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Africa: End of the Commodity Super-Cycle Weighs on Growth
Sub-Saharan Africa’s growth will slow in 2015 to 4.0 percent from 4.5 percent in 2014, according to World Bank projections released today. This downturn largely reflects the fall in the prices of oil and other commodities, notes Africa’s Pulse, a twice-yearly
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Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz: A Pragmatist Claiming Centre Stage
It is a long lane that has no turning. The life of Mauritanian president Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is marked by quite a few abrupt twists and turns. In August 2008, Mr Abdel Aziz masterminded the military coup that toppled
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A Synchrotron for Africa: Scientists Unite Behind Proposed Project
Of the world’s almost fifty synchrotron light sources, not a single one is to be found in Africa. That, however, may soon change. Later this year, a 15-member steering committee, comprised of European, US, and African scientists and government officials,
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World Bank Group: Sovereign Wealth Funds Investing at Home – Opportunity Fraught with Risk
By Håvard Halland, Alan Gelb, and Silvana Tordo Following the recent discoveries of large oil and gas deposits in East Africa, a number of countries in the region are in the process of establishing, or are discussing the creation of,
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MIGA (World Bank): FDI – Treading Carefully into Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations
More than 1.5 billion people – about one in five of the global population – live in what the World Bank Group terms “fragile and conflict-affected situations” (FCS). For many investors, these countries are “no-go” zones due to their weak
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World Bank Group: Remittances – A Vital Channel for Global Cash Flows
Envision the world economy as a complex, interconnected array of financial engines whose propulsion helps reinforce one another’s momentum. One of the component engines is a small but significant one that, until a few years ago, was not recognised for
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World Economic Forum Opens in Davos: Sharing and Caring
Davos – Over 2,600 of the world’s most notable people have ascended to Europe’s highest mountain town for a series of meetings that aim to address “key issues of global importance.” Nestled at 1,560m above sea level in a picture-perfect
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World Bank MENA Chief Economist: Towards a New Social Contract in the Middle East and North Africa
By Shanta Devarajan A snapshot of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region today reveals a diverse and discouraging picture (Figure 1). Syria, Iraq, and Libya are suffering from violent conflict that has devastated people’s lives, infrastructure, and national
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World Economic Forum: Chile and Colombia Best in Entrepreneurial Vitality
Most advanced economies are lagging in entrepreneurial vitality. According to a report published last week by the World Economic Forum, the most ambitious and innovative businesspeople are to be found in emerging countries. The Leveraging Entrepreneurial Ambition and Innovation Report
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UNCDF: A Roadmap for Financial Inclusion
Nephathli is a man from Lesotho, formerly a mineworker in South Africa. His family’s main source of income is the profit made on the sale of chickens and eggs. Nephathli’s income varies from month to month depending on how many
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