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☆ Ukraine war live updates: Putin to be sworn in for the fifth time ahead of government reshuffle; West boycotts inauguration
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) and Presidential Regiment's officers seen during an awards ceremony at the Grand Kremlin Palace on June 12, 2023 in Moscow, Russia. Vladimir Putin is set to be sworn in as Russia's president for the fifth time in his political career. Putin's allies heaped praise on the strongman leader ahead of the inauguration ceremony in the Kremlin on Tuesday, saying society is consolidated around the president, who first took office 24 years ago. The Russian government will resign after the ceremony and a reshuffle will take place in the next few days and weeks. Western nations are boycotting the ceremony in light of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, with the U.S. and U.K. among those refusing to send diplomats to the inauguration.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin's, — Organizations: Presidential, U.S Locations: Moscow, Russia, Kremlin, Russian, Ukraine

☆ Russia's former president threatened nuclear attacks on Western capital cities if NATO sends any troops to Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Dmitry Medvedev is at it again, threatening Western leaders with nuclear attacks if they cross a line. Medvedev says no leaders in Washington, Paris, and London won't "be able to hide" if they send troops to Ukraine. AdvertisementFormer Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Monday threatened nuclear strikes on Western leaders who want to send their troops to Ukraine, doubling down on his increasingly hostile rhetoric toward the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Related storiesStrategic nuclear weapons are those typically launched via intercontinental ballistic missiles. But such threats have also been categorized as bluffs by Western leaders, who say the Kremlin hopes to scare Ukraine's allies off.

Persons: Dmitry Medvedev, Medvedev, —, nonstrategic, Vladimir Putin, Putin, isn't, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Sinead Baker, Tony Soprano's, Edward Lucas Organizations: London, Service, Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, Capitol, Monday, Russia's, Hague, Center for, Russia's Security Locations: Washington, Paris, Ukraine, Russian, France, Baltics, Poland, Kyiv, Russia, Ukraine's, Elysee, Downing Street, Moscow

☆ Apple wants to give the iPad a boost
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The tech giant's event will reportedly showcase a new family of… iPads and iPad accessories. But Apple's event , which kicks off at 10 a.m. EST, is looking to give the iPad a boost. iPhone sales have noticeably dipped, which is why you're hearing Apple tout its "services" business , writes BI's Peter Kafka. And the new product Apple wants you to be excited about — the Vision Pro — hasn't lived up to the hype. a16z joins the Big Tech "fake work" debate.

Persons: —, Tyler Le, they're, iPads, Antonio Villas, Boas, BI's Peter Kafka, Peter, hasn't, Katie Notopoulos, Wall, Lauren DeCicca, Tim Cook, Katie, aren't, I'd, we'll, I'm, Alyssa Powell, Danielle DiMartino Booth, James Devaney, Roger Kisby, Jack Dorsey's, Elon, Dorsey, Elon Musk, Satya Nadella, OpenAI, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway, a16z, Emily Sundberg, Andreessen Horowitz, David Ulevitch, Vladimir Putin, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover Organizations: Service, Business, Apple, Google, Getty, US Treasury, National Bureau of Economic Research, Images, Penske Media, Microsoft, Tech, Paramount, Berkshire, Big Tech, Walt Disney Company Locations: BREIT, New York, London

☆ China's Xi backs Macron call for global Olympic truce
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Emmanuel Macron, France's president, right, greets Xi Jinping, China's president, ahead of the state dinner marking the visit at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on Monday, May 6, 2024. Xi called on France to help fend off a "new Cold War" as the EU increasingly aligns with U.S. concerns over security risks and trade tensions. China's President Xi Jingping on Monday called for a global truce during the Olympic Games in Paris this summer after the French president and the head of the European Commission urged him to use his influence on Russia to end its war in Ukraine. As member of the United Nations Security Council and as a responsible country, China urges with France for a truce in the world during the Paris Olympic games," Xi said, speaking through an interpreter alongside Macron during a joint statement. Russia has previously been lukewarm about a truce saying Ukraine might use it as an opportunity to regroup and rearm.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Xi Jinping, Xi, Xi Jingping, Ursula von der, Macron, Vladimir Putin, Putin's Organizations: Olympic Games, European Commission, United Nations Security Council, Paris Olympic, Paris, Games, Paralympic Games Locations: Paris, France, EU, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, China, Moscow, Russian, Switzerland

