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☆ Factbox: Saudi transfers this summer
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Aug 22 (Reuters) - Saudi clubs have spent over 750 million euros ($813.45 million)in the close season signing players with the new Saudi Pro League season having kicked off on Aug. 11. Following are the main clubs' recent large purchases:Al-Ittihad (manager: Nuno Espirito Santo since 2022)N'Golo Kante from Chelsea. (40 million pounds)Al-Ahli (manager: Matthias Jaissle since 2023)Edouard Mendy from Chelsea. (40 million euros)Otavio from Porto. (40 million euros)Malcom from Zenit Saint Petersburg.

Persons: Nuno Espirito, N'Golo Kante, Karim Benzema, Matthias Jaissle, Edouard Mendy, Roberto Firmino, Mahrez, Allan Saint, Franck Kessie, Roger Ibanez, Merih Demiral, Luis Castro, Marcelo Brozovic, Alex Telles, Seko, Sadio Mane, Jorge Jesus, Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic, Savic, Malcom, Yassine Bounou, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Steven Gerrard, Moussa Dembele, Jack Hendry, Jordan Henderson, Tommy Lund, Ken Ferris, Ed Osmond, Toby Davis Organizations: Saudi Pro League, Nuno Espirito Santo, Manchester City, AS Roma, Atalanta, Inter Milan, Manchester United, RC Lens, Bayern Munich, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Paris St Germain, Fulham, Olympique Lyonnais, Club Brugge, Thomson Locations: Saudi, Ittihad, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Celtic, Liverpool, Al, Ahli, Manchester, Newcastle, Barcelona, Porto, Hilal, Lazio, Paris, Sevilla, Gdynia

☆ Egypt's president pardons activist Douma, other prisoners -state TV
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends a working dinner at a the final day of the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 28, 2023. Mikhail Metzel/TASS Host Photo Agency via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsCAIRO, Aug 19 (Reuters) - Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has pardoned a number of prisoners, including prominent Egyptian activist Ahmed Douma, the state TV said on Saturday. Like several other prominent activists in Egypt, Douma has been jailed under Mubarak, the subsequent ruling military council, former president Mohamed Mursi, and al-Sisi. Last month, authorities also freed Egyptian rights researcher Patrick Zaki and lawyer Mohamed el-Baqer after they were pardoned by al-Sisi. Egypt's most prominent activist, Alaa Abd el-Fattah, and many other detainees swept up in a decade-long crackdown on dissent, remain in prison.

Persons: Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Mikhail Metzel, Ahmed Douma, autocrat Hosni Mubarak, Douma, Mubarak, Mohamed Mursi, Patrick Zaki, Mohamed el, Alaa Abd el, Mohamed Hendawy, Enas Alashray, Adam Makary, Toby Chopra, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Agency, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Authorities, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Rights CAIRO, Egypt

☆ UK defence ministry: Kremlin may no longer fund Wagner Group
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A staff removes a logo on a window of the "PMC Wagner Centre", associated with the founder of the Wagner Group, in Saint Petersburg, Russia July 1, 2023. REUTERS/Anton VaganovAug 13 (Reuters) - Britain's defence ministry said on Sunday there was a realistic possibility that Russia no longer funds the activities of the mercenary Wagner Group. loadingThe defence ministry said in a daily bulletin the Russian state has acted against some other business interests of Wagner owner Yevgeny Prigozhin after he led a failed mutiny against the Russian army's top brass in June. "If the Russian state no longer pays Wagner, the second most plausible paymasters are the Belarusian authorities," it said, adding that this would be a drain on Belarus' resources. The ministry said the Wagner Group was moving towards downsizing and reconfiguring to save on staff salary expenses at a time of financial pressure.

Persons: Anton Vaganov, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Gokul, William Mallard Organizations: PMC, Wagner, REUTERS, Wagner Group, Thomson Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Russian, Belarusian, Belarus, Bengaluru

☆ Fact Check-Video of Burkina Faso leader being welcomed by people dates to 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Army captain Traore was named the country’s transitional president on Oct. 14, two weeks after he seized power in Burkina Faso's second coup of 2022, Reuters reported (here). “The President of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, received a hero's welcome on his return from Russia. #BurkinaFaso #Niger #Mali #Guinea #Russia #Africa #panafricanism,” reads a Facebook post sharing the video (here). But the clip can be traced back to October 2022 when it was uploaded to AFP’s YouTube channel with the title: “Burkina Faso military captain parades in Ouagadougou” (here) (timestamp 0:11). Video does not show people welcoming Burkina Faso leader following his return from the 2023 Russia-Arica summit.

