The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a contribution of JPY 500 million (US$3.3 million) from Japan to provide emergency food and nutrition assistance to Palestinians suffering from severe food insecurity as a result of the ongoing conflict in Gaza and rising violence in the West Bank. Despite significant operational challenges, WFP remains… [Read More]
Ford Foundation Grants $400K to American Journalism Project for Local News Innovation
The American Journalism Project has announced a $400,000 grant from the Ford Foundation to help expand local news innovation and strengthen the long-term sustainability of independent journalism in the United States. This renewed investment reflects a shared commitment to the critical role local news plays in supporting democracy and strong communities. The funding comes under… [Read More]
FAO Regional Office for Africa: Advancing Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has taken a significant step towards modernizing its plant health systems by strengthening the capacity of its Member States to adopt the International Plant Protection Convention’s (IPPC) Generic ePhyto National System (GeNS). This follows a week-long EU-funded training workshop under the Support Towards the Operationalisation of the SADC Regional… [Read More]
FAO Regional Office for Africa: Driving Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Africa Section of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC International Sub-Sahara), has officially launched a regional programme to strengthen food safety laboratories in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Senegal. The initiative, unveiled at a workshop in Dakar, aims to support nine… [Read More]
FAO Regional Office for Africa: Advancing Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture
In Mzimba, Malawi, farmers like Mefa Kapokosa depend heavily on agriculture for their families’ survival. For years, Mefa struggled to produce enough maize due to erratic rainfall and prolonged dry spells caused by climate change. Although she had received advice from agriculture extension officers, it was not until she began engaging with field demonstration plots… [Read More]
FAO Regional Office for Africa: Advancing Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture
The rising cost of agricultural inputs, particularly inorganic fertilizers, has posed a significant challenge for smallholder farmers in Malawi, limiting their productivity and threatening food security. Many farmers, unable to afford these costly inputs, often experience poor harvests that barely meet their household consumption needs, especially in areas affected by land degradation. To address this… [Read More]
U.S. Education Department Bars Federal Funding for Political Activism on College Campuses
The U.S. Department of Education has withdrawn Biden-era guidance that permitted Federal Work Study (FWS) funds to be used for paying students engaged in certain partisan and nonpartisan political activities. In new guidance, the Department emphasized that FWS funds should be directed toward jobs that provide meaningful work experience, rather than political activism. This decision… [Read More]
Civic Space Under Threat: How Restrictions on Civil Society Undermine Global Development
An open and inclusive civic space is fundamental to achieving social change, yet it is increasingly under threat in the UK and across the world. Civic space refers to the environment in which civil society can exist and operate, encompassing the political, legal, regulatory, social, and security conditions that shape freedoms of expression, association, assembly,… [Read More]
Australian Government Awards $50.4 Million in Grants to Boost Innovation
Since 2016, the Cooperative Research Centre Project (CRC-P) grants have played a key role in funding new technologies, products, and services that support Australian businesses. These grants are designed to back short-term, industry-led research projects that deliver practical, real-world solutions while addressing Australia’s National Science and Research Priorities. The latest round of funding is supporting… [Read More]
Australian Innovative Businesses to Receive $28.7 Million from Industry Growth Program
The Australian Government is strengthening support for startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through the Industry Growth Program, designed to help innovative businesses overcome challenges in bringing their ideas to market. Recognizing the vital role SMEs and startups play in driving economic growth, the program offers tailored advisory services and matched funding grants to… [Read More]
Education Cannot Wait and Donor Partners Commit $7 Million to Support Education in Niger
Children in Niger are facing a worsening multidimensional crisis that threatens both their education and their future. Conflict, internal displacement, climate change, and poverty have combined to put immense pressure on the education system, leaving many children out of school and without protection. In response, Education Cannot Wait (ECW) and its strategic donor partners have… [Read More]
Norway Pledges Increased Direct Funding to Support Indigenous Peoples in Brazil
The Norwegian Embassy in Brazil has revised its funding strategy to channel more resources directly to Indigenous-led funds rather than through NGOs or multilateral agencies. By 2026, its Indigenous Peoples Programme (NIPP) aims to direct over 90% of its annual budget to Indigenous-led associations and funds. This marks a significant shift from past approaches and… [Read More]
