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☆ Putin orders tactical nuclear weapon drills to deter the West
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Russia's defense ministry said it would hold military drills including practice for the preparation and deployment for use of non-strategic nuclear weapons. "During the exercise, a set of measures will be carried out to practice the issues of preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons," the ministry said. Russia and the United States are by far the world's biggest nuclear powers, holding more than 10,600 of the world's 12,100 nuclear warheads. No power has used nuclear weapons in war since the United States unleashed the first atomic bomb attacks on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Major nuclear powers routinely check their nuclear weapons but very rarely publicly link such exercises to specific perceived threats in the way that Russia has.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexey Danichev, Natalia Kolesnikova, Joe Biden, Andriy Yusov, Sergei Shoigu, Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelensky, Ludovic Marin, David Cameron, Dmitry Peskov, Putin, Abrams, Sean Gallup Organizations: Federal Assembly's Council, Reuters, Missile, Southern Military District, Military, Victory Day, Afp, Getty, Russian Federation, Federation of American Scientists, CNN, Ukraine, Kremlin, U.S . Senate, AFP, British, NATO, U.S . Army, British Amphibious Engineer Battalion Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Reuters Russia, Moscow, France, Britain, United States, Ukraine, U.S, China, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Russian, Paris, London, Soviet Union, Gniew, Poland

☆ Gazprom plunges to first annual loss in 20 years as trade with Europe hit
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Kremlin-owned gas giant Gazprom said on Thursday it plunged to a net loss of 629 billion rubles ($6.9 billion) in 2023, its first annual loss in more than 20 years, amid dwindling gas trade with Europe, once its main sales market. Analysts had expected net income of 447 billion rubles, according to Interfax news agency. Gazprom's 2023 loss followed a net profit of 1.2 trillion roubles in 2022. It said on Thursday it made a net loss of 364 billion roubles from sales in 2023, in contrast to a profit of 1.9 trillion roubles in 2022. Its total revenue fell to 8.5 trillion rubles last year from 11.7 trillion in 2022.

Persons: Alexei Miller, Vladimir Putin, Ronald Smith Organizations: Gazprom, Saint Petersburg, Soviet, Analysts, BCS Global Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Europe, Soviet Union, Ukraine, Moldova, St . Petersburg, Moscow

☆ Russia's military is 'almost completely reconstituted' as it goes into overdrive to shore up losses in Ukraine: US official
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Reports differ on how well Russia is faring in revitalizing its bleeding military after heavy losses in Ukraine. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementRussia has "almost completely" reformed its military capabilities after taking heavy losses in Ukraine, a top US official said on Wednesday. He said Moscow suffered initial setbacks during the Ukraine war but has "retooled and now poses a threat to Ukraine." Related storiesIn the wake of those losses, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has sent his nation's military-industrial complex into overdrive, focusing its economy on producing shells, weapons, and equipment.

Persons: Kurt Campbell, —, Campbell, Moscow, It's, Vladimir Putin, ILYA PITALEV, Boris Pistorius, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Mike Johnson, CNAS Organizations: Service, Center, New, NATO, Russian, SPUTNIK, Getty, German, Royal United Services Institute, Kyiv, US State Department, Business Locations: Russia, Ukraine, New American, Washington, Europe, China, Saint Petersburg, Lithuania, London, Moscow, Russian

☆ Ukraine war live updates: Belarus starts military drills near EU borders; Russia targets energy infrastructure in drone strikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko (R) enter the hall during the plenary session of the Supreme Council of Russia and Belarus, at the Konstantin Palace on January 29, 2024, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Belarus began military drills on Tuesday in regions along its border with Ukraine, together with European Union nations Lithuania and Poland, the Russian ally's defense ministry said. Russia and Ukraine meanwhile continued to exchange drone strikes in recent days, with Russia on Monday night targeting energy facilities in raids on the Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovograd regions, Ukraine's Operational Command "South" said on Facebook. The head of Ukraine's national grid company said on Monday that while Russian drone attacks have significantly damaged the Ukrainian power system, a total collapse is unlikely. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held talks on Monday with military and government officials over Kyiv's drone production plans and a project to build an "integrated electronic warfare control system" to protect Ukrainian troops from Russian drone attacks.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Konstantin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy Organizations: Supreme, of, European Union, Command, Facebook Locations: of Russia, Belarus, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Poland, Russian, Gomel, Grodno, Dnipropetrovsk, Kirovograd

