When Malawi suffered a severe drought in 2016, VisionFund Malawi (VFM) used a returnable grant to test and learn the boundaries of a good recovery lending program. The board was initially cautious, questioning whether the management team’s good intentions were risking the viability of the microfinance institution (MFI) itself, but the end results were overwhelmingly […]
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Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, is at the center of a widening investigation into an alleged coup plot to overthrow Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. According to multiple security sources, Sylva has reportedly fled Nigeria via the creeks of the Niger Delta, heading first to Senegal and allegedly planning to continue to […]
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The National Health Service (NHS) has unveiled its most comprehensive reform in decades, aimed at dramatically reducing waiting times and improving access to care across England. The new Medium Term Planning Framework – Delivering Change Together (2026/27 to 2028/29) sets out a three-year roadmap to overhaul service delivery, eliminate bureaucratic inefficiencies, and empower local leadership. […]
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U.S. President Donald Trump arrives in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Wednesday, October 29, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, marking the final leg of a five-day diplomatic tour through Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea. The visit is set to conclude with a highly anticipated bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on October 30, […]
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Volkswagen has officially broken ground on its $7 billion electric vehicle (EV) battery-cell plant in St. Thomas, Ontario, marking a major milestone in the automaker’s North American electrification strategy. The facility, developed by Volkswagen’s battery subsidiary PowerCo, is projected to be one of the largest of its kind on the continent and is expected to […]
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In a press briefing on Tuesday, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric described reports of Israeli military action as “extremely concerning,” stressing that “we don’t want civilians to be bombed again” or humanitarian operations “derailed again.” Hamas denied that it had any involvement in a reported attack on Israeli forces by Palestinian militants earlier in the day, […]
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Senior UN refugee agency (UNHCR) official in Sudan, Jacqueline Wilma Parlevliet, said there had been “significant outflow out of El Fasher into Tawila” – around 60 kilometres west of the city – which is already hosting around 650,000 displaced. New arrivals have recounted stories of widespread ethnically and politically motivated killings, including reports of people […]
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The agency has received reports of summary executions of civilians trying to escape what was the last Sudanese military government stronghold of El Fasher – with indications of ethnic motivations for killings – and of former combatants who have put down their weapons, which is prohibited under humanitarian law. “The risk of further large-scale, ethnically motivated […]
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Morocco is taking a bold step to transform its financial system into a true enabler of women’s economic empowerment. In partnership with CGAP, Bank Al-Maghrib and the Ministry of Economy and Finance are in the process of launching a “Women’s Financial Inclusion (WFI) Coalition”. Embedded within the governance of Morocco’s upcoming next phase of the […]
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The U.S. State Department confirmed on October 23, 2025, that Mali was no longer subject to the Visa Bond Pilot Program, which requires certain nationals applying for short-term B-1/B-2 visitor visas to post refundable financial guarantees of up to $15,000. The program, introduced under the Immigration and Nationality Act, targets countries with high visa overstay […]
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