A web site has been launched to provide UK information and services to people overseas.

The site has been designed as a first port of call for up-to-the-minute information and contains links to useful web sites, magazine-style features and answers to the most commonly asked questions about the UK.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said: "The launch of the site is about making it easier for people to interact with the UK. The new web project showcases the best of British - our cultural heritage, our scientific and technological advancements and our business environment."

The site was launched with a fashion show in Moscow, an internet competition aimed at Russian students, a text messaging and advertising campaign in Singapore and a two-day Indo-British festival in India.

www.i-uk.com