World Bank head: Time to retire term 'Third World'

It is time to stop using the term "Third World" to refer to developing countries and recognize they are an essential part of a new, fast evolving, multipolar international economy, the head of the World Bank said Wednesday.

Robert Zoellick said the global economic crisis of 2009 showed the categorization of First and Third Worlds, donor and supplicant, leader and led, no longer fit as nations such as China, India and Brazil assume increasing economic power.He said involving developing countries in solving big international issues is essential: "We cannot afford geopolitics as usual." (AP)