Instant payments allow credit transfers to be completed within 10 seconds of making a payment, instead of waiting days for the transaction to finalize. They have been in use in Europe since 2017, and in the US since last year.

In Europe, the use of instant payments has grown from 5.2% of all credit transfers in October 2019 to 17.8% in February this year, according to data from the European Central Bank.

Around 60 financial institutions are capable of receiving and processing instant payments, covering more than 95% of Swiss retail payment transactions, according to the Swiss National Bank (SNB), which launched its scheme with financial systems provider SIX.

In the coming months, other banks are expected to announce similar services, SNB said, with all financial institutions in Switzerland expected to be included by the end of 2026.

Despite the rise of mobile payment apps, the Swiss remain attached to physical cash, which remains the most widely accepted payment method by companies with physical retail locations.

“This market launch represents another important milestone and reflects the collective commitment of stakeholders towards a cashless payment future in Switzerland,” SNB stated.

Photo: Swiss National Bank/snb.ch

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Four leading scientific organizations have called on the government to include a series of “core experiences” in the curriculum for children aged 3 to 11, alongside sledding, digging soil, visiting garden centers, recycling, and playing musical instruments.

The Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Biology, and the Association for Science Education have published recommendations for reforming the primary school curriculum in an effort to reduce inequalities in the education of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

“Children with limited firsthand experiences are undeniably at a disadvantage. This is fundamentally an issue of fairness, and providing rich essential experiences for children, particularly in the early and lower years of primary school, will help address this issue to some extent. Concrete experiences form the foundation from which children can draw evidence for their ideas, preparing them for the more abstract learning they will encounter in secondary school,” the report states.

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The protocol was signed in Belgrade by Serbia’s Foreign Minister Marko Đurić and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business, Trade, and Energy of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Vince Henderson, who is on an official visit to Serbia.

On this occasion, Henderson noted that the friendship between the two countries dates back to the time of the Non-Aligned Movement when Serbia supported Caribbean states in their struggle for independence.

He recalled that Serbia and Dominica established diplomatic relations in 2010, and expressed gratitude to Serbia for extending a hand of friendship to students from his country who are studying in Belgrade.

Stressing that the relations between the two countries are based on mutual respect, the minister emphasized that Dominica firmly stands with Serbia in supporting its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Henderson underscored that Dominica will continue to strongly support Serbia at the multilateral level, particularly within the United Nations, and noted that the two countries will continue to deepen their cooperation in the fields of healthcare, agriculture, and education.

The Foreign Minister of Dominica also mentioned that his country supported Serbia’s bid for the EXPO 2027 exhibition and looks forward to participating in this significant event.

Photo: mfa.gov.rs/Zoran Žestić

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On Friday, the price of gold reached over $2,500 per ounce, setting a record, and with the average gold bar weighing 400 ounces, its value now stands at a million dollars.

Gold prices have increased by more than 20% since the beginning of the year, as central banks, led by China, are buying gold to reduce their reliance on U.S. dollars.

Central banks and investors view gold as a long-term, reliable store of value during times of economic turmoil. This is because when interest rates fall, gold prices tend to rise, making bars more attractive than bonds.

Investors also consider gold a hedge against inflation, as gold bars retain their value even when many prices are rising.

The post Gold Bars Worth a Million Dollars for the First Time in History appeared first on CorD Magazine.

Her appointment follows a parliamentary vote just two days earlier, after the Constitutional Court suspended former Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.

Paetongtarn is the third member of the Shinawatra family to hold the prime ministerial office, following her father, a billionaire, and her aunt Yingluck Shinawatra. Both were ousted from power and forced into exile after military coups, although Thaksin returned to Thailand last year after the Pheu Thai party formed the government.

The new prime minister received her appointment letter during a ceremony at the party headquarters in Bangkok, attended by senior members of the ruling coalition and her father, who, despite holding no formal position, is widely regarded as the party’s leader.

At 38, Paetongtarn, also known by her nickname “Ung Ing,” steps into the role with significant political heritage and expectations.

