Almost half of Irish people believe 2016 will be a better year — as the country feels more positive about the economy.

FRANCE leads the world as the most pessimistic country in terms of the economic outlook, with the lowest recorded score in over 30 years, according to a global poll — the Irish had the second gloomiest outlook.

Nearly half of Pakistanis suspect that government agencies or government-linked politicians killed Benazir Bhutto, an opinion poll showed, highlighting the popular mistrust of the country’s president ahead of elections next month.

Concerns about global warming and resolving the seemingly endless tensions in the Middle East are set to dominate the agenda of the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Switzerland.

ALMOST two-thirds of the world’s population do not believe their country is governed by the will of the people, according to one of the biggest surveys of public opinion ever undertaken.