The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved financing for two major programs in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana aimed at improving air quality for approximately 270 million people, with additional benefits expected for neighboring states. Beyond environmental improvements, the programs are designed to enhance the states’ attractiveness as business destinations… [Read More]
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Cambodia Can Navigate Economic Challenges Through Reforms and Strong Buffers, Says World Bank
Cambodia’s economy is projected to grow by 4.8 percent in 2025, slowing from 6 percent in 2024, as domestic and external shocks weigh on activity. The slowdown is driven by a softening property sector, border disruptions, and new trade restrictions, which have dampened domestic demand, construction activity, labor markets, and tourism. Prudent fiscal and monetary… [Read More]
New WFP Innovation Hub Aims to Tackle Food Security Challenges in West & Central Africa
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has launched a regional innovation hub in Dakar, Senegal, aimed at accelerating sustainable, locally-led solutions to address hunger and malnutrition in West and Central Africa. This hub, the third of its kind globally, will work with governments, private sector leaders, entrepreneurs, researchers, civil society, and communities to drive… [Read More]
Qatar Fund for Development Joins ADB to Boost Infrastructure Projects Across Asia and the Pacific
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to accelerate resilient infrastructure and economic development in developing countries across Asia and the Pacific. The agreement, finalized on the sidelines of the Doha Forum 2025, aims to unlock development finance for communities and support innovative… [Read More]
$500 Million ADB Financing to Accelerate Blue Economy Initiatives in the Philippines
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $500 million policy-based loan to support sustainable management of the Philippines’ marine ecosystems, rejuvenate coastal areas, and promote a resilient, low-carbon blue economy. The Marine Ecosystems for Blue Economy Development Program (Subprogram 1) aims to strengthen the productivity and diversity of the country’s ocean-based economy, improve the… [Read More]
China’s Chishui River Basin to Benefit from ADB-Backed Nature Credit Pilot Program
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a CNY1.068 billion ($150 million) loan to pilot its first nature credit mechanism in Gulin County, Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China. The financing will support biodiversity conservation and green development in the Chishui River Basin, a key freshwater biodiversity hotspot. The initiative, known as the Chishui River… [Read More]
$200 Million ADB-MTC Loan to Support Women Entrepreneurs in Rural Thailand
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Muangthai Capital (MTC) have signed a $200 million loan agreement to support women-owned micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (WMSMEs) in rural Thailand. The financing package, led by ADB and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) as the mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners, includes $75 million from ADB’s ordinary capital resources… [Read More]
Africa’s Great Green Wall Gets Call for Major Funding at COP30 by AfDB, Partners
At the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, development partners, including the African Development Bank (AfDB), called for a significant increase in financing to achieve the Great Green Wall’s 2030 targets. The initiative, led by the African Union, seeks to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land, sequester 250 million tonnes… [Read More]
West Bank Tensions Rise as Palestinians Prepare for Losses
A psychologist working with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Hebron, West Bank, describes the intense fear and anxiety that have engulfed Palestinians following the events of 7 October 2023. While violence has long been a reality in the region, the recent escalation—including checkpoints, roadblocks, and incursions by Israeli forces and settlers—has isolated towns and villages,… [Read More]
$10M FAO–Qatar Fund Initiative to Support Mine-Hit Rural Communities in Ukraine
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Qatar Fund for Development have launched a USD 10 million programme to support rural communities in Ukraine whose farmland has been compromised by landmines and explosive remnants of war. The initiative seeks to restore safe access to agricultural land, revive local livelihoods and strengthen… [Read More]
Thousands to Receive Free Digital Training to Help More People Access Cheaper Online Deals
The UK government has launched a major national effort to close the digital divide by funding 80 innovative local projects through the £11.7 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund. These initiatives will help people in every region get the skills, confidence and access they need to use the internet for essential tasks, from booking NHS appointments… [Read More]
UN Seeks $1 Billion to Establish Rapid First-Responder Fund for Global Crises
