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A Bangladesh tribunal on Wednesday sentenced opposition leader and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity in connection with the deadly crackdown on protests against the government last year. Tried in absentia, she has been living in exile in India since she fled amidst the crisis. Her former interior minister and police chief were further condemned in the verdict for ordering lethal force against protesters.

These demonstrations, which began largely because of widespread anger among young Bangladeshis against their highly controversial government quota system, turned into political unrest in the country.  30 percent of civil service jobs had been reserved since the independence war in 1971 for veterans and their descendants in a policy increasingly seen as cronyism favoring the supporters of Hasina's Awami League party. 

In 2024, against the backdrop of rising unemployment, students and young graduates went on mass protests to demand a merit-based system. Demonstrations engulfed the whole country, having started from university campuses where protesters mobilized on social media. Unrest spirals into violent clashes between police, ruling party supporters, and demonstrators; hundreds injured, over 100 reported dead. After the interim government came to power, Bangladesh drastically cut down the quotas to just 5% of the government jobs and now they are available only for descendants of veterans. 

Meanwhile, Bangladesh's new leader Muhammad Yunus has been working on stabilizing the economy through increasing foreign reserves and obtaining loans from the IMF. Hitherto, political instability and violence remain huge challenges. Hasina denies the charges and has labeled the tribunal politically motivated. None except former police chief Abdullah al-Mamun appeared in the courtroom to hear sentencing. The court outlined the extent of violence during the crackdown, which United Nations reports confirm resulted in hundreds of deaths. The judgment coincided with rallies by Hasina's critics in Dhaka amid tight security. The diplomatic tensions remain high as Bangladesh has requested her extradition from India, which so far has refused that demand. This quota reduction is far from the structural reforms that the leaders of the student protests have continued to demand in pursuit of justice over the lives lost. What began as a movement for fairness in government hiring quickly turned into a fundamental challenge against systemic corruption and the absence of meritocracy. 

While the agitation underlines the powerful role that Bangladesh's youth have played so far in shaping the nation's political and social future, yet this is a turning point and speaks to the bigger reckoning taking place in Bangladesh between legacy and reform, privilege and merit, repression and democratic aspiration, led in no small measure by a generation of students unwilling to settle for less than justice and fairness.

Oakley Capital Investments Ltd on Tuesday announced it has reaffirmed its commitment to its K12 investments portfolio, including international school operator Affinitas Group LLP.

The Pembroke, Bermuda-headquartered private equity firm offers exposure to the education, technology, consumer and business service sectors through its funds that are managed.

OCI revealed that Oakley Capital Fund IV has consented to partially unwind its stake in the K12 portfolio ranging from kindergarten to high schools. Oakley Capital will dispose of its majority share at an approximate 6% premium over the carrying value at June 30, while funds controlled by it will hold a minority stake.

Consequently, OCI anticipates to receive about GBP25 million of look-through proceeds and a 3 pence per share uplift to its net asset value at June 30, which stood at 742p per share.

The transaction calls for Oakley Capital and two third-party investors to infuse new money in K12, with OCI expecting a GBP25 million indirect contribution through Fund VI.

Affinitas is a network of 20 European and American international schools established by Oakley in 2022. Oakley also announced on Tuesday that it has hired Thomas Rajzbaum as the new chief executive of its education business.

"Before joining Affinitas, Thomas was an EQT Group Partner, a global investment group, where he built the French office for its infrastructure funds and orchestrated its Education sector strategy throughout Europe," Oakley said.

The private equity group is anticipating the new K12 commitment to support a growth of Affinitas, which it claims has "a strong pipeline of new schools wanting to join the group".

Peter Dubens, Managing Partner at Oakley, explained this was the company's "eighth education investment and our thirteenth year in the K12 sector, which we remain very positive about as one of the most appealing in the industry".

OCI shares fell 0.4% to 560.00 pence at midday on Tuesday in London, and have increased by 11% over the last 12 months.

An Indian student in the US on a student visa lost thousands of dollars to impersonators posing as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

The development comes in the wake of increased enforcement action by President Donald Trump, with ICE making more arrests across the US. Amid all this, there have been cases of impersonators passing themselves off as ICE officials.

