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  • CC Facility awards nearly USD 1 million in grants for climate finance solutions in Asia and Africa

    CC Facility awards nearly USD 1 million in grants for climate finance solutions in Asia and Africa

    Toronto, October 29, 2025 – Today, the Catalytic Climate Finance Facility (CC Facility) announced it has awarded USD 870,000 to its new cohort of grantees. The selected projects include the Southeast Asia Blue Innovation Facility (SEA-Fund), the Regenerative Capital Fund (ReCa), and the FTB Green Credit Facility.  

    The CC Facility, a partnership between Climate Policy Initiative and Convergence, provides working capital grants of up to USD 500,000 to help scale early-stage financial solutions that mobilize private capital for climate action in developing economies.  

    The Facility and its team of experts also provide up to 18 months of tailored technical assistance to address barriers and maximize opportunities to increase the investment pipeline. 

    The three vehicles were selected following a rigorous review process from a pool of more than 500 submissions worldwide. Each vehicle addresses investment barriers in Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, supporting projects in maritime decarbonization, climate-resilient agriculture, and the clean energy transition. 

    “These three vehicles stood out for their rigor, creativity, and strong potential to mobilize private capital for climate impact,” said Joan Larrea, CEO at Convergence. “In an era of diminishing foreign aid, blended finance initiatives like the CC Facility are proving indispensable, by fast-tracking climate solutions that not only deliver impact but also attract the capital needed to sustain it.” 

    With support from three anchor donors – The Gates Foundation, Global Affairs Canada, and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – the CC Facility targets a main obstacle to scaling blended climate finance: the challenging acceleration stage, when promising financial vehicles try to attract investment across diverse markets.  

    SELECTED VEHICLES: 

    The Southeast Asia Blue Innovation Facility (SEA-Fund) will be structured as a USD 450 million sustainability bond or asset-backed security to finance infrastructure projects with a focus on maritime decarbonization, alongside a USD 50 million venture capital fund dedicated to early-stage ocean and climate-tech startups.  

    The Regenerative Capital Fund (ReCa) is a USD 400 million blended equity vehicle that mobilizes institutional investment to scale regenerative agriculture and nature-based solutions across Sub-Saharan Africa through long-term, climate-aligned, and inclusive agrifood investments.

    FTB Green Credit Facility is a USD 160 million program offering affordable, long-term loans and guarantees to help Cambodian banks and businesses invest in green projects.  

    QUOTES 

    “We applied to the CC Facility to accelerate the structuring and launch of the SEA Fund—a blended finance vehicle addressing the maritime decarbonization and climate adaptation gap in Southeast Asia—by leveraging the Facility’s catalytic capital and technical support. We aim to gain catalytic validation, structuring expertise to mobilize concessional and institutional investors, shorten time-to-market, and unlock the first wave of investable projects across the region,” said Vicky Lay, Partner & Head of Impact of Artesian

    “We applied to the CC Facility to strengthen the ReCa Fund’s impact frameworks, enhance our investor readiness, and build confidence in a scalable blended finance model for regenerative agriculture and climate adaptation across Africa. We hope to gain targeted technical assistance to refine our impact and gender KPIs, and catalytic grant support to accelerate due diligence, capital raising, and the successful launch of the ReCa Platform,” said Duncan Vink, Joint Managing Director of Signature Agri Investments. 

    “Our participation in the CC Facility marks a strategic commitment to pioneering the future of green finance in Cambodia. We are honored to collaborate in developing robust financial products and governance frameworks designed to mobilize private capital at scale. Through this Facility’s unique combination of grant funding, expert technical assistance, and a collaborative network, we will launch investable blended-finance models that directly address both climate mitigation and adaptation and improve critical services for Cambodia,” said Dith Sochal, CEO of Foreign Trade Bank of Cambodia. 

    ABOUT THE CATALYTIC CLIMATE FINANCE FACILITY 

    The Catalytic Climate Finance Facility (CC Facility) is a solution to scale climate finance by filling a market gap in mobilizing private capital. The CC Facility provides a range of services to market-ready blended finance vehicles in developing economies to help them expand their reach. Through grant funding, technical support, and a learning hub, the CC Facility accelerates the implementation of high-impact financial structures while providing resources to the broader ecosystem on how to best catalyze climate finance. The initiative is a partnership between Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and Convergence. 

    MEDIA CONTACTS 

    Sijia Yi
    Head of Communications
    Convergence Blended Finance
    sijia.yi@convergence.finance   

    Annie Woscoboinik
    Communications Associate
    Climate Policy Initiative
    annie.woscoboinik@cpiglobal.org 

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  • Fujitsu and PwC Japan partner on economic security measures for sovereign cloud solution

    Fujitsu and PwC Japan partner on economic security measures for sovereign cloud solution

    Fujitsu Limited and PwC Japan Group (hereinafter PwC Japan) today announced a collaboration to enhance the reliability and accelerate market penetration of the Fujitsu Cloud Service powered by Oracle Alloy [1]. This partnership will focus on supporting compliance with the System for Ensuring Stable Provision of Critical Infrastructure Services under Japan’s Economic Security Promotion Act [2].

    Through this collaboration, Fujitsu and PwC Japan aim to develop a reference guide clarifying Fujitsu’s sovereign cloud service’s compliance status with the System for Ensuring Stable Provision of Critical Infrastructure Services [3]. The guide, set to be published in December 2025, will provide a practical framework for specified critical infrastructure operators in Japan to formulate and implement mandatory risk management measures, thereby reducing the burden of compliance and promoting cloud adoption.

