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WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund's executive board on Thursday approved an $8.1 billion, four-year loan for Ukraine, with $1.5 billion to be disbursed immediately to help keep the government running as its war against Russia's invasion drags into a fifth year. The IMF said the new Extended Fund Facility arrangement for Ukraine would help anchor a $136.5 billion international support package for the war-torn country, which this week marked the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. The new loan, which replaces a $15.5 billion program that was approved in 2023, will help Kyiv to maintain economic stability and keep public spending flowing, the IMF said. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko hailed the IMF loan as part of a broader financial framework that would cover an estimated budget shortfall of $136.5 billion over four years, including a 90 billion euro loan from the European Union. "It is very important for...

The richest man in Africa works from a construction trailer in a dusty parking lot. The billionaire, Aliko Dangote, said he once had multiple homes in several countries, a nightlife of fancy parties, a Rolls-Royce and a Ferrari. Then, roughly two decades ago, he got serious about industrialization, he said. Mr. Dangote, now 68, said he sold the cars and the homes abroad and built sugar refineries. He bought a majority stake in a salt-refining company. He built cement factories, first across Nigeria, then in Senegal, Ethiopia, Tanzania and beyond. Then came fertilizer and polyurethane factories. This work of proving the continent is capable of large-scale industrialization done by one of its own was much more important to him than the life of luxury. “Some of us,” he said, “need to rescue the country.” Now, Mr. Dangote’s latest achievement is finally up and running: a sprawling new refinery in Nigeria, a nation that for decades has exported the vast majority of i...

Cristiano Ronaldo has bought a 25 per cent stake in Spanish second-tier side UD Almeria. Ronaldo, 41, has joined an ownership group led by the Saudi Media Company, the operator of Al Nassr’s stadium Mrsool Park, via a subsidiary of the forward’s investment brand CR7 SA. Almeria are third in Spain’s second division, two points off top spot, and completed a full transfer of ownership to the Saudi-led consortium in May. Ronaldo’s first involvement in club ownership has come after he was involved in a dispute over how Al Nassr is run, which saw the five-time Ballon d’Or winner miss three games for the Saudi Pro League side. After his return to the field, he said on Sunday he was “very happy” and he “belong(s) to Saudi Arabia”. The Portugal international spent nine years in Spain between 2009 and 2018 during his time at Real Madrid, where he won four Champions Leagues and two La Liga titles. “For a long time, my ambition has been to contribute to football beyond the pitch,” ...

OTTAWA, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives in Mumbai on Friday on his first official visit  to India, hoping to reset the sometimes fractious relationship with the world's most populous country as he seeks new global alliances. Carney will meet business leaders in Mumbai and start talks on a comprehensive trade agreement, which is expected to be completed by November, his foreign minister told Reuters. He is scheduled to travel on to New Delhi for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Carney has sought closer ties with China and Middle Eastern countries as well as India, as he tries to reduce Canada's dependence on the United States and forge a new global trading order led by what he calls middle-power countries. Relations between Canada and India soured several years ago after explosive allegations  by then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the Indian government was linked to the assassination of a Canadian citizen who was also...

Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni has received a provisional one-match suspension after Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr reported alleged racist abuse during last week's Champions League meeting. It means the Argentine winger is set to miss the second leg of the tie in Madrid on Wednesday (20:00 GMT). Uefa has imposed the ban on a provisional basis, pending the result of a full investigation by an ethics and disciplinary inspector. The European governing body said further punishment could be handed out once that investigation is completed. Vinicius told referee Francois Letexier that he had been racially abused by the Argentina winger during the first leg of their Champions League knockout phase play-off tie in Lisbon last Tuesday .  Prestianni has denied racially abusing the Brazilian, and Benfica said they would appeal against the decision despite the belief it is unlikely to have any "practical effect" before Wednesday's game. Last week's first leg was...

