You are here

Feed aggregator

Debate: Hacker paralyses property transactions in Romania

Eurotopics.net - Wed, 22/07/2026 - 12:19
An unidentified hacker has apparently deleted Romania's entire land registry database, bringing all property transactions to a halt and preventing notaries from certifying new sales or registering mortgages. The situation is particularly problematic right now because a tax hike on real estate purchases is due to come into effect at the end of the month.
Categories: European Union

Africa’s Health Defenses Have Improved But Its Funding Has Not

Africa - INTER PRESS SERVICE - Wed, 22/07/2026 - 12:13
Against the backdrop of an Ebola disease outbreak, the new Africa Health Security (AHS) Index, released today, reveals significant gaps in critical health infrastructure despite important progress in health security capacity in recent years.

9 choses à savoir pour comprendre "L'Odyssée"

BBC Afrique - Wed, 22/07/2026 - 12:11
Le poème épique écrit il y a des milliers d'années revient sur grand écran grâce au réalisateur primé Christopher Nolan.
Categories: Afrique

« Quand on a commencé à fuir, ils nous ont découpés à la machette » : le drame du camp de Plaine Savo, en RDC, où 76 000 civils sont assiégés par l’armée

LeMonde / Afrique - Wed, 22/07/2026 - 12:06
Depuis décembre 2025, les déplacés des combats de la province de l’Ituri en République démocratique du Congo sont assiégés dans le camp et victimes d’attaques par l’armée régulière et une milice alliée, qui les considèrent comme des combattants du groupe armé adverse.
Categories: Afrique

From Recognition to Delivery: Safeguarding Europe’s Metals Core for the Next Generations [Promoted Content]

Euractiv.com - Wed, 22/07/2026 - 12:00
Over the course of my two terms as President of European Metals, Europe’s debate on industry and its policy has put critical raw materials, circular metals and security of supply at the core of discussions on European strategic autonomy and industrial competitiveness. That is a welcome change, but recognition alone does not keep a smelter […]
Categories: European Union

Still no sign of EU data centre sustainability rating plan key to CAIDA

Euractiv.com - Wed, 22/07/2026 - 11:58
Scheme for measuring energy efficiency and more was initially expected on 3 June
Categories: European Union

Alzheimer’s can now be caught before symptoms, yet half of cases are still missed

Euractiv.com - Wed, 22/07/2026 - 11:49
The science to detect Alzheimer’s early exists; the system to deliver it does not
Categories: European Union

Scaling green investment for SMEs in low- and middle-income countries through guarantees and blended finance

Climate mitigation and adaptation require substantial investment to advance sustainable development. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), mobilising such finance is particularly challenging for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) due to persistent market failures, including limited financial disclosure and weak credit-risk information. High upfront costs, uncertain returns and weak regulatory frameworks further constrain adoption of low-carbon technologies. While fiscal constraints and the capital-intensive trans­ition underscore the need for private capital, traditional bank financing is restricted by long project horizons, high risk and macroeconomic instability. Blended finance and guarantees are key instruments for mobilising private investment in LMICs. Blended finance combines concessional public resources with private or additional public capital to mitigate profitability risks, while guarantees reduce perceived risk by covering partial losses, particularly for non-commercial risks. This policy brief assesses their role in scaling SME climate finance, alongside their limitations and context-specific applicability. Evidence suggests that leverage effects, especially for blended finance, are more modest than often assumed and are context dependent; nonetheless, these instruments remain relevant for de-risking SME finance, contingent on improved design and implementation. The policy brief advances the following recommendations:

- Financial intermediaries should prioritise SMEs facing binding financing constraints that prevent projects with clear socio-economic and environ­mental benefits. Project selection should integrate financial and climate vulnerability, though assess­ment remains difficult in low-income countries (LICs). De-risking instruments should target specific constraints, with guarantees mitigating risks and blended finance supporting projects with insufficient risk-adjusted returns to attract private capital. Multilateral development banks (MDBs) and development finance institutions (DFIs) should ensure additionality, minimise concessionality and strengthen monitoring and transparency.
- MDBs and DFIs should better align donor incen­tives with effective risk-sharing and flexible finan­cing structures. Concessional senior loans dominate blended finance but have limited loss absorption, reducing effectiveness in high-risk environments. A more balanced mix, including subordinated debt, equity and guarantees, can improve risk allocation and crowd in private investors. Greater use of special purpose vehicles and off-balance-sheet structures can further expand financing capacity in fragile contexts.
- MDBs and DFIs should strengthen coordination, standardisation and local engagement. Frag­menta­tion in blended finance and guarantees increases complexity and transaction costs and deters institutional investors. Greater harmoni­sation across MDBs, DFIs and private investors would improve capital allocation and comple­mentarity, while standardised procedures and contracts would streamline project preparation and scaling in LMICs.
 Governments in LMICs should address structural constraints, with MDBs and DFIs providing com­plementary de-risking and capacity-building support. Weak investment climates, shallow finan­cial markets, poor project pipelines and weak credit information systems reduce the effective­ness of blended finance and guarantees, particu­larly in LICs. Governments should strengthen investment climates, deepen financial markets and improve SME capabilities, while MDBs and DFIs support local intermediaries and broader reforms.

