Finance & Economics | WPN World People News

The British-American policies in Iraq have not been a failure, since the goal has been to achieve Tony Blair’s vision of a post-Westphalian Treaty world.[1] The notion of a modern, sovereign, and independent nation-state under which flag many ethnic and religious entities could coexist as citizens of one nation, is becoming a thing of the past, at least in Southwest Asia. Since at least Sept. 11, 2001, and emphatically since the start in 2003 of the aggressive war (according to the Nuremberg Tribunals) by the “coalition of the willing” against Iraq, this has been the policy of the British Empire and its partners, the Bush-Cheney and Obama Administrations.

An international team of nuclear installation safety experts led by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today completed an assessment of how the Mühleberg Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Switzerland has followed up on an Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) mission undertaken in October 2012.

Latin American and Caribbean countries need to do more to improve budget management, tax collection and public sector pay equality if they are to catch up with advanced economies in terms of government performance, according to a joint report by the OECD and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Unlike most developing countries, India’s recent growth has been well below potential, which provides space for economic activity to accelerate without building inflationary pressures.

The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved a US$ 32.67 million financing for the Second Community Agricultural Resource Management and Competitiveness (CARMAC) Project for Armenia. This Project is designed to improve productivity and sustainability of pasture and livestock systems in up to 100 communities in eight regions of Armenia with significant pasture areas and increase the marketed production from selected livestock and high value agri-food value chains.

At the Economic and Financial Affairs Council meeting on 20 June the ministers agreed an amendment to EU tax rules that will close a loophole which had allowed cross-border corporations to profit from double non-taxation.

The U.S. Presbyterian Church has voted to divest its financial holdings from three American companies doing business in parts of Israel considered by Palestinians to be occupied territory.

The World Bank approved a $101.5 million IDA credit to expand the availability of employable workers by increasing access to high quality, labor market relevant skills development programs. The project will open new career prospects for skilled employment that is critical to sustain growth in a middle income country.

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission led by Mr. Neil Saker visited Dili, Timor-Leste, from June 3 to 17 to conduct the 2014 Article IV Consultation discussions. The mission met with the Minister of Finance, the Governor of the Banco Central de Timor-Leste, senior officials, development partners, and representatives from the private sector and civil society to discuss recent economic developments and the medium-term outlook.

Early Estimates of Quarterly Unit Labour Costs
Seasonally adjusted data, Total economy

Annual ULC growth remains low in most OECD countries, Year-on-year percentage change