lot of talk this week about the New York Post and the papers' decision to publish a photo of Ki Suk Han moments before his death (above). Han was pushed onto the subway tracks in New York and was struck by an oncoming train. He died shortly after.

In my opinion there has been far too much attention and debate around the newspapers decision to publish the photo, rather than the tragedy itself. At the end of the day it is their job to publish news, however horrifying or ugly it might be. Did it need to be on the front cover? Of course not. Was it incredibly poor taste to run the picture with the headline "Doomed"? Definitely, but papers make money from printing the news so to argue that it's exploitative seems ridiculous to me.

The man who pushed Han, Naeem Davis, has been arrested and charged with murder, though it will of course be of little comfort to his family. The fact that he was able to slip out of the subway without anyone stopping him is shocking, but highlights the unfortunate truth that many people turn to sheep in crowded public situations. People have asked why no one did more to save him, but in all honestly how could you know what you would do in that situation? I don't blame them for not rushing to help Han, and I'm sure more than one of them regrets their decision

With Christmas just two weeks away you should be in a festive mood by now. To help celebrate this time of year, loads of attractions and events pop up around London. Here we round up some of the very best Christmassy things going on this year.

Christmas Markets

There is nothing quite like a good Christmas market to get you in the spirit. There are the smells of the delicious food and drink, brass bands playing all the old favourites and loads of last-minute, unusual gifts. There are great markets all over London, but there are some that really stand out.

Covent Garden at Christmas is always nice, and the Christmas market based around the piazza is one of the highlights (plus there is a giant Lego advent calendar and reindeer petting!). Centring around the Southbank Centre, there is a huge market stretching along the Thames. The traditionally German themed market has a wide selection of gifts and toys, as well as choirs singing carols, whilst the Real Food Market has all the amazing meats, cheeses and mulled wine you could want.

If you're looking for something a little bit different, then the Camden Lock Night Market is perfect, offering vintage items, fashion, arts, crafts and home ware, all in the typical Camden style.

ForeignStudents writer Erik gives his opinion on two of last week's hot topics- Kate Middleton's pregnancy and the a controversial front cover of the New York Post. 

Kate Middleton and the Royal Family

Although the British sovereign does not use their power like previously in history, the monarchy still deserves respect. In the past many competent kings and queens helped Britain to become the strongest country in the world, which it really was until the second half of the 20th century.

Today, the goodwill towards the Royal Family lives off the achievements of their predecessors and their power now is merely ceremonial. However, they must still be careful in their private lives, because every single step is followed by the public.

Still, the royal family is a popular subject for the media, which is constantly lurking for gossip and scandals. I think that Kate's pregnancy will top the headlines for several weeks, or even months. On the one hand it reflects that people are interested in the condition of the Duchess, but on the other hand, she and her husband are only human and deserve privacy. Not to mention that the couple significantly contribute to the integrity of the monarchy and do not deserve too much rumour. Let the Prince continue in his career as a helicopter pilot and do not disturb the mother-to-be.

Over the last few years, the number of people using specs and contact lens has greatly increased. Experts blame several things for this, such as the excessive use of computers. It has been proven that putting too much pressure on our eyes affects them in a very negative way. It is very important to take care of the eyes so that they can stay fit for an extended period of time.

Many say that using high quality lens is good, especially when they can get lenses discount code. No disagreement, high quality lenses are actually good, but there are better solutions to keep your eyes fit, especially if you are a university student preparing for exams.

There are several eye exercises that can help your eyes in the long run. Below are eight ways in which vision improvement exercises will keep university students' eyes fit during exams.

1. More Concentration

Vision improvement exercises help students concentrate better. A common problem that students face is reading/copying words wrongly. They cannot even point out a mistake during proofreading due to poor concentration. By following techniques such as palming, this problem can be reduced to a great extent.

The Royal family have announced that the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton is pregnant. After marrying Prince William in a huge national celebration in April 2011, speculation has been rife as to when their first child would be announced.

A spokesman for St James's Palace said she is currently in hospital due to severe morning sickness and is expected to stay for at least a few days, but that the royal family are delighted about the pregnancy. 

Details are vague at the moment, though expect to hear much, much more about baby, who is likely to one day become the King or Queen of England. He or she will be third in line to the throne.

The statement from the palace revealed:

"Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a baby."

"The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry and members of both families are delighted with the news."

It also downplayed the fact that the expecting mother is in hospital, explaining:

"As the pregnancy is in its very early stages, Her Royal Highness is expected to stay in hospital for several days and will require a period of rest thereafter."