The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has released new Sectoral Adaptation Plans outlining the climate risks facing Ireland’s water quality, water services infrastructure, built and archaeological heritage, and biodiversity. These plans detail how each sector is already experiencing climate impacts and how they will prepare for future risks. They form part of the… [Read More]
Road Repair Projects Strengthen Connectivity and Drive Job Growth in Lebanon
Lebanon’s road network has suffered years of deterioration due to prolonged neglect, limited public investment, and the added strain of hosting large numbers of Syrian refugees. Nearly one-third of the country’s 6,500-kilometer main road network is in moderate to poor condition, contributing to safety risks and long travel times. Against this backdrop, the Roads and… [Read More]
Deepening Economic Hardship Pushes Yemen Toward Greater Instability
Yemen’s economy continued to face severe pressure in the first half of 2025, as years of conflict and institutional fragmentation were compounded by a continued blockade on oil exports, rising inflation, and declining international aid. According to the World Bank’s Fall 2025 Yemen Economic Monitor, real GDP is expected to contract by 1.5 percent this… [Read More]
Lessons from the Frontlines: Safeguarding Oceans and Their Defenders
CHIRP Maritime recently highlighted lessons learned from an incident involving the illegal disposal of oily waste and plastic from a vessel. A reporter on board observed oily waste being discharged from the engine room under instructions from senior officers and documented the activity through photographs and videos. Concerned about environmental pollution and accountability, the reporter… [Read More]
$3.4 Billion FX Hedging Facility Launched by IDB and Brazil Central Bank to Boost Private Investment
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Central Bank of Brazil have signed a groundbreaking agreement to provide up to $3.4 billion in foreign-exchange (FX) hedging to mobilize private investment for sustainable development, beginning with Brazil’s Eco Invest Program. The agreement establishes a dedicated FX Hedging Conduit under International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) standards,… [Read More]
New IDB Group Solutions Aim to Enhance Disaster Preparedness and Resilience
The Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) has launched two innovative tools at COP30 to help Latin American and Caribbean countries more accurately assess the risks and costs associated with disasters. RiskMONITOR is designed to visualize data on disaster risk, preparedness, response capacity, available resources, and vulnerability over time, drawing on 20 years of accumulated… [Read More]
Erasmus+ 2026: European Commission Allocates €5 Billion to Boost Skills and Mobility
The European Commission has officially opened the Erasmus+ 2026 call for proposals, offering a new round of funding in education, training, youth, and sport across Europe and beyond. With a budget of approximately €5.2 billion for 2026, the programme continues to invest in skills development and citizenship education through cross-border mobility and cooperation projects. This… [Read More]
Best Practices for African Nations to Improve Sovereign Credit Ratings
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) convened a closed-door roundtable on Governance and Sovereign Credit Ratings on 15 October 2025 in Washington D.C., in partnership with AfriCatalyst, the African Center for Economic Transformation, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), UNECA, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The event was part of the UNDP… [Read More]
New Program Seeks EU Integration for Ukraine’s Digital and Telecommunications Systems
The kick-off meeting of the EU-funded project “Digital Regulation Support to Ukraine” (DRS2UA) was held in Kyiv during the 2025 Annual Conference organized by the National Commission for the State Regulation of Electronic Communications (NCEC). The project aims to strengthen Ukraine’s regulatory framework in the electronic communications sector, enhance IT security against rising cyber threats,… [Read More]
Boosting Nigeria’s Health Sector: EU Partnership to Expand Local Manufacturing
On 30 October 2025, the EU Delegation, in partnership with Nigeria’s Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC) and the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), hosted the first-ever EU-Nigeria Health Investment Forum at the International Conference Centre in Abuja. Themed “Made in Nigeria. Made for Health,” the Forum aimed to… [Read More]
Alliance for the Amazon: 10-Year Commitment to Community Resilience and Climate Adaptation by IFRC and TNC
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have launched the Alliance for the Amazon, a ten-year program (2025–2035) aimed at strengthening disaster risk reduction and climate resilience through Nature-based Solutions (NbS) across the Amazon rainforest. The initiative, announced at COP30 in Brazil, seeks to raise the… [Read More]
Polio-Free for 25 Years: Western Pacific Countries Strengthen Commitment to Global Eradication
Leaders from the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region convened in Tokyo to celebrate 25 years since the region was certified polio-free. The milestone coincided with the 31st meeting of the Regional Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication in the Western Pacific (RCC), the independent body responsible for verifying that poliovirus transmission remains… [Read More]
