User:Rd232/Manchester

From Wikinews, the free news source you can write!

A compilation of brief news reports for Monday, February 9, 2009.

[edit] UK University Occupations in Support of Gaza

Thousands of students at more than 20 UK universities have occupied lecture theatres, offices and other buildings in sit-down protests in support of Gaza. The protests started on 13 January at SOAS before spreading across the country. Demands have focussed on university support for the DEC Gaza Appeal, but in some cases include demands that the university cease investing in or accepting funding from the arms trade. At the University of Strathclyde the Principal acceded to most of the students' demands on 5 February. Occupation at the University of Manchester is ongoing since 4 February.

Sources

• Emlly Dugan "Students are revolting: The spirit of '68 is reawakening". The Independent, 8 February 2009
• "Man Uni Occupation blog".
• "Strathclyde Occupation Blog".

[edit] Progress 31 burns up on return to Earth; Progress 32 prepares for launch

Progress M-01M (ISS-31P, or Progress 31), the latest Russian Progress cargo spacecraft to resupply the International Space Station, re-entered the atmosphere of Earth overnight over the Pacific Ocean, and burned up as planned. The re-entry was timed so that any debris that survived re-entry would land harmlessly in the Pacific Ocean approximately 3,000 miles east of New Zealand, far away from shipping lanes. Progress cargo vehicles are designed to be unrecoverable, allowing any refuse from the space station to be incinerated.

In the meantime, Russia is preparing to launch Progress M-66, or ISS-32P (Progress 32). Its launch is scheduled for February 10 at 05:49 UTC (08:49 Moscow time, 11:49 Kazakh time) from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It will rendezvous and dock with the ISS on February 13.

Sources

• "As One Russian Cargo Ship Burns Up, Replacement Prepares to Fly". Interfax via Space.com, 9 February 2009