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☆ Russia's economic decline deepens; Putin warns Moscow could pull out of grain deal again
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Russia's monthly economic downturn continued in September with gross domestic product declining by 5% year on year, according to the latest data from Russia's Ministry of Economic Development, reported by state news agency Interfax. The decline in economic output in September followed a 4% year-on-year decline in August, and a 4.3% decline in July. Still, Western agencies like the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, IMF and World Bank expect Russia's economic decline to be significant this year. Between them, they have forecast that Russia's GDP could drop by at least 5.5% in the best-case scenario to almost 9% in the worst-case scenario. For its part, Russia's ministry forecast that Russia's economic output would decline by 2.9% in 2022 and by 0.8% in 2023, before growing by 2.6% in 2024 and 2025, Interfax reported.

☆ Russia summons British ambassador over drone strike on Crimea
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] British Ambassador to Russia Deborah Bronnert arrives at the Russian Foreign Ministry headquarters, as activists hold a protest against what Russia's officials said to be the involvement of British specialists in a Ukrainian drone strike on its Black Sea Fleet in Crimea, in Moscow, Russia November 3, 2022. REUTERS/Shamil ZhumatovNov 3 (Reuters) - Russia summoned the British ambassador on Thursday over Moscow's claim that British navy personnel were involved in a Ukrainian drone attack on Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Crimea. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday the ambassador was to be summoned over Saturday's drone attack on Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. After the drone attack, Russia temporarily suspended participation in a U.N.-brokered Black Sea Grain deal. Russia casts Britain as a particularly perfidious Western power which President Vladimir Putin says is plotting to destroy Russia and carve up its vast natural resources.

☆ Ukraine conflict, sanctions set to blow hole in Russia's finances
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Darya Korsunskaya | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

While Russia's economy initially held up relatively well to the waves of Western sanctions imposed on it, the impact is beginning to show - in analysts' assessments, if not in those of the government. Analysts at state bank VTB (VTBR.MM) forecast the gap at an even wider 4-4.5 trillion roubles. The finance ministry sees non-energy revenue, or that related to economic activity, at 11.5% of GDP in 2023, around 7% higher than this year and on par with pre-pandemic levels. The finance ministry did not reply to a Reuters request for a comment. "I very much hope that the finance ministry will avoid outright money printing."

☆ Wheat prices jump by nearly 6% after Russia withdraws from vital Ukrainian export deal
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesGlobal wheat prices rose sharply Monday following Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea grain export deal over the weekend. The increases come after Russia announced Saturday that it was suspending its involvement in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which allowed vital agricultural products to be exported from several Ukrainian ports. Zelenskyy and Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba accused Russia of starting to sabotage the grain deal in September. Antonov told Russian media on Saturday that Kyiv's "reckless actions" had caused Moscow to suspend implementation of the grain deal. Many of the grain ships that left Ukraine in recent months, under the grain deal, were bound for both European and African ports.

☆ Fact Check-No evidence French ambassador to Ukraine has resigned as of Oct. 25
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Users on social media are sharing a claim that the French ambassador to Ukraine Etienne de Poncins has resigned but there’s no supporting evidence. One Facebook user sharing the claim said, “Urgent: The French Ambassador to Ukraine Resigns” (here). There is another unverified French-language Facebook account under the same name and logo that identifies as a “broadcasting & media production company” (here). Jean-Michel Cadenas, a departmental delegate of the Rassemblement National in Mayenne (twitter.com/RassNational53) repeated the claim that Poncins resigned in a since-deleted tweet. There is no evidence that Poncins ever resigned from his post as the French ambassador to Ukraine.

"Policy stability is absolutely critical," Miles Celic, chief executive of finance lobby group TheCityUK told Reuters. Finance chiefs want Sunak to balance spending on infrastructure with easing immigration policy for skilled workers and investing in education, Celic added. Sunak confirmed on Tuesday that he was keeping Hunt as his finance minister, after he was appointed late in Truss' brief premiership to shore up confidence in Britain's finances - and tear up much of her planned tax-cutting agenda. Britain's 164 billion pound ($185 billion) financial industry was largely locked out of directly serving EU customers after Brexit. Any moves to extract more tax from banks are likely to be met with industry opposition.