Persons: Burkina Faso’s, Ibrahim Traore, Traore, “, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Read Organizations: Reuters, YouTube Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Burkina, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, Guinea, Ouagadougou ”, Arica

☆ Uganda president defiant after World Bank funding suspended over LGBT law
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Elias Biryabarema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni attends a session of the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 28, 2023. The World Bank has an existing portfolio of $5.2 billion in Uganda, although these projects will not be affected. "It is, therefore, unfortunate that the World Bank and other actors dare to want to coerce us into abandoning our faith, culture, principles and sovereignty, using money. He added he hoped the World Bank would reconsider its decision. In June, the United States imposed visa restrictions on some Ugandan officials in response to the law.

Persons: Yoweri Museveni, Mikhail Tereshchenko, Museveni, Joe Biden, Elias Biryabarema, George Obulutsa, Aaron Ross, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Agency, REUTERS, Bank, World Bank, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, KAMPALA, Uganda, Western, United States

☆ Uganda president defiant after World Bank suspends funding over LGBT law
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Elias Biryabarema | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni attends a session of the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 28, 2023. The World Bank said on Tuesday that the law, which imposes the death penalty for certain same-sex acts, contradicted its values and that it would pause new funding until it could test measures to prevent discrimination in projects it finances. The World Bank has an existing portfolio of $5.2 billion in Uganda, although these projects will not be affected. "It is, therefore, unfortunate that the World Bank and other actors dare to want to coerce us into abandoning our faith, culture, principles and sovereignty, using money. He added he hoped the World Bank would reconsider its decision.

Persons: Yoweri Museveni, Mikhail Tereshchenko, Museveni, Henry Musasizi, Musasizi, Joe Biden, Elias Biryabarema, Hereward Holland, George Obulutsa, Aaron Ross, Bernadette Baum, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Agency, REUTERS, Bank, World Bank, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, KAMPALA, Uganda, Western, United States

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during the Second Summit Economic And Humanitarian Forum Russia Africa on July 27, 2023 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin is weighing whether to attend his first in-person meeting with Western leaders since his forces invaded Ukraine in 2022, a Kremlin source tells NBC News. In 2014, after Russia's annexation of Crimea, Putin was publicly shunned and sidelined during the G20 meeting in Australia. Next month's G20 summit is already set to be the most contentious in years and an important litmus test of many countries' true positions on Ukraine. "And some of the leaders, including President Biden, already decided to ignore President Putin and not take any picture with him."

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, hasn't, Xi Jinping, Alexey Maslov, Maslov, Jonathan Eyal, Dmitry Peskov, Nirmala Sitharaman, Cyril Ramaphosa, Andrei Fedorov, Russia's, Putin's, Fedorov, Biden, Jamal Khashoggi, Modi, Eyal Organizations: Russia Africa, Summit ., Western, NBC News, Kremlin, Institute of, Studies, Moscow State University, Royal United Services Institute, International, ICC, United Nations, Washington Post, Mr Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Ukraine, New Delhi, Russian, Belarus, China, Central, London, Crimea, Australia, Bali , Indonesia, France, Bali, Russia's, Johannesburg, Brazil, India, South Africa, Rome, United States, Saudi Arabia, Saudi

☆ Exclusive: Russia doubles 2023 defence spending plan as war costs soar
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

They show that in the first half of 2023 alone, Russia spent 12%, or 600 billion roubles, more on defence than the 4.98 trillion roubles ($54 billion) it had originally targeted for 2023. Defence spending in the first six months of 2023 amounted to 5.59 trillion roubles, 37.3% of a total 14.97 trillion roubles spent in the period, the document showed. Between 2011 and 2022, Russia spent a minimum of 13.9% and a maximum 23% of its budget on defence. Russia has already spent 57.4% of its new annual defence budget, the document showed. Funding for schools, hospitals and roads was already being squeezed this year in favour of defence and security, but as the share of defence spending grows, other areas could face cuts.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Ilya Pitalyov, Denis Manturov, Dmitry Polevoy, Yevgeny Suvorov, Suvorov, Mike Collett, White, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Sputnik, Reuters, Defence, MMI Telegram, Bank of Russia, Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Russian, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Locko

