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Massachusetts Latest State Expected to Restrict Access to Credit Reports for Employment Purposes

On March 14, 2024, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed legislation that would add a new provision to the Massachusetts Consumer Protection law and would bar the use of true credit reports for employment purposes, i.e., for the purpose of evaluating an individual for employment, promotion, reassignment, or retention as an employee.  The legislation, entitled An Act Reducing Barriers to Employment Through Credit Discrimination (H.1434), is expected to be adopted by the Massachusetts Senate and promptly signed into law by Governor Maura Healy.  Once adopted, th




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FDIC Approves Final Rule to Update Its Section 19 Regulations – Insured Depository Institutions Have Until October 1, 2024 to Comply

  • The FDIC has approved a final rule, effective October 1, 2024, to update its Section 19 regulations to conform to the Fair Hiring in Banking Act.
  • While the FDIC made certain clarifying changes based on public comments received, as predicted, the final rule largely aligns with the proposed rule.
  • Insured banks and credit unions must undertake a “reasonable, documented inquiry” to verify that a person with a covered offense on their record is not hired.




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Federal Tax Credits Now Available When Certain Employees Use Emergency Paid Leave to Help Others Obtain or Recover from COVID-19 Vaccine

The federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced that certain employers can claim federal tax credits when employees use emergency paid leave to accompany an individual to obtain a COVID-19 vaccination and/or to care for an individual recovering from an injury, disability, illness, or condition related to the vaccine.




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Court Holds Backup Withholding Required by Law Does Not Violate a Settlement Agreement

In Escano v. Innovative Financial Partners, LLC,1 a magistrate judge held that the defendants’ decision to withhold funds from a payment required under a settlement agreement when the plaintiff refused to provide a Form W-9 did not violate the agreement.




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Canada Entered Last Phase of CPP Enhancements on January 1, 2024

All Canadian employers other than those in Quebec1 are required to:

  • Deduct Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions from their employees’ pensionable earnings if the employee meets certain conditions;
  • Contribute an amount equal to the CPP contributions that were deducted; and
  • Remit both amounts.

These obligations end when the employee reaches the maximum contribution for the year.




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Mediator Mark Rudy credits success to preparation, patience, persistence

Keith A. Jacoby explains what makes Mark Rudy a good mediator.

Daily Journal

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British Columbia, Canada: Arbitrator Decides Employer Could Terminate Employee Who Refused Government-Ordered Vaccination

On April 4, 2022, in Fraser Health Authority v British Columbia General Employees’ Union, 2022 CanLII 25560, Arbitrator Koml Kandola of the British Columbia Labour Relations Board dismissed the union’s grievance respecting the dismissal of the grievor because she was ineligible to work under the order issued b




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Employers can count sick leave credits as paid medical leave days under CLC: arbitrator

Rhonda Levy, Adrian Jakibchuk, Barry Kuretzky and George Vassos comment on an arbitrator’s ruling that federal employers can count employees’ sick leave credits as paid medical leave days under the Canada Labour Code (CLC) if their own program provides “a more favourable benefit” to workers.

Human Resources Director Canada

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Pay to Play? Third Circuit Holds NCAA Athletes Can Be Considered Employees

  • The Third Circuit in Johnson v. NCAA ruled that athletes at NCAA Division I schools may be considered employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
  • The Johnson decision creates a circuit split that could lead the United States Supreme Court to resolve this issue.
  • Colleges and universities could face substantial back pay claims from current and former college athletes based on Johnson.




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Cal/OSHA Completes Fast-Track Adoption of Emergency Silica Standard Aimed at Engineered Stone Industry

  • On December 14, 2023, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board approved an emergency temporary standard to enhance existing standards regarding the hazards of respirable crystalline silica. The ETS became effective on December 29, 2023.
  • The ETS is of interest to all employers insofar as it marks the fifth time in only three years that Cal/OSHA has approved a rule using its emergency powers.




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That’s A Wrap! CDC Reduces Recommended COVID-19 Isolation Period

On March 1, 2024, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that it is updating its COVID-19 guidance and is no longer recommending that individuals who test positive for COVID-19 isolate for five days.  The agency is recommending a new, “unified approach” to respiratory viruses, including not only COVID-19 but also flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). 