Photo: พรรคเพื่อไทย -Pheu Thai Party

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With a monumental 151,000 entries, the new Duden remains comprehensive, incorporating a wide range of updates, particularly from the fields of warfare and culinary trends. Among the new additions are terms like “Balkonkraftwerk” (solar panel on a balcony), “Deutschlandticket” (a nationwide discounted travel pass), and “Ukrainekrieg” (war in Ukraine).

“Duden mirrors the shifts in society. These new phrases highlight significant developments over the past three to four years,” explained the editor-in-chief of the 29th edition, released after a four-year hiatus.

The printed version of this edition sets a new record, further solidifying Duden’s status as a linguistic barometer of the times.

The post Germany’s Duden Dictionary Expands with 3,000 New Words Reflecting Modern Times appeared first on CorD Magazine.

At the same auction, other movie memorabilia were also sold, including props from *Star Wars*, *Harry Potter*, and *James Bond*.

Indiana Jones’ screen and photo matched fedora from Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom has SOLD for: $630,000 (incl. BP)

Fortune and Glory for the winning bidder! pic.twitter.com/St2Z9x9bZO

— Propstore (@propstore_com) August 15, 2024

The auction house announced that the hat was also used during additional photography in visual effects studios owned by producer George Lucas.

This hat fetched double the price of another hat worn by Ford as Indiana Jones, which was sold at auction in 2021 for $300,000.

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The law is designed to restore ecosystems across the EU, improve food security, and help meet global biodiversity commitments under the Kunming-Montreal framework.

The law mandates that EU member states introduce restoration measures on at least 20% of the EU’s land and marine areas by 2030, with a target to extend these efforts to all degraded ecosystems by 2050. Key measures include enhancing urban green spaces, restoring pollinator populations, and improving biodiversity in agricultural and forested areas.

Member states are required to develop national restoration plans, detailing specific restoration actions, timelines, and funding sources. These plans must be submitted to the European Commission within two years, with final versions due six months after receiving any feedback. The European Environment Agency will monitor progress, while the Commission will support member states in achieving their goals.

The law also allows for the mobilization of necessary financial resources from both public and private sectors, including EU funds, to ensure successful implementation and long-term sustainability of these restoration efforts.

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Positioned within the 401st to 500th bracket, UB stands out as one of the premier institutions in a competitive field of over 2,500 universities worldwide.

UB’s rector, Vladan Đokić, praised the university community, acknowledging the collective effort that has led to this impressive achievement for the third year in a row. “Our consistent ranking among the world’s best reflects not only the exceptional work of our professors and researchers but also our dynamic involvement in international collaborations and the increasing interest from students around the globe,” Đokić remarked.

He further emphasized that such rankings are a direct result of strategic and financial investments in education and research, highlighting the need for continued support to maintain and improve these standards.

The 2024 Shanghai Rankings, released today, are recognized as one of the most respected global academic rankings. Since their inception in 2003, these rankings have been based on a rigorous and transparent methodology, assessing universities worldwide. This year, more than 2,500 institutions were evaluated, with the top 1,000 making the final cut.

At the summit of the rankings, Harvard University continues its reign as the world’s top university for the 22nd consecutive year, followed by Stanford and MIT. Rounding out the top 10 are Cambridge (4th), Berkeley (5th), Oxford (6th), Princeton (7th), Caltech (8th), Columbia (8th), and Chicago (10th).

In continental Europe, the University of Paris-Saclay (12th) climbed three spots to maintain its position as the leading European institution, closely followed by ETH Zurich (21st).

The University of Belgrade also excelled in several specialized disciplines. It ranked within the top 40 globally in Textile Engineering, among the top 75 in Food Science and Technology, and achieved strong placements in Clinical Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Science, and Physics—each within the top 300 worldwide.

A further breakdown of rankings by academic discipline is expected in October, where UB is anticipated to continue its strong performance.

UB’s enduring presence among the world’s elite universities underscores its growing influence and academic strength, reinforcing its role as a key player in the global higher education landscape and a leading institution in the Balkans.

Photo: University of Belgrade

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The export of ICT services in the first half of this year amounted to 1.943 billion euros, and from 2012 to 2023, revenue from exports in this sector has increased tenfold.

Additionally, based on current projections, it is expected that by the end of the year, ICT service exports will reach 4 billion euros.