☆ Lukashenko taunts Poland again over Wagner troops near border
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saint Petersburg, Russia July 23, 2023. Sputnik/Alexei Danichev/Kremlin via REUTERS/File Photo License this content on Reuters ConnectAug 1 (Reuters) - Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday taunted Poland over the presence of Russian Wagner mercenaries near the NATO country's border, saying Warsaw should thank him for keeping them in check. State news agency Belta quoted him on Tuesday as saying that the Poles "should pray that we're holding onto (the Wagner fighters) and providing for them. Rzeszow is a city in southeast Poland near the Ukrainian border. On Saturday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said a group of 100 Wagner fighters had moved closer to the Belarusian city of Grodno near the Polish border, describing the situation as "increasingly dangerous".

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin, Alexei Danichev, Russian Wagner, Wagner, Belta, Mateusz Morawiecki, Lukashenko, Putin, Mark Trevelyan, Gareth Jones Organizations: Sputnik, REUTERS, Reuters, Tuesday, NATO, Polish, Thomson Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Kremlin, Poland, Warsaw, Belarus, Lukashenko, Rzeszow, State, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Grodno, Brest, Ukraine

☆ Putin reviews show of Russian naval might
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks during a press conference following the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 29, 2023. Sergei Bobylyov/TASS Host Photo Agency via REUTERSMOSCOW, July 30 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin reviewed a parade of warships and nuclear submarines in his native St Petersburg on Sunday and announced that the Russian Navy would receive 30 new ships this year. "Today, Russia is confidently implementing the large-scale tasks of our national maritime policy and is consistently building up the strength of our Navy," said Putin. "This year alone, 30 ships of different classes are being added to the fleet," he said. They were invited after a Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg which concluded on Friday at which delegates discussed grain supplies and potential peace talks on Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sergei Bobylyov, Putin, Sergei Shoigu, Nikolai Yevmenov, Andrew Osborn Organizations: Agency, REUTERS, St, Sunday, Russian Navy, Navy, Defence, Russia, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, REUTERS MOSCOW, St Petersburg, Russia's, Gulf of Finland, Ukraine

☆ Putin says Russia does not reject talks with Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Russia's President Vladimir Putin gestures during a press conference following the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 29, 2023. Sergei Bobylyov/TASS Host Photo Agency via REUTERSJuly 29 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that an African initiative could be a basis for peace in Ukraine but that Ukrainian attacks made it hard to realise. "There are provisions of this peace initiative that are being implemented," he said. Putin said that one of the points in the initiative was a ceasefire. On the question of starting peace talks, he said, "We did not reject them...

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Sergei Bobylyov, Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Alistair Bell Organizations: Agency, REUTERS, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Ukraine, St Petersburg, Moscow

And it can only end on the basis of justice and reason," African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat told Putin and African leaders in St Petersburg. Putin gave it a polite but cool reception when African leaders presented it to him last month. Putin responded by arguing, as he has in the past, that rising world food prices were a consequence of Western policy mistakes long predating the Ukraine war. On Thursday, he promised to deliver free Russian grain in the next several months to six of the countries attending the summit. Mali's Assimi Goita told Putin: "You have shown pragmatism and realism in efforts to reach agreement with Ukraine."

Persons: Putin, Vladimir Putin, Moussa Faki Mahamat, Denis Sassou Nguesso, Macky Sall, Cyril Ramaphosa, Pavel Bednyakov, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Abdel Fattah al, Sisi, Russia's Wagner, Faustin Archange Touadera, Assimi Goita, Kevin Liffey, Joe Bavier, Alexander Winning, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Kremlin, Union, Reuters, South, Sputnik, Central African, CAR, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Moscow, Russia, St Petersburg, Russian, Belarus, Congo, Europe, Kyiv, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Ukrainian, Western, Mali, Central, Central African Republic

☆ Putin says Ukrainian attacks intensify as Kyiv touts steady gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

