live U.S. military says rescue operations under way after plane crashes in Iraq- Friday, 13 March
Leaders of Iran, Israel, and the United States reiterated their determination to press on with the conflict on Friday (13 March), as the Middle Eas...
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has provided a €500 million loan (almost $590 million) to the national gas company Naftogaz (NAK) for emergency gas purchases for Ukraine.
The loan is geared at reinforcing Ukraine’s energy security, which has been compromised by repeated targeted attacks from Russia this year.
This agreement marks the Bank’s largest single loan facility in Ukraine to date, said the EBRD in its statement.
The EBRD’s loan is backed by a European Union guarantee covering 90% of the loan amount, that is provided under the European Union’s Ukraine Investment Framework—an initiative aimed at unlocking financing for Ukraine’s recovery and long-term growth.
This latest financing to Naftogaz comes in response to severe Russian attacks on the company’s upstream gas production and processing facilities during the first half of 2025. These attacks have caused significant production losses and increased the need for gas imports, as the company works to restore its damaged infrastructure.
This is the fourth finance package the EBRD has provided for Naftogaz since Russia launched its full-scale war on Ukraine in 2022. It brings the total Bank financing to Naftogaz to €1.6 billion (almost $1.90 billion), including €1.27 billion (around $1.5 billion) in EBRD loans and €330 million (around $386 million) in grants provided by Norway via EBRD.
According to the Bank's statement, the transaction will also support the reform objectives of previous EBRD engagement, with Naftogaz working towards the integration of the Ukrainian gas market with that of the EU.
Naftogaz will source natural gas competitively from 30 pre-qualified gas suppliers with contracts based on standards of the European Federation of Energy Traders.
"Replenishing the depleted gas reserves of Ukraine with the help of this financing package will be key to allow the country's critical infrastructure and population to access energy sources during the winter," the EU statement said.
"Upon reimbursement of the 2-year loan, the EBRD and the Commission will reallocate the available guarantee coverage to capital investment projects enabling long-term private and public investments, for instance in the renewables sector," it added.
The U.S. should shut down its military bases in the Middle East, Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday (12 March). His words were read out by a broadcaster on state Iranian television.
A towering lava fountain from Kilauea shot about 400 metres into the air late on Tuesday (11 March) on Hawaii Island, prompting temporary closures at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and part of a key highway as volcanic ash and debris fell over nearby areas.
More than 68,000 children in eastern Afghanistan have been displaced after clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces intensified along the border, according to a new report by Save the Children.
Georgia has cancelled international tenders for the construction of major road sections that form part of a regional highway linking the country with the borders of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Centuries-old palaces and mosques in Isfahan, Iran’s celebrated cultural capital, lie in ruins after a series of air raids struck the city’s historic centre, leaving officials to warn of a devastating loss to both national and global heritage. AnewZ’s Touraj Shiralilou visited the city.
The prevailing security situation in the region has done little to deter entrepreneurs from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) who continue to view Dubai as a premier and safe location for business.
China has raised the retail prices of petrol and diesel after global oil prices climbed sharply. The country’s top economic planning body, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), announced the move after reviewing international oil market trends.
Global financial markets remained on edge on Friday as the escalating war involving the United States, Israel and Iran continued to rattle investors, fuelling volatility in stocks and sending energy prices sharply higher.
China’s top leadership has unveiled a new push to turn advanced technologies into large-scale industrial priorities as part of the country’s upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan, which will guide economic and social development from 2026 to 2030.
The European Commission sees no immediate impact on the European Union's security of oil supply from the escalating conflict in the Middle East, it said in an email to EU governments, seen by Reuters on Monday (2 March).
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