Quebec premier offers strikers concessions

Quebec Premier Jean Charest has offered concessions to student groups opposed to the tuition hike of $1,625 over five years, in hopes they’ll end their protests. Charest says he would spread the increase across seven years instead of five. That means fees would go up by $254 each year, instead of $325, although the hikes would continue until 2019 instead of 2017. The premier would also add $39 million in new bursaries, would link loan payments directly to income (as his government previously proposed) and would create a council to oversee the management of the province’s universities. The 10-week-old strike has put many students’ semesters in jeopardy and has spawned violent protests, including one on Wednesday at which 85 people were arrested.