DETROIT (AP) — Dalton Knecht had 24 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals, and Tennessee moved within a victory of its first trip to the Final Four, beating Creighton 82-75 in a Midwest Region semifinal on Friday night. When Tennessee lost last year in the regional semifinals for the second straight season, Knecht was at Northern Colorado and Zeigler was out with a torn knee ligament. The Bluejays advanced to the second weekend of the tournament with a rout of Akron and a double-overtime win over Oregon. Tennessee: Barnes had his team prepared and made sound adjustments, but he needs another win to quiet his critics. UP NEXTThe Vols will play in front of a pro-Boilermakers crowd when Purdue tries to make its first Final Four since 1980.

Persons: — Dalton Knecht, Creighton, Zakai Zeigler, Knecht, Zeigler, Rick Barnes, Baylor Scheierman, Steven Ashworth, Ryan Kalkbrenner, . Tennessee, Greg McDermott, Scheierman, Tobe Awaka, Saint Peter’s, Larry Johnson, pesky, didn’t, Barnes Organizations: DETROIT, Volunteers, Tennessee, Northern Colorado, Vols, Michigan State, Purdue, Gonzaga, Midwest, Baylor, America, Oregon, Northeastern Junior College, San, Boilermakers, ___ Locations: Tennessee, ., . Tennessee, Texas, Akron, Northern, San Diego State

☆ March Madness student-athlete marketing is leveling up in 2024. Here are the strategies brands are using.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-22 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

But influencer marketers who run student-athlete campaigns are just getting started. Performance is also straightforward to measure, as NIL campaigns typically live on Instagram or TikTok, where "likes" and views can help benchmark engagement. And as more games kick off, we should see a bump in student-athlete marketing activity from previous years, marketers and NIL experts told Business Insider. The company, which worked with NIL firm Opendorse on its first foray into student-athlete marketing, said it also plans to offer career planning and mentorship to players. Student-athlete marketing is more flexible than traditional advertising.

Persons: —, Goldman Sachs, Kim DeCarolis, she'd, Sam Weber, We've, University of Iowa's Caitlin Clark, Staley Gibson, Epsilon's hashtag, Saint Peter's, Doug Edert, MOGL's Syal, OpenSponsorship's Gibson, Syal, They're Organizations: CBS Sports, Business, Altius Sports Partners, NCAA, University of Iowa's, Epsilon, Buffalo Wild Wings, MOGL

☆ March Madness: Top seeds for men and women’s 2024 NCAA basketball tournament announced for Selection Sunday
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Jacob Lev | Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The other top seeds for the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament are the Purdue Boilermakers, North Carolina Tar Heels and Houston Cougars. 2 seeds are Iowa State Cyclones, Marquette Golden Eagles, Tennessee Volunteers and Arizona Wildcats. Thirty-two teams automatically qualified in both the men’s and women’s tournament by virtue of winning their respective conference tournaments. Now that Selection Sunday is all but over, there are only two days for fans to fill out their brackets before the men’s tournament begins on March 19 and the women’s tournament begins the day after. Angel ReeseAngel Reese is another of the tournament’s biggest stars, following her crucial role in propelling LSU to its first ever women’s college basketball title last year.

