Kigali became a hub for responsible artificial intelligence (AI) on August 20, 2025, as the Canadian High Commission in Rwanda, IDRC, and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) co-hosted a high-level roundtable alongside the annual Deep Learning Indaba, Africa’s premier gathering of machine learning and AI experts. The event spotlighted African-led AI innovations… [Read More]
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Mobile Health Teams Provide Lifeline for Gender-Based Violence Survivors in Hebron
Ayat, a 29-year-old mother of four who is expecting another child, lives in Deir Al Shams, a rural village in southern Hebron where health services are scarce and social connections for women are limited. For her and others in the community, even a simple doctor’s visit requires costly travel to the city. With the recent… [Read More]
Education Cannot Wait Provides Schooling to 14 Million Children in Crisis Zones Worldwide
Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the United Nations global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, has released its Investing in Futures: 2024 Annual Results Report. The report shows that by mid-point of its 2023–2026 Strategic Plan, ECW and its partners have reached 8.3 million crisis-affected children and adolescents across 33 countries with inclusive, quality… [Read More]
Zanzibar Sets Sail for Inclusive Growth: New UN-Backed Programmes Tackle Climate Change and Empower Communities
Zanzibar has launched two groundbreaking joint programmes designed to drive inclusive growth, women’s economic empowerment, and climate resilience across the northern regions of Unguja and Pemba. Spearheaded by the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, the United Nations, and key development partners, these initiatives aim to uplift vulnerable communities while advancing the country’s blue economy and Sustainable… [Read More]
EU Moves to Fund Ukraine with Frozen Russian Assets, Bypassing Hungary’s Veto
The European Union is weighing a proposal to create a “reparation loan” for Ukraine, secured by frozen Russian assets, in an effort to bolster Kyiv’s wartime finances while sidestepping Hungary’s repeated vetoes. Hungary, which maintains close ties with Moscow, has consistently opposed sanctions on Russia and blocked Ukraine’s EU accession talks, testing the bloc’s unity… [Read More]
First Workers Receive Compensation Under Bangladesh’s Groundbreaking Employment Injury Scheme
Bangladesh has begun delivering long-awaited compensation to workers and families affected by workplace accidents in its export processing zones (EPZs), marking a historic step in strengthening social security for the country’s export-oriented industries. The first beneficiaries of the pilot Employment Injury Scheme (EIS)—two families of deceased workers and one worker with a permanent disability—have officially… [Read More]
“No End in Sight”: UN Warns of Intensifying Floods, Storms, and Melting Glaciers as Planet Heats Up
The world is facing an escalating water crisis as climate change drives more destructive floods, storms, and droughts, the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned in a new report released on Thursday. With 2024 confirmed as the hottest year in 175 years of observation, global water systems are under mounting pressure, and experts say the… [Read More]
UNGA80: World Leaders Unite to Tackle War, Climate, AI, and Equality in Historic 80th Session
The world’s most influential voices are gathering in New York City as the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) opens its landmark 80th session, setting the stage for one of the most consequential global meetings in recent history. From 23 to 29 September 2025, leaders from all 193 UN Member States, alongside international organizations and key… [Read More]
Lebanon Showcases School Meals Success and Community Impact at Global Summit
Lebanon highlighted the remarkable growth and impact of its national school meals programme at the Second School Meals Coalition Global Summit, held under the high patronage of the President of Brazil on 18–19 September 2025. The two-day gathering brought together leaders from member states, UN agencies, financial institutions, NGOs, philanthropies, and research organizations to assess… [Read More]
Africa Accelerates Circular Economy Shift at 2nd Africa Climate Summit
African nations are turning their circular economy ambitions into action, marking a key milestone at the 2nd Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) in Addis Ababa. For the first time since the African Union (AU) adopted its Continental Circular Economy Action Plan (CCEAP) in July 2025, leaders, entrepreneurs, and development partners gathered to outline concrete steps for… [Read More]
UK Secures Record £150bn Investment During US State Visit
During a historic US State Visit, the UK unveiled a record-breaking £150 billion investment package, set to create more than 7,600 high-quality jobs across the country. The investment spans key sectors identified in the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, including clean energy, life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and AI. Major commitments include a £100 billion pledge from… [Read More]
Atlantic Council Launches MENA Futures Lab, Appoints Khalid Azim as Inaugural Director
