Latest UK news

New Deal attracts single parents
Nearly 20,000 single parents decided to return to education and training through the government’s New Deal scheme, according to the latest figures. Out of 205,490 who started the scheme, 19,740 took up the education and training option, according to the Department for Education and Employment.

£90 million boost for Scottish research
Scottish higher education has won £90 million to develop world-beating new drugs and technologies, half from the Science Research Infrastructure Fund and half from the Scottish Executive.

Students can apply for support online
From today English and Welsh students starting university this year can apply online for financial support. The electronic form - found at www.dfee.gov.uk/studentsupport - comes with a guide on the range of cash help available for students.

Oxford honours UN head
United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan is to be awarded an honorary doctorate in civil law by Oxford University, it was announced today. Others recognised in this year’s batch of honorary degrees include Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the worldwide web.