Persons: Caitlin Clark, Martin, Zach Edey, Kirk Irwin, Barack Obama, George H.W, Bush, Jimmy Fallon, Yale Brigham, James Madison, Howard, Wagner, Saint, Tennessee Martin, Rice, Marshall Syracuse, Caitlin Clark Caitlin Clark, “ Clark, onomics ”, Steph Curry’s, Angel Reese Angel Reese, Matthew Holst, Reed Sheppard, Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard Organizations: CNN, Connecticut, South Carolina, NCAA, Purdue Boilermakers, North, Heels, Houston Cougars, Iowa Hawkeyes, Southern California Trojans, Texas Longhorns, Iowa State Cyclones, Marquette Golden Eagles, Tennessee Volunteers, Arizona Wildcats, Wildcats, Long, Long Beach State, Big West, bluebloods, Duke, SEC, Gamecocks, women’s, Heart, Presbyterian, Iowa, Hawkeyes, Louisiana State, Ohio State, Stetson, Northwestern, San Diego State, Alabama, Auburn, Yale, Yale Brigham Young, Duquesne, Washington State, South Dakota State, South Dakota State South Houston, Texas, . Vermont Texas Tech, NC, Boise State, Kentucky Midwest Purdue, Montana State, Utah State, Texas Christian, Gonzaga, Samford South Carolina, . Oregon, Creighton, Mississippi State, . Michigan, Charleston Clemson, Baylor, Colgate, Dayton, Albany South, Oregon State, Marquette, Notre Dame, Kent State, Albany Iowa, Princeton, Drake ; Kansas State, Portland Louisville, . Middle, ., UCLA, California Baptist, Portland Southern, Michigan, Vanderbilt -, Virginia Tech, Jackson State, Richmond ; Ohio, Maine, Portland Texas, Drexel, Florida, South, Cal Irvine Tennessee, ; North Carolina State, Chattanooga ; Iowa, Maryland, Stanford, NBA, WNBA, LSU, Big, Purdue Locations: South, North Carolina, Long Beach, bluebloods Kentucky, Kansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Connecticut, Stetson ; Florida, San, Birmingham, Duquesne ; Illinois, Morehead State, Drake, South Dakota State South, Longwood ; Nebraska, Wisconsin, NC State ; Kentucky, Oakland, Florida, Colorado, Marquette, Grambling State, McNeese ; Kansas, ., Akron ; Texas, Virginia, Colorado State ; Tennessee, Peter’s West North Carolina, Mississippi, Saint Mary’s ( California, Canyon, Alabama, New Mexico, . Nevada ; Arizona, Albany South Carolina, . Michigan State ; Indiana, Fairfield ; Oklahoma, Florida Gulf Coast . Nebraska, Eastern Washington ; Mississippi, West Virginia, Drake ;, . Middle Tennessee State, . Nevada, Las Vegas, California, California Baptist Region, Portland Southern California, Christi ; Kansas, Vanderbilt - Columbia, Arizona ; Connecticut, Richmond ;, Drexel ; Alabama, Florida State ; Utah, South Dakota, ; North, Chattanooga ;, Norfolk, South Carolina

☆ I was in Moscow the day Putin invaded Ukraine, and some Russians were in tears
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Russian police officers detain a woman during an unsanctioned protest rally against the military invasion on Ukraine, March,6, 2022, in Central Moscow, Russia. These quickly ceased when they saw Russian colleagues in tears, whose life savings had halved overnight. Russian friends began referring to Tbilisi as the "new Constantinople," referencing the city where anti-Bolshevik Russians fleeing the Communist revolution had taken refuge a century before. Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets French President Emmanuel Macron (R) on February 07, 2022 in Moscow, Russia. I stood at the glass window silently as the Russian border guard inspected my passport and now useless work permit.

Persons: —, Cameron Manley, Russia's, didn't, Vladimir Putin, Putin idi nakhui, Putin, Mir, Pushkin, Konstantin Zavrazhin, Alexey Malgavko, Stringer, Zelenskyy, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Karen Minasyan, pragmatically, gossiped, Emmanuel Macron Organizations: Service, Business, REUTERS, National Guard, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Armed Forces of, Facebook, Bolshevik, Communist, Kremlin Press, AP, Saint Locations: Edinburgh, Scotland, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia's, Europe, Russia, Central Moscow, Russian, Omsk, Kyiv, Armed Forces of Ukraine, seeping, Belarus, Yerevan, Armenia, AFP, Istanbul, Dubai, Tbilisi, Constantinople, St Petersburg, Helsinki, West, Switzerland, Saint Petersburg, Finland

☆ How Ukrainian drones powered by jet skis sunk Russian warship
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Joseph Ataman | Frederik Pleitgen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Near Odesa, Ukraine CNN —All it took was six sea drones, powered by jet skis, to fell a Russian guided missile ship last week, according to a rare interview with the secretive Ukrainian unit behind the attack. But the sinking of the Ivanovets is another victory in Ukraine’s campaign against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. Controlled from afar via a Starlink connection, the drones can also be pre-programmed for the long journeys across the Black Sea. Ukrainian drone pilots drove six drones into the Russian warship, causing it to sink. At a demonstration of the drones on the Black Sea, CNN saw one drone – identical to those used against the Ivanovets – pull off tight turns at speed on autopilot.

