Latest news

PM petitioned by online debt protestors
Students are signing an online petition protesting about debt at the rate of one every few seconds. By last night more than 10,000 names had been entered on the "PayUpTony" website, logging a combined debt of more than £110 million. www.payuptony.com

Archbishop Carey promotes Muslim dialogue
The archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, will formally agree a joint initiative to promote dialogue between Christians and Muslims today. He is to take part in a signing ceremony at Lambeth Palace with His Eminence Sheikh Mohamad Sayed Tantawy, the Grand Imam of al-Azhar al-Sharif University in Cairo, Egypt.

Foreign student labour quota increased
Extra foreign students will help fill the need for casual farm workers this summer. The Home Office is increasing the quota of students allowed into the UK through the seasonal agricultural workers' scheme by 3,500. Last year the top countries sending students were Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania and Bulgaria.

Bush to mobilise students in the community
United States president George W. Bush announced in his state of the union address that he wants a 50 per cent expansion of the Americorps programme under which students receive university funding in exchange for a year of community service.