Developing Countries

Poor countries are getting caught in the undertow of the global economic downturn, and their interests should be put first when trade ministers begin rewriting the rules of world commerce, the World Bank said Wednesday. In its annual report on the outlook for developing countries, the World Bank said another round of trade liberalization, if done correctly, would have a huge payoff for the world's small, struggling economies.

In the midst of global economic turmoil, scientific projections about the consequences of a warmer planet may seem more remote to countries negotiating a climate change treaty this week in Buenos Aires.

Vehicle and airplane pollution from developing countries will match the developed world's by 2015, hindering efforts to curb smog and global warming, a group that includes six of the world's 10 largest companies said.