Persons: GUR, Russians “, Kyrylo Budanov, “, Peter Rudden, ”, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, –, ‘, wasn’t, IVAN Organizations: Ukraine CNN, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, CNN, Armed Forces, Fleet Locations: Odesa, Ukraine, Russian, Crimean, Crimea, Russia, Donuzlav, Saint Petersburg, Russians, Moskva, Ukrainian

☆ Pro-Kremlin supporters are fuming after footage appears to show Ukrainian drones decimating an entire Russian armored column
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-03 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewUkrainian forces deployed FPV attack drones to help obliterate an entire column of Russian armored vehicles, Metro reports. Video appears to show Ukraine exploding drones, finishing off 11 tanks and armored vehicles. Russian military bloggers have become increasingly frustrated by the Russian military's tactics. Russian forces continue self-sabotage by gathering in large groups to attack Ukrainian positions, making them an easy target for Ukrainian drones. Another Kremlin-affiliated milblogger argued that the Russian military command needs to stop attacking in mechanized columns due to repeated high equipment losses.

Persons: —, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Putin, milblogger, Gleb Molchanov Organizations: Service, Business, Metro, CNN News, Putin's, Russian, Ukraine, Guardian Locations: Ukraine, Novomykhailivka, Donetsk, Russia, Russian, US, Ukrainian, Moscow, Saint Petersburg

☆ Fire erupts at Russia's Novatek Baltic Sea terminal after explosions heard
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA - 2022/06/15: Novatek Logo seen on the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2022 (SPIEF 2022). (Photo by Maksim Konstantinov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)A fire broke out at a Baltic Sea terminal belonging to Novatek, Russia's largest liquefied natural gas producer, regional officials said on Sunday, amid reports of explosions and Ukrainian drone sightings in the area. "There were no casualties as a result of the fire at the Novatek terminal in the port of Ust-Luga. St. Petersburg-based news outlet Fontanka said at least two drones were spotted in the sky flying towards St. Petersburg before the terminal caught fire. That came a day after an attack on a Russian Baltic Sea oil terminal that Russian officials said was unsuccessful.

Persons: Maksim Konstantinov, Alexander Drozdenko, Drozdenko, Fontanka, Novatek Organizations: St ., Economic, Getty, Leningrad region's, Moscow, Kyiv Locations: SAINT PETERSBURG, RUSSIA, St, St . Petersburg, Novatek, Finland, Ust, Leningrad, Petersburg, Russia, Ukraine, Russia's, Bryansk, Baltic, Russian

☆ Guinea-Bissau President Embalo says a coup was foiled on Friday
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Guinea Bissau's President Umaro Sissoco Embalo attends a meeting with Russia's President Vladimir Putin following the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 29, 2023. Sergei Bobylyov/TASS Host Photo Agency via REUTERS/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsBISSAU, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embalo said on Saturday that gunfire and clashes that had erupted in the capital of the West African nation on Friday were an attempted coup. At least six people were killed during a failed attempt to overthrow Embalo in February 2022. We still need to put an end once and for all on these upheavals in Guinea-Bissau," Embalo said. Reporting by Alberto Dabo; Writing by Bate Felix; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Nick ZieminskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Umaro Sissoco Embalo, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Bobylyov, Embalo, Alberto Dabo, Bate Felix, Jonathan Oatis, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Guinea, Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Guinea, Bissau, West, Dubai, Portugal

☆ Russian lender Sovcombank eyes valuation of up to $2.5 bln post-IPO
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows a board with the logo of Sovcombank at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 17, 2022. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Russian lender Sovcombank said on Friday it expects a market capitalisation of 200-219 billion roubles ($2.24-$2.46 billion)after its initial public offering (IPO) on Moscow Exchange later this month, the latest in a small flurry of Russian market debuts. Sovcombank said it has already received offers for half of the expected overall offer size from a number of major Russian institutional investors to participate in the IPO. Russian companies have raised around 29 billion roubles this year through IPOs, with listings characterised by small volumes and the presence of domestic retail investors. Pawn broker Mosgorlombard also announced its intention to list on Friday, expecting a free float of 36% after an early-December debut.

Persons: Maxim Shemetov, Sovcombank, Dmitry Gusev, Mosgorlombard, Elena Fabrichnaya, Alexander Marrow, Guy Faulconbridge, Susan Fenton Organizations: St ., Economic, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: St, St . Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, IPOs

☆ A Russian soldier says his regiment lost over 1,000 men in just 10 days of fighting in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Thibault Spirlet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A Russian soldier said his regiment lost over 1,000 men in just 10 days of fighting in Donetsk. Verkiev Igor Gennadievich was making a desperate plea for donations in a video shared by Ukraine. AdvertisementA Russian soldier said that more than 1,000 of his comrades were killed during a 10-day period while fighting in Donetsk, according to a video shared by a Ukrainian official on Tuesday. In it, Gennadievich said that his regiment was suffering "heavy losses," according to Gerashchenko's translation, adding that: "I was absent there for 10 days. Russia is also suffering losses as it tries to hold back Ukrainian advances on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River.

