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The British Embassy Manila and the UK Mission to ASEAN, together with the Philippines’ Department of Education (DepEd), are strengthening their collaboration to promote equitable and evidence-based use of education technology (EdTech) in the Philippines. Supported by the UK government through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and implemented via EdTech Hub, the partnership aims… [Read More]

New findings from the Social Cohesion and Reconciliation Index (SCORE) were presented in Sarajevo, providing an evidence-based assessment of how people in Bosnia and Herzegovina live together, the level of trust among communities and institutions, and opportunities to strengthen future cooperation. SCORE is a research tool that measures social cohesion, trust, belonging, civic participation, and… [Read More]

A crowdfunding campaign led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine and the City of Yokohama in Japan has successfully funded a new playground for Kindergarten No. 141 in Odesa. The initiative restored a safe outdoor play space for children after the facility was damaged in a 2023 missile strike that forced the… [Read More]

Primary School No. 1 in Hostomel, Kyiv oblast, has reopened after a major EU-financed renovation supported through the European Investment Bank’s Ukraine Recovery Programme. The school was heavily damaged during Russia’s full-scale invasion, and the reconstruction marks an important step in restoring essential education infrastructure in a community that experienced some of the earliest and… [Read More]

Informal waste workers, often referred to as Safai Mitras, carry out essential work in collecting, sorting, and managing waste from streets, homes, and unregulated landfills, yet they do so under hazardous conditions. Their daily work exposes them to sharp materials, heavy loads, and harmful substances, while also placing them under significant mental and emotional stress… [Read More]

The Small Grants Programme of the Global Environment Facility, implemented by UNDP Moldova, has launched a new call for project proposals aimed at supporting civil society organizations working on environmental and climate challenges. The initiative focuses on delivering practical, community-level impact in areas on both banks of the Nistru River and requires applicants to work… [Read More]

Around the world, housing is being reimagined through circular design, low-carbon materials, modular systems, and climate-resilient architecture. These approaches aim to create homes that are more efficient, longer lasting, and better suited to increasingly uncertain environmental and social conditions. In Moldova and Ukraine, this shift is unfolding under urgent pressure from war, rising costs, and… [Read More]

Southern Water has pleaded guilty at Medway magistrates’ court to five pollution offences linked to repeated sewage and chemical discharges in north Kent between 2019 and 2021. The Environment Agency charged the company for releasing untreated sewage, sewage waste, debris and diesel into inland waterways and coastal waters, affecting areas including Swalecliffe Brook in Whitstable… [Read More]

New UK funding is set to strengthen climate resilience across Pacific Island communities that are increasingly exposed to rising sea levels, extreme storms and environmental degradation. The support aims to help countries prepare for climate shocks, protect ecosystems, and build long-term resilience through locally led and practical solutions developed in partnership with Pacific governments, regional… [Read More]

From migrant worker to farmer-entrepreneur, Fermin “Jhun” Bulala’s journey in Talacogon, Agusan del Sur, Philippines reflects how digital tools are reshaping rural livelihoods. Once struggling with pests, unpredictable weather, and limited market access for his dragon fruit harvest, he earned only modest returns from selling fresh produce in nearby Butuan City, making long-term business growth… [Read More]

The Rockefeller Foundation has launched the inaugural class of Africa Big Bets Fellows during its AfricaXchange convening in Nairobi, Kenya. The first cohort includes 10 changemakers from Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania, selected to lead innovative, community-driven solutions addressing key development challenges across the continent. The fellowship will run for five months… [Read More]

The Ontario government has announced a $500,000 investment for Sault Ste. Marie through the Trade-Impacted Communities Program (TICP) to support workers and industries affected by U.S. tariffs. The funding will be used to develop and implement the city’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Strategy, aimed at strengthening the region’s innovation ecosystem, attracting new investment, and diversifying… [Read More]

The Ontario government has launched a new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub in Oshawa as part of a broader provincial strategy to expand access to mental health, addiction, and housing support services. The initiative is included in a more than $560 million investment aimed at establishing 29 HART Hubs across Ontario to improve… [Read More]

Sobhia, a 73-year-old Syrian refugee, lives in Lebanon with her daughter, two sons, and six grandchildren as part of a community of over one million Syrian refugees in the country. Her family depends on the income of her sons, who work as day labourers, but rising living costs, currency instability, and Lebanon’s prolonged economic crisis… [Read More]

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Berlin-based municipal housing company HOWOGE Wohnungsbaugesellschaft mbH have signed a €500 million unsecured credit facility to support the construction of around 3,200 new residential units in Berlin by 2029. This marks the largest single EIB housing financing in Germany over the past decade and aims to strengthen the supply… [Read More]

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing €350,000 in technical assistance to Ukraine’s state-owned electricity producer Centrenergo to support the development of a long-term decarbonisation strategy. The initiative is part of the EIB’s “Energy Rescue Plan for Ukraine” and aims to guide the country’s energy sector recovery while aligning it with cleaner and more sustainable… [Read More]

The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group and Spain’s Instituto de Crédito Oficial (ICO) have jointly invested in the Prado XII securitisation fund, managed by Unión de Créditos Inmobiliarios (UCI), to support energy efficiency improvements in housing across Spain and Portugal. The initiative aims to stimulate investment in renovating existing homes and financing new near-zero energy… [Read More]

A court in St Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city, has designated the Russian LGBT Network as an “extremist organization” and imposed a nationwide ban on its activities. Amnesty International warned that the decision will further marginalize LGBTI people and intensify violations of their human rights. The ruling follows closed hearings requested by the Ministry of Justice… [Read More]

The Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2026 reveals that acute food insecurity and malnutrition remain extremely high and deeply entrenched worldwide. The report, released by the Global Network Against Food Crises, shows that acute hunger has doubled over the past decade, with famine confirmed in two locations for the first time in the report’s… [Read More]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the second round of funding under the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) to support farmers affected by natural disasters in 2023 and 2024. Alongside this release, the department has extended the application deadline from April 30, 2026, to August 12, 2026, giving farmers and Farm Service Agency… [Read More]

The blog by the UN Deputy Secretary-General’s Office (UNDCO) SDG financing team highlights urgent challenges in global development financing following discussions at the Financing for Development Forum. It notes that progress on the Sevilla Commitment—aimed at closing a $4 trillion SDG financing gap—is under pressure due to declining official development assistance, reduced foreign direct investment,… [Read More]

A new climate-resilient classroom built using container architecture has been opened in Vanuatu, one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, to ensure children can continue learning even during emergencies. The initiative comes amid increasing climate-related risks such as rising sea levels, desertification, cyclones, earthquakes, and other extreme weather events that directly threaten children’s rights, including… [Read More]

Countries in Western and Central Africa are facing increasing strain on their health systems due to rising population pressures, disease outbreaks, climate-related shocks, and a growing double burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases. At the same time, limited fiscal space is making it more difficult for governments to meet expanding health needs. To address these… [Read More]