The Atlantic Council has launched the MENA Futures Lab, a new flagship initiative under the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East aimed at advancing innovation, entrepreneurship, and human capital development across the Middle East and North Africa. Khalid Azim, a seasoned financier, academic, and public servant, has been appointed as the inaugural director of… [Read More]
Israel’s Glilot Partners Secures $500M to Fund Young Cyber and AI Startups
Israeli venture capital firm Glilot Capital Partners has successfully raised $500 million to support local entrepreneurs and rapidly growing startups in cybersecurity, enterprise software, and AI tools. The capital was primarily sourced from large financial institutions in the US and Europe, signaling strong confidence in Israel’s tech ecosystem despite international criticism of the country’s actions… [Read More]
MCC Celebrates Completion of Côte d’Ivoire Compact, Boosting U.S.-Ivorian Relations
This week, Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Acting Vice President Jason Small visited Abidjan to mark the successful closeout of the U.S.-Côte d’Ivoire transport and workforce development compact and to sign a new regional energy compact. The visit highlighted the U.S.’ commitment to partnerships that promote shared prosperity, advance American interests, and create opportunities for U.S…. [Read More]
Bank of Agriculture Launches $1 Billion Financing Programme to Support Farmers
The Bank of Agriculture (BOA) has partnered with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to mobilize up to $1 billion in financing aimed at supporting smallholder farmers and strengthening the agricultural value chain in Nigeria. The agreement was finalized during the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) 2025 in Algiers, Algeria, highlighting a strategic effort to enhance productivity,… [Read More]
Ivanhoe Mines Engages Sovereign Funds Following Qatar Investment, Says Friedland
Ivanhoe Mines is actively engaging with sovereign wealth funds to attract investments that would support its expansion in copper and other critical minerals, Co-Chairman Robert Friedland told Reuters. The company recently announced a $500 million investment from Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, aimed at developing and sustainably supplying minerals essential for the global energy transition and… [Read More]
The Papas’ Club: Nigerian Fathers Unite to Tackle Hunger
In northeast Nigeria, where men traditionally make key household decisions but often remain uninvolved in family health, Papas’ Clubs are changing the narrative. Supported by the Nigerian Red Cross and the IFRC, these clubs bring fathers into community efforts to improve nutrition, child health, and household wellbeing. By engaging men in discussions on gender equality,… [Read More]
How Cooperatives in Senegal Connect Farmers to Finance and Markets
The International Trade Centre (ITC) supports farmers in Senegal and other countries by helping them establish farm cooperatives, enabling small producers to gain more value from their products rather than selling raw goods. One notable example is the Agricultural Cooperative Society for Inclusive Development of the Niayes (COOPADIN), which operates in four towns near Dakar… [Read More]
South Asian Communities Mobilize $250,000+ for Punjab Flood Relief
South Asian communities have come together to raise over $250,000 to support victims of the recent devastating floods in India and Pakistan. The heavy monsoon rains have caused widespread destruction, claiming hundreds of lives and displacing millions across the subcontinent. In India, the state of Punjab, a major agricultural hub producing staples like wheat and… [Read More]
DBS and Franklin Templeton Partner to Launch Tokenized Money Market Fund Solutions with Ripple RLUSD
DBS, Franklin Templeton, and Ripple have partnered to offer accredited and institutional investors innovative trading and lending solutions through tokenised money market funds on the XRP Ledger blockchain, using stablecoins like Ripple USD (RLUSD). Formalized via a memorandum of understanding, the collaboration combines DBS’s position as one of Asia’s largest financial institutions, Franklin Templeton’s expertise… [Read More]
Brazil Enacts Landmark Law to Safeguard Children Online
On September 17, 2025, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed the country’s first law dedicated to protecting children’s rights online. Known as ECA Digital, the legislation updates Brazil’s 1990 Statute of the Child and Adolescent to address the digital environment, ensuring that technology companies design products with children’s best interests, privacy, and safety… [Read More]
Taliban Blocks Education for Afghan Girls, Jeopardizing Their Future
September 17 marks four years since the Taliban imposed a ban on secondary education for girls in Afghanistan, a restriction that has had devastating social, economic, and human rights consequences. The ban abruptly halts the educational journey of girls aged 12 and above, undermining their dreams, silencing their voices, and limiting their potential. Without access… [Read More]
Uzbekistan Targets 6% Poverty Rate by End of 2025 with New Reforms
Uzbekistan is targeting a reduction of its poverty rate to 6% by the end of 2025, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced on September 17 at the III International Forum on Poverty Reduction “Road to Prosperity” in Namangan. Over the past eight years, the country has implemented comprehensive measures to protect human rights, provide decent employment, raise… [Read More]
