Latest UK news (withdrawn)

Academic heads medical watchdog
Alistair Scotland, director of medical education and research at London’s Chelsea and Westminster, will be the first chief officer of the doctors’ watchdog announced today.
He will also act as medical director to the National Clinical Assessment Authority, set up in response to recent medical scandals such as the Harold Shipman murders.

Unions win lifelong learning funds
Wendy Alexander, Scotland’s minister for enterprise and lifelong learning, has announced more than £500,000 for 12 trade union lifelong learning projects. Those winning funding under the Scottish Union Learning Fund include the Educational Institute of Scotland and the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists.

Private company to run Loughborough accommodation
Loughborough University has signed an agreement with a private company to run about a fifth of its student accommodation. The deal, with Bristol-based Unite, is believed to be one of the biggest of its kind.
CLARIFICATION: Unite is the preferred bidder and as of 8 January 2001 no agreement had yet been signed. A corrected version of this story is now on the website.