    Based on Fujitsu’s sovereign cloud service, Fujitsu and PwC Japan will provide support for the design and documentation of cloud user-side risk management measures, tailored to the specific risk characteristics and operational requirements of each specified critical infrastructure operator [4]. In addition, the two companies aim to expand their collaboration into areas such as supporting compliance with the security clearance system, assisting with CSPM/CNAPP application [5] for apps on Fujitsu’s sovereign cloud service, and promoting the utilization of sovereign AI with data sovereignty and trustworthiness.

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  • ST Engineering iDirect’s AI-Powered Network Analytics Platform Improves Customer Experience and Operational Performance

    ST Engineering iDirect’s AI-Powered Network Analytics Platform Improves Customer Experience and Operational Performance

    Anomaly detection use case will be demonstrated live with partner Q-KON at AfricaCom 2025

    Herndon, VA, 28 October 2025 – ST Engineering iDirect, a global leader in satellite communications, today announced its AI-powered network analytics platform proof of concept that enables operators to anticipate and resolve network issues before they escalate. This underscores how real-time insights, predictive analytics, and anomaly detection are reshaping satellite network operations. 

    ST Engineering iDirect’s platform leverages both historical and real-time data—such as weather patterns—to predict throughput, identify anomalies, and drive proactive interventions. By minimizing downtime and maximizing network reliability, it empowers operators to meet customers’ expectations and deliver exceptional service by ensuring uninterrupted connectivity. The platform will help operators cut operating expenses, streamline resource management, and transition from manual to autonomous workflows, driving greater customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

    “Our strategy goes beyond connectivity. We’re developing value-added applications that help our customers run smarter, more resilient operations and create a true competitive edge,” said Sridhar Kuppanna, CTO and SVP of Engineering at ST Engineering iDirect. “By enabling operators to resolve issues early, optimize resources, and boost workforce efficiency, our network analytics platform advances both business outcomes and customer satisfaction.”

    The platform was recently validated in a real-world use case. Q-KON, a leading provider of satellite communication solutions in Africa, utilized ST Engineering iDirect’s platform to detect anomalies affecting network performance. The early identification of a recent installation error allowed Q-KON to take corrective action and avoid service degradation, directly improving customer experience and operational performance.

    “The insights gained from ST Engineering iDirect’s network analytics platform will be transformative,” said Dr. Dawie De Wet, CEO of Q-KON. “The ability to predict and prevent issues before they impact service will raise our operational standards, ensure reliable connectivity for our customers and enable us to offer advanced service packages.”

    Live demonstrations of the platform will be hosted at Stand C63 during AfricaCom 2025, Nov 10-13, 2026. Register today.

    *****

    Media contact:
    Martyn Gettings Tank PR
    Email: martyn.gettings@tank.co.uk


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  • CM Afridi again denied meeting with IK despite court order – Business Recorder

    1. CM Afridi again denied meeting with IK despite court order  Business Recorder
    2. CM Afridi reaffirms commitment to PTI’s reform agenda  Dawn
    3. KP CM Sohail Afridi vows to end ‘two systems in one state’ culture  Dunya News
    4. Delay in CM’s meeting with…

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  • Saudi hosts world’s business elite with eyes on gigaprojects, AI – Business Recorder

    1. Saudi hosts world’s business elite with eyes on gigaprojects, AI  Business Recorder
    2. Saudi ‘Davos in the Desert’ kicks off, with focus on AI, urban megaprojects  The Times of Israel
    3. Egypt’s Al-Mashat to discuss global challenges,…

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  • IMC posts Rs6.7bn profit after tax – Business Recorder

    1. IMC posts Rs6.7bn profit after tax  Business Recorder
    2. Indus Motor profit after tax jumps 32% in 1QFY26  Business Recorder
    3. Indus Motor rewards shareholders with Rs51/share dividend in 3MFY26  Mettis Global
    4. Toyota Indus Reports 48% Increase in Sales in First Quarter FY2026  Pakwheels
    5. Indus Motor profit surges 32% in 1QFY26  newztodays.com

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  • Grab a Pair of Beats Studio Pro Headphones With 1 Year Warranty for Just $99.99 at Woot

    Grab a Pair of Beats Studio Pro Headphones With 1 Year Warranty for Just $99.99 at Woot

    For three days only or until supplies last, Woot (owned by Amazon) is offering an incredibly low price on Beats’ flagship headphone. You can pick up a pair of Factory Reconditioned Beats Studio Pro wireless noise canceling headphones that…

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  • New Zealand vs England LIVE: Second ODI, Hamilton – cricket score & updates

    New Zealand vs England LIVE: Second ODI, Hamilton – cricket score & updates

    Line-upspublished at 01:06 GMT

    New Zealand: Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Zak Foulkes, Blair Tickner, Jacob Duffy

    England: Jamie…

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  • Microbial Imbalances, Structural Changes Linked With Olfactory Dysfunction in MS

    Microbial Imbalances, Structural Changes Linked With Olfactory Dysfunction in MS

    A new observational study published in Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology reports that olfactory dysfunction, one of the more common yet underrecognized symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), may reflect microbial changes in the nasal…

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  • Woodrow Wilson Fellow Angelina Dong’s chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy research

    Woodrow Wilson Fellow Angelina Dong’s chemo-induced peripheral neuropathy research

    In an interview with The News-Letter, sophomore Angelina Dong recounted her experiences as a Woodrow Wilson Undergraduate Research Fellow at the Hoke lab under Dr. Ahmet Hoke at the Hopkins School of Medicine….

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