Last month, the incoming head of Universities UK, Roderick Floud, speaking on behalf of university chiefs, added his voice to the criticism of the present system, saying that it was too complex and could deter applicants to higher education.

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At the meeting, Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said Mr. Page had "lost his voice" and "can't do any public speaking engagements for the time being, " including the coming week's Google annual conference for software developers and at the second-quarter earnings conference call that is expected in mid-July.

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Mr Kenyatta may not have a natural flair for public speaking but he has a powerful voice and can be persuasive when fighting his corner.

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