North Korea's ruling Workers' Party has again chosen Kim Jong Un to be its general secretary, state media report. The announcement, which was made at a rubber-stamp party congress in Pyongyang on Sunday, comes as little surprise given the Kim family has ruled by dictatorship since the late 1940s. State-run KCNA said that under Kim's leadership North Korea "radically improved" its "war deterrence", "with the nuclear forces as its pivot". Despite long-standing international sanctions, North Korea has continued to build its nuclear capabilities, regularly testing banned intercontinental missiles. But the secrecy of the regime makes it harder to evaluate how much progress the military has made. Kim, who took control of the regime after his father's death in 2011, has invested heavily in the nuclear weapons programme, turning Pyongyang into a far bigger challenge for the West, and especially the US. He is expected to announce the nex...

Former Vice President Mike Pence lauded the Supreme Court's decision  Friday to strike down many of the Trump administration’s tariffs. A 6-3 majority of the court’s justices ruled that President Trump  unlawfully used an emergency statute to impose far-reaching tariffs on American trading partners.  “In Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, our Supreme Court has reaffirmed that the Constitution grants Congress – not the President – the power to tax,” Pence posted on the social platform X . “American families and American businesses pay American tariffs – not foreign countries. With this decision, American families and businesses can breathe a sigh of relief.” Following his departure from the White House, Pence has become a regular critic of the president and his economic policies.  Pence had previously warned of the risks these proposed policies could have on U.S. consumers and the economy. In an exclusive interview  with ...

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson says that the UK and its allies should deploy non-combat troops to Ukraine right now, to "flip a switch" in Russian President Vladimir Putin's head. Speaking exclusively to Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg alongside the former head of the military, Adm Sir Tony Radakin, Johnson said troops should be sent to peaceful regions in non-fighting roles. He said: "If we can have a plan for boots on the ground after the war, after Putin has condescended to have a ceasefire, then why not do it now?" The UK government is currently working with its allies to plan a "coalition of the willing" to provide forces to preserve peace and stability in Ukraine, but only if there is a deal to end the war. Speaking just days before the fourth anniversary of the war, Johnson, who was prime minister at the time of the invasion, also said the conflict could have been prevented if Western allies had paid more attention to Putin's i...

Recently, rumors surrounding Taylor Swift  allegedly  getting arrested   on   weapons charges  have spread quickly. It has left many fans and media outlets concerned. While the reports paint a dramatic picture of a high-stakes situation involving federal agents and weapons, is it the actual truth? Without further delay, let’s delve into the details of Taylor Swift’s supposed arrest. Was Taylor Swift really arrested? The recent news claiming that Taylor Swift was arrested on weapons charges has quickly circulated. However, it is important to clarify that this story is not true. In fact, the report about the pop icon’s arrest is a satirical piece from The Onions News Network . The news parody YouTube channel  is known for its humorous and often absurd content. According to the fabricated story, federal agents from the DEA, DHS, and FBI allegedly raided Swift’s tour bus after a tense standoff. The video report even includes wild details o...

China  has overtaken the US  as Germany's most important trading partner  according to figures released by Germany's Federal Statistical Office on Friday. The sum of exports and imports between the two countries last year totaled €251.8 billion ($296.6 billion), a 2.1% increase, according to Destatis. China was Germany's most important trading partner from 2016 all the way through to 2023. In 2024, the US briefly held the title.  German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is also set to visit China next week, where he is set to discuss trade and other topics. China replaces US as Germany's top trading partner Germany last year imported goods worth €170.6 billion from China, an 8.8% increase from the year earlier. Chinese imports to Germany were mainly data processing equipment, electrical equipment and machinery. Meanwhile, German exports to China last year totaled €81.3 billion, down 9.7% from the year ...

Even as technology companies are projected to spend more than $5 trillion globally on earth-based data centers by the end of the decade, Elon Musk is arguing the future of AI computing power lies in space—powered by solar energy—and that the economics and engineering to make it work could align within a few years. Over the past three weeks,  SpaceX  has filed plans with the Federal Communications Commission for what amounts to a million-satellite data-center network. Musk has also said he plans to merge his AI startup, xAI, with SpaceX to pursue orbital data centers. And at an all-hands meeting last week, he told xAI employees the company would ultimately need a factory on the moon to build AI satellites—along with a massive catapult to launch them into space. “The lowest-cost place to put AI will be in space, and that will be true within two years, maybe three at the latest,” Musk said at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos this January. Musk is not alone in...