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Fire Tornado(!) Caught on Film

Regular tornados are terrifying enough, but have you ever heard of one made of fire!? Fire whirls, as they are known, are one of nature's rarest sights but luckily, a filmmaker was on hand to tape one in Australia this week.

Chris Tangey was out in Alice Springs looking for locations for his latest movie when he was met by a 30-metre high tower of swirling flames. Fortunately, he was at a safe enough distance to stay out of harm's way and be able to capture the stunning spectacle on camera. He described the experience:

"I was about 300-metres away and there was no wind but the tornado sounded like a fighter jet. My jaw just dropped. I've been shooting in the outback for 23 years and I have never seen anything like it. We've heard about them but they're never seen. It's a once in ten lifetimes experience."

These rare events occur when a column of warm, rising air either causes or comes in to contact with a fire on the ground. The rising, swirling air then sucks up the fire, with spectacular and sometimes devastating results. Unsurprisingly they can be very dangerous if they come into contact with people or buildings, and one name for them is simply ‘fire devils'. Although they usually only last for a couple of minutes, amazingly this one went on for more than 40 minutes.

Angelique's picture

Moving out and Moving In

Angelique is originally from the Seychelles and has recently finished as a Law student at the University of London. After just completing a move to Bristol, she goes through some top tips for all you other students moving in the next few weeks.

"From September, at the start of the new academic year, thousands of students will be moving either from their home country to another country, or from one part of the country to another to study. Either way moving is no easy task.

Not only is there the emotional distress over whether you will like your new house, get along with your housemates and figure your way around the area, but there is also the hassle of actually physically getting from one place and settling in another.

This year, I have moved from London to Bristol and now that I feel slightly more settled than I did two days ago, I will share with you some tips and advice about moving. 

Tip One: There is no need to pack unessential things. Three years have passed by and there are clothes that I took with me initially to university which I have still not worn. Although, I wouldn't say "pack light", only pack what you need. Remember Poundland is never too far away if you need a spatula.

Foreign Students's picture

London Met Protest: LIVE

The latest in a series of protests against the decision to revoke London Met's licence to teach international students took place at the university today.

Dozens of students and NUS members gathered at the Holloway Road campus to show their anger at the decision which leaves more than 3000 international students with no university to return to at the end of the month.

ForeignStudents.com's Afshin was on the scene taking photos, interviewing the students and updating us on any action. The video gives an idea of the anger at the protest:

Guest's picture

Ways to Pay for Studying Abroad

Studying abroad is the opportunity of a lifetime. However, whether you choose to study in the UK or in another foreign country, it is very expensive. If you don't have the help of parents, it is even harder. However, there are ways to make it easier for yourself financially.

If you are thinking about studying abroad, here are a few tips to help you pay for your studies without getting into tons of debt:

Saving the Hard Way

Students usually know they are going abroad several months ahead of time. You should start saving immediately. Save every extra penny you get. Save holiday money if possible. Instead of going to the movies or dinner, save that cash. You won't regret it when you are enjoying the beauty of Spain, the bright lights of London or the beaches in Australia. Travelling the world is far more exciting than a temporary thrill at the movies.

Using A Credit Card

Before using a credit card, you should research the best credit cards to have. This will help you learn about the interest rates, perks and if they work internationally. You should be smart with your credit choice for overseas travel, but they can literally save your life in a pinch. You shouldn't travel abroad without one. Credit cards small business owners have are usually the lowest in interest. You may want to look into getting one of those.

Foreign Students's picture

World University Rankings 2012

The latest world university rankings have been released by higher education organisation QS. The annual table is one of the most respected global rankings, and this year places an unexpected university at the coveted number one spot.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT- above) has taken top place from the University of Cambridge, rising up from fifth spot just two years ago. The US university specialises in science and technology and was placed first in 11 out of 28 subject tables published in June. Cambridge drops down to second, and is joined by UCL (4th), Oxford (5th) and Imperial (6th) for British universities in the top ten.

The rankings are based on a number of different factors, including research quality, graduate employability, teaching and how international the staff and students of the institution are. It is on this last point that MIT has improved greatly on in the last couple of years, with a newly international staff helping it reach top spot.

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