Latest news with #StPetersburg
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Russia's economy minister says the country is on ‘the brink of recession'
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Russia's economy is 'on the brink of going into a recession,' the country's economy minister said Thursday, according to Russian media reports. Economy Minister Maxim Reshetnikov delivered the warning at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the annual event in Russia's second largest city designed to highlight the country's economic prowess and court foreign investors. Russian business news outlet RBC quoted the official as saying 'the numbers indicate cooling, but all our numbers are (like) a rearview mirror. Judging by the way businesses currently feel and the indicators, we are already, it seems to me, on the brink of going into a recession.' The economy, hit with a slew of sanctions after the Kremlin sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022, has so far outperformed predictions. High defense spending has propelled growth and kept unemployment low despite fueling inflation. At the same time, wages have gone up to keep pace with inflation, leaving many workers better off. Large recruiting bonuses for military enlistees and death benefits for those killed in Ukraine also have put more income into the country's poorer regions. But over the long term, inflation and a lack of foreign investments remain threats to the economy, leaving a question mark over how long the militarized economy can keep going. Economists have warned of mounting pressure on the economy and the likelihood it would stagnate due to lack of investment in sectors other than the military. Speaking at a forum session, Reshetnikov said Russia was 'on the brink,' and whether the country would slide into a recession or not depends on the government's actions. 'Going forward, it all depends on our decisions,' Reshetnikov said, according to RBC. RBC reported Russia's Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Central Bank Gov. Elvira Nabiullina gave more optimistic assessments. Siluanov spoke about the economy 'cooling' but noted that after any cooling 'the summer always comes,' RBC reported.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia to return 5 Ukrainian children separated from families by war
Russia announced on Thursday that it is returning to Ukraine five children who have been separated from their families by the war. Maria Lvova-Belova, the Kremlin's commissioner of children's rights, told reporters that the Ukrainian children will be reunited with their families in Ukraine by the end of this month. The children were on a list of 339 children that Ukrainian officials gave their Russian counterparts during the last round of peace talks earlier this month in Istanbul, Turkey -- negotiations that failed to bring the three-year war to an end. In response to a question from the Russian news agency Interfax, Lvova-Belova, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, said the delay in sending the Ukrainian children back to their county was "due to their studies." "They are finishing the school year and after that they will return to their relatives in Ukraine," she said. Lvova-Belova did not mention status of the other children on Ukraine's list. MORE: How Trump's threats to abandon Ukraine war pose battlefield conundrums for Kyiv According to Lvova-Belova, Russia is preparing its own list of Russian children believed to be in Ukraine. She said it will be handed over to Ukrainian officials whenever the next round of negotiations is scheduled. MORE: Ukrainian children who fled Russia's invasion transform Ukrainian school in Canada "We also have children in Ukraine who require reunification with Russian families," Lvova-Belova said. "At the moment, we have eight children on the list who are in EU countries. They were evacuated there from Ukraine, and their parents are in Russia. And from Ukraine, we have about 10 people, with whom we are also currently negotiating their return." Ukrainian officials have alleged that many of the country's children have been abducted and taken to Russia since the war began in February 2022, when Russian troops invaded Ukraine. MORE: Trump faces mounting pressure at home and abroad as he weighs options on Iran In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued warrants for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin on war crimes charges related to the abduction of Ukrainian children. The Kremlin, however, has denied the allegations, saying the children were taken out of war zones for their own protection. ABC News' Anna Sergeeva contributed to this report.
