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Barnsley has been named the UK’s first government-backed Tech Town, marking a major step in harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) to transform local services, education, healthcare, and business. The initiative aims to provide bespoke government support to local schools, colleges, businesses, and the NHS, positioning Barnsley as a national blueprint for using AI to improve everyday… [Read More]

The rapid exchange of data around the world relies on an often-overlooked infrastructure: undersea cables that connect continents and carry nearly all international internet traffic. These fiber-optic cables, laid hundreds of meters beneath the ocean, form the backbone of global connectivity, enabling everything from financial transactions to daily communications. Tomas Lamanauskas, Deputy Secretary-General of the… [Read More]

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that global health systems are increasingly at risk due to rising pandemics, drug-resistant infections, and fragile healthcare services, compounded by severe funding cuts. Speaking at the WHO Executive Board in Geneva, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the impact of workforce reductions and sudden declines in bilateral aid during… [Read More]

Gaza’s sole border crossing with Egypt, Rafah, serves as a vital lifeline for thousands of Palestinians, including severely ill and injured patients requiring medical treatment outside the enclave. The crossing reopened in a limited capacity amid the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, but recent reports of violence, including Israeli airstrikes, have left residents and… [Read More]

An incident north of the Blue Line on Sunday morning led to the suspension of more than a dozen UN peacekeeping activities for over nine hours, according to UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric. Peacekeepers had been assisting the Lebanese army in collecting samples of an unidentified substance for toxicology testing, though results were not yet available… [Read More]

Uruzgan, Afghanistan — After experiencing 10 pregnancies, many of which resulted in serious complications due to the lack of skilled midwifery care, 38-year-old Zainabo learned the vital role of antenatal care in preventing life-threatening conditions. For most of her life, she had limited access to healthcare. Living in Tarinkot District, her village had no health… [Read More]

Lisbon, Portugal, 30 January 2026 – The Aga Khan Development Network, the Ismaili Imamat, and Ismaili communities in Mozambique and Portugal are mobilizing emergency relief for populations affected by severe flooding in northern Mozambique. In recent days, 20 tonnes of essential supplies—including food, clothing, and other items identified by Mozambican authorities as urgently needed—have been… [Read More]

As public- and private-sector leaders convene in Davos for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026, they face critical questions about cooperation in a contested world, unlocking new growth, investing in people, deploying innovation responsibly, and sustaining prosperity within planetary boundaries. A new report, The State of Social Enterprise: Unlocking Inclusive Growth, Jobs and Development… [Read More]

Fiji and Palau strengthened regional cooperation on human mobility in the context of climate change through a Peer-to-Peer Exchange on Planned Relocation held from 19 to 23 January 2026. The exchange brought together government officials, regional stakeholders, and technical experts to share experiences, identify good practices, and reinforce Pacific-led, rights-based approaches to planned relocation as… [Read More]

Harare, January 5, 2026 – UNICEF handed over 815 laptops, 708 projectors, and 2,112 tablets to the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education in Zimbabwe, marking a major step toward strengthening equitable access to quality digital learning. The devices will be distributed to 113 disadvantaged schools across seven districts in Manicaland and Matabeleland South provinces,… [Read More]

Government representatives, development partners, philanthropies, and civil society leaders gathered in Nairobi on January 26, 2026, for Investing in Our Future, a high-level roundtable on education financing co-convened by the Government of Kenya and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE). The dialogue focused on how sustained and innovative financing can unlock education’s potential to drive… [Read More]

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has launched an emergency response following a large fire that broke out early Tuesday morning in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar. The response is being implemented in close coordination with the Government of Bangladesh and humanitarian partners to ensure rapid and appropriate assistance to affected families, with… [Read More]

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has launched a request for expressions of interest to select the grant agent for the next phase of Education Out Loud (EOL). EOL is GPE’s global fund designed to support civil society organizations in strengthening public accountability, transparency, and participation in education policy processes. As part of the selection… [Read More]

On 6 January 2026, the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) released a new publication titled Innovative Approaches to Accessing and Scaling All Sources of Adaptation Finance in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs): A Compendium of Promising Case Studies. The compendium highlights practical, country-driven solutions aimed at addressing persistent… [Read More]

The Global Partnership for Education (GPE) has announced a request for expressions of interest to select the grant agent for the next phase of its Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX) initiative. KIX is a global program designed to strengthen education systems by enabling countries to generate, share, and apply locally driven evidence and innovations to… [Read More]

More than two billion people worldwide rely directly on freshwater systems for drinking water, food production, livelihoods, and climate resilience. Freshwater, defined by its low salt and dissolved solid content, exists in diverse ecosystems such as rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands, reservoirs, springs, and aquifers. These interconnected systems play a foundational role in sustaining life and… [Read More]

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Helen McEntee has launched the Department’s ninth international St Brigid’s Day programme, highlighting the creativity, achievements and global impact of women. The 2026 programme marks the largest diplomatic celebration of St Brigid’s Day to date, with 65 Irish embassies and consulates worldwide participating in the initiative. Through Ireland’s global… [Read More]

Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton has invited primary, post-primary and special schools, along with YouthReach centres, to apply for participation in the Creative Clusters programme for the 2026–2028 period. The initiative is designed to encourage collaboration, creativity and community engagement across education settings over a sustained two-year timeframe. Creative Clusters brings together small… [Read More]

Ruven Menikdiwela, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, has warned that the recent series of deadly shipwrecks in the Mediterranean highlights the urgent need for stronger and more coordinated action to prevent further loss of life among people fleeing in search of safety. The incidents serve as a stark reminder that current responses remain insufficient… [Read More]

Iraq’s Ahwar marshlands, often described as the Garden of Eden and spanning between 2,000 and 4,000 square kilometres, are facing severe ecological decline. Despite their designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, these wetlands are under intense pressure from the worst drought in a century, upstream dam construction, excessive water abstraction, prolonged extreme heat and… [Read More]

As part of its Technical Assistance Programme with Riyadh Amanah, the United Nations Development Programme, in collaboration with the IE School of Architecture and Design, delivered a five-day executive training in Madrid focused on urban landscape enhancement. The programme, titled Urban Landscape Improvement Experiences, examined how cities can function as adaptive living systems capable of… [Read More]

The United Nations Development Programme in the Maldives, in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Planning and the Ministry of Tourism and Environment and supported by the Integrated National Financing Frameworks, convened a two-day national workshop in Malé to strengthen public and private sector capacity to design bankable green investment projects and mobilise climate… [Read More]

The United Nations Capital Development Fund and Annycent Capital have signed a Statement of Intent to mobilize public and private capital for high-impact renewable energy projects in Least Developed Countries and other developing African markets. The partnership aims to accelerate investment by developing innovative financing solutions that support the secondary renewable energy market while strengthening… [Read More]