Today's news

Kelly doubts college targets
Ruth Kelly today cast doubt on the value of a key government education target. The Education Secretary made clear she would not have set a goal of getting half of 18 to 30 year olds through university by 2010. Ms Kelly said it was a "funny measure" and she was still trying to work out why the Government came up with it. The target, set by David Blunkett, has been blamed for a boom in "Mickey Mouse" courses as colleges chase the extra cash that goes with more students.
The Evening Standard, The Scotsman, The Times Higher Education Supplement (May 20)

Race to find new cures speeds up as Britain clones human embryo
British scientists have created a cloned human embryo for the first time, placing the country in the vanguard of a technology with the potential to cure conditions such as Parkinson’s, diabetes and paralysis. The Newcastle University team has become only the second to achieve the feat, crowning a momentous day that underlines the pace at which the science is moving. Their announcement came as the South Korean researchers who pioneered human cloning last year announced breakthroughs that bring its medical promise closer to reality.
The Times, The Guardian, The Evening Standard, The Independent

Universities criticised for slow progress on pay reform
The Association of University Teachers has accused Cardiff, Dundee and Sheffield universities of lagging behind on their commitment to the national pay framework that was agreed last year. An AUT spokesman, David Nicholson, said the three institutions either have failed to propose anything, or have made proposals that do not meet the basic requirements of the framework deal.
The Guardian, The Times Higher Education Supplement (May 20)

Letter
In response to Robert Fisk's article on the alienating language used by university academics.
The Independent