Author: Jordan

Commissioned by the World Bank, Ipsos UK, in collaboration with Gobin Global and Ipsos offices in Jordan, Lebanon, Colombia and Ecuador, conducted this process and impact evaluation, culminating in a final report. The evaluation, which was completed in 2025–2026, follows Ipsos UK’s successful delivery of the first independent evaluation of the GCFF in 2020–2021.The first evaluation provided a comprehensive assessment of the GCFF’s initial phase. It examined the Facility’s relevance, coherence, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability, drawing on a theory‑based, mixed‑methods approach. Through portfolio analysis of all funded projects, extensive stakeholder interviews, and in‑depth project-level case studies in Jordan, Lebanon,…

Joint media release with Senator the Hon Don Farrell, the Hon Kristy McBain MP and the Hon Julie Collins MPFilling out paper forms will soon be a thing of the past for millions of travellers to Australia as the Albanese Government rolls out digital passenger cards following a successful trial.The government will provide $56.1 million over four years for traveller modernisation at airports across Australia.In a collaborative partnership with the Australian Border Force, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Qantas, the Australia Travel Declaration pilot program has delivered a digital alternative to the paper incoming passenger card.Since the…

US launches fresh strikes on Iran – Centcom orders new wave of strikes to protect Gulf shipping !”#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_`abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{|} !”#$%&'()*+,-./0123456789:;<=>?@ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ[\]^_`abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz{|} Source link

Molo has reduced rates across its UK resident, non-UK resident and expat buy-to-let mortgage ranges. The specialist mortgage lender said UK resident buy-to-let rates now start from 2.98% on a two-year fixed product at 55% loan-to-value, available to both individual and limited company borrowers. Five-year fixed rates for UK resident landlords now start from 4.73%. Molo has also reduced pricing across its specialist buy-to-let range, which includes HMOs, multi-unit freehold blocks, new-builds and holiday lets. Two-year fixed rates in the specialist range now begin at 3.14%, while five-year fixes start from 4.89%. The lender said there is no rate premium…

Investing.com — Japan plans to increase allocations to alternative assets at the Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF), the world’s largest pension fund, as part of a broader effort to diversify its portfolio and reduce investment risk, Reuters reported on Sunday. The move would gradually raise the share of unlisted equities, real estate, and other alternative investments toward the fund’s existing 5% ceiling, according to the Nikkei newspaper. Alternative assets accounted for just 1.7% of GPIF’s holdings as of March. The reported proposal is expected to be included in an upcoming government panel report outlining changes to the fund’s investment strategy.…

One million-plus homeowners miss mortgage rate cut chance The West Australian Source link

The Nifty opened with a gap-up on Friday and extended its gains during the first half of the trading session. The index subsequently traded in a narrow range through the second half while remaining under consolidation, reflecting a pause after the initial upmove. The headline index eventually closed higher by 244.10 points (+1.02%) at 24,206.90.The power and utilities space has continued to exhibit relative strength, with select stocks extending Source link

Rare cottage with private jetty on market for first time in more than 30 years Stuff Source link

This article is republished from The Conversation. Consider the following scenario. Suzy is 63, recently retired, and trying to decide when to start receiving Social Security and how to manage her retirement savings to minimize the tax hit. She opens an AI chatbot, types in the details and gets a calm, well-organized and confident answer: Claim now, convert this much, here is the reasoning. The chatbot sounds authoritative and even shows its work. So Suzy follows its guidance and never calls a financial planner. Maybe the advice was fine. But maybe it quietly ignored the fact that Suzy’s spouse is…

The iTEKAD initiative, launched by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) in May 2020, is a social finance initiative that combines blended finance, including philanthropic funds such as zakat, and business development training to support low-income microentrepreneurs in Malaysia. With support from BNM, this report provides a comprehensive review of the implementation of the iTEKAD initiative. The review employed a mixed methods approach, utilizing surveys and interviews to gather information on iTEKAD implementation from Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs) and Implementation Partners (IPs). DOWNLOAD REPORT The iTEKAD program’s implementation has primarily adhered to its original design, demonstrating a commitment to established objectives. Collaboration between PFIs…