As I blogged about not too long ago, the World Bank recently launched a report on Women, Business and the Law that has put a spotlight on the many legal differentiations that may make it harder for women to participate in the workforce or run a business.
Haven't received your all-access pass to the World Bank Group's spring meetings? You can still get a taste of the action. Danny Leipziger, a former Vice President of the World Bank and now a professor at George Washington University, is leveraging off the meetings to organize an event taking place this Monday at the George Washington University.
Just last week, Chris Kreuz was commenting on the “small first movers” in the long journey to open development data, and the WSJ was reporting on the promises of opening up scientific databases to deepen our understanding of diseases.
Editor's note: Dorsati Madani is a Senior Economist with the Strategy and Analysis Unit of the World Bank Group's Investment Climate Advisory department.
April 15 is the date that Americans have to send in their tax returns. Many folks scramble at the last minute to get their returns post-marked by this date or pay penalties on their taxes. (Of course, things got easier this year for American employees of international organizations after the release of the Geithner edition of TurboTax.) But in celebration of tax day, I thought I'd share a few data points from tax regimes in other parts of the world.
Microfinance has had its share of PR problems lately.
No, I'm not referring to Tiger Woods's recent return to golf. George Soros is trying to rebuild the economics profession from the ground up at the Institute for New Economic Thinking. The site has a ton of interesting videos, including the one below by Nobel laureate George Akerlof (of The Market for Lemons fame).
Editor's Note: Yara Salem is a Private Sector Development Specialist with the Doing Business project and manages the Starting a Business indicator.
So says Owen Barder. Money quote:
So we may be on the brink of a collapse of the entire “business model”, as traumatic as the closure of newspapers in the United States (the UK is a year or so behind). Perhaps we should see this as an opportunity, rather than a threat. Collapse may be the appropriate response, an opportunity to build a new system from the bottom up.
What is the meaning of the word "friendly"?
Greece: It's a bailout!
Unemployment today vs The Great Depression.
Does economic news from China influence markets more than from America?
If so, maybe it's because Chinese foreign exchange reserves equal 20% of the S&P 500.
Here's a rough look at some of the best of the blogoshere regarding the ongoing tragedy in Haiti:
IFC has launched its own YouTube channel, complete with videos that discuss topics ranging from IFC investments in private health care sectors, to the latest ideas on how to improve regulatory climates.
A recent video (after the jump) discusses "Simplifying Regulations and Generating Investment: Colombia's Key to Doing Business". Check it out:
"The real barrier to firm growth in poor countries could be management".
The top ten emerging financial centers. Plus, the next six BRICS.
The unemployment rate decreased in 36 US states last month.