The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), created in 2006, has provided nearly $10 billion in rapid humanitarian aid across more than 110 countries, often reaching people before any other assistance. As global crises intensify and needs rise sharply, the fund is now running critically low. UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged countries to help meet a… [Read More]
UNESCO Honours Threatened Cultural Heritage Preserved Across Generations
Intangible cultural heritage refers to living traditions—such as rituals, music, crafts, skills and social customs—that communities actively practice and pass from one generation to the next. UNESCO works with governments and cultural groups to help protect and promote these practices, especially those threatened by social, economic, or environmental pressures that could lead to their disappearance…. [Read More]
Empowering Women in Lao PDR Through Small but Powerful Actions
Aksonethip Somvorachit reflects on her experience as a Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) focal point, a role she took on early in her UN career with the hope of making a difference. She served as a confidential contact for colleagues seeking support, often providing a safe space to listen when individuals were too… [Read More]
New UN Report Warns: Fresh Approaches Needed for a Sustainable Future
The latest Global Environment Outlook presents a stark warning for humanity, stating that the world faces a crucial choice between continuing on a destructive path marked by climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation and pollution, or shifting toward a healthier, more sustainable future for people and the planet. Compiled with contributions from 287 experts across… [Read More]
Refugee Support Lives On: Nansen Award Honorees Inspire Hope
This year’s Nansen Award honourees include five outstanding individuals and organizations from Cameroon, Mexico, Ukraine, Iraq and Tajikistan, all recognized for their courage, compassion and steadfast efforts to protect people forced to flee. Established in 1954, the award honours those who go above and beyond in supporting refugees, internally displaced people and stateless communities. Announcing… [Read More]
How Music and Sports Promote Human Rights Awareness
As part of this year’s Human Rights Day campaign, Our Everyday Essentials, the UN’s human rights office (OHCHR) invited the public to share what matters most to them in daily life. Using artificial intelligence, UN News analysed the responses to identify the most common themes, providing a vivid picture of how the principles of the… [Read More]
$13.55 Million Funding Boost from NSW Government to Strengthen New England Economy
The Minns Government is investing over $6.38 million in two major projects in New England, aiming to stimulate the regional economy and create new jobs. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to drive economic development across regional NSW through smart, targeted investments in partnership with local stakeholders. By combining government funding with contributions… [Read More]
$24.5M Bezos Earth Fund Investment to Strengthen Coastal Conservation in the Eastern Tropical Pacific
The Bezos Earth Fund has announced $24.5 million in new grants to support park rangers, coastal communities, and local organizations in protecting critical marine areas across the Eastern Tropical Pacific, including Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador. The funding aims to enhance on-the-water safety, expand community-led protection in nursery habitats, and strengthen the science guiding… [Read More]
EIB Survey: Finland Leads European Countries in Generative AI Use
According to the latest European Investment Bank (EIB) Investment Survey (EIBIS) for 2025, Finland has emerged as a European leader in digital transformation and innovation. Corporate investment in the country remains robust, with 96% of Finnish firms reporting investment in capacity expansion, new product development, and technological upgrades, significantly surpassing the EU average of 86%…. [Read More]
Restoring Indonesia’s Coral Reefs: EIB Global and Partners Drive Sustainable Marine Conservation
The European Investment Bank (EIB Global) has led a comprehensive environmental initiative in Indonesia’s Thousand Islands, focusing on marine clean-up, coral restoration, and the release of juvenile clownfish. The campaign targeted Gusung and Macan islands north of Jakarta, where participants removed over 130 kg of marine waste in just 30 minutes, restored damaged coral fragments… [Read More]
European Union Allocates €250,000 to Assist Kenyan Families Amid Crisis
Over 1.8 million people in Kenya are currently facing acute food insecurity, with this number projected to rise to 2.1 million by January 2026. Shrinking water sources, increasing malnutrition, and declining humanitarian funding have worsened the situation. In response, the European Union has provided emergency funding to enable the Kenya Red Cross Society to deliver… [Read More]
EU Human Rights Prize 2026: Honoring Courage and Advocacy Worldwide
The Delegation of the European Union, together with the embassies of EU Member States in Brazil, has opened registration for the European Union Human Rights Prize 2026. The award, now in its seventh edition, is launched on International Human Rights Day and coincides with the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The… [Read More]