Al Jazeera
5 hours ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Russia, Indonesia deepen ties as Putin and Prabowo meet in St Petersburg
Russian President Vladimir Putin met his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto as Moscow bids to strengthen ties in the Global South amid Western efforts to isolate the country following its war on Ukraine. On Thursday, Putin and Prabowo met in the Russian city of St Petersburg and signed a declaration on strategic partnership. Danatara, Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund, and the Russian Direct Investment Fund, whose CEOs were also in Saint Petersburg, signed an agreement to create an investment fund worth 2 billion euros ($2.29bn). In a statement after the talks, Prabowo said that the relationship between the two countries was 'getting stronger again'. 'My meeting with President Putin today was intense, warm and productive. In all fields of economics, technical cooperation, trade, investment, agriculture – they all have experienced significant improvements,' he said. Moreover, during the meeting at the Konstantin Palace, Putin acknowledged Indonesia's entry into the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) grouping of emerging economies as a full member. 'Our relations with Indonesia are developing steadily. Trade turnover is growing. We have good prospects in a number of promising and very interesting areas of cooperation,' Putin said, according to Russian state news outlet TASS. 'This includes agriculture, space, and energy, as well as military-technical cooperation. Our interaction is very great, and it is growing,' he added. As Southeast Asia's largest economy relies primarily on coal as a source of power, despite its massive potential for renewable energy sources such as hydro, solar, and geothermal, Indonesia is seeking to boost power generation while capping its carbon emissions, considering nuclear power as a solution. With Jakarta maintaining a neutral foreign policy, it has walked a delicate balance between regional competitors, China and the United States. But Prabowo, who came to power last year, has looked to diversify the country's alliances instead of relying heavily on Western partners. His decision to skip the G7 summit in Canada this week in favour of talks with Putin raised fears of a tilt towards Moscow, analysts have said, after the two countries held their first joint naval drills last year. Meanwhile, the Russian leader said that on Friday, he and Prabowo will take part in the plenary session of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.
The National
6 hours ago
- Business
- The National
Putin ready to help bring end to Israel-Iran conflict, Russia's sovereign fund chief says
Russia 's President Vladimir Putin is open to playing his part in any US-led regional mediation between Israel and Iran, the head of Russia's sovereign wealth fund said on Thursday. 'I think it's very important, the next three to five days will be very decisive,' Kirill Dmitriev, chief executive of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, told The National on the sidelines of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. 'Russia, as President Putin mentioned, is willing to be very helpful in this very important [matter] for the world situation.' This message from Mr Dmitriev − who has been at the helm of the state-controlled investment vehicle since its inception in 2011 − comes as the US contemplates joining Israel in strikes on Iran's military and nuclear assets. The conflict that began last week has roiled energy markets and sent jitters through financial investors, who are closely watching Washington's next move. US President Donald Trump has said he 'may' or 'may not' choose to carry out strikes on targets in Iran. Iran and Russia have deep historical ties, both economic and defensive, but the Kremlin's relationship with Tehran in recent years has centred mostly around Iranian drone production for the Russian war in Ukraine. The two sides are also regularly engaged in discussions on Opec+ oil output caps. Impact on oil markets 'If you look at [the crisis] simply economically, we could see significant spike in oil prices, which, you know, may be good in the short term,' Mr Dmitriev said. However, Russia, he added has always been an advocate of stable oil prices, he added. 'Because this is good for investments, for consumers and for producers. So again, we'll see. I think in the past we had experience where Russia, the US and Saudi Arabia jointly acted to stabilise oil prices, we will see if that is needed or not,' he said. 'Trump understands Putin' Mr Dmitriev is no stranger to Russian diplomatic efforts. Most recently, he attended talks in Riyadh in March, alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Discussions were held with a US team including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, and the then national security adviser Mike Waltz. 'President Trump … really understands how President Putin thinks, what the options are,' Mr Dmitriev said. 'The direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are the result of President Trump and his team pushing for direct discussions. 'I think also we see some recognition from the Trump administration that US sanctions have been negatively affecting US businesses.' Sanctions 'not way forward' With Russia now facing a possible 18th round of economic sanctions from Europe and further US sanctions expected from the Senate in July, Mr Dmitriev said that in the White House, at least, there is a growing understanding that the current financial tools do not work. 'For example, are you really going to have a 500 per cent tariff on one nation if you stabilise tariffs with some of the key nations? Most people don't think it's realistic,' Mr Dmitriev said.
