A collection of photos in the Champassak provincial office of Électricité du Laos shows the blue-shirted employees in action. Photo: Naazneen Barma/The World Bank The hallways of the Électricité…

Naazneen Barma |

There’s been a lot of talk about food riots in the wake of the international food price hikes in 2007. Given the deaths and injuries caused by many of these episodes, this attention is fully…

José Cuesta |

Following Russia’s annexation of Crimea after the popular voting in early March, the European Union and recently the U.S. and Canada have imposed their first round of sanctions—an asset freeze and…

Lili Mottaghi |

Crony capitalism is the key development challenge facing Tunisia today Last week’s Economist magazine focused on Crony Capitalism.  From the powerful oil barons in the USA in the 1920s to today’s…

Bob Rijkers, Caroline Freund, Antonio Nucifora |

Among the olive groves, almond blossoms, lush grass, and views of small towns nestled on hilltops and in valleys, World Bank colleagues and I hiked a trail in northern Palestine. Ducking into cool…

Stefanie Ridenour |

The Palestinian economy is stalling. Growth dropped sharply in 2013, unemployment is on the rise, and tax revenues for the Palestinian authority are falling significantly short of what is needed…

Orhan Niksic |

Photo: "January 25th is the best and most honorable day in the history of Egypt" In the World Bank office in Cairo, there is a beautiful poster that proclaims January 25th as the best…

Wael Zakout |

Riots broke out across Tunisia last weekend, as citizens reacted to the government’s latest efforts to trim its budget deficit. Officials are struggling to cut spending and increase revenues, all…

Gael Raballand, Miles McKenna |