Unite's room reservations fall further as costs rise for students
Unite Group, which rents out 68,000 rooms to students around the country, has found tenants for 85 per cent of those rooms already, ahead of the upcoming academic year, which begins in September. That compares with 94 per cent at this stage last year, which was down on the 98 per cent of reservations Unite had secured by early July 2023.
Excluding 2020 and 2021, when courses were moved online during the pandemic, not since 2014 has Unite had so many available rooms with two months to go until the new academic year. There are still en suite rooms available in Bristol starting at £239 a week, while in London, Unite has some one-bed flats left next to Euston station for £695 a week.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
25 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Australia and UK sign 50-year defence treaty despite US wavering on Aukus submarine deal
Australia and the UK will sign a 50-year treaty to cement the Aukus submarine pact, even as the major partner in the Aukus agreement, the US, wavers on the deal. The new treaty will be announced by foreign minister Penny Wong and defence minister Richard Marles — alongside British foreign and defence secretaries David Lammy and John Healey — in the wake of the annual Aukmin talks in Sydney today. The US is not a party to the new treaty, which will be signed on Saturday. While negotiations over the Australia-UK defence treaty were flagged before US President Donald Trump took power, the document's inking re-affirms UK and Australia ties in the face of American tariffs and the Pentagon's yet-to-be-completed Aukus review. While the details of the treaty have not yet been announced, it is expected to cover a wide breadth of cooperation between the UK and Australia in developing the Aukus nuclear-powered submarine — the first of which will be built in the UK, before manufacturing begins in Adelaide. 'The UK-Australia relationship is like no other, and in our increasingly volatile and dangerous world, our anchoring friendship has real impact in the protection of global peace and prosperity,' the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, said. The bilateral treaty will facilitate greater economic co-operation between the two nations by improving both countries' industrial capacity. As part of the existing defence agreement, Australia will pay about $4.6bn to support British industry to design and produce nuclear reactors to power the future Aukus-class submarines. In a joint statement, Marles and Wong said the Australia-UK ministerial talks were critical to the nations' shared interests. 'We take the world as it is – but together, we are working to shape it for the better,' Wong said. Under the $368bn Aukus program, Australia is scheduled to buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US from the early 2030s. The new Aukus-class nuclear submarines will be built first in the UK: Australia's first Aukus boat, to be built in Adelaide, is expected to be in the water in the early 2040s. But the planned sale of US-built boats has been thrown into doubt by the Trump administration launching a review into the deal to examine whether it aligns with his 'America first' agenda. The review is being headed by the Pentagon's undersecretary of defense for policy, Elbridge Colby, who has previously declared himself 'sceptical' about the deal, fearing it could leave US sailors exposed and under-resourced. The Aukus agreement mandates that before any submarine can be sold to Australia, the US commander-in-chief – the president of the day – must certify that America relinquishing a submarine will not diminish the US navy's undersea capability. Sign up to Afternoon Update Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion The US's submarine fleet numbers are a quarter below their target and the country is producing boats at half the rate it needs to service its own needs, US government figures show. Defence analysts believe the US is likely to re-commit to Aukus, but have speculated the review could demand further financial contributions – or political commitments such as avowed support for the US in a conflict with China over Taiwan – from Australia in exchange for the sale of nuclear submarines and transfer of nuclear technology. The UK's carrier strike group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales, arrived in Darwin on Wednesday during Talisman Sabre multi-nation military exercises hosted by Australia. It's the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997. The international task group includes five core ships, 24 jets and 17 helicopters, centred on the flagship aircraft carrier. Marles and Wong will on Sunday join their UK counterparts in Darwin to observe the group in action. UK High Commissioner to Australia, Sarah MacIntosh, said the strike group's arrival was a demonstration of commitment to the region and the strong relationship with Canberra. 'This is an anchor relationship in a contested world,' she said.