☆ 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

☆ Russia saw its oil revenue double in April despite Western sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Yuheng Zhan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia's oil revenue soared by 90% in April compared to the previous year, Bloomberg reported. The rise comes as sanctions have struggled to curb Russian energy flows since the war in Ukraine began. AdvertisementThe major funding sources for Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine — the country's oil and gas revenues —doubled in April despite sanctions. Bloomberg data also indicates Moscow will see approximately $126 billion in oil and gas tax revenue in 2024. That said, Bloomberg reported that April's oil and gas revenue to Russia's budget still dropped by about 6.4% compared to March, primarily due to substantial subsidies to the nation's fuel producers.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin's, Bloomberg Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, Russia's Federal Tax Service, Bloomberg Economics Locations: Ukraine, Russia's, Russia, Moscow, China, India, Persian

☆ Pulitzer Prize 2024: Vladimir Kara-Murza wins for columns written from Russian prison cell
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Mariya Knight | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Atlanta CNN —Vladimir Kara-Murza, a prominent Russian human rights advocate and Kremlin critic, has won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary written from his prison cell. Kara-Murza is serving a 25-year jail term for publicly criticizing Moscow’s war in Ukraine. The sentence had been widely condemned by the international community as draconian and politically motivated. In his April 2022 interview with CNN, the political dissident condemned Putin’s regime for targeting critics. He was arrested shortly afterwards for “failing to obey the orders of law enforcement,” according to his wife.

Persons: Vladimir Kara, Murza, Monday’s Pulitzer, Kara, ”, Vladimir Putin’s, Evgenia Kara, Vladimir, ” Kara, Maxim Shemetov, Putin, Putin’s Organizations: Atlanta CNN, Kremlin, Washington, Washington Post, CNN Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Moscow, Arizona

☆ The New York Times and The Washington Post Win 3 Pulitzers Each
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Michael M. Grynbaum | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The New York Times and The Washington Post received three Pulitzer Prizes each on Monday for a wide array of journalism that spanned conflict and injustice around the globe, including the plight of child migrant workers in the American Midwest, the lethal consequences of war in the Middle East and the brutal repression of dissent in Vladimir Putin’s Russia. The prize for public service, considered the most prestigious of the Pulitzers, went to ProPublica for exposing a web of questionable financial entanglements involving Justice Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Supreme Court. The series, which revealed that Justice Thomas failed to disclose lavish gifts he had received from wealthy supporters, prompted the court to issue a new ethical code of conduct. The prize for investigations went to Hannah Dreier of The Times, for an exposé of migrant child labor in the modern United States, and the governmental blunders and disregard that have allowed the illegal practice to persist. This was the second Pulitzer awarded to Ms. Dreier, who won the 2019 feature writing prize for her coverage of the criminal gang MS-13 for ProPublica.

Persons: Vladimir Putin’s, Clarence Thomas of, Thomas, Hannah Dreier, Dreier Organizations: New York Times, Washington Post, U.S, Supreme, The Times Locations: American Midwest, Vladimir Putin’s Russia, United States

☆ Putin orders tactical nuclear weapons drills in response to Western ‘threats’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Anna Chernova | Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian forces to rehearse deploying tactical nuclear weapons, as part of military drills to respond to what he called “threats” by the West. Since invading Ukraine in 2022, Putin has repeatedly made veiled threats to use tactical nuclear weapons against the West, but Monday marked the first time Russia has publicly announced drills. “During the exercises, a set of measures will be carried out to practice the issues of preparation and use of non-strategic nuclear weapons,” Russia’s defense ministry said. Non-strategic, or “tactical,” nuclear weapons can be used in battlefield situations, carrying less power than strategic nuclear weapons, which have the potential to level entire cities. Putin said Russia would not be the first to test nuclear weapons, but would do so in the event of a US test.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, Dmitry Peskov, Emmanuel Macron, I’m, ” Macron, Ludovic Marin, David Cameron, ” Cameron, Macron, “, Joe Biden, ” Organizations: CNN, Russia, Economist, Getty, United, Ukraine, Kyiv, State Department, US, military’s, Staff, Southern Military District Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Western, Europe, AFP, United Kingdom, United States, Moscow, Hiroshima, Nagasaki

