World Bank: International Food Prices Hit Four-Year Low

New World Bank Group tool focuses on preparedness for potential future crises. International prices of food decreased by 6 percent between April and August 2014, reaching a four-year low, according to the latest edition of Food Price Watch. This sharp decrease

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UN Reports Potential for Gradual Return to Global Growth, Foresees Risks, Uncertainties

Global economic growth is forecast to continue increasing over the next two years, the United Nations reported today, despite legacies from the financial crisis continuing to weigh on growth, and the emergence of new challenges, including geopolitical conflicts such as

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Trade Balance of Developing and Developed Countries Continues to Converge, UNCTAD Statistics Show

UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics 2014 shows that developing and transition economies run large trade surpluses for merchandise and services trade. Geneva, 9 December 2014 – Developing economies ran a combined merchandise and services trade surplus for 2013 of $177.6 billion,

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New World Bank Initiative to Help End Wasteful Energy Subsidies

A new World Bank-ESMAP facility helps countries develop and implement effective, sustainable energy subsidy reform programs that protect the poor from the impact of higher energy prices. Such subsidies primarily benefit higher-income earners rather than the poor, but if subsidies

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Mo Farah: Running for Fun, Profit and Charity

Mo Farah runs for his life. It is what he does and he is pretty good at it too. On the 10,000 and 5,000 metres, Mo Farah is the Olympic, world and European champion. He runs in a great number

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Joanna Lumley: Nepal’s National Treasure

Considered a “national treasure” in Nepal for her support of the Gurkha Justice Campaign, Joanna Lumley has few if any qualms when it comes to using her fame to promote good causes. As a high-profile activist, she backs Survival International

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Overall Tax Cost and Compliance Burden Lower for Businesses around the World

Paying taxes has become easier over the past year for medium-sized companies around the world, the latest report from the World Bank Group and PwC finds. The time it takes an average company to meet its tax obligations dropped by

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JK Rowling: Inspiring Words Matched to an Inspiring Life

When the first edition of a book published in 1997 already fetches upward of twenty-thousand pounds, it is sure to have represented a literary milestone. Such is indeed the case with JK Rowling’s peerless masterwork Harry Potter and Philosopher’s Stone

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Working Together to Boost Innovation in Central Europe and the Baltics

Innovation is a critical driver of long-term economic growth and the right public policies are crucial to boost innovation. Through lending projects and advisory services, the Bank is assisting new European Union member states and candidate countries to unlock their

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Executives: Smart Carbon Pricing Policies Can Drive Investment in a Cleaner Future

The IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Synthesis Report warns of the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 70 percent by 2050, on pace for carbon neutrality by the end of the century. Businesses know how to cut emissions and

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