24 July 2025, Cairo, Egypt – World Drowning Prevention Day, a global advocacy event held annually on 25 July, serves as an opportunity to highlight the tragic and profound impact of drowning on families and communities and offer lifesaving solutions to prevent it. Over the last decade at least 3 million people have lost their […]
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At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced plans to establish a Global Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, aimed at fostering international collaboration on AI development and governance. Li emphasized that AI is a transformative engine for economic growth, but warned that current global governance is fragmented, with significant disparities […]
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The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued a positive recommendation for lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injectable drug developed by Gilead Sciences, for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against HIV-1 infection. The approval marks a major advancement in HIV prevention, offering the longest-lasting protection currently available. Lenacapavir, marketed as Yeytuo in Europe, is already approved for HIV treatment and […]
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“The thousands of people seeking to return home are driven by hope, resilience and an enduring connection to their country,” said Othman Belbeisi, regional director of the International Organization of Migration (IOM). While this development does offer hope, many of these people are returning to states and cities whose resources have been devastated by […]
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In the first blog of our series on the World Bank’s latest Global Findex 2025, we highlighted that while notable progress has been made in financial inclusion since the Findex launched in 2011, there is much more still to be done. To close the last-mile gaps and improve livelihoods by broadening the range of […]
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Taxpayers affected by the 2025 California wildfires have until October 15, 2025 to take advantage of special relief measures granted by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), including extended deadlines for 1031 Exchange transactions. The extension applies to individuals and businesses in Los Angeles County and other federally designated disaster areas, as outlined by FEMA. Key […]
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The Office of Public Works (OPW) has announced a new pilot initiative offering free admission to all visitors under 18 at OPW-managed heritage sites throughout August 2025. The scheme, unveiled by Minister of State Kevin “Boxer” Moran, aims to promote youth engagement with Ireland’s rich cultural heritage by removing financial barriers during the summer holidays. […]
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It’s time to rethink how we serve the hardest to reach—and unlock the power of financial services for development. New data from the World Bank’s Global Findex 2025, published this week, reveals significant progress on financial inclusion. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), 75% of adults have an account (compared with 79% globally), an increase […]
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Following a major fire in the Limassol district of Cyprus, the authorities have requested firefighting assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. In response, the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre has mobilised 2 Canadair airplanes from the EU’s joint firefighting fleet, rescEU, stationed in Spain. This wildfire season, in addition to supporting Cyprus, the EU […]
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On 13 June, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) adopted a revised travel rule for payments and value transfers – known as Recommendation 16 (R.16). This decision followed two years of intense internal discussions and two rounds of public consultations, which drew over 300 responses. Financial institutions will need to comply with the updated rule […]
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