Persons: Verkiev Igor Gennadievich, —, Anton Gerashchenko, Gennadievich Organizations: intel, Service, UK's Ministry of Defence, MOD, Ministry of Defense Locations: Russian, Donetsk, Verkiev, Ukraine, Russia, Avdiivka, Saint Petersburg, Ukrainian, Adviivka, Dnipro

☆ Pope to proceed with COP28 trip despite health issues, Vatican says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pope Francis leads the weekly general audience in Saint Peter's Square, at the Vatican, November 8, 2023. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane Acquire Licensing RightsVATICAN CITY, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Pope Francis, who is recovering from a lung inflammation, will attend the COP28 climate meeting in Dubai as planned, the Vatican said on Tuesday. "The pope is doing well," Bruni said, adding that the Vatican will decide before the trip whether to take any extra precautions for the 86-year-old pope's health. The Vatican announced on Monday that the pope would limit his activities this week in order to conserve his strength. Also on Tuesday, the Vatican released a schedule of papal activities for the Christmas season.

Persons: Pope Francis, Guglielmo Mangiapane, Matteo Bruni, Francis, Bruni, Philip Pullella, Alison Williams, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Vatican, REUTERS, CITY, Thomson Locations: Saint Peter's, Dubai, Argentina, Rome

☆ Russia's sanctioned Sovcombank requests US licence to make UN climate payments
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Elena Fabrichnaya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view shows a board with the logo of Sovcombank at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 17, 2022. "We have funds in foreign currency for these payments, but we have not received any response from them yet, unfortunately." Avtukhov said Sovcombank was in dialogue with the UN on the matter. "We have not suspended our membership in international organisations," Avtukhov, who also sits on Sovcombank's board, said. There are certain difficulties with making payments in general for Russian participants of this programme," Avtukhov said.

Persons: Maxim, Sovcombank, Mikhail Avtukhov, Avtukhov, Elena Fabrichnaya, Alexander Marrow, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: St ., Economic, REUTERS, U.S . Treasury, United, Reuters, European Union, Foreign Assets, United Nations Environment, Finance Initiative, U.S, Treasury, UN, Thomson Locations: St, St . Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Ukraine MOSCOW, Russian, United Nations, Sovcombank, Ukraine, Washington, Moscow

☆ Pope says Israel-Hamas conflict has gone beyond war to 'terrorism'
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Pope Francis speaks during the weekly general audience in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, November 22, 2023. REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane Acquire Licensing RightsVATICAN CITY, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Wednesday met separately with Israeli relatives of hostages held by Hamas and Palestinians with family in Gaza and said the conflict had gone beyond war to become "terrorism". Speaking in unscripted remarks at his general audience in St. Peter's Square shortly after the meetings in his residence, Francis said he heard directly how "both sides are suffering" in the conflict. He asked for prayers so that both sides would "not go ahead with passions, which, in the end, kill everyone". Nakba is the Arab word for catastrophe and refers to the displacement and dispossession of Palestinians in the 1948 war that surrounded Israel's founding.

Persons: Pope Francis, Guglielmo Mangiapane, Peter's, Francis, Janet Lawrence Organizations: Vatican, REUTERS, CITY, Wednesday, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Saint Peter's, Gaza, St, Israel's, Israel

☆ Russia's 'ghost ships' could be targeted at a sea choke point in a bid to enforce the West's oil price cap
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia has been using so-called "ghost ships" to skirt the West's oil price cap. Russia sends millions of barrels of crude oil through a choke point at the Danish straits, per the outlet. AdvertisementRussian oil tankers could face a crackdown at a key choke point, according to the Financial Times. But Denmark could struggle to stop the ghost ships because of constraints on its own navy, according to maritime experts. Blocking commercial traffic in the Danish straits would come close to a declaration of war," Hans Peter Michaelsen, an independent defense analyst, told Reuters.