Scaling green investment for SMEs in low- and middle-income countries through guarantees and blended finance

Climate mitigation and adaptation require substantial investment to advance sustainable development. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), mobilising such finance is particularly challenging for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) due to persistent market failures, including limited financial disclosure and weak credit-risk information. High upfront costs, uncertain returns and weak regulatory frameworks further constrain adoption of low-carbon technologies. While fiscal constraints and the capital-intensive trans­ition underscore the need for private capital, traditional bank financing is restricted by long project horizons, high risk and macroeconomic instability. Blended finance and guarantees are key instruments for mobilising private investment in LMICs. Blended finance combines concessional public resources with private or additional public capital to mitigate profitability risks, while guarantees reduce perceived risk by covering partial losses, particularly for non-commercial risks. This policy brief assesses their role in scaling SME climate finance, alongside their limitations and context-specific applicability. Evidence suggests that leverage effects, especially for blended finance, are more modest than often assumed and are context dependent; nonetheless, these instruments remain relevant for de-risking SME finance, contingent on improved design and implementation. The policy brief advances the following recommendations:

- Financial intermediaries should prioritise SMEs facing binding financing constraints that prevent projects with clear socio-economic and environ­mental benefits. Project selection should integrate financial and climate vulnerability, though assess­ment remains difficult in low-income countries (LICs). De-risking instruments should target specific constraints, with guarantees mitigating risks and blended finance supporting projects with insufficient risk-adjusted returns to attract private capital. Multilateral development banks (MDBs) and development finance institutions (DFIs) should ensure additionality, minimise concessionality and strengthen monitoring and transparency.
- MDBs and DFIs should better align donor incen­tives with effective risk-sharing and flexible finan­cing structures. Concessional senior loans dominate blended finance but have limited loss absorption, reducing effectiveness in high-risk environments. A more balanced mix, including subordinated debt, equity and guarantees, can improve risk allocation and crowd in private investors. Greater use of special purpose vehicles and off-balance-sheet structures can further expand financing capacity in fragile contexts.
- MDBs and DFIs should strengthen coordination, standardisation and local engagement. Frag­menta­tion in blended finance and guarantees increases complexity and transaction costs and deters institutional investors. Greater harmoni­sation across MDBs, DFIs and private investors would improve capital allocation and comple­mentarity, while standardised procedures and contracts would streamline project preparation and scaling in LMICs.
 Governments in LMICs should address structural constraints, with MDBs and DFIs providing com­plementary de-risking and capacity-building support. Weak investment climates, shallow finan­cial markets, poor project pipelines and weak credit information systems reduce the effective­ness of blended finance and guarantees, particu­larly in LICs. Governments should strengthen investment climates, deepen financial markets and improve SME capabilities, while MDBs and DFIs support local intermediaries and broader reforms.

Scaling green investment for SMEs in low- and middle-income countries through guarantees and blended finance

Climate mitigation and adaptation require substantial investment to advance sustainable development. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), mobilising such finance is particularly challenging for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) due to persistent market failures, including limited financial disclosure and weak credit-risk information. High upfront costs, uncertain returns and weak regulatory frameworks further constrain adoption of low-carbon technologies. While fiscal constraints and the capital-intensive trans­ition underscore the need for private capital, traditional bank financing is restricted by long project horizons, high risk and macroeconomic instability. Blended finance and guarantees are key instruments for mobilising private investment in LMICs. Blended finance combines concessional public resources with private or additional public capital to mitigate profitability risks, while guarantees reduce perceived risk by covering partial losses, particularly for non-commercial risks. This policy brief assesses their role in scaling SME climate finance, alongside their limitations and context-specific applicability. Evidence suggests that leverage effects, especially for blended finance, are more modest than often assumed and are context dependent; nonetheless, these instruments remain relevant for de-risking SME finance, contingent on improved design and implementation. The policy brief advances the following recommendations:

