Looking ahead, Scott Kabak, the firm's president, says the main developments will come in low-carbohydrate breakfast cereals, pasta and bread.

ECONOMIST: Dieting

However, the main focus on Thursday will likely center on developments in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, where the European Central Bank is expected to cut its main interest rate by a further quarter of a percentage point to 0.5 percent.

NPR: US Economic Concerns Weigh On Markets Ahead Of ECB

The Nigerian government's failure to plough oil revenues back into the villages nearest is oil developments has been the main cause of recent unrests and riots there.

BBC: Africa's mammoth oil project comes of age

Published by the Department of Public Information, the 1, 795-page volume is a comprehensive and authoritative reference work in which policymakers, diplomats, researchers, academics, journalists and other readers will find coverage of the main global political, economic, social and legal developments during the year.

UN: Press Release

To address these developments, the Federal Reserve has moved in two main areas.

NPR: Economic Swoon to Continue, Bernanke Says

The issue of capacity was the main talking point at the reception and we learned that there have been a few interesting developments in the last few months.

BBC: Justine Greening promises action on air capacity