July 27 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Ukraine had intensified its frontline attacks over the last few days while a Ukrainian official said Kyiv was making slow but steady progress in liberating its territory. Meanwhile, Putin told Russian television that every Ukrainian assault had been beaten back, and that Moscow's forces had inflicted significant losses on their opponents. However, Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar wrote on Telegram that Ukrainian forces were "gradually moving forward" near Bakhmut, and that fighting was ongoing near Klischiivka, Kudriumivka and Andriivka. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at a session of Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, July 27, 2023. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed "very good results" on the battlefield in an address on Tuesday evening, promising to give details later.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Yuriy Sak, Putin, Hanna Maliar, Alexei Danichev, Maliar, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Aleksandr Khodakovsky, Sak, Max Hunder, Felix Light, Mark Trevelyan, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Kyiv, Reuters, Russian, Sputnik, Lyman, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Klishchiivka, Bakhmut, Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, Klischiivka, Russian, Russia, Africa, Saint Petersburg, Kupiansk, Kyiv, Staromaiorske, Moscow

Chicago wheat futures , a benchmark of global prices, have risen around 20% since Russia ended the deal on July 17. It's absolutely an important national security issue for a lot of these African countries," he said. Putin says Russia is expecting a record harvest this year and is ready to fill the gap for African countries by supplying grain both commercially and for free. Dizolele said, noting that Russia backed African countries at the U.N., had defence and security agreements with some of them and gave scholarships to their students. But Putin's response, when Ramaphosa and other African leaders presented the proposal to him last month, was to repeat a familiar list of accusations against Ukraine and the West.

Persons: Anton Vaganov, Putin, Wagner, Vladimir Putin, Mvemba Dizolele, Samuel Ramani, RUSI, Dizolele, WAGNER, Cyril Ramaphosa, Ramani, Mark Trevelyan, Joe Bavier, Carien du, Tom Balmforth, Michelle Nichols, Philippa Fletcher Organizations: Saint, REUTERS, Putin, Kremlin, U.S, Africa, Washington -, Strategic, International Studies, International Criminal Court, Treasury, Central African, Ukraine, South, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Russia, Africa, Saint Isaac's, central Saint Petersburg, Black, Russian, St Petersburg, Ukraine, Chicago, Washington, Turkey, Qatar, Moscow, United States, Kenya, Somalia, Central African Republic, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, West, London, Johannesburg, Carien du Plessis

☆ Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal sign Brazilian Malcom
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 26 (Reuters) - Brazilian winger Malcom has joined Al-Hilal from Russian side Zenit Saint Petersburg, the Saudi Arabian club announced on Wednesday. The Brazilian winger, who joined Zenit in 2019 from Barcelona, was the Russian Premier League's top scorer last season with 23 goals as his club won the title. Al Hilal also sought to sign Lionel Messi, with the Argentine great ultimately deciding to join Major League Soccer side Inter Miami. Al Hilal are the most decorated club in Saudi Arabia and Asia having won 66 trophies and hold the record for league and Asian Champions titles with 18 and four respectively. Boosting the squad is a priority for the Riyadh-based club, who have lost their league and Champions League crowns.

Persons: Malcom, Al, Hilal, Alexandr Medvedev, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergej Milinkovic, Savic, Ruben Neves, Al Hilal, Lionel Messi, Mohamed Yossry, Shady Amir, Pritha Sarkar Organizations: Al, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Saudi Arabian, Twitter, RIA Novosti, Zenit, Russian Premier League's, Argentine, Major League Soccer, Inter Miami, League, Thomson Locations: Hilal, Russian, Saudi, Senegal, Serbia, Barcelona, Saudi Arabia, Al, Asia, Riyadh

☆ Russia wants school kids trained to operate combat drones, which have become an inescapable part of the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Drones have been invaluable for both Ukraine and Russia, completing attacks and conducting reconnaissance. These assets, which come in all shapes and sizes, will have uses in the ongoing war against Ukraine and in future conflicts. Russia previously accused Ukraine of using long-range drones to strike bases deep inside Russian territory. Meanwhile, Russia has used drones for similar purposes, such as battlefield reconnaissance. Kyiv and other cities have repeatedly been battered by one-way explosive drones, like the Iranian-made Shaheds.

Persons: Narciso Contreras, They've, Scott Peterson, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Olga Maltseva, TB2, Russia's, Ukraine's Organizations: Service, UK Ministry of Defense, Ukraine, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Kremlin, CNN, PMC Wagner, PMC, Radio Free Radio Liberty Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Wall, Silicon, Russian, Moscow, Kerch, Crimea, Ukraine's, Saint Petersburg, AFP, Ukrainian, Bakhmut

☆ Dove owner Unilever says it will permit conscription of its Russia employees
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Consumer goods giant Unilever has confirmed it will comply with legislation that could see its employees in Russia conscripted into the war in Ukraine. It has around 3,000 employees in Russia, working across four manufacturing sites and one head office. Ecclissato said in the letter that Unilever has faced three options for its Russia operations. One was closing all Russia operations, after which he said Unilever's business and brands in the country would be "appropriated — and then operated — by the Russian state." The third, which Unilever has adopted, was continuing to run the business with constraints that have been in place since March.