Driving Finance Towards Greater Investment in Nature and Biodiversity
In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, awareness of nature’s role in sustaining economies has become increasingly prominent. International frameworks such as the Convention on Biological Diversity emphasize the importance of aligning both public and private finance with nature-positive development, ensuring that natural capital is restored at a rate that maintains ecological balance. The UNDP… [Read More]
Japan Pledges $550 Million to Gavi Vaccine Alliance Over Five Years
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has announced that Japan will contribute $550 million over five years to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which supports immunization efforts in developing countries. The pledge was conveyed during a meeting with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who leads the Gates Foundation, at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo. Tetsuo Saito, leader of… [Read More]
Ethiopia Faces Calls to Drop Proposed Civil Society Organization Law Amendments
Amnesty International has strongly condemned proposed changes to Ethiopia’s Civil Society Organization (CSO) law, warning that the draft amendments should not be enacted. The organization cautioned that if approved, the changes would severely restrict civic space in the country. The CSO Proclamation of 2019 currently regulates both national and international civil society groups operating in… [Read More]
World Bank Raises Global Poverty Line to $3 a Day, Impacting Poverty Figures
The World Bank has updated its global poverty lines, significantly raising the international poverty line from $2.15 to $3 per day. This adjustment, based on 2021 Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs) and new national poverty data, means an additional 125 million people are now classified as living in extreme poverty. The update reflects changes in price… [Read More]
Saudi Arabia’s Execution Rate Skyrockets in 2025 Amidst Rights Concerns
Saudi Arabia is experiencing an unprecedented surge in executions in 2025, with concerns mounting over due process and the potential use of the death penalty to suppress dissent. Human Rights Watch and the Middle East Democracy Center report a significant increase in executions, raising alarms about the kingdom’s justice system. Key Takeaways At least 241… [Read More]
NIH Awards $17 Million Grant to The Wistar Institute for Personalized HIV Cure Research
The Wistar Institute has announced that it has received a five-year, $17 million research award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish the iCure Consortium, a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to developing individualized cure regimens for HIV. The consortium’s mission is to advance personalized medicine strategies that move beyond treatment management toward a functional… [Read More]
Airtel Africa Foundation Launches Tech For Her Program to Upskill Women in Africa
Airtel Africa Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Airtel Africa plc, has launched its Tech For Her Program to empower young women in Zambia, Uganda, and Kenya with in-demand digital skills. Delivered in partnership with Tertiary DNS, the five-week online program provides intensive training in areas such as Linux Administration, Cybersecurity, and Data Analytics, helping participants… [Read More]
AND Global Secures $21.4 Million Funding to Drive Financial Inclusion
Leading global fintech company AND Global has successfully raised $21.4 million in a Series B funding round led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of The World Bank Group, and AEON Financial Service, a major Japanese financial group operating in 11 Asian markets. This milestone marks a significant step forward for the company’s… [Read More]
IIM Calcutta Launches ₹50 Crore Fund to Support Cleantech and Sustainability Startups
The IIM-Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) has announced the launch of a dedicated INR 50 crore fund to support early-stage cleantech and sustainability ventures. The fund will be deployed over the next 12 to 18 months to back startups working in areas such as clean energy, climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, and waste-to-value solutions. According to IIMCIP… [Read More]
A Silent Emergency: Battling Deadly Epidemics in Conflict Zones
In the quiet halls of the Mapendo health centre in Kiwanja, North Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the emergency unfolding is silent but relentless. Patients arrive steadily, many carrying children suffering from fever, infections and diarrhoea, reflecting a region where accessing care is an everyday struggle. Stella Sifa, who returned to her… [Read More]
Foundations Pledge $36.5M Emergency Funding to Safeguard Public Media in Vulnerable Communities
Six major philanthropic organizations — the Knight Foundation, Pivotal, the MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, the Schmidt Family Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation — have announced nearly $37 million in emergency relief for public media stations facing closure after the loss of federal funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). The federal rescission… [Read More]
