Nearly 80 million additional children are now benefiting from government-led school meal programmes globally, marking a 20 percent increase since 2020 and bringing the total to at least 466 million, according to the latest edition of The State of School Feeding Worldwide, a biennial report released by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). The… [Read More]
WHO
IDB Recognizes Young Economists for Innovative Research in Latin America and the Caribbean
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has announced the winners of the 2025 IDB Young Economist Award, an annual honor that celebrates exceptional research by recent PhD graduates in economics focused on Latin America and the Caribbean. The award highlights rigorous and policy-relevant work that addresses pressing regional development challenges. First prize went to Pascuel Plotkin,… [Read More]
IDB Lab Names Winners of WeXchange Women STEMpreneurs 2025
IDB Lab, the innovation and venture capital arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group), has announced the five women-led startups that have won the WeXchange Women STEMpreneurs 2025 competition. These entrepreneurs will showcase their solutions at the WeXchange Demo Day on December 2 in San Salvador, El Salvador, as part of the IDB… [Read More]
Zambia’s Copper Boom: Can the Workforce Keep Pace?
Zambia aims to triple its copper production by 2031, driven by rising global demand and investments from major mining companies such as Anglo American, First Quantum Minerals, Barrick, and Kobold. Copper has long been a cornerstone of Zambia’s economy, contributing 15% of GDP and over 70% of exports. Despite this, production has remained around 800,000… [Read More]
AfDB Showcases Industrialization and Trade Integration at IATF2025 in Algiers
The African Development Bank Group is using the continent’s largest trade and investment platform to highlight the critical role of industrialization and regional integration in driving Africa’s economic transformation. The fourth Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF2025), which opened yesterday in Algiers, has drawn more than 30,000 participants from 75 countries. Organizers expect the fair to generate… [Read More]
CSOs Demand Gender Justice as Climate Finance Institutions Pledge Support
Civil society leaders and financial institutions clashed over climate finance priorities during a side event at Africa Climate Week, raising sharp questions about who truly benefits from the billions pledged for Africa’s climate response. Memory Kachambwa, Executive Director of the African feminist network FEMNET, warned that women and youth — despite being on the frontlines… [Read More]
USDA Announces $221.2 Million Block Grant to Support North Carolina Farmers After Hurricane Helene
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Alexander Vaden visited North Carolina today to meet with agricultural leaders and producers, announcing a new $221.2 million disaster assistance package to help farmers recover from the impacts of Hurricane Helene. The funding, provided through a block grant agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the North… [Read More]
IOM Strengthens Mpox Response Across West and Central Africa
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is intensifying its efforts to contain Mpox in West and Central Africa by reinforcing border health systems and ensuring that mobile and hard-to-reach communities are included in national and regional response plans. By working closely with government health authorities and international partners, IOM has deployed technical expertise, operational surge… [Read More]
IOM Resumes Operations in Khartoum as Over 2 Million Return Amid Sudan Conflict
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reopened its office in Khartoum to expand humanitarian and recovery operations, marking the first UN agency presence in the city since conflict erupted in April 2023. This return comes at a critical time, as over two million people have come back to areas perceived as safer, with Khartoum… [Read More]
WHO Donates Infection Prevention Supplies to Support Safe School Reopening in Sierra Leone
The World Health Organization (WHO) has donated infection prevention and control (IPC) materials to Sierra Leone’s national health authorities to strengthen the country’s response to mpox in schools. This contribution, part of WHO’s ongoing support since Sierra Leone declared mpox a Public Health Emergency in January 2025, brings the total financial and technical assistance provided… [Read More]
Ghana Strengthens Adolescent Health with Latest Regional and Global Guidelines
Adolescents and young people make up a quarter of Ghana’s population and represent a major source of potential for the country’s growth and transformation. Despite this, many face challenges that affect their health, education, and future opportunities, including early pregnancy, limited access to family planning, mental health issues, and high exposure to violence and HIV…. [Read More]
OECD: Global Educational Attainment Reaches Record High Amid Ongoing Access and Completion Challenges