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Trump to land in Scotland on Friday for start of five-day private trip
The US president is expected to arrive at Prestwick Airport in the evening, before heading over to his Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire. He is then expected to head over to his Menie golf course in Aberdeenshire before opening up a new course dedicated to his Scottish mother, who grew up on the Isle of Lewis. He will leave the country at some point on Tuesday. His presence will result in a significant operation from Police Scotland and thousands of officers, who are expected to deal with mass protests around his golf courses and major Scottish cities. Mr Trump will be greeted by Scottish Secretary Ian Murray when he lands, with the minister pledging to give the American leader a 'warm welcome'. He will meet with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during his stay when the pair will discuss the UK-US trade deal. The US president will also meet with First Minister John Swinney. The SNP leader previously said he would have the opportunity to raise various issues with Mr Trump, including tariffs, Gaza and Ukraine. Speaking ahead of his arrival, Mr Swinney said the global attention the visit will receive provides Scotland with an opportunity to respectfully demonstrate the principles of freedom and justice for all, while also promoting Scotland's tourism sector and economic investment potential. He said: 'Scotland shares a strong friendship with the United States that goes back centuries. 'That partnership remains steadfast through economic, cultural and ancestral links – including of course, with the President himself. 'As we welcome the President of the United States, Scotland will be showcased on the world stage. 'This provides Scotland with a platform to make its voice heard on the issues that matter, including war and peace, justice and democracy. 'It also includes the millions of Americans – many of them potential future tourists or investors in Scotland – who will watch their elected President as he visits our country. 'As First Minister it is my responsibility to advance our interests, raise global and humanitarian issues of significant importance, including the unimaginable suffering we are witnessing in Gaza, and ensure Scotland's voice is heard at the highest levels of government across the world. 'That is exactly what I will do when I meet with President Trump during his time in Scotland.' The SNP leader said Scotland is a 'proud democratic nation' that 'stands firm on the principles of equality and freedom for all, and a society that stands up for a fair and just world'. Ahead of protests expected around Scotland, he said people had a right to 'peaceful demonstration', adding that 'everyone has the democratic right to protect and express their views in a peaceful, and democratic manner'. 'That is right and proper,' he added. 'I am confident the vast majority of people protesting will do Scotland proud and demonstrate as they should – peacefully and lawfully. 'I am also confident that Scotland's police service can handle the challenge of keeping all our communities safe and, as they must, in maintaining the appropriate security any US President requires. 'This weekend is a landmark moment in our relationship with the United States, and I am certain it will be remembered for Scotland showing the world the very best of itself.'
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
India's equity benchmarks fall, dragged down by Bajaj Finance
July 25 (Reuters) - India's equity benchmarks fell in early trade on Friday, dragged down by Bajaj Finance on asset quality concerns, while investors weighed the newly signed trade pact with Britain that will cut tariffs on goods ranging from textiles to whisky and cars. The Nifty 50 (.NSEI), opens new tab fell 0.53% to 24,930.9 points and the BSE Sensex (.BSESN), opens new tab lost 0.45% to 81,807.28 as of 9:55 a.m. IST. Thirteen of the 16 major sectors logged losses. The broader small-cap (.NIFSMCP100), opens new tab and mid-cap (.NIFMDCP100), opens new tab indexes fell 0.8% and 0.5%, respectively. Bajaj Finance ( opens new tab dropped 5% as multiple brokerages flagged asset-quality stress in the MSME segment, despite the non-bank lender reporting a profit beat in the June quarter. It was the top decliner on the Nifty 50. Nestle India ( opens new tab lost 1%, extending a more than 5% slip on Thursday after posting a lower quarterly profit hurt by rising costs. "Market sentiment has turned cautious due to weak earnings in Bajaj Finance, IT and consumer stocks," said Hardik Matalia, analyst at Choice Equity Broking. Meanwhile, India and Britain signed a free-trade agreement (FTA) on Thursday during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to London, sealing a deal to lower tariffs on goods from textiles to whisky and cars and allow more market access for businesses. Although the FTA should boost sentiment, the market is unlikely to see any major upside until there is clarity on U.S. trade negotiations, three analysts said. Bucking the trend, SBI Life Insurance ( opens new tab gained 2.5% after posting a higher quarterly profit driven by policy renewals. Trident ( opens new tab rose 4.7% after reporting a rise in first-quarter profit on lower expenses and on the back of the India-UK trade deal. Indian Energy Exchange ( opens new tab, which sank 30% on Thursday on fears of rising competition from new pricing rules, jumped 9%, aided by quarterly profit growth.
