1.   Peaceful protests began over disparities in student allowances but escalated into running battles with police, a class boycott and arson and vandalism attacks.

2.   He said students were angered by cuts to student allowances while Mugabe failed to stop government corruption.

3.   Riot police have been criticized for indiscriminately firing tear gas into campus buildings during a class boycott last month over cuts in student allowances.

4.   The governing Social Democrats on Wednesday continued their pre-election flurry of spending increases, announcing a hike in the child allowance and the student allowance.

5.   The migrants spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on cars and real estate before lining up for student allowances, it said.