☆ Russian fighter jet 'released a missile' near unarmed British surveillance plane, U.K. defense secretary says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Henry Austin | Henry Austin Is A London-Based Editor For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON — A Russian fighter jet “released a missile” in the vicinity of an unarmed British surveillance plane, the U.K.’s defense minister said Thursday. He added that Russia’s Ministry of Defense had replied “that they had conducted an investigation into the circumstances of the incident and stated it was a technical malfunction of the SU-27 fighter.”NBC News has reached out the Russian defense ministry for comment. Wallace also urged Iran to “desist” from supplying Russia with unmanned aerial vehicles dubbed “kamikaze” drones, which Moscow has been using to attack Ukraine. Iran has denied supplying Russia with drones. Both Washington and Kyiv have accused Tehran of supplying the drones to Moscow to be used in Ukraine, accusations Iran has denied.

☆ Factbox: Energy crisis revives coal demand and production
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

France - The Emile Huchet coal power plant restarted in early October, only six months after it closed, according to local media. Netherlands - Dutch energy minister Rob Jetten said in June the Netherlands will remove a production cap at coal-fired energy plants to preserve gas. In June, it said it plans to "increase thermal coal production from existing mines this year maximum by 1.5 million tonnes". Spain - The ministry for the ecological transition requested in May the delay of Endesa's As Pontes coal power station closure. (** Note that Ukraine's government has stopped releasing coal production data since the start of the war).

☆ Toyota-backed flying car firm Joby seeks Japan air certification
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

TOKYO, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Joby Aviation Inc (JOBY.N), a U.S. air taxi startup backed by Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T), said on Tuesday it has applied to Japan's transport ministry for aircraft certification as it prepares to launch urban transportation services. Joby, in which Toyota has invested $394 million, designs and builds all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The startup in May received certification from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allowing it to begin commercial air-taxi operations with conventional aircraft. The California-based startup has more regulatory hurdles to clear in the United States before its five-seater eVTOL aircraft can fly passengers. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Mariko Katsumura; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Mexico president backs defense ministry's refusal to account for massive data leak
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has shaken off criticism against the country's defense ministry for refusing to appear before legislators to explain a major cyber hack, resulting in a massive data breach. Lopez Obrador asked the opposition to calm down and have some tea, during a regular news conference on Tuesday, describing the criticism as politically motivated. Lawmakers summoned Sandoval to explain what measures the armed forces were taking after a massive hack leaked classified information in September. Since taking office in 2018, Lopez Obrador has strengthened the armed forces' role in public security functions, such as infrastructure projects and customs activities. Mexico's Congress last week approved extending the role of the armed forces in public security tasks until 2028.

☆ China is headhunting former British pilots to train its forces, and the UK military is desperate to stop it, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The UK says its military pilots are being recruited by China to help train Beijing's army. According to British media reports, pilots are making as much as $270,000 a year for their help. According to the BBC, China wants to use the pilots to deepen its understanding of Western planes and their operators. To warn military personnel against these efforts, the defense ministry's defense intelligence service even issued a "threat alert" on Tuesday, the report said. The UK defense ministry spokesperson referred to the situation as a "contemporary" security issue in a statement to Insider and said the country is trying to clamp down on security legislation.

☆ Ukraine says more than 600 settlements liberated in past month, including 75 in Kherson
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 14 (Reuters) - Ukraine's armed forces have liberated more than 600 settlements from the Russian occupation in the past month, including 75 in the highly strategic Kherson region, Ukraine's Ministry for Reintegration of the Temporary Occupied Territories said. Some 502 settlements have been liberated in the northeast Kharkiv region where Ukrainian forces last month advanced deep into Russian lines, the ministry said late on Thursday. The ministry said 43 settlements were liberated in the Donetsk region and seven in the Luhansk region. On Thursday, the Russian-installed governor of Ukraine's Kherson region appealed to residents to evacuate amid fighting between Russian and advancing Ukrainian forces. read moreIn late August, Ukraine launched a counteroffensive against Russian forces occupying the country since the start of their invasion in February.

