A successful transition to a green economy depends crucially on the availability of various critical raw materials. Currently, China dominates the production and processing of many of these materials, and most of the reserves are in countries that are not politically aligned with the Western economies. This column discusses the current situation and potential policy […]
Since its creation in 1944, the World Bank has issued bonds to raise funds from private investors that have mobilized close to $1tn for sustainable development projects and programs in middle-income countries. But while both the World Bank and the banking industry have changed over the past several decades — a period that has included […]
The next generation of the Toyota Camry, the best-selling sedan in the U.S. market, will come with only a gas-electric hybrid powertrain, the boldest move yet by the Japanese automaker to push hybrid technology into the heart of the U.S. market. The 2025 Camry will combine a 2.5-liter gasoline engine with an electric drive system […]
Concessional finance—that is, grants and low-interest loans is more important than ever for the world’s poorest countries. Yet today’s aid architecture is highly complex, fragmented, and offers limited concessionality. In this context, it’s important to find ways to leverage the available resources for the biggest, most effective impact. The International Development Association (IDA) is the world’s largest […]
SpaceX’s uncrewed spacecraft Starship, developed to carry astronauts to the moon and beyond, failed in space shortly after lifting off on Saturday, cutting short its second test but making it further than an earlier attempt that ended in an explosion. The two-stage rocketship blasted off from the Elon Musk-owned company’s Starbase launch site near Boca Chica […]
In recent years, most advanced economies have adopted or tightened existing foreign investment screening mechanisms, which empower national authorities to restrict foreign takeovers in strategic sectors. This column develops a composite index suitable for comparing the main features of such mechanisms. It shows how country-specific macroeconomic characteristics and geopolitical factors are correlated with the restrictiveness […]
The UN recognizes access to clean drinking water as a fundamental human right, yet even residents of high-income countries are regularly exposed to unsanitary drinking water. Each year, an estimated 16.4 million cases of acute gastroenteritis in the US are attributed to contamination in community water systems. This column provides new estimates of the impact […]
With the expansion of digital trade, firms are actively collecting and utilizing data. This column uses a survey of Japanese firms in 2019 and 2021 to examine the dynamics of corporate activities related to cross-border data flows. The authors find a significant increase in cross-border data collection activities, led by high-productivity firms. In addition to […]
In February 1941, Albert, a 43-year-old policeman from the UK, scratched his face on a rose bush. The simple wound became severely infected. He was the first patient receiving penicillin treatment. Unfortunately, the quantity of penicillin was not enough, and he died. Penicillin became available to the public in 1946 and since then 20 new classes of […]
Amazon.com said on Monday it would allow Snapchat users in the United States to buy some products directly from the app as the e-commerce giant looks to capitalize on the growing use of social media for shopping. Shares of the social media firm surged more than 9% on the news. With social networks increasingly influencing shopping trends […]
