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London wage levels 'threaten' targets
Poor pay in London is threatening the government’s target for half of young people to experience higher education by 2010 and could discourage overseas students, London’s vice-chancellors have warned. The London Higher Education Consortium, comprising 40 London institutions, expressed its concern in a letter to higher education minister Margaret Hodge.

Youngsters boo Blair at Westminster
Prime Minister Tony Blair was briefly heckled today when he defended Britain’s support for the US bombing of Afghanistan to an audience of 1,500 youngsters. Mr Blair told his audience at the annual Westminster Day to introduce young people to politics that the people of Afghanistan regarded British and American military intervention as liberation.

US reins in federal education spending
The Bush administration wants to peg the maximum federal student grant at $4,000 (£2,800) in its proposed 2003 budget and intends to switch the power to set the maximum from Congress to the secretary of education.

HE minister fails to spend £13m
Northern Ireland’s former higher education minister has admitted an underspend in his department of more than £13 million. But Sean Farren, now finance minister, rejected claims in the province’s assembly that the underspend during his time in office amounted to £50 million.