Following a deep recession in 2009, growth accelerated to 5 percent in the first quarter of 2010 amid signs of exports spilling over to domestic demand. Strong demand from Asia, especially for capital goods, has supported exports, while subsidies aimed at consumer durables has lifted household spending.

IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn gives his opening address to the Asia 21 high-level conference in Daejeon, Korea. In his address, he speaks about how Asia has emerged as a global economic powerhouse from the recent worldwide financial crisis. He also commented on Asia's growing role in the world economy and the growing responsibilities that come with it.

BYU professors Julianne Holt-Lunstad and Timothy Smith report that social connections – friends, family, neighbors or colleagues – improve our odds of survival by 50 percent.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed its annual Article IV assessment of the United States economy. Thanks to a powerful and effective policy response, the recovery from the 'Great Recession' has become increasingly well established. The outlook seems to have improved in tandem with the recovery, but remaining household and financial balance sheet weaknesses are likely to continue to restrain private spending.

In its latest updates of the World Economic Outlook and the Global Financial Stability Report, the IMF discusses threats to the global economic recovery. Video includes soundbites with Olivier Blanchard, Chief Economist.

Economic prospects for the countries of the Middle East and North Africa have improved with the resumption of capital inflows and rising crude oil prices. However, the IMF's Director of Middle East and Central Asia Department says sluggish credit is impeding a stronger recovery.

A recovery is underway in Europe, but it's still much weaker than in other parts of the world. Says the IMF's Luc Everaert, "Lending conditions are still very tight, unemployment is high and still rising and, most importantly, people are worried about fiscal sustainability in a number of countries, which is depressing confidence in the outlook."

Ministers responsible for women's affairs in the 54-member Commonwealth will meet in Barbados 7-9 June 2010, to discuss the impact of the global financial crisis on women, and how new funding mechanisms can make women agents in economic recovery and growth.

Zakumi, the Official Mascot of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, follows in the footsteps of Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Andre Agassi by playing on the helipad of the Burj Al Arab. Zakumi was in Dubai for an action-packed holiday as he counts down the last few days to the kick-off of the 2010 FIFA World Cup™.

The World's Leading Trade Fair for the Automotive Industry from 14 to 19 September 2010!
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The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) unveiled its Olympic Mascot, Wenlock and Paralympic Mascot, Mandeville. An animated film, based on a story by children's author Michael Morpurgo, shows how the figures were brought to life and are able to reflect and adapt to their surroundings.

As growth in Asia leads the global economic recovery, the IMF's Director of the Asia Pacific Department warns that the region will face some challenges of its own.

Women buy 52% of all new cars sold in the U.S. and influence more than 85% of all car purchases. They are the fastest growing segment of buyers for new and used cars. Research shows, given the current economic climate, women are more concerned with fuel economy than car color or stereo options. And unlike their male counterparts, women are more likely to research for the best deal, even if it means shopping multiple dealerships.

While growth in Sub-Saharan Africa is picking up, the Director of the IMF's Africa Department says that more needs to be done to protect the region from future shocks.

In the IMF's World Economic Outlook, the IMF examines the different paths the recovery is taking in advanced and emerging economies. Chief Economist Olivier Blanchard discusses the challenges facing the global economy in the year to come.

The Smarter Cities Skills Initiative opens IBM's global resources to Columbia faculty and students, including access to 40 IBM Innovation Centers worldwide and IBM Research expertise. An increasing number of businesses, communities and governments around the world are undertaking transformation projects to make aging infrastructures such as buildings, electricity grids and transportation systems more sustainable. The new initiative is designed to help students find new ways to make infrastructures more sustainable.

During the Great Recession, unemployment jumped in the US and Spain, while other countries in similar circumstances didn't suffer the same job losses. In this interview, the IMF's Ravi Balakrishnan explains why.

In the 20 years since the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, the Trustee Council has commissioned numerous scientific studies to evaluate effects of the spill on the environment. Oil still persists at some sites in Prince William Sound and the Gulf of Alaska in a relatively unweathered and potentially toxic condition.

Jack Bobo, Senior Advisor for Biotechnology at the U.S. Department of State explains how biotechnology can help fight climate change. He also says that biotechnology will help adaptation to the changing climate through the development of drought-resistant crops and a mitigation of no-till or no-plow agriculture.

