Oil Price Plunge Analyzed In New World Bank Policy Research Note

Rapid expansion of oil supply from unconventional sources, a significant change in OPEC’s policy stance, and weak global demand are driving the recent plunge in oil prices, according to a new paper by the World Bank. These underlying forces are

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Bill Clinton: Words of Real Value

As nations and economies converge, interdependencies are created between people and give rise to new challenges. To strengthen the capacity of people to deal with these and the other changing realities of the contemporary world, the Bill Clinton Foundation was

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China: Now You See It, Now You Don’t

At long last, China is living its very own Silent Spring. Or not. Since late February, well over 300 million Chinese have watched the 103-minute online documentary Under the Dome – a powerful crowd-funded exposé of air pollution and other

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Taxing Mobility: A Liberal Icon Gone Awry

The sale, earlier this week, of the publically-owned stake in cross-Channel rail operator Eurostar for £757m shows that pragmatism – or common sense – is still the rarest of commodities in Whitehall. The privatisation of British Rail, set in motion

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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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Germany: Immigrant Workers Benefit Economy

Germany’s opposition to British attempts to limit the freedom of movement within the European Union is grounded in economic self-interest rather than lofty principle. Instead of whining endless about the influx of workers from other EU member states, the Germans

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The Surprising Vitality and Resilience of NASDAQ

At the close of yesterday’s business, the tech-heavy NASDAQ index was just about forty points shy of hitting its all-time record high of 5,048.62 attained on March 10, 2000 (with an intraday peak of 5,132.52). The Dow Jones Industrial Index

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Brazil: Arrest of Fraudsters Decreases Deforestation Rate

One man can make a difference. Since Brazilian authorities in August 2014 issued an arrest warrant and forced Ezequiel Antônio Castanha into hiding, deforestation rates along the northern stretch of the BR-163 highway have decreased by as much as 65%.

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In Real Estate, Boring Is Good as Is Stability

Perfection is a moving target. Good luck nailing it. Such is the plight of the real estate investor: The perfect market – should it exist outside the realm of fancy – moves about the globe at a pace not fit

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Recovering the Magdalena River Waterway: Challenge Accepted

Historically, Colombia has suffered from a deficient and incomplete transportation network that isolated the country from overseas markets and made even domestic communication between provinces and regions a challenge. Numerous geographical, economic, and political factors that have profoundly impacted Colombia’s

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