☆ Russian soldiers were convicted of over 100 murders when they returned home last year, a report says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewRussian military personnel were convicted of 116 murders in 2023, Mediazona, a local news website, reported. Advertisement"The high number of homicides by serving and veteran Russian soldiers are likely in part due to enduring war-related chronic poor mental health issues," it wrote. "It is a story about invisible violence," said Kirill Titaev, a Russian sociologist and criminology expert at Yale, told the Times. Last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the risk of pardoned convicts re-offending upon their release "inevitable," per the Times.

Persons: —, Olga Romanova, Storm Z, Wagner, ROMAN ROMOKHOV, Kirov, Viktor Savvinov, Kirill Titaev, Vladimir Putin, Putin Organizations: Service, UK Ministry of Defence, Judicial Department, Business, The New York Times, Wagner Group, Storm, Getty, New York Times, Yale, Times Locations: Mediazona, Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Rostov, AFP

☆ China's president arrives in Europe to reinvigorate ties at a time of global tensions
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Chinas President Xi Jinping (L) and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron attend the official welcoming ceremony in Beijing on April 6, 2023. Chinese President Xi Jinping kicked off a three-country trip to Europe on Sunday with the continent divided over how to deal with Beijing's growing power and the U.S.-China rivalry. Xi starts Sunday in France, whose president wants Europe to have more economic and strategic independence from other world powers. Then the Chinese president heads to Serbia and Hungary, both seen as China-friendly and close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and recipients of substantial Chinese investment. On Monday French President Emmanuel Macron will treat the Chinese leader to formal honors of a full state visit.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Emmanuel Macron, China's, Xi, Vladimir Putin, Gabriel Attal –, Ursula von der Leyen Organizations: U.S ., EU, Paris, Airport, French, Monday, European Locations: Beijing, Europe, U.S, China, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, France, Serbia, Hungary, Washington, Tibet, Paris

☆ China’s Xi is visiting Europe for the first time in five years – his goodwill tour will be an uphill struggle
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Major breakthroughs with China’s toughest critics will be hard to come by unless Xi is ready to make surprise concessions. And the trip could instead serve to underscore divisions – not only between Europe and China – but those within Europe that could play to China’s favor, analysts say. Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron visit a garden in Guangdong during Macron's state visit to China last April. Putin has said he plans to visit China this month, according to Russian state media. Xi may also look to highlight Chinese investments in both Belgrade and Budapest in a message to the rest of Europe.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Andrea Bocelli, –, Xi, China –, ”, Noah Barkin, Hungary –, Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, Von der Leyen, Olaf Scholz, Chong Ja Ian, “, Chong, Jacques Witt, China’s, Macron, Russia …, Wang Yiwei, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Aleksandar Vučić, Viktor Orban – Organizations: CNN, European Union, Ukraine, German Marshall Fund of, EU, “, National University of Singapore, Getty, Beijing’s Renmin University, NATO, Reuters, EV Locations: China, Italy, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Russia, “ China, Europe, Berlin, United States, Serbia, Hungary, Beijing, Paris, “ France, North America, Guangdong, Ukraine, Switzerland, Barkin, “, Belgrade, Budapest, Balkans, Balkan