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Two-thirds (67%) of these imports consisted of dried coconut (70,330 tons), while the remaining one-third was made up of fresh coconut.

Coconut imports from non-EU countries primarily came from five countries, accounting for 86% of total imports. The Philippines was by far the largest supplier, providing 40% of the EU’s total coconut imports. It was followed by Indonesia (17%), Ivory Coast (14%), Sri Lanka (8%), and Vietnam (8%).

The Netherlands stood out as the largest importer of coconuts among EU countries in 2023, importing nearly half (47%) of all coconuts from non-EU countries. Germany was the second-largest importer (15%), followed by Spain (10%), France (7%), and Italy (4%).

These five EU countries together imported almost three-quarters (83%) of the total coconuts imported into the EU.

The post The EU Imported 105,000 Tons of Coconuts Worth 146 Million Euros Last Year appeared first on CorD Magazine.

The document was signed by the Acting Director of Post of Serbia, Zoran Anđelković, and the Deputy General Director of Hungarian Post, Viktor Kohut.

Anđelković stated that Post of Serbia is the most important distributor of online shopping parcels in the country, noting a significant increase in all parcel and post-express services in the past month and a half. He highlighted that this collaboration will result in faster, simpler, and cheaper delivery of ordered goods for customers, and that the network of Post’s parcel lockers will expand from the current 500 to 1,000 by the end of the year, aimed at parcel delivery.

Kohut emphasized that the two countries are working to elevate their international relations to a higher business level, and that Post of Serbia is a very important partner for Hungarian Post.

He assured that there would be no issues from the Hungarian side and that there will be opportunities for additional agreements in the future.

According to this Agreement, the two postal services will become authorized operators for the mutual acceptance and delivery of cross-border parcels, with the goal of improving service quality and speeding up the delivery process.

The Agreement also provides for mutual compensation of delivery costs, mutual recognition as preferred suppliers, as well as continuous support and encouragement of high-quality services.

Operational procedures within the Agreement will be aligned with the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Convention, ensuring the highest standards in postal services.

The Agreement takes effect immediately and is concluded for an indefinite period.

This cooperation is expected to significantly enhance the efficiency of parcel delivery, particularly those generated through e-commerce, thereby further strengthening trade ties between Serbia and Hungary.

Photo: Pošta Srbije/Vuk Brankovic

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Last year, Germany paid €17.4 billion more into the EU budget than it received, maintaining its status as the Union’s largest financier, though this figure was slightly down from the €19.7 billion difference recorded the previous year.

France ranked second, contributing nearly €9 billion more than it drew from the EU budget, followed by Italy, which contributed around €4.5 billion more.

Poland was the largest net recipient in 2023, as it was the year before, receiving €8.2 billion. It was followed by Romania with €6 billion and Hungary with €4.6 billion.

When looking at net payments per capita, the estimate shows that Ireland is in the lead with €236.

The EU budget in 2023 amounted to €173.1 billion, of which €143.4 billion was allocated to member states.

As the largest net financier of the Union, Germany provides almost a quarter of the funds. At the same time, the German government emphasizes that Germany also benefits more from the EU internal market than any other member state.

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The Serbian teams will assist in extinguishing fires that have spread across the Sutjeska National Park – Tjentište area and the broader Bileća municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as tackling large-scale forest fires near Athens, Greece.

Ivica Dačić, Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs, announced that, as part of the European Union’s Civil Protection Mechanism, a Kamov Ka-32 helicopter, of Russian origin and capable of carrying up to five tons of water, has been sent to Greece to aid in the firefighting efforts.

In addition, in response to Greece’s request for ground support, Serbia has dispatched 35 firefighters-rescuers and 12 vehicles to assist with the operations on the ground.

For the wildfire response in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia has provided an Airbus H215 Super Puma helicopter, with a water-carrying capacity of around four tons, and an Augusta Bell 212 helicopter, alongside 11 crew members and a liaison officer from the Emergency Situations Sector.

This swift response highlights Serbia’s dedication to regional cooperation and its readiness to support neighboring countries in managing and mitigating natural disasters.

Photo: mup.gov.rs

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