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U.S. automaker Ford is recalling about 1.4 million F-150 pickup trucks in the United States following an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) into sudden downshifting issues, Reuters reports.

The NHTSA stated that Ford is aware of two “potentially related injuries and one crash,” and that dealers will update the module software to resolve the problem.

Earlier this year, the U.S. regulator expanded its investigation into this safety-related issue.

Preliminary probes began in March last year after complaints were received regarding F-150 pickups (model years 2015–2017) equipped with the 6R80 transmission.

According to Ford, the issue may have been caused by wear in electrical connections over time due to heat and vibration, leading to a loss of signal from the transmission range sensor.

The regulator noted that incorrect signals likely result in sudden downshifting.

Apple has faced unexpectedly high demand for its new MacBook Neo — all April inventory of the device sold out in just over half a month. According to 9to5Mac, the next deliveries of the budget laptop are now scheduled for May.

The launch of the MacBook Neo has resembled a flagship iPhone release more than a typical Mac rollout. Even more than a month after sales began, demand remains so strong that customers are purchasing the device faster than the company can produce it.

Apple unveiled the new product on March 4 and opened pre-orders shortly after the announcement. By March 11, the laptop had gone on sale, but initial batches were quickly exhausted. Since then, the company has not yet managed to fully meet customer demand.

In March, Ukraine exported 43.47 thousand tonnes of poultry meat to foreign markets, the highest volume since January 2022, according to the Poultry Union of Ukraine, citing customs statistics.

According to the data, Ukraine’s poultry exports in March totaled 43.47 thousand tonnes, which is 5.3% higher than in February 2026 (41.08 thousand tonnes).

At the same time, in monetary terms, exports decreased by 3.8% to $85.05 million.

The average export price stood at $1.96 per kilogram, primarily due to a continued decline in prices on international markets.

The main buyers of Ukrainian poultry in the first quarter were the Netherlands (18.9%), the United Kingdom (12.4%), Slovakia (10.1%), and the UAE (7.9%).

The share of exports to EU countries in the first quarter accounted for 35.8% of total export volume (42.4 thousand tonnes).

In value terms, exports to the EU accounted for nearly half of total foreign currency earnings (46.4%) in the first three months of 2026.

Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine, Volodymyr Lepushynskyi, stated that inflation in Ukraine in 2026 could be 1.5% to 2.8% higher due to rising fuel prices caused by the war in the Middle East. He made this statement during a discussion hosted by the Centre for Economic Strategy, the National Bank reported.

According to him, the direct impact of higher fuel prices on inflation this year could amount to 0.5 to 1 percentage point, while secondary effects could be nearly twice as large. This means that inflation in 2026 could be 1.5% to 2.8% higher than it would have been without the war in the Middle East.

In particular, the increase in fuel prices in March, triggered by the conflict in the Middle East, added 0.4 percentage points to inflation in Ukraine. As a result, the expected turning point in the inflation trend, initially projected for mid-year, occurred earlier. Inflation accelerated to 7.9% in March.

Lepushynskyi noted that inflation is also influenced by a range of other factors: some accelerate it, while others restrain it. Therefore, the NBU will present its final assessment in a new macroeconomic forecast.

The direct impact on Ukraine’s GDP is currently limited, but secondary effects may be more significant. These include, in particular, the depletion of global weapons stockpiles needed by Ukraine, as well as increased revenues for Russia. Higher oil prices will not solve the structural problems of the Russian economy but will provide it with additional resources.

At the same time, the National Bank has already responded to the risks by keeping its key policy rate unchanged in March, despite earlier expectations of a cut. Further actions will depend, among other things, on the stability of inflation expectations. If risks persist, the NBU will postpone the rate-cutting cycle; if they intensify, it is prepared to raise the rate. The NBU will also continue to support the stability of the foreign exchange market.

Ukraine and a group of official creditors from the G7 countries and the Paris Club have signed a memorandum of understanding on deferring payments on Ukraine’s public and publicly guaranteed debt until 2030, the Ministry reported on April 17.

The memorandum extends previous agreements reached in 2022 and 2023. The document предусматривает the deferral of payments on public and publicly guaranteed debt that were due starting from February 2026.

Debt servicing and repayment will be postponed until the end of February 2030, in line with the new program of the International Monetary Fund.

According to the statement, repayment of the deferred amounts will take place after this period in equal semi-annual installments over 2035–2039, with interest capitalization предусмотрена.

“Deferring payments creates an opportunity to direct freed-up financial resources toward the state’s priority needs, including defense, the social sector, and economic recovery,” said Finance Minister Serhii Marchenko.

Ukrzaliznytsia is introducing dynamic pricing for a portion of its tickets. Prices in the premium segment will fluctuate depending on several factors, according to a post by the company on Threads.

Ticket sales under the new pricing coefficients will begin on April 25. The changes will apply only to SV (luxury) carriages and first class on Intercity trains in domestic routes.

Ticket prices will be determined based on several factors: during periods of lower demand, prices will decrease, while during peak periods they will rise. In total, 16 seasonal zones are предусмотрені.

The day of the week will also affect pricing. The cheapest tickets will be available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, while Fridays and Sundays will be the most expensive days to travel.

Passengers will be encouraged to purchase tickets in advance, as this will allow them to save money.

