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Between January and September 2026, implementing partners cleared 14,066 items of explosive ordnance from Al-Sweihli Farm in Misratah, Libya. The UN Support Mission in Libya's Mine Action Programme supported the work. Clearance is still under way, and the city's mayor has asked for help in three more areas.
At Indonesia's request, the Netherlands is returning 20 cultural objects that the Dutch government says were wrongfully removed during the colonial period. They include the Banjarmasin Diamond, a 38-carat diamond from the regalia of the Sultan of Banjarmasin. The transfer was agreed on 9 October 2026; the objects will be handed over later.
England has expanded free school meal eligibility to children in all Universal Credit households for the 2026–27 academic year. Government guidance confirms the change, expected to make around 500,000 additional pupils eligible.
Japan and WFP signed a funding agreement to support school meals and nutrition services in Chad. WFP’s September 8 announcement says the contribution will fund six months of meals for 16,400 pupils during 2026–27.
Indonesia's Red and White Cooperatives (KMP) programme, run under President Prabowo Subianto's administration, now targets 40,000 units operating by October 2026 — half its original goal of 80,000 — serving as local distribution centres for state assistance, agricultural machinery, and subsidised fertiliser and fuel. The Jakarta Post reported the scaled-back rollout on 6 July 2026.
Malaysia's government-backed MediAsas pilot scheme introduced two affordable basic medical and health takaful plans, Medi Asas Teras and MediAsas Fleksi, in the Klang Valley from late July 2026 for a three-month trial. The pilot, overseen by the Joint Ministerial Committee on Private Healthcare Costs (JBMKKS) with six licensed insurers and takaful operators, sets indicative monthly premiums between RM60 and RM550 ahead of a planned nationwide rollout in January 2027.
The National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council a £2.1 million delivery grant on 24 June 2026 to restore and expand Ballycastle Museum. The project will nearly quadruple the museum's gallery space, from 64 to 240 square metres, with reopening planned for late 2028.
Fifty million people in 40 African countries now have electricity for the first time through Mission 300, a programme of the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank Group. It aims to halve the number of people without reliable electricity by 2030.
New 2026 analysis from LV=, drawing on Child Poverty Action Group data, puts the cost of raising a child from birth to 18 at £250,000 for a couple and £290,000 for a lone parent.
HM Revenue & Customs confirmed 86,270 people filed their 2025-26 self-assessment tax return on 6 April 2026, the first day of the new tax year, contributing to a record 737,891 filings that month. GOV.UK reported the figures alongside new Making Tax Digital rules.
The Immigrant Welcome Center in Indianapolis launched a free six-week citizenship preparation course running April 15 to May 20, 2026. Mirror Indy reported the course covers the US citizenship exam and interview process, connecting lawful permanent residents with volunteer attorneys and instructors.
Wellington's Sustainability Trust runs the Te Aro Zero Waste Repair Café, where skilled volunteers fix electrical, electronic, jewellery, and welding items for free, alongside its RepairED repair programme. Sustainability Trust reported New Zealand generates 80,000 to 100,000 tonnes of electrical waste annually, with only 2% currently recycled, making it the country's fastest-growing waste category.
A new farmers market opened at St Heliers waterfront on 22 February 2026, running the last Sunday of every month, joining Auckland's established network of local produce markets including Clevedon Village (founded 2005, 60+ stalls), Parnell, and Grey Lynn Farmers Market. The Urban List Auckland reported the CBD's Britomart Saturday Market has also expanded under new ownership.
Residents of Curry Mallet and Beercrocombe in Somerset have raised around £111,000 toward a £260,000 target to buy and reopen The Bell Inn, a 200-year-old pub that closed in March 2025. The Morning Advertiser reported the community, through the Curry Mallet and Beercrocombe Community Pub Ltd society, has around 107 shareholders and is running a Crowdfunder campaign for the remaining amount.
Leith Time Bank, run by the Pilmeny Development Project in Edinburgh, lets members exchange practical help — gardening, sewing, simple repairs, running errands — on a one-hour-for-one-hour basis regardless of what is offered. Timebanking UK lists it as one of five active time banks in Scotland, with a particular focus on older people and carers.
The City of Toronto announced it is doubling its Building Skills Through Recreation program to support up to 2,000 youth in 2026, alongside more than 100 certification courses and 60 local hiring events. The city is also working toward a target of 10,000 additional summer jobs for young people by 2026, the City of Toronto reported.
Community coverage follows collective action, from neighbourhood projects to services that help families. Articles distinguish a completed change from a funding agreement or a future target.