The authoritative European and American economists are for the abolition of cash. Would it be beneficial, and how does it relate to the financial crisis? Germans love cash. According to a research of the German Federal Bank (Bundesbank), more than half of total revenues in German stores is received in cash. In restaurants, the figure is 70 percent, and the cafés and eateries has even 94 percent....

Islamic State has seized control of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.   According to the group’s head Rami Abdel Rahman Syrian troops have withdrawn from all sectors of the city, with the exception of a prison in the east and a military headquarters in the west. The group noted that the IS has in its control almost all of Palmyra....

The European Parliament at its plenary session in Strasbourg adopted a directive aimed at strengthening the fight against money laundering and tax evasion. It is also aimed at countering the financing of terrorism. This is the fourth Directive of the European Parliament in this area. The document obliges Member States to establish national registers of ultimate owners - the beneficiary companies,...

The governor of Texas Greg Abbott signed a law banning imposing restrictions on the shale hydrocarbons by fracking in the cities located throughout the state. It is reported by The Guardian. - This law will ensure that Texas does not become a patchwork tailored with rules varying from region to region, from district to district and from city to city, - said the Republican. The state authorities...

Pew Research Center research firm’s survey shows that Internet blurs the line between private and public information. According to interviewed experts, by 2025, the boundary between these areas may completely disappear. Privacy has always been a flexible concept, but thanks to the Internet the line between private and public is becoming thinner. It will have to respond to both policy-makers and...

The World Economic Forum in cooperation with Mercer company prepared a fresh report on the development of human capital in the world - The Human Capital Report 2015. This is an annual global survey of countries ranked by the integral index of human capital (Human Capital Index). This index takes into account the multi-level life expectancy, literacy, education and longevity of the population...

Forests can make an important contribution to the fight against world hunger. This is stated in the UN report on forests and food security. Its publication is timed to the session of the Forum on Forests, which these days takes place in New York. The report noted that nowadays one in nine people in the world still suffer from hunger. The majority of the starving live in Africa and Asia. Experts...

Eurozone’s GDP grew by 0.4% in the first quarter of 2015, reported the European statistical agency Eurostat on Wednesday, May 13. In annual terms, the increase was 1%. The economy of the EU countries also showed growth in the first quarter by 0.4%, compared to the same quarter last year - 1.4%. With regard to the performance of individual countries, the growth rate slowed in Germany, as reported...

World Bank has planned to invest $59.5 million to improve the safety and efficiency of Vanuatu’s aviation sector.   The World Bank’s executive directors approved the credit to the small island nation as it considered the airport as a key part to the country’s disaster management and recovery activities. The Vanuatu Aviation Investment Project will deliver sector reform, along with...