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Connecticut Employers Can Terminate Employees Impaired by Medical Marijuana While Working; Appellate Court Also Provides Guidance for Reasonable Suspicion Drug Tests

In a significant decision about workplace drug use, the Connecticut Appellate Court backed an employer’s right to terminate a worker who was impaired on the job by medical marijuana. The decision also clarified the factual basis an employer must possess to justify ordering a drug test based on suspicion of impairment.




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Maryland’s Heat Stress Regulation Took Effect September 30th – Are you Prepared?

Maryland’s Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) Division of Labor and Industry recently announced its publication of the Heat Illness Prevention Standard as a final regulation in the September 20, 2024, edition of the Maryland Register. Effective September 30, 2024, the final regulation—which creates obligations for Maryland employers to protect their employees against heat hazards—will be published in the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) under chapter 09.12.32 Heat Stress Standards.




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Predictably Unpredictable – Navigating Fair Workweek Laws Across the United States




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7 E-Discovery Predictions For 2024 And Beyond

Paul Weiner, Denise Backhouse and Gretchen Marty explain how the legal and technical matters of e-discovery are prominent in lawsuits and in the legal industry as a whole.

Law360

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Legal Tech's Predictions for the Business of Law in 2024

Scott Forman gives his predictions for legal technology and data analytics tools, especially towards generative AI point solutions, in 2024.

Legaltech News

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China’s New Cross-Border Data Transfer Rules Substantially Reduce Compliance Burdens for Multinational Employers

Multinational employers operating in China have been waiting since September 2023 for the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) to finalize proposed revisions to its complex and burdensome rules for cross-border data transfers.  Relief arrived on March 22, 2024, when the CAC published the “Provisions on Promoting and Regulating Cross-border Data Flows” (the “Approved Provisions”), which went into effect on the same day.




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Just 11% of Legal Departments Predict Gen AI Will Be 'Transformative,' As Its Honeymoon Phase Fades

Marko Mrkonich says it’s important for companies to establish their AI compliance framework at the beginning, instead of after employees have already gotten used to deploying AI in certain ways.

Corporate Counsel

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German firms not required to pay “to the top” for gender pay gaps

Sabine Vianden discusses the German Pay Transparency Act and how it can help solve the gender pay gap discrepancies in Germany.

International Employment Lawyer

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ETSI Licensed Shared Access specifications for a trial in Portugal to support 5G deployment

ETSI Licensed Shared Access specifications for a trial in Portugal to support 5G deployment

Sophia Antipolis, 27 March 2019

Spectrum usage in the mid-term will tend to focus more on spectrum sharing among the various radiocommunications systems, as a principle rather than as an exception and technological and regulatory solutions need to be found that allow for this implementation. With 5G coming soon, Licensed Shared Access (LSA) gives carriers new spectrum capabilities in the absence of incumbent.

Read More...




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ETSI specifications on licensed shared spectrum successfully implemented in the Netherlands for the entertainment industry

ETSI specifications on licensed shared spectrum successfully implemented in the Netherlands for the entertainment industry

Sophia Antipolis, 8 July 2019

After a successful pilot in 2017, the Dutch administration (Radiocommunications Agency Netherlands) has decided to implement Licensed Shared Access (LSA) technology, based on ETSI specifications.

Read More...




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Puritanism and Predestination

The Puritans were a varied group of religious reformers who emerged within the Church of England during the middle of the sixteenth century.




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Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs: American Slave Narrators

New essay by Lucinda MacKethan just added to Freedom's Story: Teaching African American Literature and History, TeacherServe from the National Humanities Center.




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OSC Staff Notice 81-736 - Summary Report for Investment Fund and Structured Product Issuers

This document is only available in PDF format.




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OSC publishes Summary Report for Investment Fund and Structured Product Issuers

TORONTO – The Ontario Securities Commission has today published its




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Something is killing the children. Volume 3 / written by James Tynion IV ; illustrated by Werther Dell'Edera ; colored by Miquel Muerto ; lettered by AndWorld Design ; cover by Werther Dell'Edera with colors by Miquel Muerto.

