adding the NGI TALER press release to the news in 2024-02.html (+ short preview on landing page)

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-<h1>Funding opportunities for GNU Taler developers</h1>
-<p>
-Join us on our journey towards informational self-determination in payments.
-As part of NGI TALER, <a href="https://nlnet.nl/">NLnet Foundation</a>
-is running an <a href="https://nlnet.nl/taler">open call</a> and will award grants
-to third parties working on GNU Taler enhancements <b>globally</b>. The application
-process is <a href="https://nlnet.nl/propose">simple</a> and the first
-submission deadline is <b>April 1st 2024</b>.
+<h1>New EU project NGI TALER will bring private and secure online payments to the Eurozone</h1>
+<p>
+We are excited to announce the creation of a European project December 1st 2023, which 
+will run for the next 36 months. This Next Generation Internet pilot named "NGI TALER" is 
+operated by a consortium of 11 partners from 8 European countries with the mandate to roll 
+out an innovative electronic payment system for the greater benefit of European citizens, 
+merchants, and banks. This payment system is different from current online payment 
+methods, like credit cards or bank transfers, in that it offers privacy for the buyer: 
+neither merchants nor banks can trace or link the payments. It is also a no-risk payment 
+option for the merchant as there is no equivalent of fake or stolen credit cards, as 
+payments are cleared and confirmed instantly. The payment system is socially, ecologically 
+and fiscally responsible: it is not a new currency, there is no energy-consuming 
+proof-of-work or proof-of-stake method and clearing is processed much faster than payments 
+by credit cards. NGI TALER enforces transparency on the merchants so that states ensure 
+that businesses can be held accountable for their income and pay their taxes.
+</p>
+<p>
+NGI TALER is funded as a pilot under the Next Generation Internet (NGI) initiative within 
+the European Commission's Horizon Europe research funding program. This project is based 
+on the free software GNU Taler which has been developed by the GNU community and Taler 
+Systems S.A., and which has received wide praise from financial experts including experts 
+from several central banks - including the Swiss National Bank (SNB). The goal is to make 
+GNU Taler available as payment system via two European banks - GLS Bank (Germany) and 
+MagNet Bank (Hungary). NGI TALER's ambition is to reach the European market during the 
+project period and have the payment mechanism accepted and widely adopted by the end of 
+the project.
+</p>
+<p>
+Under the hood, GNU Taler deploys state-of-the-art cryptography to achieve these features. 
+The initial investment into the required infrastructure is low and the payment mechanism 
+operates more cost efficiently than existing payment solutions, with lower transaction 
+fees - a benefit that will be shared by consumers and merchants. This makes even 
+micro-payments possible, creating an interesting and privacy preserving alternative to 
+subscription- or advertisement-based revenue for newspapers and other publishers.
+</p>
+<p>
+NGI TALER is coordinated by the Coding Theory and Cryptology group at Eindhoven University 
+of Technology and has 10 more partners:
+<ul>
+ <li>Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH),</li>
+ <li>small for-profit (Code Blau GmbH, Taler Systems S.A., VisualVest),</li>
+ <li>non-profit structures (petites singularités, E-Seniors Association),</li>
+ <li>cooperative banks (GLS Bank, MagNet Bank),</li>
+ <li>a philanthropic organization (Stichting NLnet) and</li>
+ <li>a grassroots movement (Homo Digitalis).</li>
+</ul>
+</p>
+<p>
+For more information see <a href="https://www.taler.net/en/ngi-taler.html">the project's webpage at https://www.taler.net/en/ngi-taler.html</a>
+or contact the coordinator Tanja Lange.
 </p>
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