Prices will also depend on train occupancy: the fewer seats available, the higher the price. This mechanism will be implemented later after further development of IT systems.

The changes will affect less than 10% of passengers who use premium class, while prices for other categories will remain unchanged.

Additionally, fares for SV carriages on international trains will increase by approximately 20%. The new prices will apply to trips with departure dates starting from April 18, 2026.

Ticket prices for compartment carriages, as well as first and second class on Intercity international routes, will remain unchanged.

The United States may expand weapons production at the expense of civilian industry. The Pentagon is already in talks with major automakers and industrial companies, according to The Wall Street Journal.

U.S. defense officials are discussing with businesses the possibility of using manufacturing capacity to produce ammunition and military equipment, including with General Motors and Ford Motor.

The talks with representatives of auto giants cover a wide range of issues — from the feasibility of rapidly repurposing factories to barriers related to contracts and procurement processes.

Authorities are assessing whether civilian manufacturers can quickly switch to fulfilling defense orders.

The move to repurpose auto manufacturers has been driven by the depletion of weapons stockpiles due to prolonged conflicts, including the war in Ukraine and escalating tensions in the Middle East.

The Pentagon believes that traditional defense contractors alone may not be sufficient to rapidly scale up production.

Industrial and aerospace companies, including GE Aerospace and Oshkosh Corporation, are also involved in the discussions.

The initiative is already being compared to practices during World War II, when automakers massively shifted to producing military equipment.

The new U.S. defense budget, which could reach $1.5 trillion, is expected to include significant investments in the production of ammunition and drones.

In March, Spain purchased a record amount of Russian gas amid the war in the Middle East, according to the newspaper El País.

Data from gas system operator Enagás shows that 9,807 GWh of Russian gas (approximately 1 billion cubic meters) was imported in March. This exceeds the levels seen during the 2023 energy crisis, when prices surged sharply. Compared to February, imports more than doubled.

Spain is known to have six regasification plants — located in Barcelona, Cartagena, Huelva, Bilbao, Sagunto, and Mugardos. This allows major international traders to store gas there not only for the Spanish market but also for resale to other countries.

At the same time, domestic consumption has also increased. Demand in March rose by 2%, while gas use for electricity generation surged by 46.8%. This is due to the grid operator Red Eléctrica ramping up gas-fired power plants to prevent large-scale blackouts.

In Kyiv, assets of the “Kyiv Radio Plant” with a total area of over 10,000 square meters were sold for UAH 2.7 million, which is 23 times lower than their market value. This was reported by the Prosecutor General’s Office.

Six real estate properties, including administrative buildings, guard facilities, and production premises, were sold for UAH 2.7 million. At the same time, their market value exceeded UAH 62 million.

The significant losses inflicted on the state have been confirmed by forensic expert assessments. In effect, the assets were sold at a price 23 times below their actual value. Moreover, the sale was carried out despite a legislative ban on the privatization of property belonging to enterprises in the space industry.

The disposal of the assets was organized and executed by an insolvency trustee who, at the time, was acting as the liquidator of the strategic enterprise.

He has already been formally notified of suspicion for abuse of authority under Part 3 of Article 365-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The property has been seized.

The investigation is ongoing.

Authorities are currently establishing all the circumstances of the case and checking the involvement of other individuals in the alleged crime.

Ukraine plans to expand its cooperation with the American company Westinghouse. To this end, a delegation of Ukrainian nuclear specialists visited the company’s production facilities in Sweden, where fuel for Ukraine’s nuclear power plant reactors is manufactured, UNIAN reports.

The purpose of the visit was to inspect the implementation of the contract for supplying fuel to the reactor units of the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP), as well as to deepen cooperation aimed at transitioning Ukraine’s energy sector from Russian nuclear fuel to Western technologies.

The delegation included specialists from the Rivne NPP, led by CEO Taras Tkach. In Sweden, they reviewed the full cycle of Westinghouse fuel production—from the creation of the fuel matrix to final packaging and preparation of fuel assemblies for shipment.

“Rivne NPP has a specific feature—the presence of low-capacity VVER-440 reactors. For decades, there was no alternative to Russian nuclear fuel for them, so Units 1 and 2 operated exclusively on it until 2023,” the report said.

Journalists note that Ukraine began pursuing energy independence even before Russia’s full-scale invasion. As part of its nuclear fuel diversification program, a contract was signed with Westinghouse Electric Company in September 2020 to supply fuel assemblies for VVER-440 reactors. In September 2023, the first batch of fuel was loaded into the reactor of Unit 2 at Rivne NPP. The work was completed in a record time of one and a half years.

As of 2026, Westinghouse nuclear fuel is partially or fully used at all units of the Rivne NPP.

According to CEO Taras Tkach, the next stage of cooperation will involve implementing an 18-month fuel cycle and increasing the capacity of power units. Amid electricity shortages, this step is strategically important for the stability of Ukraine’s energy system and meeting economic needs.

“Currently, our joint efforts are focused on developing new fuel assemblies designed for an 18-month fuel cycle, as well as ensuring the operation of our VVER-1000 units at higher power levels. An important step in achieving these goals will be studying the experience of European partners already transitioning to extended fuel cycles. Unlike European NPPs that are switching to a new cycle using Russian-made fuel, Rivne NPP intends to successfully complete this transition using Westinghouse fuel,” the CEO stated.