Author: LoveWorld UK

Russian energy giant Gazprom (GAZP.MM) on Wednesday halted gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria for failing to pay for gas in roubles, the Kremlin’s toughest response yet to the crippling sanctions imposed by the West for the invasion of Ukraine. Poland and Bulgaria are the first countries to have their gas cut off by Europe’s main supplier since the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine that has killed thousands of people, displaced millions more and raised fears of a broader conflict. “Gazprom has completely suspended gas supplies to Bulgargaz (Bulgaria) and PGNiG (PGN.WA) (Poland) due to absence of payments in roubles,” Gazprom said in a…

A number of prominent conservatives returned to Twitter the day after Tesla CEO Elon Musk reached an agreement to acquire the platform for $44 billion on the promise of protecting freedom of speech. Conservative media personalities such as Tucker Carlson, Mark Levin, Raheem Kassam, and others returned, some after having been previously suspended. Musk secured the deal with the social media company on April 25. In doing so, the self-described “free-speech absolutist” triggered a backlash from far-left activists over the role of social media platforms in regulating the flow of information. Musk clarified his stance in an April 26 tweet, saying, “I am against censorship that goes far beyond…

Pep Guardiola warned Manchester City they must be more ruthless to reach the Champions League final after edging a 4-3 thriller against Real Madrid in the semi-final first leg at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday. While Guardiola’s team will take a slender advantage to the Santiago Bernabéu for the return next Wednesday, he is conscious the tie is far from over after they spurned a series of chances having taken a 2-0 lead, with Karin Benzema scoring twice either side of a brilliant individual goal from Vinicius Júnior. Guardiola said: “Regardless of the result, if it was 2-0 or 3-0 we would…

Finance sector professionals in Shanghai are preparing to move back to Hong Kong and other offshore centres after spending only a few years in the Chinese city as a harsh COVID-19 lockdown has hurt their business prospects and upended daily lives. Thousands of bankers, traders and investors in the financial hub of the world’s second-largest economy have found themselves confined to their homes, with some even struggling to secure food and other essentials for their families. The four-week-long lockdown, which has forced most of the city’s 26 million people indoors, has started to weigh on prospective financial deals with some…

A senior European Union official said Tuesday that the bloc plans to cut Russian oil and gas imports to zero by the end of 2027, with his remarks coming as EU leaders continue to deliberate on moves to accelerate reducing the region’s dependence on Russian energy. EU Economic Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni told Italian daily Il Messaggero in an interview published Tuesday that European Union aims to reduce its dependence on Russian oil and gas by two-thirds by the end of this year and phase it out completely by the end of 2027. Gentiloni’s remarks provide more clarity around the timeline for the EU’s member…

Real Madrid are close to signing Antonio Rüdiger on a free transfer after reaching a verbal agreement with the Chelsea defender over a lucrative four-year contract. Rüdiger held positive talks with the Bernabéu club’s hierarchy over the weekend and is set to receive a considerable pay rise having decided to leave Chelsea when his contract expires at the end of the season. Real’s manager, Carlo Ancelotti, has identified the Germany international as a key signing and while the move has not been finalised it is should be confirmed soon. The 29-year-old is expected to earn at least £200,000 a week. Chelsea were desperate…

Sue Gray expects to complete her report into Covid law-breaking parties across Westminster at the end of May at the earliest, the Guardian has been told. Sources said that the senior civil servant, who for months has been forced to sit on her findings about illegal gatherings while Scotland Yard carries out its own inquiry, believes the police investigation could drag on for several more weeks. It may then take Gray a further fortnight for her to compile her report, meaning that it is possible the final version will not be delivered to No 10 for at least another month.…

Britain’s gradual emergence from the Covid-19 pandemic meant government borrowing more than halved in the latest financial year but remained the third highest on record, the latest official figures show. The Office for National Statistics said the gap between the state’s revenues and its spending stood at £151.8bn in the 12 months to March, down from £317.6bn in the previous year. Despite the improvement over the year as a whole, the total deficit for 2021-22 was more than £20bn higher than forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility predicted when preparing estimates for Rishi’s Sunak’s spring statement last month. The chancellor said…

Elon Musk has reached a $44bn deal to buy Twitter in a takeover that will give the world’s richest man control of a social network with more than 200 million users. The sale will put the Tesla chief executive in charge of a company that he has frequently criticized, claiming it has not lived up to its potential as a platform for “free speech”. The deal on Monday comes after a dramatic few weeks of speculation about Twitter’s future, triggered by Musk’s emergence as the platform’s largest single shareholder on 4 April. He then declared a takeover bid on 14 April, offering…

Twitter began negotiations with Elon Musk on Sunday after he wooed shareholders with financing details on his $43bn acquisition offer, people familiar with the matter said. The company’s decision to engage with Musk, taken earlier on Sunday, did not mean it would accept his $54.20 a share bid, the sources said. It signified, however, that Twitter was exploring whether a sale to Musk was possible on attractive terms. Musk, chief executive of Tesla, has been meeting with Twitter shareholders in the last few days seeking support for his bid. He has said Twitter needs to be taken private to grow and become a genuine…