Germany’s largest manufacturer of military equipment, Rheinmetall, intends to open production of armored vehicles in Ukraine, in particular Fuchs armored personnel carriers, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger said in an interview with Bild.
“We will start with the maintenance and repair of emergency vehicles and want to produce armored vehicles such as Fuchs armored transport vehicles as soon as possible,” Papperger said.
According to him, Ukraine is also interested in combat tanks of modern modifications.
“Ukraine is also interested in a modern Panther battle tank and Lynx infantry fighting vehicle. However, the first step is to provide for the country’s urgent needs in its defensive struggle,” Papperger noted.
The world’s leading manufacturer of custom microchips Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. regained the title of Asia’s most expensive company, overtaking TencentHoldings Ltd.
Since the beginning of this year, shares of TSMC gained 18.4% and 7.2% over the last five days. The company is now capitalized at NT$13.8 trillion ($450 billion), according to Market Watch.
TSMC increased net income in the first quarter of 2023 by 2.1% over the same period last year and revenue by 3.6%. The figures, however, were 30% and 19% lower than in the previous quarter.
Nevertheless, experts expect that the active development of the sphere of artificial intelligence will contribute to the growth on advanced chips produced by TSMC.
The capitalization of Tencent, which recently held the first place in the list of the largest Asian companies, increased by 7.4% this year and remained virtually unchanged over the past month amid the slow recovery of the Chinese economy. Tencent is now capitalized at HK$3.17 trillion ($405 billion).
Energy companies will periodically transfer information about household customers’ debts to the Ukrainian Bureau of Credit Histories, the press service of energy holding DTEK said.
“YASNO and the Ukrainian Bureau of Credit Histories have begun cooperating. Accordingly, the bureau will now receive information about YASNO customers who have accumulated debts for consumed electricity, and this information will be displayed in their credit history,” the statement said.
As it is noted, as of May 1, 2023, household consumers have accumulated arrears of more than one month for consumed electric power in the amount of more than 1.7 billion UAH.
“In order to encourage customers to be more responsible in paying for used electricity, YASNO will periodically transmit information about household customers’ debts to the bureau,” the department explained.
So, if a client has debts on utility bills, but wants to get a loan from a financial institution, the lender will be able to see his credit history and then make a decision on this issue.
At the same time, disciplined clients who pay on time for the services they consume will be able to build a positive credit history. This step will allow them to improve their credit reputation, receive more favorable loan terms and ensure their financial stability in the future, YASNO said.
“There are customers who don’t pay for used electricity and other utilities, but take out loans, such as for another new iPhone. It is precisely for such clients that such activity is designed,” said Sergey Kovalenko, YASNO general director.
Internal and external debt of Ukraine in 2009-2023
Source: Open4Business.com.ua and experts.news
Prices for extra virgin olive oil are at record highs, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
According to the IMF, the price of olive oil reached $6269.63 per ton in April, 46% higher than a year earlier.
New Jersey-based Filippo Berio, one of the world’s largest olive oil producers, said last season was “record-breakingly difficult” because the olive crop was the lowest in 30 years, writes Barron’s.
Last year’s drought in Spain, which accounts for about 40% of global production of olive oil, also contributed to the price increase. The summer of 2022 in Spain was a record hot and one of the driest in history.
According to the March forecast of the Ministry of Agriculture of Spain, the olive harvest in the current season will produce only about 680 thousand tons of olive oil at an average of 1.37 million tons over the past five years, the publication Olive Oil Times.
Spain has turned to the European Union for emergency resources to help farmers. In Italy, olive harvests are also a cause for concern.
Studies by Spanish and Portuguese scientists show that climate change could seriously hamper olive cultivation in key production regions, Barron’s notes.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba announced the start of a second tour of Africa, plans to visit states in all parts of the continent – “from the north to the south.”
“Morocco. At the beginning of my second tour of Africa, Moroccan partners invited me to visit the beautiful Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, the largest active mosque in Africa. It is a true work of art, on which more than 10,000 Moroccan artists and craftsmen have been working for seven years. And the main thing is that the doors of this mosque are made of Ukrainian titanium. As strong as the Ukrainian soldiers now defending our Ukraine from the enemy,” Kuleba wrote on Instagram.
He noted that this is the first visit of the Ukrainian foreign minister to Morocco since the establishment of bilateral relations.
Kuleba recalled that during his first tour in the fall of 2022, he visited Sub-Saharan Africa, and now he intends to visit “states in all parts of the continent, from the north to the south.”
“The logistics here are brutal, but work is work. Important talks with African leaders and business are ahead,” the minister wrote.
Three key challenges lie ahead, he said.
“First: involve as many African countries as possible in the implementation of Zelensky’s ‘peace formula. Second: to gain support for uninterrupted exports of Ukrainian grain within the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the President’s program “Grain from Ukraine”. Third: to create new opportunities for Ukrainian business,” the head of the Foreign Ministry said.
He stressed that Africa is interested in Ukrainian goods and services, in particular, food, medicines, high-tech equipment, education, experience of digital transformation and strengthening information sustainability, diplomatic experience, cooperation in international organizations.
“That’s what I’ll be working on during the week. Stay tuned,” Kuleba added.
