AnewZ Morning Brief - April 30th, 2025
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for April 30th, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Kenya and the IMF have agreed to halt the ninth review of the $3.6B loan program and discuss a new lending arrangement. With rising debt costs and a 65.7% debt-to-GDP ratio, Kenya seeks fresh financial support to stabilize its economy and manage fiscal challenges.
Kenya and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have agreed to halt the ninth review of the current $3.6 billion loan program, with plans to discuss a new lending arrangement. The decision comes as Kenya faces rising debt-servicing costs due to extensive borrowing over the past decade.
Haimanot Teferra, the IMF mission chief, confirmed that both parties reached an understanding to abandon the ninth review of the current Extended Fund Facility and Extended Credit Facility programs. The Kenyan government has officially requested a new program to help manage the country’s financial challenges.
Kenya’s economy is under pressure as it struggles to balance growing expenditure with escalating debt repayments. Anti-tax hike protests and disputes over new borrowing from the United Arab Emirates have complicated the implementation of the existing program, which is set to expire next month.
With a debt-to-GDP ratio of 65.7% in June, well above the sustainable threshold of 55%, Kenya is exploring new avenues to secure financing, including enhancing revenue collection. The IMF’s continued support is vital for Kenya as it navigates its fiscal challenges and strives to stabilize its economy.
Russia launched a major missile and drone assault on Kyiv overnight on April 24, killing at least twelve people and injuring 90, including children and a pregnant woman, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
In an expansive interview marking his first 100 days back in office, President Donald Trump sketched out an agenda that touches everything from punitive tariffs and China policy to cease-fire hopes in Ukraine and an overhaul of domestic programmes. Below are the highlights.
A deadly explosion at Iran’s Bandar Abbas port has left at least 40 dead, with more than 1,200 people injured, state media reported on Sunday, halting operations at one of the country’s most vital trade hubs.
For three generations, the Liebigs built railcars in Görlitz. Now, the factory that shaped their lives will produce parts for battle tanks.
North Korea has launched a new 5,000-tonne destroyer as part of Kim Jong Un’s plans to expand the country’s naval power far beyond its coastal waters.
Russian drone strikes targeted the Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv and Dnipro late Tuesday, killing at least one person and injuring around 50 others, according to local officials.
Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) has approved a coalition agreement with the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU), securing the final step needed to form a new government under Chancellor-designate Friedrich Merz.
Political directors from France, Britain, and Germany are scheduled to meet with Iranian officials in Rome on Friday, according to two diplomatic sources who confirmed the meeting to Reuters.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, unveiled a free standalone artificial intelligence (AI) app for its Meta AI assistant on Tuesday, marking a significant move as part of the growing wave of new AI apps in the tech industry.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree renaming Volgograd International Airport to its historical name of Stalingrad, a move made official late Tuesday.
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