Latest international news

China releases jailed scholars
Two United States-based scholars of Chinese origin, Gao Zhan and Qin Guangguang, have been released on medical grounds by China, 36 hours after they had been convicted of spying for Taiwan and sentenced to ten years in prison. Their release came two days before the visit of US secretary of state Colin Powell to China.

Uruguay tries to plug brain drain
The Uruguayan higher education authorities are studying measures to counter an increasing "brain drain" of young graduates to more developed countries whose foreign policies, they claim, are systematically designed to encourage graduates from abroad.

Institute head admits embezzlement
The head of the finance division of Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science has resigned after admitting that he had embezzled ILS 21 million (£3.5 million).