☆ Tech titans love Modi's economic powerhouse India — despite mass unemployment and abject poverty
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Youth unemployment, income inequality, regional disparities, and Russian oil remain big problems. But the work starts there, as he'll have to navigate thorny issues such as youth unemployment, income inequality, and reliance on sanctioned Russian oil. "The other key economic policy was JAM — the trinity of bank accounts for the poor, mobile numbers and a biometric card. Indian demand for Russian oil has cooled in recent months as new sanctions have made it more expensive, but the buying remains controversial. Alexandr Demyanchuk/AFP/Getty ImagesIndia the IT hubUnder Modi, India has made big strides in modernizing its economy, combating bureaucracy, and appealing to foreign investors.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Elon Musk, Jamie Dimon, Tim Cook, —, Modi, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan's Dimon, He's, Musk, Apple's Cook, Joe Biden, Sundar Pichai, Anna Moneymaker, Jensen Huang, Satya Nadella, Alphabet's Sundar Pichai, Richard Rossow, Demonetisation, Kunal Sen, Sen, Tim Graham, Rossow, tycoons Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Mukesh Ambani, Isha Piramal, Rihanna, Shloka Mehta Ambani, Akash Ambani, Radhika Merchant, Anant, Radhika, Ambani, they'd, Neelima Jain, Vladimir Putin, Alexandr Demyanchuk, Sanjay Shetty, Shetty Organizations: Service, titans, Monetary Fund, Gross, World Bank, Economic, of New, Google, Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, India, Studies, Center for Strategic & International Studies, United Nations, United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics, University of Manchester, International Labor Organization, Oxfam, Bloomberg, Reliance Industries, Adani, CSIS, Indian, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Getty, Modi, Big Tech, Randstad, Economic Times Locations: India, Britain, Japan, Germany, China, of New York, Nimaj, Rajasthan, North Korea, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Russia, Ukraine, Europe, Moscow, Western, Samarkand, AFP, Randstad India

☆ It's likely only a matter of time until Russia captures a key town in Ukraine, intel chief says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ukraine is likely to lose the key eastern town of Chasiv Yar to Russia, a top intelligence official said. AdvertisementUkraine likely faces the approaching loss of a key eastern town to Russia, one of the country's top intelligence officials said. Much of the town in question, Chasiv Yar, is little more than rubble after more than a year of bombardment. BAKHMUT, UKRAINE - SEPTEMBER 27: An aerial view of the city of Bakhmut totally destroyed from heavy battles on September 27, 2023 in Bakhmut, Ukraine. AdvertisementWhile Chasiv Yar holds, Russia has carved a salient about 25 miles to the southwest in the village of Ocheretyne.

Persons: Chasiv Yar, Chasiv, —, Vadym Skibitsky, Bakhmut, Serhiy Hrabsky, Vladimir Putin's, Skibitsky, Avdiivka, Putin Organizations: Service, Ukraine Patrol Police, AP, Russia, New York Times, Russian, Ukrainian, Libkos, Pentagon, Economist Locations: Ukraine, Chasiv, Russia, Donetsk, Chasiv Yar, Bakhmut, Luhansk, BAKHMUT, UKRAINE, Ocheretyne, Russian, Beijing

☆ A NATO country says it could join Ukraine's war with Russia if 2 conditions are met
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AdvertisementFrench President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed that he'd consider sending French troops to Ukraine and spelled out the conditions in which this could place. He added that if Russia defeated Ukraine, it would then probably seek to attack another European country. Related storiesMacron's remarks about sending French troops to defend Ukraine are among the most hawkish by a Western leader. In response to Macron's earlier remarks, the Kremlin's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said deploying NATO troops to Ukraine would lead to war between Russia and the alliance. Analysts recently discussed with Business Insider the likelihood of Russia attacking NATO, with the Russian-military expert Ruth Deyermond saying Putin's regime was too weak militarily to risk a direct confrontation with NATO.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, —, Macron, Vladimir Putin, I'm, they've, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Ruth Deyermond Organizations: Service, NATO, Ukraine, Russia, Radio Free, Radio Liberty, Analysts, Business Locations: Ukraine, France, Russian, Europe, Russia, Radio Free Europe

☆ A NATO country said it could join Ukraine's war with Russia if 2 conditions are met
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

His remarks about French soldiers defending Ukraine are among the most hawkish by a Western leader. AdvertisementFrance's President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed that he would consider sending French troops to Ukraine, and spelled out the conditions in which this could place. He added that if Russia defeats Ukraine it would then likely seek to attack another European country. Related storiesMacron's remarks about sending French troops to defend Ukraine were among the most hawkish by a Western leader. The Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, in response to Macron's earlier remarks, said that deploying NATO troops to Ukraine would lead to war between Russia and the alliance.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, —, Macron, Vladimir Putin, I'm, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Ruth Deyermond Organizations: Service, NATO, Ukraine, RFE, RL, Business Locations: Ukraine, France, Russian, Europe, Russia

