Rethinking Evidence: When Does Inclusive Finance Work and for Whom | Blog

When context insights stay hidden On the same day, two women walk into branches of the same microfinance institution in different regions of Cambodia. They are the same age, have the same type of business, and are requesting the same loan amount. A year later, one has expanded her small business and enrolled her daughter […]

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Guterres voices alarm over post-election violence in Tanzania

In a statement issued by his Spokesperson, Secretary-General António Guterres deplored the loss of life and extended his condolences to the families of the victims. The Secretary-General called for “a thorough and impartial investigation into all allegations of excessive use of force,” urging Tanzanian authorities to uphold accountability and transparency in handling the post-election unrest. […]

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Innovation Requires New Skills – Are Regulators Hiring Accordingly?

The future financial sector regulator staff is an AI engineer, a data scientist, a blockchain expert, or some other type of expert typically unseen in the couloirs of central banks and financial authorities. That was, at least, a takeaway from the literature review CGAP recently completed for a project analyzing the future of financial sector […]

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Eastern Airways Grounds Fleet and Faces Insolvency After 28 Years of Service

Eastern Airways has suspended all flights and filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator, marking a potential end to the UK regional airline’s 28-year operation amid mounting financial pressure. Sudden Halt to Operations On 27 October 2025, UK regional carrier Eastern Airways announced the immediate suspension of all flights, citing severe financial strain. […]

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Iran: Human rights investigators alarmed by ‘surge in repression’ and spike in executions following Israeli airstrikes

Briefing at UN Headquarters in New York – the first time the mission has presented findings to the General Assembly – chairperson Sara Hossain said that conditions have deteriorated since the Israeli airstrikes, which reportedly killed over 1,000 people. According to Iranian Government figures, 276 civilians, including 38 children and 102 women, were among the […]

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Tanzania’s President Wins Disputed Re-Election Amid Opposition Crackdown and Protests

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has secured a sweeping re-election victory amid widespread criticism over the exclusion of key opposition candidates, triggering allegations of establishing a one party state and deadly protests, raising concerns about democratic backsliding in East Africa’s second-largest economy. Landslide Victory Amid Political Repression President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania’s first female head […]

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Senior officials meeting on the Sahel and Lake Chad

On 6 October 2025, the EU and Denmark co-organised a Senior officials meeting (SOM) on the Sahel and Lake Chad.  The objective of the meeting, which was held in hybrid format from Dakar (Senegal) and hosted 164 participants was twofold:  to validate a shared diagnosis of issues at stake in the region (Benin, Burkina Faso, […]

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Caribbean nations receive life-saving support following devastation of Hurricane Melissa

Torrential rain, storm surges, and landslides caused by the hurricane have left a trail of destruction across the region, with homes flattened, roads and bridges washed away, and vast areas still without power or Internet access and other telecommunications. The UN humanitarian affairs office (OCHA) said that aid supplies are on the way and that […]

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The psychological toll of hurricanes – major storms leave more than wreckage behind

When a hurricane strikes, the first images we see are of roofs ripped off, trees uprooted and streets turned into rivers. But the psychological toll is just as real, and it often lasts far longer than the physical damage. In countries such as Jamaica, each storm hits communities that are already vulnerable, disrupting sleep, hope […]

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In Africa’s Sahel, conflict and climate change force millions from their homes

The figure represents a two-thirds increase in displacement over the past five years, with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger at the epicentre of overlapping humanitarian emergencies. “Across the central Sahel, people are being driven from their homes by violence, insecurity, and the devastating effects of climate change,” said Abdouraouf Gnon-Kondé, Regional Director for West and […]

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