As reported by Newsweek, Shreya Bedi travelled to the United States from India in 2022 on an F-1 visa to study Master's in Human-Computer Interaction at Indiana University Bloomington.

She was approached by scammers on May 29 and informed that she was engaged in immigration offenses and threatened into buying $5,000 worth of gift cards as "bond" payments so that she could be released from arrest and deportation.

"I was totally scared and crying the whole time," said Bedi, a UI designer.

The ICE agent digital arrest scam in the US

Shreya Bedi was contacted on May 29, disrupting her life and propelling her deeper into a scam scheme, Newsweek reported.

She was informed by the scammer that she had not reported her immigration number and was breaking the country's immigration laws.

"He provided me with his name and his badge number and said to search his office information by going on ice.gov and looking up the office in Maryland. I could observe that it was the same phone number he was calling from," Bedi said.

In one common digital arrest scam method, the caller informed Bedi that she might not hang up or call anyone. She was informed that her phone was being monitored.

Another scambaiter also called the woman on a spoofed number, introducing himself as a representative of the Olympia Police Department. In the second call, he informed her that she had an arrest warrant unless ICE would acknowledge that they were investigating her case.

"I felt so trapped because they kept me on the line for three straight hours, reminding me all the time that hanging up or calling somebody would sabotage my case and make it worse. I was too afraid to take the chance," she said.

The scammers caused Bedi to purchase gift cards of $5,000 from Apple and Target and have them read over the phone. She was assured that an officer would call her to take up the cards and bond papers, but nothing of that nature occurred. On the return journey, she realized that she had been stolen from and reported one of her friends, who told her that such incidents were being shared online.

Shreya Bedi is attempting to fundraise on GoFundMe and cautioned other students against falling into the trap.

ICE criticized the stunt, declaring that impersonating agency officials is not just risky but also illegal.

"Ice strongly condemns impersonating its officers or agents. That is a dangerous, and illegal act. Impersonators can be prosecuted for a variety of criminal charges at both state/local, and federal levels (under 18 USC 912)," the spokesman was quoted as saying in the report.

A California student of bioengineering has made waves on social media after rejecting an internship offer at NASA. The student cited the requirement for a political shift in the current administration. The move has attracted widespread commentary on social media platforms.

Daniela Lucas, age 26, and PhD student at University of California San Diego, recorded and shared on TikTok. In the clip, she refuses to accept NASA's Human Health and Performance internship offer. The words written alongside in the clip, as noted, indicate she spent years gaining this offer. Lucas wrote in her caption it was difficult rejecting the offer for reasons under the current administration.

The video collected thousands of views. Social media users posted mixed remarks. Some mocked her decision. Others praised her for standing by her beliefs. One user said NASA avoided a crisis. Another said her decision was wise. Some users said political leaders can learn from her commitment.

Lucas migrated from Venezuela in 2015. She comes from a family of a doctor. She got a full scholarship to study at Miami Dade College. She is currently pursuing a PhD in bioengineering at UC San Diego.

NASA's internship program is considered one of the most respected programs in any discipline. It surpasses internships at Google, Apple, SpaceX and the CIA. Many interns build long-term careers at NASA. Some have even turned into astronauts or researchers.

NASA was funded by President Donald Trump while he was in office. The funding increased to over $22 billion. Plans included returning man to the moon and later to Mars. Lucas' internship was related to that mission.

But recent reports show budget reductions on the books. NASA's budget will decrease by 20% in 2026. Research departments would suffer under the reduction. The Trump administration is also urging the defunding of diversity programs in government agencies, including NASA. Biden has added to those efforts before, investing in them with $20 million.

If you are 22 and over and prepared to continue your education despite the challenges of life, the Aspire to Rise Scholarship through The Foundation for Enhancing Communities (TFEC) can assist.

This TFEC scholarship rewards individuals who have faced challenges such as caregiving commitments, financial difficulties or other barriers that held them back from attending college, trade school or finishing a GED.

"Would you prefer that individuals realize it's never too late to continue your education," stated TFEC's Wendy Ellenberger, educational opportunity program officer. "If you have to obtain your GED, start a trade school or start a four-year degree, this scholarship can open doors you never thought possible." 