- Financial intermediaries should prioritise SMEs facing binding financing constraints that prevent projects with clear socio-economic and environ­mental benefits. Project selection should integrate financial and climate vulnerability, though assess­ment remains difficult in low-income countries (LICs). De-risking instruments should target specific constraints, with guarantees mitigating risks and blended finance supporting projects with insufficient risk-adjusted returns to attract private capital. Multilateral development banks (MDBs) and development finance institutions (DFIs) should ensure additionality, minimise concessionality and strengthen monitoring and transparency.
- MDBs and DFIs should better align donor incen­tives with effective risk-sharing and flexible finan­cing structures. Concessional senior loans dominate blended finance but have limited loss absorption, reducing effectiveness in high-risk environments. A more balanced mix, including subordinated debt, equity and guarantees, can improve risk allocation and crowd in private investors. Greater use of special purpose vehicles and off-balance-sheet structures can further expand financing capacity in fragile contexts.
- MDBs and DFIs should strengthen coordination, standardisation and local engagement. Frag­menta­tion in blended finance and guarantees increases complexity and transaction costs and deters institutional investors. Greater harmoni­sation across MDBs, DFIs and private investors would improve capital allocation and comple­mentarity, while standardised procedures and contracts would streamline project preparation and scaling in LMICs.
 Governments in LMICs should address structural constraints, with MDBs and DFIs providing com­plementary de-risking and capacity-building support. Weak investment climates, shallow finan­cial markets, poor project pipelines and weak credit information systems reduce the effective­ness of blended finance and guarantees, particu­larly in LICs. Governments should strengthen investment climates, deepen financial markets and improve SME capabilities, while MDBs and DFIs support local intermediaries and broader reforms.

Bulgaria moves to restore procurement rules for private hospitals amid EU court case

Euractiv.com - Wed, 22/07/2026 - 11:24
The reform would introduce common purchasing rules for all hospitals funded by the national health insurance system and expand centralised drug procurement
Categories: European Union

Le RN visé par une cyberattaque : des visuels aux couleurs des drapeaux algérien et marocain affichés

Algérie 360 - Wed, 22/07/2026 - 11:18

Le Rassemblement national a-t-il été victime d’une cyberattaque d’ampleur ? Après l’annonce d’un piratage revendiqué visant le parti, la justice a réagi. Le parquet de […]

L’article Le RN visé par une cyberattaque : des visuels aux couleurs des drapeaux algérien et marocain affichés est apparu en premier sur .

Categories: Afrique

UK boosts GCAP investment with £708 million combat air contract

Euractiv.com - Wed, 22/07/2026 - 11:15
The money is meant to support the development of critical sovereign combat air technologies
Categories: European Union

Daniel Siad, rabatteur présumé de Jeffrey Epstein, retrouvé mort près de Paris

France24 / France - Wed, 22/07/2026 - 11:13
Recruteur de mannequins et rabatteur présumé de femmes pour le pédocriminel américain Jeffrey Epstein, Daniel Siad a été retrouvé mort lundi soir à son domicile de Colombes (Hauts-de-Seine), près de Paris, a indiqué le parquet de Nanterre, mercredi. L'information avait été donnée par le journal Le Parisien.
Categories: France

Elkezdődött az idei Tusványos

Kolozsvári Rádió (Románia/Erdély) - Wed, 22/07/2026 - 11:11

Frissítés: Birtalan Albert összeállítása a megnyitóról alább meghallgatható: Korábban írtuk: „Tusványos nem a Fidesz érdekeit kell szolgálja. A határon túli magyarok és a szabadegyetem sem lehet ellenzékben” – mondta a Tusványos egyik alapítója, Toró T. Tibor az Erdélyi Magyar Nemzeti Tanács ügyvezető elnöke a rendezvény ma délelőtti megnyitóján. Az alapokhoz való visszatérést sürgetve, Toró T. […]

Articolul Elkezdődött az idei Tusványos apare prima dată în Kolozsvári Rádió Románia.

EU watchdog lowers safety level for widespread PFAS

Euractiv.com - Wed, 22/07/2026 - 11:04
EFSA cuts safe exposure level for the metabolite TFA in food by 3.5 times
Categories: European Union

Un contrôle routier vire au drame à Kinshasa : un motard meurt électrocuté après une altercation avec des contrôleurs

Radio Okapi / RD Congo - Wed, 22/07/2026 - 11:00

Un drame est survenu mardi vers 11 heures à la Place Force, dans la commune de Kasa-Vubu à Kinshasa. Un conducteur de moto-taxi a perdu la vie par électrocution à la suite d’une violente altercation avec quatre agents du service des transports urbains. Ce tragique incident a immédiatement provoqué une vague d’indignation et des troubles parmi les motocyclistes et les riverains. La police est intervenue et aurait fait usage d’armes à feu.

Categories: Afrique

Pages