IN BRIEF (Page 13)

ADB forecasts economic shift

Asia could account for about half of global output in 2050, up from the current 27 percent, and half of global trade and investment, as the world's economic center of gravity shifts toward the region, a new report from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said.

The ADB report also said that by the middle of this century, an additional 3 billion Asians could have higher living standards, but only if the continent sustains its present growth momentum.