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Education International is concerned that the OECD's policies are paving the way for increased privatisation of education, especially at the tertiary level, instead of promoting greater access to quality public education.

Universities could play a stronger role in the economic, cultural and social development of their regions, according to a new OECD report. Higher Education and Regions: Globally Competitive, Locally Engaged argues that regional engagement by universities is beneficial both to local development and the institutions themselves.

Fitch Ratings has said that the market turmoil that besieged the financial markets in August 2007 will test the robustness of the system following Q207 ratings migration results. These results saw the par-value of corporate bond upgrades in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) again outpace downgrades, this time by a margin of 2.4:1. Moreover, ratings migration for banking and finance, insurance and supranational (BFI) securities (where much of the market dislocation has occurred) were even higher. In contrast, ratings migration for industrial securities (a segment where fundamentals remain benign) still has a slight negative bias.

More widespread university education means more prosperous economies and provides rich rewards in the labour market for those who graduate. Furthermore, the job prospects for the less well qualified do not appear to be damaged by the expansion of higher education and may even be improved, according to the latest edition of the OECD’s annual Education at a Glance.

Nearly two million Australians have had their personal details stolen and used fraudulently, according to an Office of the Privacy Commissioner survey of 1,500 Australians nationwide.

The South Asian country has acquired de facto membership in the elite club of acknowledged nuclear powers, created more billionaires than any other country in Asia and become one of the world's most dynamic and fastest-growing economies.

Fitch Ratings said Russian steel producers are well positioned to face off the looming competition from China's steel exports to the international markets. This is because of their competitive advantages and strong Russian demand for steel, as well as the consolidation driven by the Chinese government to rationalise national steel production and restrain exports.

Oil prices are likely to hit US$100 a barrel by the end of next year as soaring rates of domestic oil consumption in the world's leading oil producing nations cuts into their export capacity, forecasts the chief economist at CIBC World Markets.

It's official: Web 2.0 has gone global. What was once an industry focused almost entirely in the San Francisco Bay area has expanded into new markets within the U.S. as well as in Europe and Israel, according to new data released by Dow Jones VentureOne and Ernst & Young LLP.