UK CMA Launches Market Study into £23 Billion Infrastructure Sector to Improve Roads and Railways Delivery

LONDON, UK – The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a landmark market study into the planning, procurement, and delivery of road and rail infrastructure, aimed at supporting the UK’s long-term infrastructure and economic growth strategy. This is the CMA’s first market study since the publication of the government’s strategic steer. The review will […]

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Former Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Planting Contraband in Prison to Advance Career

SAN FRANCISCO – June, 2025Avelino Ramirez, 52, of Vallejo, California, pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud for orchestrating a scheme to plant contraband in state prisons—contraband he would later “discover” to bolster his professional record and secure a promotion. The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent […]

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How Bordeaux wine estates price their bottles

Research in economics has unravelled the workings of the complex market for Bordeaux wines, in which perceived quality, historical reputation and critical reviews are intertwined. The question of how bottles are priced is all the more relevant amid a crisis for the Bordeaux industry, which is facing the threat of higher US tariffs on EU […]

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UN calls for restraint after deadly Kenya protests

At least 400 people were injured, including police officers, according to media reports. The official death toll has not been confirmed, with estimates ranging from eight to 16.  The demonstrations marked the anniversary of last year’s anti-tax protests, when 60 people were reportedly killed and dozens abducted by police. This year, anger intensified following the […]

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Owner of Precious Metals Depository Sentenced to 65 Years in Federal Prison for $76 Million Fraud Scheme

Wilmington, DE – June 17, 2025 – U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Delaware Robert L. Higgins, 69, the owner of First State Depository in Wilmington, Delaware, has been sentenced to 65 years in federal prison, the maximum term allowed by law, for orchestrating a decade-long fraud scheme involving the theft of at least $76 million […]

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Minister James Lawless Announces €23 Million Investment in Early-Career Research

June 2025 – Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless T.D., has announced a €23 million investment through the Research Ireland Pathway Programme to support 36 early-career researchers across a wide range of disciplines. The four-year funding initiative is designed […]

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Nigeria and Brazil Sign $1 Billion Agreement to Advance Agriculture and Energy Sectors

Abuja, Nigeria – June 25, 2025 — Nigeria and Brazil have signed a $1 billion bilateral agreement aimed at transforming Nigeria’s agricultural sector, enhancing food security, and fostering cooperation in energy and defence, according to Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima. Under the agreement, both countries will deploy over $1 billion to establish mechanised farming infrastructure, […]

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Jamaican National Extradited to U.S. for Defrauding Elderly Arizona Woman in Romance and Lottery Scam

TUCSON, Ariz. | June 25, 2025 –Sherwayne Benjamin Bellinfantie, also known as “Ice Man,” has been extradited from Jamaica to the United States to face federal charges in connection with a romance and lottery fraud scheme that defrauded an 85-year-old Arizona resident of over $400,000. Bellinfantie was indicted by a federal grand jury in March […]

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Canada and EU Sign Security and Defense Agreement to Deepen Strategic Ties

Brussels | June, 2025 – Canada and the European Union signed a new security and defense agreement on Monday, aimed at deepening transatlantic cooperation amid growing global instability and evolving geopolitical alliances. The agreement enables Canadian companies to participate in EU-funded defense procurement programs, granting them access to the EU’s €150 billion joint defense fund—marking […]

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Researchers revive Europe’s historical scents, including ‘the smell of hell’

What do you think hell smells like? British researcher Dr William Tullett has faithfully recreated its foul odour – or at least how our forefathers imagined it. Thanks to an EU-funded research initiative called ODEUROPA, which ran from 2021 to 2023, Tullett did not need to spend years scouring archives across Europe. Instead, the information […]

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