Liverpool, June 1, 2026 – Mayors across England will soon be given greater powers to drive regional innovation and job creation through the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, a £500 million programme running between 2026 and 2031. The fund enables local leaders to target R&D investments that support new industries and technologies, from medical breakthroughs to clean energy solutions,… [Read More]

Prince William County, May 2026 – The Office of Housing and Community Development has released its first Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Affordable Housing Fund (AHF), inviting applications from eligible nonprofit and for‑profit developers until July 1, 2026. The AHF is designed to expand access to affordable rental and homeownership opportunities for residents earning at or below… [Read More]

Financial and development experts at the African Development Bank (AfDB) 2026 Annual Meetings have called for urgent reforms to strengthen and integrate Africa’s financial systems in order to mobilise capital more effectively for development. The discussions took place in Brazzaville under the theme of strengthening Africa’s financial architecture in a rapidly changing global economy. Participants… [Read More]

London, June 2026 – The Pilgrim Trust Young Women in Mind Programme has opened applications for its 2026–2028 funding round, offering grants between £200,000 and £500,000 to support charities delivering targeted mental health services for young women aged 14–25 in the UK. The programme is designed to strengthen and expand high‑quality therapeutic services tailored to the… [Read More]

African policymakers, development experts, and youth leaders are urging a major shift in economic strategy, calling on governments to focus less on job counts and more on the creation of value-generating enterprises. The appeal was made during discussions at the African Development Bank Group’s 2026 Annual Meetings in Brazzaville, which centered on how Africa can… [Read More]

Geneva, May 31, 2026 – Eight countries have pledged more than $175 million to expand access to contraceptives and reproductive, maternal, and newborn health supplies, announced during the 79th World Health Assembly. The commitments come at a critical time, as global funding cuts threaten progress in women’s health programmes. Ethiopia, Ghana, and Honduras together committed over $152… [Read More]

Humanitarian organization CARE has announced expanded disaster preparedness and response efforts across the United States ahead of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which begins on June 1. The initiative focuses on strengthening support systems for women, caregivers, and pregnant individuals in communities that are often underserved during emergencies. CARE officials highlight that low-income women and… [Read More]

London, June 2026 – A new collaborative programme, Young Women in Mind 2026–2028, has been launched to strengthen and scale therapeutic mental health services for girls and young women aged 14–25 across the UK. Backed by the Pilgrim Trust, the Prudence Trust, and the Julia Rausing Trust, the initiative will invest £5 million over three years… [Read More]

Effective government transitions are essential for maintaining policy continuity, safeguarding institutional stability, and strengthening democratic governance across Latin America and the Caribbean, according to a recent analysis by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The report emphasizes that poorly managed transitions can disrupt public services, weaken state capacity, and create uncertainty for citizens and markets. The… [Read More]

Santiago / Lagos, June 2026 – Aurora Ventures, a new early‑stage investment program, has officially launched with support from inDrive, the global mobility and delivery platform that scaled to unicorn status across emerging markets. The initiative will prioritize Nigeria as one of its key pilot markets during its 2026 debut year. The launch follows the conclusion… [Read More]

London, June 1, 2026 – Victims and survivors of terrorism will now have access to round‑the‑clock, trauma‑informed care through a newly established Support Hub, designed to simplify recovery and provide a single point of contact for emotional and practical assistance. The hub, delivered in partnership with Victim Support, the Peace Collective, and West London NHS Trust, will… [Read More]

Dhaka, May 31, 2026 – Finland has announced a fresh €2 million (US$2.23 million) contribution to sustain life‑saving assistance for Rohingya refugees sheltering in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. The funding, confirmed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), comes amid severe global aid cuts threatening the humanitarian response. According to UNHCR, the support will help fill critical gaps… [Read More]

London, June 2026 – Patients across England will soon gain quicker access to treatments directly from their local pharmacy under a new £340 million government‑funded agreement. The initiative expands the successful Pharmacy First service, enabling qualified pharmacists with independent prescribing qualifications to assess patients and prescribe medicines without GP referrals. The rollout, scheduled for autumn 2026, is… [Read More]

Amnesty International has raised alarm over a growing crackdown on press freedom in Ethiopia, warning that journalists are facing increasing repression ahead of the country’s national election scheduled for 1 June 2026. The organization says recent actions by authorities are undermining independent journalism and restricting access to information during a critical political period. According to… [Read More]

Stockholm, May 31, 2026 – Swedish private equity group EQT has set a target size of €21 billion ($24.5 billion) for its latest vehicle, Infrastructure VII Fund, according to a company announcement on Sunday. The final fund size will depend on the outcome of the fundraising process and could be higher or lower than the target, EQT noted. The… [Read More]

Paris, June 2026 – SoftBank Group has announced plans to invest €45 billion ($53 billion) over the next five years in artificial intelligence infrastructure in France, as part of a wider €75 billion programme to roll out 5 GW of AI data center capacity. The initial phase will see 3.1 GW of AI data centers built in the Hauts‑de‑France region by… [Read More]

London, June 2026 – The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has announced the opening of applications for 11 Senior Research Fellowships across critical areas including AI for Development, Global Health, Emerging Technologies, Conflict, Critical Minerals, and Technology, Geopolitics and Information Manipulation. The fellowships are offered through the Global Research and Technology Development (GRTD) Research Commissioning… [Read More]

Ho Chi Minh City, June 2026 – A new trilateral collaboration between Temasek Foundation, Touchstone Partners, and the Viet Nam International Financial Center (VIFC-HCMC) has been announced to accelerate Vietnam’s transition to a green economy. The partnership’s first flagship initiative, the Net Zero Challenge 2026 (N0C 2026), will launch in July 2026. The programme will focus… [Read More]

Tel Aviv / Washington, June 2026 – The BIRD Foundation (Israel–U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation) has approved $7.5 million in grants for seven joint projects between Israeli and American companies. With additional private‑sector investment, the total funding is expected to reach $20 million, underscoring the strength of the long‑running innovation partnership. The selected projects span diverse… [Read More]

Humanitarian organization Action Against Hunger has stepped up its response to an escalating Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where health authorities have reported rising infections and deaths across parts of Ituri province and North Kivu. The outbreak, officially declared on May 15, 2026, has already resulted in more than 120 confirmed… [Read More]

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has significantly expanded its emergency operations in Akobo East, South Sudan, as catastrophic levels of hunger and malnutrition continue to rise. The escalation comes amid ongoing insecurity, infrastructure challenges, and seasonal rains that are severely limiting humanitarian access to affected communities. Humanitarian officials describe the situation as critical,… [Read More]

The New Zealand government has announced a new investment aimed at strengthening regional tourism and supporting the country’s growing e-bike industry. The initiative will fund the installation of 42 new e-bike charging and security stations across several cycle trails as part of efforts to enhance accessibility and visitor experience. The funding, worth $2.5 million, has… [Read More]

New Zealand’s government has passed new legislation aimed at improving the efficiency and consistency of its welfare system through the increased use of automated decision-making. The Social Security (Modernisation) Amendment Bill was recently approved in Parliament and is intended to streamline administrative processes without changing eligibility rules for welfare support. The reform allows the Ministry… [Read More]