Persons: Reginaldo Ecclissato, Jerry's, Knorr, Ecclissato, — Organizations: Trinity Cathedral, Consumer, Unilever, BBC, Sunday, Business Operations, CNBC, Ben Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Ukraine, Russian

[1/2] Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko meet people outside the Naval Cathedral of St. Nicholas in Kronstadt near Saint Petersburg, Russia July 23, 2023. Sputnik/Alexander Demyanchuk/Pool via REUTERSJuly 23 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine's counteroffensive "has failed" as he hosted Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, his close ally, for talks in St Petersburg on Sunday. "There is no counteroffensive," Russian news agencies quoted Lukashenko as saying. Ukraine began its long-anticipated counter-offensive last month but has so far made only small gains against well entrenched Russian forces who control more than a sixth of its territory after nearly 17 months of war. Putin, in response, warned Poland on Friday that any aggression against Belarus would be considered an attack on Russia.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, Nicholas, Alexander Demyanchuk, Lukashenko, Putin, Mark Milley, Russia's Wagner, Wagner, Mark Trevelyan, Felix Light, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Belarusian, Naval, Sputnik, REUTERS, U.S, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Telegram, NATO, Thomson Locations: St, Kronstadt, Saint Petersburg, Russia, St Petersburg, Russian, Ukraine, Poland, Warsaw, Rzeszow, Belarusian, Polish, Belarus, Moscow, Minsk, West

☆ The Wagner revolt made everyday Russians start to question Putin's mission in Ukraine, Russian blogger says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ordinary Russians are starting to question the war in Ukraine, a Russian blogger told Insider. For the majority of typical Russian citizens, the Wagner uprising came as a "huge shock," Konstantinova told Insider. "You say we go to denazify Ukraine; you say they are our enemies," she said of Russia's leaders. On the surface, life has changed very little for most Russians since their country went to war, Konstantinova said. Konstantinova traveled to Mariupol with several other Russian citizens in December of last year, delivering electric heaters to Ukrainian citizens still living in the decimated and frozen city.

Persons: Wagner, Natalia Konstantinova, —, Vladimir Putin, Konstantinova, Chaos, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, Putin, she's, festering, aren't, Natasha, it's Organizations: Service, Kyiv, Group, Kremlin Locations: Ukraine, Russian, Saint Petersburg, Russia, Moscow, Belarus, Ukrainian, Mariupol, Rostov

☆ Brazil's Lula discusses Ukraine war, BRICS with South African leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, June 22 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday he had discussed the war between Russia and Ukraine and an upcoming BRICS summit with his South African counterpart Cyril Ramaphosa as they met in Paris. Lula has also pitched himself as a peace broker to end the war, which began when Russia invaded its neighbor in February 2022. The Brazilian leader irritated Western countries earlier this year when he suggested the West had been "encouraging" war by arming Ukraine. "We talked about the next BRICS summit and about President Ramaphosa's trip to Kyiv and Saint Petersburg, as well as the conversations he had with Zelenskiy and Putin," Lula wrote on Twitter after their meeting. Brazil, South Africa and Russia are all members of the BRICS group of emerging nations, which will hold a summit in the African nation in August.

Persons: Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Cyril Ramaphosa, Ramaphosa, Vladimir Putin, Lula, Ramaphosa's, Zelenskiy, Putin, Gabriel Araujo, David Gregorio Our Organizations: SAO PAULO, Twitter, New, Pact, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Paris, Kyiv, Saint Petersburg, Brazil, South Africa, India, China

☆ Putin extols Russian economic performance, defends military spending
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a speech at a plenary session of the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg on June 16, 2023. President Vladimir Putin on Friday cited positive data points to laud Russia's economic health and said surging defense spending was needed to boost national security, as Moscow grapples with the cost of fighting in Ukraine. Analysts and data, however, suggest that slumping energy revenues and soaring military spending have played a key role. "I should say that on the whole this justifies itself from an economic point of view," Putin added. The central bank has repeatedly warned that a labor shortage is exacerbating inflationary risks, and analysts have named it one of the most significant drags on Russia's economic progress.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, laud, Putin Organizations: Saint Petersburg, Economic, St Petersburg, Monetary Fund Locations: Saint Petersburg, Moscow, Ukraine

