Building Resilience: Women, Solar Energy & India’s Turmeric Economy | Blog

In India’s turmeric value chain, women perform over 80% of the labor, including land preparation, weeding, harvesting, cleaning, boiling, drying, peeling, grinding, and packaging — grueling and labor-intensive work. CGAP, the IFC’s Agribusiness Leadership Program, and Samunnati—a member of ABERA, a collaboration between CGAP and IDH that aims to improve the climate resilience of service […]

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Crowdfunded companies are ‘ghosting’ their investors – and getting away with it

Imagine you invest US$500 to help a startup get off the ground through investment crowdfunding. The pitch is slick, the platform feels trustworthy and the company quickly raises its target amount from hundreds of people just like you. Then – silence. No updates, no financials, not even a thank-you. You’ve been ghosted – not by […]

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Labor Day and May Day emerged from the movement for a shorter workday in industrial America

Most of the world observes International Workers’ Day on May 1 or the first Monday in May each year, but not the United States and Canada. Instead, Americans and Canadians have celebrated Labor Day as a national holiday on the first Monday in September since 1894, 12 years after the first observance of Labor Day […]

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🐄 Ireland: Minister Heydon Launches €28 Million Beef Welfare Scheme to Support Suckler Farmers

Dublin, August 13, 2025 — Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, has officially opened applications for the 2025 Beef Welfare Scheme (BWS), a €28 million initiative aimed at enhancing animal welfare and supporting economic sustainability in Ireland’s suckler beef sector. The scheme represents a significant increase in funding compared to 2024, […]

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💼 EBRD Commits €20 Million to Spire Capital Partners Fund I to Boost Tech-Driven SMEs in Central Europe

Warsaw, August 13, 2025 — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced a €20 million investment in Spire Capital Partners Fund I, a newly launched independent private equity fund based in Poland. The fund aims to strengthen the growth of technology-enabled small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Poland and Central and Eastern […]

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US has slashed global vaccine funding – if philanthropy fills the gap, there could be some trade-offs

The U.S. government is relaxing federal vaccine requirements and cutting vaccine research and development funding here at home. Elsewhere, it’s going even further. The Trump administration has stopped funding Gavi, a global initiative that helps millions of children in low-income and medium-income countries get vaccinated against measles, cholera and other preventable diseases. Gavi, the Vaccine […]

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Bureau of Labor Statistics tells the US what’s up with the economy – Trump firing its top official may undercut trust in its data

Many financial and political analysts are trying to assess the impact of President Donald Trump’s decision to fire U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer on Aug. 1, 2025, the same day that an unemployment report conveyed weakness in the job market. Some of the strongest criticism of this unprecedented move has come from […]

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Hulk Hogan and the unraveling of worker solidarity

Hulk Hogan’s death by heart attack at age 71 came as a shock to many fans of the larger-than-life wrestler who’d earned the nickname “The Immortal.” But in many respects, the real surprise was that Hogan, born Terry Gene Bollea, lived as long a life as he did. Despite the staged nature of its combat, […]

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Insurance warning signs in doctors’ offices might discourage patients from speaking openly about their health

Have you ever noticed a sign in a doctor’s office saying that you may have to pay extra insurance costs if you discuss additional problems with your physician? If so, you’re not alone. As health care spending continues to rise, providers are being asked to warn patients about any potential unexpected costs – for example, […]

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By firing the Bureau of Labor Statistics chief, the Trump administration raises concerns that it may further restrict the flow of essential government information

President Donald Trump’s firing of Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Erika McEntarfer on Aug. 1, 2025, after an unfavorable unemployment report has been drawing criticism for its potential to undercut the agency’s credibility. But it’s not the first time that his administration has taken steps that could weaken the integrity of some government data. Consider […]

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