live Israel-Lebanon ceasefire to be extended by three weeks, Trump says - Friday, 24 April
The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon will be lengthened by three weeks, U.S. President Donald Trump said in a post on social media website...
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. military has intercepted at least three Iranian-flagged tankers in Asian waters and is redirecting them away from their positions near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday, exclusively to Reuters.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards targeted three vessels, seizing two of them for alleged maritime violations and transferring them to Iranian shores, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington is extending its ceasefire with Iran until Tehran submits a proposal.
Two local trains collided head-on north of Copenhagen on Thursday (23 April), injuring 17 people, five of them critically, according to emergency services.
The U.S. military is redirecting at least three Iranian-flagged tankers after intercepting them in Asian waters near India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, shipping and security sources said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Tehran said U.S. breaches, blockades and threats are undermining “genuine negotiations.”
The European Union is preparing its 20th round of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine. The measures are close to being approved, after earlier delays linked to energy concerns in Slovakia and Hungary eased following repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
Meta Platforms will cut about 10% of its global workforce from 20 May, marking the start of a wider restructuring as the company increases spending on artificial intelligence (AI) and plans further layoffs later this year, according to sources familiar with the matter.
President Donald Trump has warned that the U.S. could impose "big" tariffs on British goods if the UK does not remove its digital services tax. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday, Trump said Washington was ready to act in response to the levy on major American technology firms.
China's domestic automakers have a message for the boardrooms of premium German brands such as Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW: We are coming for your customers, and we are armed with superior technology at a fraction of the cost.
Tim Cook, the tech boss who led Apple to become a $4 trillion company in its post-Steve Jobs era, is stepping down after 15 years in the top job. John Ternus, an Apple veteran of 25 years, who is currently the U.S. company’s Vice President of Hardware Engineering, will take over from September.
Netflix shares fell sharply on Friday after the streaming group issued a weaker-than-expected outlook and said chairman and co-founder Reed Hastings will step down from the board.
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