"As the House of Slaughter arrives to clean up the situation by any means necessary, Erica will find that the true threat to those around her isn't who— or what— she ever expected. And the cost of saving the day may be too high for anyone to pay … ." -- Description provided by publisher.




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Dune. House Atreides. Volume 1 / written by Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson ; illustrated by Dev Pramanik ; lettered by Ed Dukeshire ; colored by Alex Guimarães ; cover by Jae Lee & June Chung.

"Set in the years leading up the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Dune— 'Dume: House Atreides transports readers to the far future on the desert planet Arrakis where Pardot Kynes seeks its secrets. Meanwhile, a violent coup is planned by the son of Emperor Elrood; an eight-year-old slave Duncan Idaho seeks to escape his cruel masters; and a young man named Leto Atreides begins a fateful journey. These unlikely souls are drawn together first as renegades and then as something more, as they discover their true fate— to change the very shape of history!" -- Description provided by publisher.




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Firefly. Blue Sun rising. Part 1 / created by Joss Whedon ; written by Greg Pak ; illustrated by Dan McDaid, Lalit Kumar Sharma, Daniel Bayliss ; colored by Marcelo Costa ; lettered by Jim Campbell.

"Sheriff Mal Reynolds has a new partner— a law enforcing robot from the Blue Sun corporation, who doesn't care about motives, about mercy, about anything other than enforcing the law— no matter the cost. The Blue Sun Corporation has helped to run the universe from the shadows for years, but they're ready to step into the light and take over. If Mal wants to keep his job and protect his sector, the smart move would be to play by their rulebook. But for Mal, there's really one choice— reunite the crew of the Serenity for one last impossible job to save the 'verse. Greg Pak and artist Dan McDaid launch Mal & the crew of Serenity into their biggest war yet, officially continuing Joss Whedon's acclaimed series." -- Provided by publisher.




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Firefly. Blue Sun rising. Part 2 / created by Joss Whedon ; written by Greg Pak ; illustrated by Dan McDaid, Lalit Kumar Sharma, Daniel Bayliss ; inks by Vincenzo Federici ; colored by Marcelo Costa ; lettered by Jim Campbell.

"The stage is set for the final battle as the first ever Firefly event concludes, with Sheriff Mal Reynolds— yeah, he's still getting used to it too— making a choice that may cost him those he loves most, whether he knows it or not … Shocking losses lead to stunning decisions as Mal and the crew of Serenity must face the consequences of their choices in war against the Blue Sun Corporation. The 'Verse is changing in ways no one ever expected— and a new chapter of Firefly begins here." -- Provided by publisher.




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Batman. Damned / Brian Azzarello, writer ; Lee Bermejo, art and covers ; Jared K. Fletcher, letterer.

"The Joker is dead. There is no doubt about that. But whether Batman finally snapped his scrawny neck or some other sinister force in Gotham City did the deed is still a mystery. Problem is, Batman can't remember … and the more he digs into this labyrinthine case, the more he starts to doubt everything he's uncovering. So who better to set him straight than … John Constantine? The problem with that is as much as John loves a good mystery, he loves messing with people's heads even more. So with John's 'help', the pair will delve into the sordid underbelly of Gotham as they race toward the mind-blowing truth of who murdered The Joker." -- Page [4] of cover.




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Innovations of targeted poverty reduction governance and policy in Zhejiang Province: Insights from China’s post-2020 anti-poverty strategy [in Chinese]




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Canadian securities regulators warn public about unregistered trading platform Nova Tech Ltd

Toronto – The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) is warning the public that Nova Tech Ltd (NovaTech), which operates the website www.novatechfx.com, is not registered with a securities regulator in any province or territory in Canada.




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Investor Alert: Investors are not required to use claims management companies to communicate with the CSA, CIRO or OBSI

TORONTO – The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO), and the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) remind investors that they all offer investors services related to claims or complaints free of charge.