Diabetes Crisis in Pakistan: WHO Reports One-Third of Adults Impacted
On 14 November 2025, in Islamabad, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Government of Pakistan highlighted that diabetes affects 34.5 million people in the country, including one in three adults. Pakistan carries the highest diabetes burden globally in percentage terms and accounts for over 40% of estimated cases in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. To… [Read More]
Pakistan and WHO Launch National Consultations to Prevent Violence Against Children
Pakistan’s Ministry of Human Rights and the World Health Organization (WHO) have launched consultations to develop a Strategic Action Plan on Violence Against Children, aiming to protect 112 million children nationwide. The initiative addresses the multiple forms of violence children face in Pakistan, including physical, sexual, psychological abuse, child neglect, and violent killings. The consultations,… [Read More]
Zambia’s Environmental Issues: Asking the Hard Questions
Joseph Mwenda, a prominent investigative journalist in Zambia, has gained recognition for his hard-hitting reporting on environmental issues. In May 2025, his outlet, News Diggers, a digital media company specializing in investigative journalism, prepared to release a documentary examining Chinese operations in Zambia, including mining companies accused of water and soil contamination and other environmental… [Read More]
First World Prematurity Day: WHO Promotes Critical Interventions for Preterm and Low-Birth-Weight Infants
The World Health Organization (WHO) is commemorating its first official World Prematurity Day by launching a global clinical practice guide for Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC), a simple yet lifesaving method that substantially improves survival rates for preterm and low birth weight babies. Each year, about 15 million babies are born prematurely, with complications from preterm… [Read More]
WHO Launches Evidence-Based Recommendations for Pregnancy Diabetes Management Worldwide
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its first global guidelines specifically for managing diabetes during pregnancy, a condition affecting approximately one in six pregnancies, or 21 million women each year. These guidelines provide a structured approach to reduce serious complications for both mothers and children, including life-threatening conditions such as pre-eclampsia, stillbirth, and birth… [Read More]
First Marburg Virus Disease Cases Confirmed in Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health has confirmed the country’s first outbreak of Marburg virus disease in the South Ethiopia Region, following laboratory testing of samples from a cluster of suspected viral haemorrhagic fever cases. Genetic analysis by the Ethiopia Public Health Institute identified the virus as the same strain previously reported in other East African outbreaks…. [Read More]
How Prevention Protects Communities from Ebola: Strategies and Insights
In Bulape locality, Kasai Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, the first signs of Ebola were detected in a maternity ward when a pregnant woman arrived with severe symptoms, including difficulty breathing and haemorrhage. Tragically, the mother, newborn, and midwife Juliette, who accidentally pricked herself with a contaminated needle, all succumbed to the disease. Another… [Read More]
FAO Report: Disasters Cause $3.26 Trillion Losses in Global Agriculture Over Three Decades
Disasters have caused an estimated $3.26 trillion in global agricultural losses over the past 33 years, averaging $99 billion annually, roughly 4 percent of global agricultural GDP, according to the FAO’s 2025 report on the Impact of Disasters on Agriculture and Food Security. The report highlights how droughts, floods, pests, storms, and marine heatwaves have… [Read More]
Philippines Typhoon Response: IOM Supports Relief and Community Preparedness
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in coordination with the Government of the Philippines, has mobilized emergency response and early recovery efforts following the impacts of Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi) and Super Typhoon Uwan (Fung-wong). These storms, with sustained winds up to 185 km/h, struck communities still recovering from a 6.9-magnitude earthquake, displacing nearly 1.8 million… [Read More]
Human Rights Groups Call on Israel to Halt Controversial Death Penalty Legislation
Amnesty International has strongly condemned the recent first reading of a proposed amendment to the Israeli Penal Law, which would make the death penalty mandatory for individuals convicted of killing an Israeli with racist or nationalistic motives. Erika Guevara Rosas, Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns at Amnesty International, highlighted that although the… [Read More]
Malaysia: Death Penalty Review Should Lead to Complete Abolition, Say Rights Groups
Following the Malaysian government’s announcement of a comprehensive study on the total abolition of the death penalty, Amnesty International Malaysia emphasized that this review represents a crucial opportunity for the country to demonstrate a firm commitment to human rights. Nicole Fong, Research and Advocacy Officer at Amnesty International Malaysia, highlighted that while the 2023 reforms—abolishing… [Read More]