☆ Georgia rocked by protests as government pushes Putin-style ‘foreign agent’ bill
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —After spending his days making wine in the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, Tsotne Jafaridze returns home to Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital, and begins his new routine. Jafaridze, who also owns a travel business and says he receives 95% of his income from foreign sources, says he would “immediately” be listed as a foreign agent under the broadly-written law. But the government reintroduced the same bill in March and appears determined to force it through, despite protests that grow fiercer every week. Despite recent Russian aggression against Georgia, Georgian Dream has long been accused of harboring pro-Russian sympathies and its billionaire founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili, made his fortune in the Soviet Union. Bidzina Ivanishvili addresses a rally in support of the "foreign agent" law in Tbilisi, April 29, 2024.

Persons: Jafaridze, ”, Vladimir Putin, “, Giorgi Arjevanidze, isn’t, ” Natalie Sabanadze, –, Levan Khabeishvili, Khabeishvili, Bidzina Ivanishvili, ” Buziashvili, Ivanishvili, Bidzina, Shakh, Sabanandze, Irakli Kobakhidze, Kobakhidze, ” Sabanadze, Viktor Orban, Europe’s, Matthew Miller, Washington, Georgia “, Irakli Gedenidze, Viktor Yanukovych, doesn’t Organizations: CNN, European Union, Getty, EU, United National Movement, National Security Council, Soviet Army, Soviet Union, Belarus ’, Party, Georgian, Conservative Political, United, State Department, Protesters, Reuters Locations: Caucasus, Tbilisi, Georgia’s, Russia, Georgian, Russian, Soviet, AFP, Brussels, Georgia, Belarus, Ukraine, Soviet Union, Hungary, Hungarian, United States, stoke, ”

☆ Paris 2024: Ukrainian athletes urged to avoid Russians and Belarusians at Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Radina Gigova | Svitlana Vlasova | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Ukrainian athletes have been urged by the country’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) to avoid contact with Russians and Belarusians during the 2024 Olympics in Paris so that possible “provocative actions” can be prevented. Ukrainian athletes are also asked “not to communicate or discuss on social media with individual neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus” and not to share or respond to their content. Ukrainian athletes are also urged to refrain from “participating in press conferences, live broadcasts, interviews and other promotional events with individual neutral athletes of the Russian Federation and Belarus before and after the competition,” according to the recommendations. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced in December that Russian and Belarusian athletes will only be eligible to compete as individual neutral athletes at this year’s Paris Games. Teams of Russian and Belarusian athletes will not be considered, while athletes who actively support the war against Ukraine will also be ineligible.

Persons: ”, “, Dmytro Kuleba, ” Kuleba, Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin Organizations: CNN, country’s, Olympic Committee, Ministry of Youth, Sports, Belarus ”, Russian Federation, Paris, Games, IOC Locations: Paris, Russia, Belarus, Belarusian, Ukraine

☆ Gazprom: Russian oil giant posts first annual loss in 20 years as sales to Europe collapse
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Moscow — Kremlin-owned gas giant Gazprom plunged to a net loss of 629 billion rubles ($6.9 billion) in 2023, its first annual loss in more than 20 years, as sales to Europe plummeted in the wake of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Analysts had expected net income of 447 billion rubles ($4.9 billion) in 2023, according to Interfax news agency. The company made a net profit of 1.2 trillion ($13.1 billion) rubles in 2022, the year Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s gas exports to Europe, once its primary export market, have slumped largely because of the political fallout from the conflict in Ukraine. The company’s core profit, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization known as EBITDA, dropped to 618.38 billion rubles ($6.7 billion) last year from 2.79 trillion rubles ($30.4 billion) in 2022, according to Reuters’ calculations.

