Weekly news round-up: Cheap flicks, student housing and the Libyan uprising
WONDERING what’s happening around the world this week? We thought we’d give you a hand and fill you in on items big and small, near and far. This week, it’s about the Libyan uprising, student housing, and where you can catch a movie on the cheap.
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Libya
You probably would have seen or heard about the Libyan protests in the media, but trying to get your head around the issue can be quite a difficult thing. If it helps, we’ve summed it up in a few short paragraphs.
An oil-rich nation, Libya is situated in the Maghreb region of North Africa, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea and neighbours Egypt, Sudan, Chad, Niger, Mali, Algeria and Tunisia.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwWFjYI3cY0[/youtube]
The protests began on February 16, and quickly escalated into a widespread uprising, as thousands of Libyans with the help of social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook – rose up against their leader Colonel Muammar Qaddafi, who had ruled the nation with an iron fist since overthrowing the monarchy in a military coup in1969.
The fighting continues with the country on the brink of civil war as Colonel Qaddafi’s forces strike back and seek to wrest back control of the nation. Rebel forces now control the eastern half of the country including the major city of Benghazi.
Apart from Wikipedia, we’ve found New York Times’ coverage of the issue one of the most comprehensive and useful, complete with history, background, and a blow-by-blow account of the events that have unfolded since the protest first broke out.
The Guardian UK has also an excellent source with interactive maps, photos and videos.
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Student housing
Never mind that Australia recently topped The Economist’s quarterly ranking of global house prices as being the most overvalued in the world; students looking to rent an apartment would know that it ain’t cheap or easy either, especially at this time of the year.
Photo: Wan Shing Lang
Just last month, The Age reported on the stresses students faced with continuing rental shortages, rising costs, and being forced to settle for less because they needed a new home urgently. In one case, students were forking out $150 a week plus bond to share an inner city apartment with 11 others.
For students who are in the midst of looking for a place to stay, the Tenants Union of Victoria website is an excellent resource, with a section dedicated to students renting in Victoria, as well as fact sheets, step-by-step guides on how to tackle common tenancy problems, checklists and more.
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Cheap flicks
And finally, if you haven’t discovered this already, the price of a movie ticket in Australia is actually quite costly.
So if you’re on a budget, Mondays and Tuesdays are the best days to catch a movie.
Cinema Nova (280 Lygon St, Carlton) offers a great deal on Monday – just $6 a ticket for screenings before 4pm, and $9 for those after 4pm. Tickets for 3D movies cost $11 per ticket all day.
At Hoyts (the closest for city dwellers is at Melbourne Central), it’s Super Tuesdays, and all movies are $11 except for 3D films. Online purchases incur an additional booking for $1 per ticket by the way, so best to just rock up and buy.