Finance
‘Dönerflation’: Outcry in Germany over rising cost of döner kebab
The price of döner kebabs has increased rapidly in the past few years since the pandemic. It’s a favorite food introduced by Turkish guest workers in the 1970s. The Left Party has proposed to cap the price at $5.30 before the kebabs become a luxury item.
‘Justice doesn’t exist here’: Uzbek farmers and cotton workers say abuse, exploitation continues despite reforms
For decades, the cotton industry in Uzbekistan was plagued with labor abuses, including the rampant use of child labor. Practices have improved dramatically in recent years, but some advocates are concerned that the exploitation of adults is still happening.
COP28: African nations resist fossil fuel phaseout, citing economic realities
At the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, leaders from the US and EU have backed a phasedown of fossil fuels, with some qualifications. But many African countries say they deserve to exploit their natural resources and develop just like richer countries.
‘We saw an immediate drop’: Jordan’s tourism industry is suffering amid the Israel-Hamas war
Jordan’s economy relies heavily on tourism but since Hamas’ attack on Israel in October and the ongoing war in Gaza, tourism in the country has slowed down. This is also the case in other countries in the region, including Israel itself, Lebanon and Egypt.
Microfinance was meant to help the world’s poor, but in Cambodia, it’s plunging people deeper into debt
Microfinance was hailed as a way to change the lives of hundreds of millions of people without access to credit. It worked so well that Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus was awarded a Nobel Prize. But then, banks jumped in to get in on the profits. To manage high debt levels, Cambodians are migrating for work, eating less and even pulling their children out of school.
