Update: 12:25

Hefce gets new directors
Three new directors have been appointed to the Higher Education Funding Council for England. Liz Beaty, director of higher education development at Coventy University, will become director for learning and teaching. John Rushforth, head of management improvement at Hefce, is the new director for widening participation. And Rama Thirunamachandran, acting director for institutions at Hefce, has become director for research and knowledge transfer.

Call for biotech advisory body
A new strategic advisory body should be set up to look at the issues raised by the use of genetic biotechnology on farm animals, the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission said today. The commission, which advises the government, said decision-makers should engage the public far more effectively on which applications of genetic modification, cloning or more conventional technology were acceptable.

Liverpool internet students top 1,000
Staff at the University of Liverpool are celebrating enrolling 1,000th internet student. The university offers MBA and MSc courses in information technology that are taught entirely online. Students from 45 countries have already enrolled on the programme, which was started 18 months ago.

Arrests as Peres visits Wi****ersrand
The director of the education policy unit at the University of the Wi****ersrand has been arrested after trying to gain access to a university auditorium where Israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres was about to address members of South Africa's Jewish community. Salim Vally did not have an invitation but was due to meet academics from the University of Sussex who were visiting the Johannesburg campus, according to supporters. Fifteen other protesters were arrested in related incidents.