The Aspire to Rise Scholarship offers flexible paths through offering financing for many educational objectives, from readiness to sit for a GED to pursuing two-year or four-year degree courses. Incentives vary and are applied to cover tuition or other required fees, allowing the award winner to focus on course work. Timetables are kept flexible to accommodate students pursuing on a part-time or full-time schedule in order to allow them to fulfill work or family responsibilities and fit in school.

Particular care is given to individuals who have not received a post-secondary diploma, offering second chances to individuals willing to pursue new opportunities.

The scholarship supports non-traditional students aged at least 22 and who have been faced with circumstances such as homelessness, recovery from substance abuse, health issues, criminal justice involvement or military service. Candidates must live in Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lebanon or Perry counties or Dillsburg (York County), which places them close to area colleges, trade schools and certificate programs. It also helps with related costs for GED applicants who are studying and ready to test or intend to test.

How to Apply

Visit tfec.org/scholarships/aspiretorise to view the requirements, gather the necessary documents and complete the application.

Submit your application, essay and supporting documents by Wednesday, Dec. 31.

"We are excited to offer this scholarship to individuals who have not had the easiest road," said Caitlin Cluck, TFEC director of community investment. "We believe that everyone deserves a chance to invest in their future and make a difference in our community."

TFEC oversees 195 scholarship funds and, in 2024 alone, awarded more than $2 million to nearly 500 students, making higher education more accessible to future learners throughout south central Pennsylvania. Offering opportunities across a wide range of academic endeavors, TFEC provides aid for diverse interests and backgrounds. To browse all available scholarships, visit tfec.org/scholarships.

Do you want to support the TFEC Aspire to Rise Scholarship Fund? You may give directly to this fund so that it can grow and continue to provide essential learning tools to students within our community. Donate at tfec.org or email questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Despite the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research, Training and Human Development Institute (SARTHI), Pune, allocating over ₹2.76 crore in 2024 under the Dr Punjabrao Deshmukh Merit Scholarship for Maratha and Kunbi students pursuing higher education in India, the scheme has come under sharp criticism for its limited reach and delayed disbursal.

Student Helping Hands president Kuldeep Ambekar has accused SARTHI of its flagship domestic scholarship scheme failing to benefit the very persons it was meant for. 

"Apart from a few PhD students and others who are sitting for competitive examinations, the majority of applicants continue to be ignored. Several students have been applying for SARTHI schemes, but still, they are being overlooked. The administrative indifference has frozen the whole system," Ambekar stated.

Students and parents complain that even in 2024, most of those who applied have not been given the money. The father of an M.Tech student from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, who had applied last year in July, said he has been calling SARTHI for months. "Every time they tell me it will be credited within 15 days, but the money has not come yet. I know there are others in the same position," he said.

But SARTHI Managing Director Rajendra Nimbalkar disputed allegations of mass delays. "We are releasing funds to nearly 100% of the students. Only some PhD candidates may still be pending, and that is because the number of applicants in that category has shot up. We are working on new policies to meet this growth," he informed The Free Press Journal.

The programme, which covers students pursuing more than 200 courses in over 200 courses in India — including courses in IITs, IIMs, and Central Universities — was initiated to support underprivileged Kunbi, Maratha-Kunbi and Kunbi-Maratha students pursuing education outside Maharashtra. But its scope extends limited. As per Ambekar, "Administrative apathy has meant that many deserving students are left waiting. It's as if the scholarship is symbolic, not functional."".

There are also charges of failure to promote the scheme. As per official reports, 209 students availed the scheme during 2024, and ₹2.76 crore was released. But figures from earlier years show a spotty implementation. As per sources, though 153 students approached in 2022, the figure declined to 26 in 2023, and not a single application was made in 2021.

The extremely low count of applications indicates the scheme has not been properly publicized," said Ambekar, asserting, "There is no available data on outreach activities through schools, colleges, or local institutions."

Nimbalkar termed these allegations unfounded, adding that the advertisement window for this year has not yet even opened. "The advertising time has not yet arrived. We are still in the process of finalizing new policies. Once they are in place, we will start the advertisement phase in time," he added.