How humans have reacted to pandemics through history – a visual guide

Munich, 16 October 2013 – There is currently a high level of uncertainty on the international financial markets, due to the budget dispute in the USA surrounding the proposed raising of the borrowing limit. The markets are waiting with bated breath to see whether the Democrats and the Republicans will be able to agree on raising the debt ceiling, which currently stands at just under 17 trillion US dollars. The key question for investors is whether the USA and other countries will be able to pay back the debts they have taken on or whether, as in the case of the debt cut in Greece, they can expect to see losses on their investments. A recent study based on sustainability rating agency oekom research’s country ratings shows that sustainability ratings are a reliable indicator of countries’ solvency and that taking sustainability ratings into account allows investors to make a better assessment of the overall risks.

The privatisation of Royal Mail has made headlines in recent days as the stock price rose to 479.50p on the first day of full trading on the stock exchange.

Dr Miriam Marra discusses the G7 summit held in Biarritz, France and the recommendations from the Gender Equality Advisory Council (GEAC) to improve Gender Equality and the empowerment of girls and women.