Persons: —, Hans Peter Michaelsen Organizations: EU, Financial Times, Service, European Union, KSE, Bloomberg, FT, UN, Reuters Locations: Russia, Denmark, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, EU, Danish

☆ Pope to meet relatives of hostages, Palestinians with family in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Philip Pullella | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Pope Francis gestures as he leaves after the weekly general audience, in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsVATICAN CITY, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Pope Francis will meet separately next week with relatives of hostages held by Hamas militants and with a group of Palestinians with family members in Gaza, the Vatican said on Friday, confirming a Reuters report. One source said 12 relatives of Israeli hostages would meet the pope early on Wednesday morning before his weekly general audience. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a conference in Rome, Parolin said the Vatican was working on a meeting between the pope and relatives of the hostages but gave no time frame. About 240 hostages were taken by Hamas gunmen when they stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7.

Persons: Pope Francis, Remo Casilli, Matteo Bruni, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Parolin, Francis, Philip Pullella, Gareth Jones, Jonathan Oatis, Toby Chopra Organizations: Vatican, REUTERS, CITY, Hamas, Reuters, State, Thomson Locations: Saint Peter's, Gaza, Israel, Rome

Skochilenko, an artist and musician known as Sasha to her friends, has admitted replacing price tags in a supermarket in her native St Petersburg on March 31 2022 with small pieces of paper urging an end to the war and criticising the authorities. But Skochilenko, who has already spent over a year-and-a half in prison, denies the formal charge of knowingly spreading false information about the Russian army. Skochilenko is due to make a final statement on Thursday to a court in St Petersburg which is expected to deliver a verdict on the same day. Amnesty International has declared Skochilenko "a prisoner of conscience" - someone who is imprisoned solely because of who they are or what they believe. Reporting by Reuters Writing by Andrew Osborn Editing by Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alexandra, Sasha, Skochilenko, Said, Alexandra Skochilenko, Russia's, Moscow, Vladimir Putin, Yana Nepovinnova, Andrew Osborn, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Amnesty International, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Russian, St Petersburg

☆ Vatican confirms ban on Catholics becoming Freemasons
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pope Francis gestures as he leaves after the weekly general audience, in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican, November 15, 2023. REUTERS/Remo Casilli Acquire Licensing RightsVATICAN CITY, Nov 15 (Reuters) - The Vatican has confirmed a ban on Catholics becoming Freemasons, a centuries-old secretive society that the Catholic Church has long viewed with hostility and has an estimated global membership of up to six million. "Active membership in Freemasonry by a member of the faithful is prohibited, because of the irreconcilability between Catholic doctrine and Freemasonry," the Vatican's doctrinal office said in a letter published by Vatican media on Wednesday. The letter on Freemasons cited a 1983 declaration, signed by the late Pope Benedict XVI, at the time the Vatican's doctrine chief, stating that Catholics "in Masonic associations are in a state of grave sin and may not receive Holy Communion". The group says it has 180,000 male members, with two parallel female lodges in England having another 5,000 members, and estimates global Freemasonry membership at around six million.

Persons: Pope Francis, Remo Casilli, Pope Benedict XVI, Queen Elizabeth's, Prince Philip, Winston Churchill, Peter Sellers, Alf Ramsey, Rudyard Kipling, Arthur Conan Doyle, Alvise Armellini, Nick Macfie Organizations: Vatican, REUTERS, CITY, Freemasons, Catholic Church, United, Lodge of, Thomson Locations: Saint Peter's, Philippines, Lodge of England, England

☆ Russia relishes divisions between China and the U.S., pouring cold water on Xi-Biden talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his press conference at the Konstantin Palace on July 29, 2023 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Russian media have already reveled in pouring cold water on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit where Xi and Biden are due to meet Wednesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin was not invited due to U.S. sanctions so Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk is representing Russia at the summit. A range of Russian newspapers including Kommersant, Izvestia, Argumenty i Fakty, Nezavisimaya Gazeta and Komsomolskaya Pravda did not feature any news on the APEC summit or Xi-Biden talks. China's President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden at the G20 Summit in Nusa Dua on the Indonesian island of Bali on Nov. 14, 2022.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Konstantin, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, Biden, Katherine Tai, Tai, David Paul Morris, Xi's, Alexei Overchuk, Dmitry Peskov, Kamala Harris, Kent Nishimura, Komsomolskaya, Putin, — Xi, Sergei Guneyev, Ian Bremmer, Saul Loeb Organizations: Getty, U.S, Economic Cooperation, Novosti, APEC, U.S . Trade, Russian Federation, San Francisco International Airport, American, Bloomberg, Getty Images Bloomberg, Israel, Kremlin, SAN FRANCISCO, Merchant Exchange Club, Tass, Kommersant, Izvestia, Gazeta, Komsomolskaya Pravda, Sputnik, AFP, West, Analysts, Eurasia Group, China's, Afp Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Russian, San Francisco, China, Beijing, Washington, Moscow, Asia, United States, San Francisco , California, Ukraine, Pacific, U.S, CALIFORNIA, Taiwan, Nusa Dua, Indonesian, Bali

