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June 4, 2026 — London — A major initiative to introduce a standard digital identity scheme for house buying and selling has been scrapped, reflecting growing political uncertainty and doubts over its benefits. The project, backed by leading property sector organizations, aimed to streamline transactions by creating a unified digital ID system for buyers and sellers. However,… [Read More]

The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group and Irish government representatives have reaffirmed their strong investment partnership following a high-level meeting of the EIB Ireland Financing Group in Dublin on 4 June 2026. The meeting, chaired by Ireland’s Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris, focused on expanding collaboration across key sectors including transport, housing, innovation,… [Read More]

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Roma Capitale have signed a new advisory agreement aimed at supporting the development of Rome’s Social Residential Housing Plan (ERS). The initiative focuses on increasing the supply of affordable housing for households that are not eligible for public housing but are struggling to access the private rental market. The… [Read More]

June 2026 – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has unveiled a National Cryptography Discovery Platform, a strategic initiative designed to accelerate the country’s transition to post-quantum security. Developed in partnership between the UAE Cyber Security Council and QuantumGate, the platform provides nationwide visibility of cryptographic assets, helping critical infrastructure operators prepare for the emerging risks… [Read More]

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the United Nations Green Climate Fund (GCF) have signed their first financing agreement to scale up climate action in developing countries. The partnership is designed to mobilise private investment and expand funding for sustainable infrastructure through a new EU-backed initiative. Under the agreement, the GCF will commit €200 million… [Read More]

June 2026 – Four new research projects are set to begin under the KIC call Data sharing for the energy transition: sociotechnical challenges. With €5.7 million in funding from NWO and additional co-funding bringing the total to over €8 million, the programme will tackle critical issues around data use in the energy transition, including privacy,… [Read More]

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) have completed a three-year initiative aimed at improving the livelihoods, nutrition and resilience of refugees and host communities in Egypt. The programme, supported by a USD 6 million contribution from KOICA, focused on vulnerable populations in Greater Cairo, Alexandria, Damietta and… [Read More]

June 2026 – The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has awarded €2 million in funding under the KIC mission call Future plastics: development of safe plastics for a sustainable future. The initiative supports two pioneering projects that aim to transform the plastics industry by focusing on recyclability, biodegradability, and safety. The first project, led… [Read More]

June 2026 – The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) has awarded more than €15 million in funding under the KIC call High-performance materials for Defence and Security. This investment will enable ten cutting-edge research projects to begin, each focused on developing advanced materials for the Ministry of Defence. An additional €4 million in co-funding… [Read More]

The International Labour Organization (ILO), together with the Government of Ukraine and representatives of employers and workers, has launched a new Decent Work Country Programme for 2026–2029 aimed at supporting Ukraine’s economic recovery and strengthening its labour market institutions. The agreement, signed during the International Labour Conference in Geneva, marks the first such programme for… [Read More]

June 2026 – In today’s digital age, where information is abundant and often overwhelming, storytelling is increasingly seen as a way to cut through the noise. Yet in humanitarian and development contexts, storytelling is more than a communication strategy. It is a mechanism for building trust, accountability, and human connection. The challenge lies in how… [Read More]

The New Zealand Government has announced funding to upgrade the Waihi Recycling Transfer Station, a project aimed at reducing landfill waste and improving recycling capacity in the Hauraki District. The investment is being delivered through the Waste Minimisation Fund and supported by local council co-funding. The Hauraki District Council will receive almost $660,000 in government… [Read More]

June 2026 – Two recent political shifts in India and Bangladesh are reshaping the prospects for cooperation over shared river systems, particularly the Teesta and the Ganges. With new governments in Dhaka and West Bengal, long-standing stalemates may finally give way to renewed dialogue and treaty negotiations. Bangladesh’s newly elected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government,… [Read More]

The New Zealand Government has announced a $20 million investment from the Budget 2025 contingency fund to expand and strengthen parenting support services across the country. The initiative aims to help more families access evidence-based programmes that support children’s learning, development and wellbeing. The funding will focus on improving early childhood outcomes, particularly during the… [Read More]

The New Zealand Government has announced a $10 million investment to accelerate predator eradication efforts in Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau as part of the national Predator Free 2050 goal. The funding will support expanded conservation work across the Hauraki Gulf and mainland Auckland, as well as the development of new tools and approaches that can be… [Read More]

June 4, 2026 — UK — Outsourcing giant Capita has come under scrutiny after launching the Civil Service Pension Scheme (CSPS) website, which manages pensions for 1.7 million members, without enabling a fundamental security feature known as DNSSEC. Security experts warned Capita in December that the domain lacked “basic controls,” leaving it vulnerable to DNS hijacking and… [Read More]

The World Health Organization (WHO), with support from the Government of Japan, has launched a new initiative aimed at closing immunization gaps and addressing measles-rubella (MR) outbreaks in Indonesia. The programme, titled “No Child Left Behind: Ending deadly measles-rubella outbreaks and closing immunization gaps in Indonesia,” focuses on strengthening routine vaccination systems and improving disease… [Read More]

Dr Michelle Walsh has been elected to the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO), the independent monitoring body responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention across member states. The election took place following a competitive national and international selection process at a meeting… [Read More]

USA Rare Earth (Nasdaq: USAR) has announced a $1.2 billion investment to build a large-scale rare earth magnet manufacturing and refined metals facility in Cherokee County, South Carolina. The project will be located at Bailey Industrial Park in Blacksburg and represents a major step toward building a fully domestic mine-to-magnet supply chain in the United… [Read More]

A new NGO, Blue Lantern, has been launched in Bintan, Indonesia to strengthen conservation efforts in the East Bintan Marine Protected Area (MPA). Established in 2022, the MPA has faced challenges with enforcement and funding, particularly due to industrial pressures such as aluminium smelting and historical bauxite mining. The NGO, officially named Yayasan Lentera Permata… [Read More]

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has announced a $23.7 million investment by MSolar Manufacturing to establish a vertically integrated solar panel production facility in Shenandoah County. The project will bring 150 new jobs to Mount Jackson and expand domestic manufacturing capacity for high-efficiency solar technology. The new 56,000-square-foot facility will produce advanced solar modules designed for… [Read More]

June 5, 2026 — Global — Tropical forests are disappearing at alarming rates, releasing billions of tons of carbon dioxide, destroying habitats, and disrupting the livelihoods of nearly one billion people who depend on them. Despite their critical role in regulating rainfall, safeguarding water, preventing floods, and hosting biodiversity, forests remain severely underfunded in global economic models…. [Read More]

June 4, 2026 — Plateau State, Nigeria — In the agrarian town of Namu, rice miller Victoria Ali has seen her income grow thanks to stable electricity from a local solar minigrid. For years, unreliable power limited productivity and income opportunities for women and small businesses. Now, access to clean energy is transforming livelihoods and enabling women… [Read More]