A new OECD report reveals that educational attainment is at an all-time high, with approximately 48% of young adults in OECD countries completing tertiary education, up from 27% in 2000. Graduates tend to benefit from higher earnings, more stable employment, and better health outcomes. The report, Education at a Glance 2025, provides comparable national statistics… [Read More]
New HIV Prevention Jab Could End AIDS, But Secrecy and Greed Pose Risks
A new HIV prevention injection, lenacapavir, has the potential to end the AIDS epidemic, but its rollout is being hindered by secrecy, limited ambition, and profit-driven restrictions, argue leading health activists. Lenacapavir is a twice-yearly antiretroviral injection that has shown near-complete protection against HIV in vulnerable populations, including young women, men who have sex with… [Read More]
North Kalimantan Launches Joint Inspection Team to Improve Fishing Sector Labour Standards
The Provincial Government of North Kalimantan, Indonesia, in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), launched a Joint Inspection Team for Labour Norms onboard fishing vessels on September 9, 2025, in Tarakan City. The event, presided over by Governor Zainal Arifin Paliwang and represented by his expert staff, marks a key step toward improving labour… [Read More]
Power in Perseverance: The Inspiring Journey of Women Entrepreneurs in Yemen
Power in Perseverance is an interactive photobook that vividly illustrates the entrepreneurial journeys of Yemeni women through striking visuals and engaging storytelling. Set against the backdrop of conflict and economic fragility, the collection highlights how women across Yemen are not just surviving but innovating, turning challenges into opportunities and adversity into action. Each photograph captures… [Read More]
Ireland Contributes €200,000 to Promote Safe and Inclusive Trade in Developing Nations
Ireland has announced a contribution of EUR 200,000 (approximately CHF 187,400) to the Standards and Trade Development Facility (STDF) to help strengthen sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) systems in developing countries. This latest funding brings Ireland’s total support to the STDF since 2007 to more than CHF 3.8 million. The contribution will help implement the STDF’s… [Read More]
Deadly Ebola Returns to DRC’s Kasaï Province: Red Cross Launches Emergency Response
The Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has officially declared a new outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in Kasaï Province. This marks the country’s 16th recorded Ebola epidemic and the first in the region since 2008. The outbreak was confirmed after the death of a 34-year-old pregnant woman on 20… [Read More]
Flutter UKI Pledges £7 Million Investment to Boost Community Sports
Flutter UKI is stepping up support for grassroots sports clubs through its Cash4Clubs programme, launching a £500,000 fund aimed at helping local organisations survive and thrive amid rising costs. Since 2008, Cash4Clubs has invested nearly £7 million in community sports across the UK and Ireland, and this year 250 clubs will have the chance to… [Read More]
Girls in Tunisia Invited to Become British Ambassador for a Day
To celebrate International Day of the Girl on 11 October, the British Embassy in Tunisia is launching the “Ambassador for a Day” competition under the theme “The girl I am, the change I lead.” This national essay and video competition targets girls aged 15 to 18 and offers winners the opportunity to shadow the British… [Read More]
UK May Reduce Visas for Countries Refusing to Accept Returned Nationals
The UK has signaled that countries refusing to accept the return of individuals who are in the UK unlawfully could face reductions in the number of visas they are granted. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announced that countries delaying or denying the return of people with no legal right to remain in the UK may see… [Read More]
£2 Million Funding Boost for Integrated Education in Northern Ireland
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn MP, visited Integrated College Dungannon on 4 September to observe how integrated education in Northern Ireland promotes reconciliation and strengthens communities. During the visit, he engaged with pupils and teachers, toured the school, and planted an acorn tree in celebration of the college’s 30th anniversary. Established in… [Read More]
Guinea-Bissau Launches New Guidelines to Reduce Maternal Mortality
Guinea-Bissau has taken a significant step to reduce maternal mortality by launching its first-ever national guidelines for maternal health, aimed at improving care before, during, and after childbirth. Developed by the Ministry of Health with support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, the framework seeks to curb maternal deaths, which currently stand at… [Read More]
UN Expresses Readiness to Support Nepal After Deadly Protests Over Social Media Ban
Protests erupted in Nepal after the government blocked more than 20 social media platforms, including WhatsApp, X, Facebook, and YouTube, for failing to register with the authorities. Demonstrations turned violent in the capital, Kathmandu, where police reportedly used tear gas and opened fire on protesters attempting to storm the parliament complex. Curfews have been imposed… [Read More]
