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"What kills people around the world - and how does it vary by country? The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation have published their latest report in to the global burden of disease today and alongside the release have launched a range of visualisations showing how the data breaks down by country. Explore one of the new interactives below and see how causes of death have changed over time. Use the drop down menu to view data by a specific country and to change indicator"

"f you traverse the South American nation of Bolivia, from the heights of the Andes Mountains to the Amazon Jungle to the urban streets of Santa Cruz, you'll never once find a Big Mac or a McNugget. They don't exist there-and haven't for about a decade. McDonald's couldn't survive in the mountainous country, so in 2002 the global fast-food chain closed its last store."

"Millions of people are starving, despite the world producing more than enough to feed everyone. What can we do about it?"

"Nicaragua's parliament is due to vote on Thursday on one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Latin America's history - a trans-oceanic canal that is to be built and run by a Chinese company. If it goes ahead, the $40bn (£26bn) scheme, which is twice as expensive as Brazil's Belo Monte dam and likely to be three times longer than the Panama canal, looks set to transform global shipping and jump start the economy of this Central American nation"

From January 2013, Tanzania will start restricting the size of land that single large-scale foreign and local investors can "lease" for agricultural use. The decision follows both local and international criticism that major investors are grabbing large chunks of land here, often displacing small-scale farmers and local communities.

A US intelligence portrait of the world in 2030 predicts that China will be the largest economic power, climate change will create instability by contributing to water and food shortages, and there will be a "tectonic shift" with the rise of a global middle class.

great interactive

"A key focus is the southern agricultural growth corridor of Tanzania (Sagcot), an area covering about a third of the country, earmarked for attention by the government in 2009 to develop its agricultural potential. The corridor stretches from Dar es Salaam in the east to Morogoro, Iringa, Mbeya and Sumbawanga heading west."

The rise of megacities - interactive By 2025, the developing world, as we understand it now, will be home to 29 megacities. We explore the latest UN estimates and forecasts on the growth of these 'cities on steroids', and take a look at the challenges and opportunities megacities present for the tens of millions living in Lagos, Mexico City and Dhaka

Thanks largely to vehicle emissions, Mexico City was once the world's most polluted urban centre. But over the past decade, a focus on sustainable alternative transport has persuaded a growing number of citizens to leave their cars at home. A heavily subsidised underground network caters for 22m journeys daily, and conditions on the city's overcrowded roads have improved, with the metro bus system and the introduction of public bicycles contributing significantly to reduced pollution levels

The index has been developed by the risk analysis company Maplecroft for governments, NGOs and business to use as a barometer to identify those countries which may be susceptible to famine and societal unrest stemming from food shortages and price fluctuations. This map shows the results of evaluating the availability, access and stability of food supplies in 197 countries, as well as the nutritional and health status of populations

Chinese companies are extending their reach around the globe to purchase foreign technology, managerial talent and, increasingly, international brands. Why have Chinese companies not been able to successfully build their own brands overseas instead of operating under the guise of acquired global players?