The Ontario government has launched a 30-day consultation to explore the potential sale and use of over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. The proposal aims to expand access to more convenient and affordable hearing support for Ontarians with mild hearing loss as part of the province’s Health Innovation Pathway, which focuses on accelerating the adoption of new… [Read More]
Ontario Protects Forest Sector Jobs with New Roadmap
The Ontario government has launched the Roadmap to Protecting Ontario’s Forest Sector, a 10-year strategy aimed at strengthening the province’s forestry industry, protecting jobs, and supporting communities that rely on the sector. The plan responds to growing global trade pressures and U.S. tariffs by improving competitiveness, expanding market access, and reinforcing Ontario’s position as a… [Read More]
Ontario Invests $1.6B to Build and Expand Schools
The Ontario government has announced a $1.6 billion investment in 79 school construction projects across the province to expand and modernise educational infrastructure. The funding is aimed at supporting growing communities by creating more than 29,000 new student spaces and over 1,900 licensed child care spaces, ensuring students have access to updated learning environments that… [Read More]
MHRA Delivers Targets to Expand UK Life Sciences Leadership
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has reported that it met or exceeded all statutory targets in 2025/26 to improve access to medicines and medical devices for UK patients, according to its latest Results and Forecast report published on 28 April. The agency continues to strengthen its role as a leading global regulator… [Read More]
UK and DepEd Strengthen EdTech Collaboration in Philippines
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]
SCORE Report Finds Bosnia and Herzegovina More Resilient Than Expected
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]
UNDP, Yokohama City Restore Playground for War-Hit Odesa Kindergarten
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]
EU Helps Reopen Primary School in War-Torn Hostomel, Ukraine
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]
Improving Health and Welfare of Safai Mitras in Urban Communities
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]
Apply for Up to $150,000 Grants Under GEF Small Grants Programme
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]
How Innovators Are Shaping the Future of Smart Housing
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 Acknowledges Marine Pollution Case
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]
UK Expands Climate Crisis Support for Vulnerable Pacific Islands
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 Farm to Jam: Dragon Fruit Entrepreneur Goes Digital
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]
Rockefeller Foundation Announces Inaugural Big Bets Fellows for Africa
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]
Ontario Invests $500,000 to Protect Sault Ste. Marie Workers from U.S. Tariffs
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]
Oshawa Gets New Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hub
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]
Qurbani: A Sacred Duty in Islam Explained
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]
Germany: EIB Provides €500M for Affordable Housing in Berlin
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]
Ukraine’s Centrenergo to Go Green with EIB Technical Assistance
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]
Prado XII Fund Gets EIB and ICO Investment for Energy Efficiency in Iberia
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]
Russia Escalates LGBTQ+ Crackdown, Labels LGBT Network Extremist
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]
UN, EU Warn of Rising Food Insecurity and Malnutrition in New Report
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]