Authorities have detained nearly 20,000 people for anti-war activity and opened over 800 criminal cases against anti-war dissidents, according to the OVD-Info rights group. Skochilenko replaced price tags in a supermarket in her native St Petersburg on March 31 2022 with five small pieces of paper urging an end to the war. "Even you, your honour (the judge), even you, the state prosecutor, you also don’t want people to die prematurely, for young soldiers to lie in the fields, for civilians to die." Copies of the imitation price tags produced by Skochilenko are on display on a website maintained by her supporters. Another alleges Russia was sending conscripts to fight in Ukraine, which Russia has also denied.

Persons: Alexandra, Sasha, Skochilenko, Alexandra Skochilenko, Moscow's, Vladimir Putin, Alexander Gladyshev, Putin, Andrew Osborn, Mark Trevelyan, Barbara Lewis Organizations: Authorities, Moscow, Wednesday, Amnesty, NATO, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Russian, St Petersburg, Mariupol, Moscow

☆ Private jets of Russian oligarchs keep flying but not to Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Gleb Stolyarov | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

A view shows the Boeing 737-700 BBJ (plane number RA-73890) private aircraft on the tarmac of the Pulkovo International Airport in Saint Petersburg, Russia, June 14, 2023. The Boeing linked to Yevtushenkov was among at least 50 private jets re-registered under the Russian flag since the February 2022 invasion, according to previously unreported national aircraft registry data up to early August reviewed by Reuters. Several of the repatriated private jets were associated with prominent politicians and business figures, according to two senior Russian aviation industry sources, who were not authorised to speak to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity. Because of sanctions, Russian planes are prohibited from entering the 27-country European Union, where Russia's oligarchs previously flew frequently for business and leisure and where many private jets linked to them were registered before the war, tail numbers show. VEB, Uralkali and Mazepin did not respond to requests for comment on the registration of the jets in Russia.

Persons: Luba, Vladimir Yevtushenkov, Yevtushenkov, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Mazepin, Putin, Igor Shuvalov, Mazepin, Gleb Stolyarov, Mike Collett, White, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: Boeing, Pulkovo, REUTERS, Soviet, Reuters, Sistema, Ministry, Transport, JETS, Russian, Union, Bombardier Challenger, Uralkali, Bombardier, VEB.RF, VEB, EU, United Arab, Thomson Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Riviera, Belarus, oligarch, Ukraine, Turkey, Dubai, China, Russian, Maldives, Seychelles, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Yevtushenkov, United Kingdom, Aruba, of, Uralkali, UAE, Prague, Bishkek, States, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Latvia, Britain, Oman, Soviet

☆ Sberbank CEO expects 'serious cooling' in Russian mortgage market
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Elena Fabrichnaya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsMOSCOW, Nov 8 (Reuters) - Russia's biggest bank Sberbank (SBER.MM) expects a sharp cooling of the mortgage market following an expected 80% rise in mortgage lending this year, CEO German Gref said on Wednesday. Gref said the bank's mortgage issuance for the whole of 2023 was expected to reach 4.6 trillion roubles ($50.1 billion). VTB, Russia's number two bank, expects mortgage loans across the entire sector to total 7.2 trillion roubles this year, falling to between 5 and 5.5 trillion roubles in 2024. Vyacheslav Dusaleyev, head of retail business at Rosbank, gave corresponding forecasts of 7.3 trillion roubles this year and 5 trillion next year. Mortgage demand has remained buoyant in part because of the wide range of preferential offers available, according to the central bank.

Persons: Maxim, Gref, Sberbank, Vyacheslav Dusaleyev, Olga Polyakova, Elena Fabrichnaya, Mark Trevelyan, Christina Fincher Organizations: St ., Economic, REUTERS, Rights, Mortgage, Thomson Locations: St, St . Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Moscow, Rosbank

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