☆ Russia's Sberbank launches Indian rupee accounts for individuals
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A view shows the logo of Sber (Sberbank) at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 15, 2022. REUTERS/Anton Vaganov/File PhotoMOSCOW, June 14 (Reuters) - Russia's dominant lender on Wednesday said individuals could now open accounts in Indian rupees, expanding the range of foreign currencies available as Moscow strives to reduce dependency on the U.S. dollar and euro. "As Sberbank has highlighted, the bank supports the trend of de-dollarisation and constantly increases the number of foreign currencies available to clients," Sberbank said in a statement. Sberbank has more than 100 million retail clients and already offers deposits in China's yuan and UAE dirhams. "Other soft currencies are still only looking for their consumers in Russia, acting as niche offers," he added.

Persons: Anton Vaganov, Sberbank, Anatoly Pechatnikov, Elena Fabrichnaya, Alexander Marrow, Louise Heavens, Sharon Singleton Organizations: St ., Economic, REUTERS, U.S ., UAE dirhams, Thomson Locations: St, St . Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia, MOSCOW, Moscow, yuan, UAE

☆ Train review: What it’s like to ride the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Chris Dwyer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

That's according to Matthieu Ollier, manager of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, who said the train's Grand Suites cost 24,000 euros ($25,850) for a one-night trip from Venice to London. A train steward on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. The ensuite bathroom in the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express' Budapest Suite. The bar car on board the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express. Source: Venice Simplon-Orient-Express

Persons: Matthieu Ollier, Willy Wonka's, Chris Dwyer, Ollier, John Travolta, Angelina Jolie, Kate Winslet, Wes Anderson, Agatha Christie's, Christie, Champagne —, Austria's Brenner, Chef Jean Imbert, Jean Imbert, —, serenaded Organizations: Orient, Express, Orient Express, Athénée, Venice Locations: Venice, London, Belmond, United States, Paris, Bucharest, Munich, Istanbul, —, Budapest, Murano, Tsar, Austria's, Switzerland, France

[1/2] Participants gather near a screen showing Russian President Vladimir Putin, who delivers a speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 17, 2022. The forum in St Petersburg, the former imperial capital built by Tsar Peter the Great 300 years ago as a "window" to Europe, has been held since 1997 and is cast by many officials as Russia's answer to the World Economic Forum held in Davos. Western journalists have never before been banned from the forum in such a blanket way. "It has indeed been decided this time not to accredit publications from unfriendly countries to the SPIEF," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS, using the acronym for the forum. "Unfriendly countries" is a definition used by Moscow to describe those who have sanctioned it over the war in Ukraine.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Anton Vaganov, Tsar Peter the Great, Dmitry Peskov, Peskov, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Alexander Novak, Putin, Guy Faulconbridge, Christina Fincher, Angus MacSwan Organizations: St ., Economic, REUTERS, St Petersburg, Reuters, Russian, Thomson Locations: St, St . Petersburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia, MOSCOW, St Petersburg, Europe, Davos, Moscow, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, China

☆ Putin is terrified of being assassinated and is refusing to travel abroad after a drone attack near his luxury home: reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The report said Putin was so scared of being assassinated that he was refusing to travel abroad. Dmitry Medvedev, a Kremlin official and former Russian president, said a drone attack on the Kremlin in May was a Ukrainian attempt to assassinate Putin, which Ukraine denied. Ingram's comments echo those of a former Kremlin security official, Gleb Karakulov, who fled Russia in April in opposition to the war in Ukraine. Ingram said Putin's isolation meant he was only being presented with distorted information by a group of close aides, warping his decision-making. Ingram said Putin would like to portray himself as an "international statesman" who asserts himself on the global stage.

Persons: Vladimir Putin's, Putin, —, Vladimir Putin, Verstka, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Dmitry Medvedev, Philip Ingram, Ingram, MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV, Gleb Karakulov, RFERL, wouldn't Organizations: Service, International Criminal Court, Moscow Times, Kremlin, British Military, SPUTNIK, Getty, ICC, Reuters Locations: Moscow, Russian, Ukraine, Hague, Novo, Ukrainian, Russia, Saint Petersburg, London, COVID, India, South Africa, China

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