World Bank revises prospects for global economy downwards. Developing countries will achieve disappointing growth in 2014 because the poor results accomplished in the first quarter of this year are slowing down the hoped for recovery in business activity, according to the most recent World Bank report on economic prospects. It has revised its growth rate forecasts to 4.8% for the year, down from the 5.3% it had indicated last January. Nonetheless, it is predicted that growth will consolidate, rising to 5.4% in 2015 and 5.5% in 2016. China, in particular, is expected to attain a growth rate of 7.6% this year. Despite the poor results obtained by the US in the first quarter of this year, the situation is improving in high-income countries, which are expected to achieve growth rates of 1.9% in 2014, then 2.4% in 2015 and 2.5% the following year. The eurozone is expected to grow by 1.1% this year, while the US economy is expected to grow by 2.1% over the year (as opposed to the 2.8% in previous forecasts). The rate of expansion in the world economy is expected to speed up throughout 2014 to 2.8%, then 3.4% in 2015 and 3.5% in 2016. High-income countries will be responsible for around half of global growth in 2015 and 2016, as opposed to less than 40% in 2013, states the World Bank. (IL)