News: ITU, ADB and the World Bank

New technology is rapidly changing our lives, and Tesla’s new Powerwall battery could very well become Neil Armstrong's one giant leap for mankind in electricity storage. Here are 10 megatrends that may shape the electricity industry in the next few years.

Hunan, a major manufacturing hub in the PRC, recently launched a low-carbon technology incubator to offset environmental degradation and rising greenhouse emissions, and wants to become a model for developing Asia, where the business case for cleantech is emerging.

Debt has ballooned in developing Asia following the 2008-2009 global financial crisis, supported by plentiful global liquidity. With the US Federal Reserve about to raise interest rates, data from the Asian Development Outlook 2015 gives a clearer picture about the possibility of a credit slowdown in the region.

A new ADB report shows that how women decide to spend time differs to men, and that helps to understand why many women don’t join the formal workforce – and why, if they do, they are still likely to earn less than men and less likely to gain promotion.

Floods in India and Pakistan, typhoons in the Philippines and the recent earthquake in Nepal have reminded city leaders of the urgent need to safeguard the lives of their people, protect costly infrastructure, and ensure services and businesses can continue after disaster strikes.

As ADB's 48th Annual Meeting draws to a close, it's time to reflect on highlights such as livable cities, partnerships, regional integration, collaboration with AIIB, the ADF-OCR merger – as well as admire the host city and look forward to next year's meeting in Frankfurt, Germany.

The countries of Central Asia and the South Caucasus have seen a surge in growth and investor interest in recent years, but the region also faces formidable obstacles. A seminar looked at how closer cross-border ties can help overcome existing challenges, and take advantage of new opportunities.

ADB and the Islamic Financial Services Board launched today a new publication about how Islamic finance can contribute to sustainable growth in Asia. Here are a few highlights.

By 2050, up to 65% of Asia’s population is expected to live in cities. With urbanization growing at such at a breakneck speed, many believe that how cities cope with it may well determine the region’s long-term productivity and overall stability.

As developing Asia looks to continue boasting robust economic growth in the future, experts at a joint ADB-IMF seminar during ADB’s Annual Meeting in Baku discussed how the region’s financial sector needs to transform itself to deliver stable, inclusive, long-term results.