The outlook for Mexico's economy is good. In this interview, the IMF's top economist on Mexico talks about how increasing demand from its biggest trading partner, the US, is strengthening Mexico's economy.

Transatlantic economy expert, Dan Hamilton, talks about the dominance of the transatlantic economy despite the recession and high growth rates of emerging markets. He also emphasizes the importance of investment flows and the potential for economic growth and job creation through the expansion of transatlantic trade in services.

IBM has developed smart water technologies and solutions in response to the looming water crisis fueled by population growth and massive urbanization. Working together with partners, IBM is gathering and analyzing information from vast sensor networks in our planet's rivers, oceans and waterways and making that information available in real-time so that smarter decisions can be made about how we manage this critical resource.

UNESCO warns that the aftershock of the global financial crisis with a combination of slower economic growth, rising poverty and budget pressures could erode the gains of the past decade. Video includes soundbites from Kevin Watkins, Director EFA Global Monitoring Report, and Florence Migeon, UNESCO Education Sector.

For more than 20 years, Las Vegas has been a premier destination for Asian travelers to visit during Chinese New Year. This February, Las Vegas resorts once again welcome Chinese New Year revelers with exciting entertainment, special décor, specialty menus and traditional Chinese Dragon and Lion Dances.

This year's theme at the 2010 NAIAS in Detroit was electric. As hybrids, electric cars and hybrid plug-ins continue to gain popularity and momentum, the show announced the debut of Electric Avenue. Hyundai announced the gas-electric hybrid Blue-Will, while Toyota introduced the FT-CH hybrid. And Cadillac unveiled its XTS Platinum concept, which comes with a plug-in hybrid system that boosts the car's electric-only driving capability. Some all-electric vehicles included the BMW ActiveE Concept, the MINI E, and Audi's e-tron.

The International VELUX Award aims to encourage architecture students from all over the world to explore the theme of sunlight and daylight in its widest sense and to propose new ideas and approaches for a sustainable future. The 2010 International VELUX Award challenges architecture students under the overall theme 'Light of Tomorrow'.

IBM has unveiled a list of innovations that have the potential to change how people live, work and play in cities around the globe over the next five to ten years. An estimated 60 million people are moving to cities and urban areas each year – more than one million every week.

Fordham University and IBM are collaborating on new business analytics curriculum to help prepare college students for careers in industries such as energy and utilities, healthcare, education, transportation and public service that are expected to benefit from $1.8 trillion in global stimulus investments.

Consuming just half the normal energy, the building's design combines a host of innovative technologies such as trigeneration, and water cooling. But what makes this data center even more unique is that it will double as a research lab.

David Fenton, Head of Microeconomics at the RBS comments on the recession in the UK. It looks like the UK recession is at an end, but what sort of recovery should we expect?

For Asia to retain its strong growth momentum, it needs to shift the drivers of recovery from an export engine, much more into domestic demand within Asia.

Learn more about The Netherlands - a modern country, with an open economy, liberal policies towards integration, labour and free market capitalism and a renowned history for trading internationally.

Many countries in Latin America are showing signs of a renewed growth, after being hit hard by the global recession through drops in exports, workers remittances, and tourism, as well as a reversal of capital inflows, according to the Director of the IMF's Western Hemisphere Department, Nicolas Eyzaguirre.

In this interview, the IMF's chief economist, Olivier Blanchard, discusses if the global recovery can be sustained and what needs to happen to support further economic growth.

Canada offers many job opportunities for newcomers. The best way to succeed is to prepare! This podcast can help you get ready for the challenges of working in Canada.

Study abroad is nothing new, but today, the extraordinary explosion of study abroad has become the most visible outcome of the internationalisation of higher education. One of the main questions to ask yourself is to what degree are you willing to adapt to a new culture and new people. Also, how open are you to adapting to different academic styles.

Good behavior is becoming more and more important in our globalized business world. For those who work abroad, it is crucial to master the cultural behavior standards of the country they work in. Many countries have a strict behavior codex and to misbehave might threaten your chances of success.

Cross cultural negotiation is one of many specialized areas within the wider field of cross cultural communications. Cross cultural negotiations is about more than just how foreigners close deals. It involves looking at all factors that can influence the proceedings.

Nearly 250 multinational companies representing more than 94,000 expatriates, according to Mercer. The desire to be globally competitive has driven growth in expatriate assignments and being prepared is half the battle.