New York Times
6 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
The knuckleball's return? Plus: Sorry for the jinx, Aaron Judge
The Windup Newsletter ⚾ | This is The Athletic's MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly in your inbox. How much does a 'small market' team go for these days? We're about to find out. Plus: New hope for knuckleballers in the Tigers system, a reminder on something catchers can't do, and Ken (… sigh …) Ken jinxed Aaron Judge, you guys. I'm Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal — welcome to the Windup! Yesterday was a big day for buying sports teams. First, the Rays announced that ownership was in 'exclusive negotiations' with a group headed by Jacksonville-based real estate developer Patrick Zalupski, likely signaling the end of a somewhat tumultuous last year for current owner Stu Sternberg. Last summer, things were looking up, with the team and the city of St. Petersburg in agreement on a $1.3 billion stadium deal. But that was before Hurricane Milton tore the roof off Tropicana Field, forcing the team to temporarily move to George Steinbrenner Field — the Yankees' spring training facility — for 2025. Advertisement It also set back the funding process; the city was, understandably, preoccupied with more urgent matters. But the Rays contended that the delays would increase the cost (since the timeline would be shorter) and the city should pay for the overage. No go. Ultimately, the Rays scuttled the agreement, city officials called for Sternberg to sell, and other owners and commissioner Rob Manfred also pressured him to sell. By then, it was not exactly a surprise. The reported value of the team is $1.7 billion. Meanwhile … if you think Dodgers owner Mark Walter has spent a ton on free agency recently, get a load of this: He just went out and got LeBron James and Luka Dončić, too. Well, sorta. He has agreed in principle to purchase the Los Angeles Lakers for somewhere between $10 billion and $12 billion. Either would be a global record for a sports franchise. And lastly: BIG NEWS! John Fisher is selling the team!! … The soccer team. Not the A's. Nuts. Two Saturdays ago, while covering Red Sox-Yankees for Fox, I learned something interesting about Aaron Judge's offensive approach. Nothing earth-shattering, nothing that would earn me my long-awaited Pulitzer, but a decent angle I felt was worth pursuing. I couldn't talk to Judge that day, but I did some other interviews for the story during the week. We had Red Sox-Yankees again last Saturday, so I knew I would get another crack at Judge. I was on a mission. And I spoke with him before the game, completing my reporting. What could go wrong? At the time, Judge was the hottest hitter on the planet, batting .390 with 26 home runs. Any angle on him was a good angle, right? I wrote the story Sunday and planned to publish it Monday, excited to get it out there. Faithful readers will notice the story still has not appeared. Advertisement After the Yankees were swept by the Red Sox last weekend, we decided to hold off, thinking the timing was not appropriate. If we had published, our readers would have lit me up in the comments, saying, 'Not now, idiot!' and other such niceties. Mind you, I'm quite accustomed to readers lighting me up in the comments. But publishing the Judge story after the Yankees were swept would have been the journalistic equivalent of robbing a grocery store with two dozen cops standing outside. We figured we'd delay the story a day or two, then publish as soon as Judge got hot again. Well, we've waited. And waited. And waited some more. And now, I'm starting to wonder whether this sucker will ever see the light of day. Since I interviewed Judge, the day after he hit a dramatic, game-tying shot off Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet, he is 1-for-19 with 11 strikeouts. His batting average has dropped from .390 to .366. And the Yankees have lost six straight games, getting swept by the Red Sox and dropping the first three games of four against the Los Angeles Angels. Their lead in the AL East is down to 1 1/2 games. I know what you're thinking: I jinxed Judge. Fair analysis. I also jinxed the Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers, whom I predicted would meet in the World Series. Both will be lucky to make the playoffs. Jinxing, I guess, is what I do. But enough about my victims. What about me? I've got 1,700 glorious words waiting to be filed. What you eventually will read, if Judge ever snaps out of it, will be a different version. Revisions will be necessary. Words like 'historic' and 'Superman' and 'godlike' will need