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Do safety net programs reduce conflict risk? Evidence from a large-scale public works program in Ethiopia

Summary of the findings • We find that the PSNP did not significantly alter the risk of violent events. • However, it had a negative impact on demonstrations (protests and riots) as well as fatalities. • These effects are most pronounced during the period of 2014-18, coinciding with widespread protests in Amhara and Oromia, the […] Source: IFPRI Ethiopia: Ethiopia Strategy Support Program




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Do social protection programs reduce conflict risk? Evidence from a large-scale safety net program in rural Ethiopia

PSNP is largest public works program in Africa • Started in 2005 in four main highland regions • Approximately 8 million participants • We examine the effect of PSNP on both high-intensity and low-intensity conflict • Using Govt. of Ethiopia administrative PSNP records and geocoded data on conflict events (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data […] Source: IFPRI Ethiopia: Ethiopia Strategy Support Program




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Five nights at Freddy's. [2], The twisted ones : the graphic novel / by Scott Cawthon and Kira Breed-Wrisley ; adapted by Christopher Hastings ; illustrated by Claudia Aguirre ; colors by Laurie Smith and Eva de la Cruz.

"It's been a year since the horrific events at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, and Charlie is just trying to move on. Even with the excitement of a new school and a fresh start, she's still haunted by nightmares of a masked murderer and four gruesome animatronic puppets. Charlie thinks her ordeal is over, but when a series of bodies are discovered near her school bearing wounds that are disturbingly familiar she finds herself drawn back into the world of her father's frightening creations. Something twisted is hunting Charlie, and this time if it finds her, it's not letting her go." -- Publisher's description.




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Marvel-verse. Shang-Chi / stories by Fred Van Lente ; illustrated by Sal Buscema.

Wolverine seeks out Shang-Chi to train him in the skills necessary to defeat the savage Sabertooth! A class at Midtown High leads Shang-Chi into a team-up with Spidey against Midnight and his ninja army, and the wall-crawler asks for Shang-Chi's guidance on learning a little Spider-Fu! For years Shang-Chi has stepped in for Avengers missions, but when no one can match your speed or skill, sometimes it's best to work alone. When the Hand resurfaces he will show them why he is the greatest martial artist. But will the legendary Shang-Chi find himself in over his head in his newest adventure against Lady Deathstrike?




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Batman. Earth one. Volume 3 / written by Geoff Johns ; pencils by Gary Frank ; inks by Jon Sibal ; colors by Brad Anderson ; lettered by Rob Leigh ; cover by Gary Frank and Brad Anderson.

"Harvey Dent is dead. Or is he? A gang of thieves thrusts Gotham City into a state of fear when they are mysteriously well armed with military-grade weapons: flamethrowers, grenade launchers, and even tanks. And this gang claims it is funded by none other than former district attorney Harvey Dent. Bruce Wayne, balancing his two lives, must find the truth by tapping his growing network of agents, including Alfred Pennyworth, Jim Gordon, Waylon 'Killer Croc' Jones, and the savvy new Catwoman. Bruce is distracted by the seemingly impossible return of another figure believed dead: his grandfather Adrian Arkham. He must also comfort his longtime friend, Gotham City Mayor Jessica Dent, who is scarred both physically and mentally from her experience with the Riddler, which resulted in the gruesome death of her brother. But is Harvey back, plotting revenge on a city he proclaims to be guilty? When Batman discovers the truth behind these many mysteries, his entire world unravels … ." -- Page [4] of cover.




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Reducing child undernutrition: Past drivers and priorities for the post-MDG era [in Amharic]




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Mouse and mole fine feathered friends / Wong Herbert Yee.

It is a blustery spring day, and Mouse and Mole are very excited. They are going to go bird watching and plan to make bird books. It turns out, birds are not so easy to watch. Together, they come up with a plan to get closer to the birds.




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Reducing food loss and waste for climate outcomes: Insights from national consultations in Bangladesh, Malawi and Nepal

Reducing food loss and waste for climate outcomes: Insights from national consultations in Bangladesh, Malawi and Nepal

Integrating key goals of food system transformation.

The post Reducing food loss and waste for climate outcomes: Insights from national consultations in Bangladesh, Malawi and Nepal appeared first on IFPRI.




