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. Cameron reveals plan to 'free' schools from state. Management fee model based on Swedish systemA Conservative government would encourage companies to run state schools for profit, it emerged today, as David Cameron promised to deliver radical change to take schools away from government interference.Saying he wanted to give every child the kind of education their parents would expect from a private school, Cameron argued that 'discipline, setting by ability and regular sport' prevalent in the private sector would flourish in state schools once they were freed from government controls by the Conservatives, forcing headteachers to respond to parental demands.But it emerged that under the reforms, based on the Swedish system of 'free' schools, governing bodies could contract out the operation of the school - including teaching - to a private company and that the company would be allowed to charge a 'management fee'.Using a little-known loophole in the law, the system is already allowe

Geithner has kept in frequent contact with Wall Street firms since taking the helm at the Treasury, speaking most often with Citigroup and Goldman Sachs.

. Inquiry into alleged anti-competitive behaviour by IBM. Software companies frustrated over compatibility issuesThe US justice department has begun an investigation into allegations of anti-competitive behaviour by IBM, the sprawling multinational technology company that dominates the market for powerful mainframe computers used by large organisations.Nicknamed 'big blue' for its vast scale, IBM has been criticised for years by software companies who complain that the firm makes it difficult for them to produce products compatible with its technology.An industry group representing plaintiffs, the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), said members had received 'civil investigative demands' from the justice department in recent weeks seeking information on IBM. 'The wording isn't narrow - it's very widely drawn,' said the association's chief executive, Edward Black. 'They're inquiring into a wide range of products and into the reality of the mainframe market.'Members

A waste company is banned from discharging industrial effluent into sewers after a cyanide leak in the River Trent.

If there's a name associated with customer satisfaction, it's J.D. Power and Associates. I mean, come on--with a name like J.D. Power, the firm is practically...

Though fewer servers were sold, the research firm points to the trend in virtualization and consolidation.

Washington Post: Daughter of former VP Plans to Quit Current Job to launch Her Own Firm, Possibly with Sister and Father

At a time when some firms have cut back on benefits, these employers offer notably generous plans. Fortune picks some of the best.

BANGALORE (Dow Jones)--Global coffee prices are likely to remain firm at current levels as the supply situation remains tight, Nestor Osorio, executive director of the international Coffee Organization, said Wednesday.

Job cuts and factory closures by Opel cannot be influenced by levels of state aid given to the firm, the EU says.