to be deleted. At this point, I'm just hoping the story appears before the All-Star break. Or before the decade is over. All you Yankee fans in a tizzy over the team's slump, I feel your pain. Maybe it's just me — after all, I once suggested a 621-foot 'crevasse' for a stadium — but I adore the weird and esoteric parts of this great sport. So of course I love the knuckleball. The pitch is — pardon a reference I'm not proud of — too weird to live, too rare to die. Except, in recent years, it has seemed rather dead. Adrian Morejon throws one once in a while. Matt Waldron threw it regularly last year, but he's back in the minors. The last knuckleballer to stick around? R.A. Dickey, who last pitched in 2017. Advertisement I know the game has changed, but c'mon — Dickey won 20 games and a Cy Young award in 2012. Charlie Hough, Tim Wakefield, Phil Niekro and Hoyt Wilhelm pitched an average of 22.5 seasons throwing it. Surely baseball hasn't completely tossed it aside, right? Take heart. Cody Stavenhagen has a great story today about Kenny Serwa, a 27-year-old who was recently called up to Double A in the Tigers organization. Serwa throws two versions of the pitch: one is slower. The other? It's the hardest knuckleball in Statcast history, at 88.5 mph. Throw in a sinker, cutter, curveball and mid-90s fastball, and … I'm intrigued. Stavenhagen does a brilliant job not only of telling Serwa's story, but also explaining why the pitch has fallen out of favor in big-league front offices. It's for the same reason it can be such an effective weapon: It's unpredictable. Citing physics professors, former big-leaguers and the folks at Tread Athletics, Stavenhagen fills us in on the kid who was playing indie ball and delivering pizzas in Chicago last year. Here's hoping he makes it. The baseball world is a little weirder when there's a successful knuckleballer hanging around. I see this same play crop up once in a while online, and the comments are always similar: 'I didn't know you couldn't do that!' 'First time I've ever seen that' or 'What a stupid rule.' I have no opinion on the stupidity of the rule, but it is a rule! Here, watch this GIF and see if you can tell what Luis Torrens does wrong: The Braves take a 2-0 lead when Luis Torrens uses his mask to scoop the baseball and the runners on 2nd and 3rd are both awarded a base [image or embed] — Baseball GIFs (@ June 18, 2025 at 4:42 PM That's right: Torrens attempted to corral the ball with his mask. You can't do that. He knew it, too — if you watch again, you can see him attempt to drop the mask quickly, hoping the umpire missed the infraction. Home plate umpire Edwin Jimenez was on it, though. And unfortunately for the Mets, there were runners on second and third when it happened. Each was awarded one base, increasing the Braves' lead to 2-0. Advertisement It was but the latest Mets catching scenario to give fans a bit of agita. Francisco Alvarez made some miscues the night before, and his power has been nonexistent this year. The Mets say they're not yet inclined to send him to the minor leagues to sort it out, though — as Tim Britton reports — that's … yet. And of course, it's all magnified by the fact that last night's 5-0 loss gives the Mets a five-game losing streak. NL East lead down to one game. Thought we were done with the All-Quarter Century Team? Not quite! Jayson Stark and Tyler Kepner — along with help from fan voting — have now assembled a full 40-man roster. The Dodgers are expected to announce plans to assist the immigrant community in Los Angeles. This comes on the heels of some controversy earlier this week, when singer Nezza said a team official told her not to sing the national anthem in Spanish. After comments over the weekend about how the Nats' losing streak — now 11 games — is 'never on the coaches' … is manager Davey Martinez on the hot seat? Pete Crow-Armstrong's great season with the bat might be overshadowing it, but his defense has been special this year in Chicago. Tragedy in Florida: Orioles minor leaguer Luis Guevara was killed in a jet ski accident. Keith Law has his list of the biggest draft misses from 2015, and Melissa Lockard has notes from this year's MLB Draft Combine. After a stunning three-run, two-out ninth-inning rally to walk off Arkansas, LSU is advancing to the College World Series final. They'll face Coastal Carolina. On the pods: The 'Rates & Barrels' crew talks about Cal Raleigh's MVP case and the importance of good communication. Programming note: No newsletter tomorrow — we're taking today off from writing in observance of Juneteenth. 📫 Love The Windup? Check out The Athletic's other newsletters.