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Identifying guidelines for the design of conditional credit programs to promote sustainable agricultural practices in Latin America

Identifying guidelines for the design of conditional credit programs to promote sustainable agricultural practices in Latin America

Tools for food system policy development.

The post Identifying guidelines for the design of conditional credit programs to promote sustainable agricultural practices in Latin America appeared first on IFPRI.




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Síntesis de evidencia: Lineamientos para el diseño de programas crediticios agropecuarios condicionados para el fomento de prácticas agropecuarias sostenibles

Síntesis de evidencia: Lineamientos para el diseño de programas crediticios agropecuarios condicionados para el fomento de prácticas agropecuarias sostenibles

Enfoques para el desarrollo de políticas del sistema alimentario.

The post Síntesis de evidencia: Lineamientos para el diseño de programas crediticios agropecuarios condicionados para el fomento de prácticas agropecuarias sostenibles appeared first on IFPRI.




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From risk to resilience: How strategic government partnerships can enhance access to insurance-linked credit for smallholders in Zambia

From risk to resilience: How strategic government partnerships can enhance access to insurance-linked credit for smallholders in Zambia

The power of bundled solutions

The post From risk to resilience: How strategic government partnerships can enhance access to insurance-linked credit for smallholders in Zambia appeared first on IFPRI.




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World Food Prize 2024 Borlaug International Dialogue: Side Event on “Reducing the Impact of GHGs Through Managing Food Loss and Waste (FLW): Insights from Bangladesh, Guatemala, Malawi, and Nepal”

World Food Prize 2024 Borlaug International Dialogue: Side Event on “Reducing the Impact of GHGs Through Managing Food Loss and Waste (FLW): Insights from Bangladesh, Guatemala, Malawi, and Nepal”

October 22, 2024 8:30 – 10:00 am (CDT) 9:30 – 11:00 am (EDT) Register IFPRI is participating in the 2024 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue. This year’s theme, “Seeds of Opportunity: Bridging Generations and Cultivating Diplomacy”, will emphasizes the vital role of integrating past wisdom, current innovations and the pressing needs of tomorrow, by leveraging […]

The post World Food Prize 2024 Borlaug International Dialogue: Side Event on “Reducing the Impact of GHGs Through Managing Food Loss and Waste (FLW): Insights from Bangladesh, Guatemala, Malawi, and Nepal” appeared first on IFPRI.




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Red Sea attacks reverberate in food and ag trade (Successful Farming) 

Red Sea attacks reverberate in food and ag trade (Successful Farming) 

Successful Farming quotes the IFPRI blog post on the Impacts of Red Sea shipping disruptions on global food security by senior research fellow Joseph Glauber and senior research analyst Abdullah Mamun.  According to the article, Houthi attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea are disrupting grain shipments from Europe, Ukraine, and Russia. “Trade disruptions are most likely to impact […]

The post Red Sea attacks reverberate in food and ag trade (Successful Farming)  appeared first on IFPRI.




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The timing of the Red Sea attacks could not be worse for Democrats (Politico)

The timing of the Red Sea attacks could not be worse for Democrats (Politico)

Senior research fellow Joseph Glauber is quoted in a Politico story about how the growing military conflict in a key trade corridor is threatening to unleash economic havoc on the global economy ahead of November. “If energy prices go up and remain high, you’d see food inflation persisting,” said Joe Glauber. He added that potential […]

The post The timing of the Red Sea attacks could not be worse for Democrats (Politico) appeared first on IFPRI.




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Agricultural growth key to accelerated poverty reduction in Bangladesh (Financial Express)

Agricultural growth key to accelerated poverty reduction in Bangladesh (Financial Express)

Senior research fellow and country representative, Akhter Ahmed writes in an op-ed for the Financial Express (Bangladesh) that the country “has witnessed substantial economic growth over the past decade, with an average annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.6 per cent between 2016 and 2022. Notably, the country experienced a 3.4 per cent increase in GDP in 2020, making Bangladesh one […]

The post Agricultural growth key to accelerated poverty reduction in Bangladesh (Financial Express) appeared first on IFPRI.