A new research analysis of $238 billion in World Bank disbursements to 93 countries between 2018 and 2024 found spikes in cryptocurrency activity timed to aid arrivals, concentrated in newly created and anonymous wallets. Researchers estimate this pattern reflects 2 to 6 cents of every aid dollar being diverted, totaling roughly $1.7 to $4.4 billion, with blockchain transaction patterns resembling classic money-laundering stages of placement, layering and integration.
nber.org
· 2026-10-02
At the UN General Assembly in September, Panama's president José Raúl Mulino proposed a Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature, which would recognize nature as a legal 'subject of rights' with intrinsic value. On 24 September, Panama, Tonga and Vanuatu launched the For Nature Coalition of States, joined by founding members Palau and Dominica, to build diplomatic support for the idea within the UN's Harmony with Nature process.
nature.com
· 2026-10-02
The US National Science Foundation is moving to a 'portfolio-based' funding approach that blends traditional investigator-driven research with agency-directed priorities, according to an internal letter. The agency has not specified what these directed opportunities will entail, leaving staff and researchers uncertain about future funding categories.
nature.com
· 2026-09-14
GoKawiil