The European Commission has backed Greece's post-Covid recovery plan, which includes proposals to improve connectivity for hundreds of Greek islands, with more than €30 billion ($35.83bn) in grants and loans.
Over the next five years €17.8bn in grants and €12.7bn in loans will be disbursed to Greece via the EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility.
That includes €645 million to upgrade Greece’s electricity infrastructure and improve connectivity for the Aegean Islands.
Another €1.3bn will be put towards the renovation of 100,000 residences in Greece to bolster their energy efficiency.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen described Greece's plan as ambitious and said that it "will help build a better future for the Greek people. It can reshape Greece for decades ahead".
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that it was a plan “for everyone”.
“It’s not just a plan for a few, it’s not just a plan for a few businesses. It’s a transformative initiative that will change the way we produce, the way we live and will eventually aim at improving [the] lives of every Greek citizen,” he said in Athens.
“Today marks the last act of the turbulence the pandemic brought and the start of the recovery plan.”
Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU’s trade commissioner, said Greece’s plan included “support for energy efficient renovations and clean urban transport, as well as a focus on improving the population's digital skills, both in terms of education and in terms of reskilling and upskilling the workforce”.
The Recovery and Resilience Facility is the EU's flagship initiative to help its 27 member states recover from the pandemic.
About €672.5bn in loans and grants have been made available, with an emphasis on investments that prioritise the environment and digital transition.
The Commission's approval now has to be endorsed by EU finance ministers in July. The funding will come from money borrowed by the Commission on the financial markets.
So far, 23 of the EU’s 27 countries have submitted their spending plans. The proposals by Portugal and Spain have already been approved.
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Company profile
Name: Tratok Portal
Founded: 2017
Based: UAE
Sector: Travel & tourism
Size: 36 employees
Funding: Privately funded
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Defenders: Bandar Al Ahbabi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Mohammed Barghash, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Hassan Al Mahrami, Yousef Jaber, Mohammed Al Attas
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The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Sebastian Stefan, Sebastian Morar and Claudia Pacurar
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2014
Number of employees: 36
Sector: Logistics
Raised: $2.5 million
Investors: DP World, Prime Venture Partners and family offices in Saudi Arabia and the UAE
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- loss of confidence and appetite
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- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
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Tips to help overcome burnout
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Ads on social media can 'normalise' drugs
A UK report on youth social media habits commissioned by advocacy group Volteface found a quarter of young people were exposed to illegal drug dealers on social media.
The poll of 2,006 people aged 16-24 assessed their exposure to drug dealers online in a nationally representative survey.
Of those admitting to seeing drugs for sale online, 56 per cent saw them advertised on Snapchat, 55 per cent on Instagram and 47 per cent on Facebook.
Cannabis was the drug most pushed by online dealers, with 63 per cent of survey respondents claiming to have seen adverts on social media for the drug, followed by cocaine (26 per cent) and MDMA/ecstasy, with 24 per cent of people.
Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
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