World watch

Rome
Italian premier Giuliano Amato has taken over the universities ministry following the resignation of Ortensio Zecchino, minister since 1998. Mr Zecchino left to campaign for a new political party - Democrazia Europea - in April's general election.

Mendoza
Argentina's former education minister, Susana Decibe, and other members of the Menem government are facing corruption charges. The charges relate to accusations by Oscar Klier, former rector of the Universidad de Congreso in Mendoza, that government ministers pressured him to help transfer control of the private university to the powerful Consejo Empresario Mendocino group.

Quito
One hundred of an estimated 5,000 Indians who have been occupying the Universidad Politécnica Salesiana since January 26 have gone on hunger strike. They are protesting about price increases in food, fuel and transport.

New York
A federal district court judge has decided that a former State University of New York student can sue her professor for sexual harassment for calling her "Monica Lewinsky".

Paris
Czech president Vaclav Havel has been awarded the first "grand prix" of the World Academy of Cultures for his "exceptional literary work" and "historic political activity".

Afghanistan
The Taleban movement has reached agreement with the Institute for Post-Graduate Studies in Lahore for 30 post-graduate students and ten lecturers from the Kabul Medical Institute to be sent annually to Pakistan for advanced training and research.

Kazakhstan
Kazak president Nursultan Nazarbayev has accused some Kazak university faculties of permitting wealthy parents to buy their children's way through college - a practice he is attempting to stamp out.

Latvia
The British government is to donate 45,000 lats (£50,000) to support the teaching of the Latvian language to non-Latvian adult residents of Latvia.