World watch

Jerusalem

Leaders of Israeli universities said that the next academic year would not start on schedule if an emergency cut of 213 million shekels (£30 million) in the higher education budget is implemented. The cut is blamed on the costs of resisting the intifada.

Rome

Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi has appointed Letizia Moratti, head of a Milan brokerage firm, as universities minister. Ms Moratti was head of RAI, the Italian state broadcasting authority, from 1994 to 1996. She is also a former chairman of News Corporation Europe, a sister company of the publisher of The THES . Giuliano Urbani, professor of political science at Milan's Bocconi University, is the new culture minister.

Washington DC

President Bush plans to boost research into new technology that can monitor greenhouse-gas emissions.

Frankfurt

German philosopher Jürgen Habermas, 71, is winner of this year's prestigious peace prize from the German book trade. The €12,500 (£7,700) prize will be presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October.

Addis Ababa

Two leading Ethiopian academics have been released on bail after 28 days in jail. Mesfin Wolde Mariam and Birhanu Nega have denied accusations of inciting university students to riot and belonging to the illegal Ethiopian Democratic League.

Brussels

A former Rwandan university professor has been jailed for 12 years after his conviction by a Belgian court - with three others including two nuns - for war crimes during the genocide of Tutsis in 1994. Academic Vincent Ntezimana, of the University of Butare, had maintained his innocence.

Denver

The United States Open University has gained national accreditation, clearing the path for a leap in student enrolments. Students will be able to reclaim fees from employers and financial aid programmes now that the USOU is recognised by the Accrediting Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council. The USOU has 500 students.