7 Sep 2022

Trust in dollar gone – Putin

by | posted in: Politics | 0

Russia is gradually moving away from ‘untrustworthy’ currencies, the Russian president says

Traditional reserve currencies like the US dollar and the euro have lost their credibility as a basis for international settlements, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

“Western countries have undermined the foundations of the global economic system. There is a loss of confidence in the dollar, the euro and the pound sterling as currencies in which to conduct transactions, hold assets and reserves,” he stated at the seventh annual Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

He also noted that this tendency pushes Russia and many other nations to switch to other currencies, most notably the Chinese yuan.

“Step by step we are moving away from the use of these unreliable, compromised currencies. And by the way, even US allies are gradually reducing their savings and payments in dollars, according to statistics… I will note that yesterday Gazprom and its Chinese partners agreed to pay for gas in rubles and yuan in a 50/50 split,” Putin said.

7 Sep 2022

Russia’s Far East has huge potential – Indian ambassador

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The vast region could be part of the two nations’ growing cooperation, Shri Pavan Kapoor says

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it a priority to bring trade and economic relations with Russia forward, Ambassador Shri Pavan Kapoor told RT on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

“Certainly, the Russian Far East has a special role in that whole approach,” the ambassador to Russia said, noting that there are a lot of prospects for cooperation.

“We have been working with Russia for 75 years … we will continue to work with our Russian friends, and we are making all efforts to see how we can assist each other, and will continue to do so not just in existing areas of cooperation but also in new ones when the opportunities arise.”

Kapoor noted that New Delhi has been looking at all available logistics opportunities, and Russia’s Northern Sea Route is one of them.

The diplomat also told RT that the central banks of India and Russia are working together to find ways to facilitate payment mechanisms.

“We have to realize that now usage of certain international currencies may not work in our bilateral trade, so we are going to find ways in which we can do these settlements in national currencies,” he explained.

7 Sep 2022

Russia reveals major areas for cooperation with China

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Sanction pressure is spurring heightened demand for industrial capacity, a business lobby says

The intense pressure placed on Russia by Western sanctions has forced the country to ramp up efforts to launch new factories and enterprises, according to Executive Director of the Russian-Chinese Business Council (CRBC) Evgeny Markin.

“Among the most important areas for cooperation between Russia and China are traditionally trade, and joint projects in the sphere of production of new plants and enterprises,” Markin told RT on the sidelines of the seventh annual Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

The official added that Russian companies are currently focused on creating new enterprises focused on high-value-added production.

“Before we exported raw material, but now we have reoriented to building plants and increasing added value of this or that product,” Markin said, stressing that Russia’s partners in China are offering a helping hand with technologies.

The CRBC, launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping back in 2004, promotes and supports bilateral economic projects, as well as cooperation between the Russian and Chinese business communities.

The council is a practical tool for implementing agreements clinched by the neighboring states at the highest level, according to Markin. To further that aim, the CRBC runs six committees that facilitate cooperation in the spheres of agriculture, energy, finance and investment, transport, and the promotion of international trade, among others.

7 Sep 2022

Harry Styles wows red carpet crowd at Venice fest’s ‘Don’t Worry Darling’ premiere

by | posted in: Society | 0

LIDO, Venice, Italy – Harry Styles arrived at the Venice Film Festival, greeted every step of the way by an “invasion” of his fans.

Styles attended Monday night’s red carpet world premiere “Don’t Worry Darling,” directed by and co-starring his girlfriend Olivia Wilde.

Florence Pugh, the period film’s endangered heroine Alice, has gone public with her dissatisfaction with the film and its director. She was not expected to show but was given a one-day break from filming “Dune 2” (like “Darling,” a Warner Bros. picture) to just walk the red carpet.

At the afternoon pre-premiere press conference, Wilde took the high road, thanking her profusely (“I’m so grateful she can be here tonight”) and dismissing “the tabloid gossip out there.”

“Darling” is a paranoid thriller set in the 1950s in a cult-like desert community where every husband works and every wife is thrilled to stay home, clean house and make meals. Naturally, there’s something not quite right in this rigorously ordained order.

“We want people to feel being heard and be inspired by a heroine like Alice,” Wilde said, “a revolutionary who’s ready to sacrifice to do what’s right. Those are the superheroes I want to see.”

Styles, low key and thoughtful, dominated the press conference (where he was seated as far from Wilde as possible), which included co-stars Gemma Chan and Chris Pine.

Asked about where acting fits with his music, “I don’t know,” he said. “I feel very lucky to get to do something I love as a job. I feel like being able to explore this has made me feel even luckier to do things I enjoy.

“As for the future? I try to go a day at a time. I enjoy both. It’s all fun and fun to be in this and see how they affect each other. But,” he added, “I don’t know, I haven’t thought about it that much.”

Styles was asked about the fans massed outside, one of whom was holding a sign that said, ‘You’re the only reason to live.’

“Wow,” he began. “I would say that I’m incredibly grateful to the people who have supported me in my life — and friends in particular who have allowed me to be myself and be comfortable and express myself and make the music I want to make. I would hope I can give that same space back to them. But,” he added, “say Hi to her.”