The World Bank’s Department of Institutional Integrity (INT) made significant contributions to the global fight against corruption in Fiscal Year 2007, with a 25 percent increase in closed investigations from the previous fiscal year, the launch of a Voluntary Disclosure Program to deter private-sector corruption, and agreement on a coordinated approach to rooting out corruption among the International Financial Institutions, says a new report from the Bank.
As worldwide Broadband penetration continues its frenetic pace, Strategy Analytics estimates over one billion discrete broadband users in 2008. The vast majority of this growth will come from emerging markets, according to company analysts. Notably, the current trajectory of Broadband growth outpaces mobile.
A new OECD report analyses the sickness and disability policies in Australia, Luxembourg, Spain and the United Kingdom. It recommends steps governments should take to reduce the number of people claiming sickness and disability benefits and help beneficiaries back into the labour market.
Faced with labour shortages and pressures on pension funding due to ageing populations, one in three OECD countries has cut unemployment benefits in the last six years with a view to encouraging unemployed people to find jobs, according to a new OECD report.
Blue will replace green as the environmental movement's color du jour. Aging populations will increasingly outsmart chronic disease as genetic testing and other medical breakthroughs become widely available. And reality checks will kick in as the American tech bubble and Chinese economic bubble continue to stretch.
Corporate earnings in the US, Europe, and Japan will weaken and stock market volatility will increase, according to a majority of investment professionals surveyed in New York, London, Melbourne, and Tokyo by AXA Rosenberg in October and November.
The USA is losing its status as a globally active world power more and more. In contrast, China, India and, more recently, Russia once again, have managed to significantly increase their superpower images.
In the U.S., the outlook is relatively stable from the fourth quarter, but slightly softer than one year ago, reflecting the economic concerns that continue to weigh on the minds of employers. German and Indian employers anticipate a continued positive hiring pace, although slightly slower than three months ago.
With the ranks of wealthy consumers expanding, particularly in emerging markets, private banking executives have expressed a strong sense of optimism about sector growth in 2008, according to a KPMG International survey. Responses also revealed a heightened appetite for acquisitions across the industry.