Persons: Alexei Miller, Vladimir Putin, Ronald Smith Organizations: Gazprom, Analysts, Reuters, BCS Global Markets Locations: Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, St . Petersburg, Europe

☆ Russia's economic survival hinges on prolonging the Ukraine war, think tank expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Russia needs to keep its war with Ukraine going or risk an economic hard landing, Elina Ribakova wrote for the Financial Times. The country's military industry has been a major driver of structural economic strength during the war. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . But while this may look good on paper, the country is actually at risk of a hard landing if war efforts cease, Elina Ribakova said. For decades," Ribakova wrote.

Persons: Elina Ribakova, Ribakova, —, Vladimir Putin, That's Organizations: Financial Times, Service, Financial, International Monetary Fund, Peterson Institute for International Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow

☆ Brittney Griner tells ABC that she ‘wanted to take my life more than once’ while detained in Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Wayne Sterling | George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The US State Department deemed that Griner had been wrongfully detained and she was released in December 2022 in a prisoner swap involving Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. I felt like leaving here so badly,” Griner said in the ABC interview which aired on Wednesday. I have to endure this.”Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, also said that she was required to write Russian President Vladimir Putin a letter asking for forgiveness. Natalia Kolesnikova/Reuters“They made me write this letter,” said Griner, not specifying who told her to write the letter. The Phoenix Mercury star is entering her 11th WNBA season having returned to the team in May last year.

Persons: CNN — Brittney Griner, ABC’s, Griner, Viktor Bout, “, ” Griner, can’t, ”, Vladimir Putin, Natalia Kolesnikova, Reuters “, Cherelle Organizations: International Association for Suicide Prevention, Befrienders Worldwide, CNN, WNBA, US State Department, Russian, ABC, Reuters, ”, UMMC Ekaterinburg, Phoenix Mercury, Paris Olympics Locations: Russia, Khimki, Moscow, Russian, Paris

☆ 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

☆ US says Russia used choking agents against Ukrainian troops, breaching chemical weapons ban
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“The use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident, and is probably driven by Russian forces’ desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield,” it said. Russia has previously denied using chemical weapons. The US has previously warned Russia against chemical warfare in Ukraine; in March 2022, a month after the invasion began, President Joe Biden said that NATO would respond if Russia used chemical weapons in Ukraine. The use of chemical weapons is banned by international law. Russia has signed those treaties and claims it doesn’t have chemical weapons, but the country has already been linked to the use of nerve agents against critics in recent years.

Persons: Ukraine’s, Chloropicrin, Joe Biden, Mallory Stewart, Sergei Skripal, Alexey Navalny –, Vladimir Putin, Navalny Organizations: CNN, US State Department, Ukrainian, Chemical Weapons Convention, CWC, Russian Embassy, CDC, State Department, United, United Arab Emirates, US, NATO Locations: United States, Russia, Ukraine, Russian, Netherlands, China, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Slovakia, Turkey, United Arab, Moscow, Ukrainian, Siberia

☆ A Russian zoo said it sent peacocks to the front to 'inspire' troops. It deleted its post after people used it to mock Putin.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian zoo said it sent two peacocks to those fighting in Ukraine. AdvertisementA Russian zoo said it sent two peacocks to Ukraine with the aim of inspiring Russian troops fighting there — but then deleted its post after people mocked Russian President Vladimir Putin in the comments, according to reports. He added that an aviary was being built for the birds, according to Ukrainian outlet Pravda's reporting. The zoo later deleted its announcement post, according to The Daily Beast and Pravda. Putin has also put in place a law that effectively criminalizes any reference to the fighting in Ukraine being a "war" or "invasion."

Persons: Putin, —, Vladimir Putin, It's Organizations: Service, Lipetsk Zoo, VK, Daily, Pravda Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Lipetsk, Russia, Ukrainian

☆ Iran's economy is a total mess after decades of sanctions — and offers a warning to Putin's Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Decades of sanctions have driven up inflation, government debt, and poverty rates. Iran's struggles could be a warning for Russia as the war in Ukraine drags on. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . One factor that might avert a regional war is the dismal state of Iran's economy. The country has borne the brunt of Western sanctions for decades, making it tough for Tehran to finance any war effort — and that could be a warning sign for Vladimir Putin as the war in Ukraine drags on.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Israel, Tehran

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