☆ Brazil's Guedes says IMF overlooked inflation surge, praises Brazil for 'acting early'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Yousef Saba | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRASILIA, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Brazilian Economy Minister Paulo Guedes criticized the International Monetary Fund for failing to spot surging inflation, saying it led to "misguided" advice, in contrast to early action in Brazil that he said has put the country ahead of the curve in controlling rising prices. "Unfortunately, IMF bilateral and multilateral surveillance have overlooked the nature, magnitude, and extension of the inflation surge that started during 2021. As a result, Fund policy advice was misguided in several instances," Guedes said. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterAt the same time, Guedes praised the performance of the Brazilian economy, saying that the country is "positively surprising skeptics, including the IMF." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Marcela Ayres; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Hong Kong CNN —Chinese fighter jets or drones that intrude into Taiwan’s territorial airspace will be regarded as a “first strike,” Taiwan’s Defense Minister warned Wednesday, as the island seeks to step-up its defenses in response to Beijing’s military pressure. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has said that “reunification” between China and Taiwan is inevitable and refused to rule out the use of force. Tensions between Beijing and Taipei are at the highest they’ve been in recent decades, with the Chinese military holding major military drills near the island. For decades, the median line had served as an informal demarcation line between the two, with military incursions across it being rare. The US provides Taiwan with defensive weapons, but has remained intentionally ambiguous on whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack.

☆ Fact Check-Video of queues at Russia-Finland border was taken more than three weeks before Vladimir Putin’s partial mobilisation announcement
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Russian president made the announcement on Sept. 21, marking the nation’s first mobilisation since World War Two amid a major battlefield reversal in Ukraine. Another user shared the same footage with the caption: “Border btw #Russia - #Finland after #Putin"s partial #mobilization” (here ). However, Reuters Fact Check has found the video predates Putin’s announcement. Both the director of Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Finnish Border Guard said on Sept. 21 that the situation at the Russia-Finland border was no different since Putin’s announcement, though this has now changed. Video showing lines at Russia Finland border predates Vladimir Putin’s announcement of partial mobilisation to fight in Ukraine.

☆ Ireland hikes surplus forecast ahead of budget
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne//File PhotoDUBLIN, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Ireland on Saturday almost doubled its budget surplus forecast for 2022 to 0.9% of gross domestic product thanks to booming corporate tax revenues, giving it extra resources to help consumers with inflationary pressures. The forecast was released ahead of the annual budget, which is due to be published next Tuesday, and the figures do not include any measures to be announced that day. Ireland's general government balance for the year is forecast to be 4.4 billion euros ($4.3 billion), or 0.9% of GDP, up from a July forecast of 0.5%, the finance ministry said in a statement. The ministry said that without the "windfall" element of its corporate tax receipts - which it estimated at 9 billion euros of a forecast haul of 21.05 billion euros - Ireland might be facing a deficit of 0.9% in 2022. The ministry forecast that the surplus next year would be 11.8 billion euros, or 2.2% of GDP, if no new budgetary measures were taken thanks to a forecast record corporate tax take of 22.7 billion euros.

☆ Brazil government projects 2022 primary surplus of $2.6 bln, first in nine years
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterBrazil's Economy Minister Paulo Guedes speaks during a news conference at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil June 6, 2022. The Economy Ministry forecast a 13.548 billion reais ($2.63 billion) primary budget surplus for the central government, comprising Brazil's Treasury, central bank and Social Security, as Reuters reported on Wednesday. The number sharply contrasts with the primary deficit of 59.354 billion reais seen in July and an official deficit target of 170.5 billion reais for 2022. The government also announced in the report the need to freeze an additional 2.6 billion reais in expenses to comply with the constitutional spending cap. ($1 = 5.1437 reais)Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Marcela Ayres Editing by Chris Reese and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A new Taliban decree orders Afghanistan's women to veil their faces in public, and if they don't comply, male relatives face punishment
▼ + stars: | 2022-05-07 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The Taliban ruled that Afghan women will have to cover their faces in public. If women do not comply, their closest male relative could face imprisonment or be fired from government jobs. Most women in Afghanistan already choose to wear a headscarf but often do not cover their faces in urban areas like Kabul, Afghanistan's capital. Since taking control of Afghanistan in August of last year, the Taliban have introduced draconian laws imposing restrictions on women's freedom. The experts criticized what they described as the Taliban's "attempt to steadily erase women and girls from public life."

☆ The real Volodymyr Zelenskyy. His US film editor reveals the man behind the scenes.
▼ + stars: | 2022-03-05 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has become an international icon amid the Russian invasion of his country. David Dodson, left, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, in Lviv, Ukraine. Maya_MaksimovaDavid Dodson, an American film editor, first met Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York in 2008. And for Dodson, it was the start of a decadelong working relationship with the future Ukrainian president. David Dodson and Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a rehearsal in Kyiv, Ukraine.

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