Can AI Do in a Decade What Took a Century? | World Development Report 2026 | Talking

In this episode of Talking Development, Managing Director Anna Bjerde joins World Development Report 2026 Director Gaurav Nayyar and Google's Karan Bhatia to unpack how AI can accelerate growth in developing countries, and what leaders need to do now.

Small AI Transforms Farming in India

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2026/08/27/small-ai-transforms-farming-in-india?cid=ECR_E_NewsletterWeekly_EN_EXT&deliveryName=DM288429

Irrigation Investment Revives Farms in Uzbekistan's Ferghana Valley

https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2026/09/02/irrigation-investment-revives-farms-in-uzbekistan-ferghana-valley?cid=ECR_E_NewsletterWeekly_EN_EXT&deliveryName=DM288429

AgriConnect generates more jobs

https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/agriconnect?cid=ECR_E_NewsletterWeekly_EN_EXT&deliveryName=DM288429 AgriConnect, the World Bank's flagship initiative to connect 300 million farmers to markets, finance, and services by 2030, is one year in and already reaching millions of farmers across Africa. But reaching farmers takes more than programs — it takes private capital, physical infrastructure, and technology that works in the field. This week, we look at what that combination delivers. How IFC turns private equity into a development tool What Africa is teaching AgriConnect after year one How irrigation investment is reviving farms in Uzbekistan Why small AI is delivering outsized results for India's smallholder farmers Why escaping poverty is just the beginning for East Asia and Pacific's middle class Plus: On the latest episode of Talking Development — can AI do in a decade what took development a century?

Building Infrastructure, Strengthening Workforces How this Thai manufacturer is creating better jobs by building safer, low-carbon infrastructure By Ali Shahbaz and Chichi Osuagwu. Photos by Dextra Group.

Building Infrastructure, Strengthening Workforces How this Thai manufacturer is creating better jobs by building safer, low-carbon infrastructure By Ali Shahbaz and Chichi Osuagwu. Photos by Dextra Group. https://www.ifc.org/en/stories/2026/building-infrastructure-strengthening-workforces?cid=ECR_E_NewsletterWeekly_EN_EXT&deliveryName=DM288429 Private equity can be a development instrument — and IFC has spent a decade proving it. Lakeshore Capital's portfolio companies operate in some of the world's most demanding construction environments. What IFC brought wasn't just capital — it was support on ESG frameworks, climate policies, and HR practices, built up over years.

Months after Venezuela earthquakes, a family refuses to give up search for their missing relative Associated Press Updated on: 06 Sep 2026, 9:36 am

Months after Venezuela earthquakes, a family refuses to give up search for their missing relative Their mission is to find 18-year-old Andrés Molina — Antonella's nephew and Pedro's cousin — who they haven't heard from since the double earthquakes hit Venezuela on June 24. https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2026/Sep/06/months-after-venezuela-earthquakes-a-family-refuses-to-give-up-search-for-their-missing-relative Associated Press Updated on: 06 Sep 2026, 9:36 am

Major Chinese financial enterprises announce plans to boost core capital Xinhua | Updated: 2026-09-06 16:38

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202609/06/WS6a9d268be4b06d4aa055c94d.html BEIJING -- Eight central financial enterprises, including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, on Sunday unveiled plans to replenish their capital, with the funds to be used to strengthen their core Tier 1 capital.