Business
Russians fear losing jobs to AI – poll
Almost 40% of Russian employees fear they could be replaced by AI, a survey has found
Apple removes popular messaging apps in China
The iPhone maker says it was ordered by Beijing to remove WhatsApp, Threads, Telegram, and Signal from the local marketplace
Oil prices spike after Israel strikes Iran
Global prices for crude oil jumped by more than 3% on Friday after Israel carried out a military attack on Iran
Euro hits historic low in SWIFT transactions
The euro’s share in international payments via SWIFT totalled 21.93%, a drop to the lowest mark ever
Major bank says EU trying to force it out of Russia
Raiffeisen Bank says it is being pressured by the European Central Bank to more rapidly scale back its presence in Russia
US reimposes Venezuela sanctions
The Biden administration has announced the end of a sanctions waiver on Venezuelan oil sector over concerns about “democratic principles”
SWIFT must be ‘killed off’ – top Russian banker
VTB chief Andrey Kostin says Western-dominated payment systems should be avoided to free up international commerce
Bank of America issues $130 oil warning
A direct Israel-Iran war could drive oil prices up by $30-$40 per barrel in the second quarter, BofA’s research says, as quoted by CNBC
Colombia wants to join BRICS
Colombia wants to join BRICS as soon as possible and Brazil will promote its bid, a joint statement from the countries’ leaders says
ECB fires back at plans to seize Russian assets
US-backed proposals to use frozen Russian assets in Ukraine could hurt the international order, the ECB president has warned
Staunch critic of Russia resumes grain purchases
Lithuania reportedly imported over 12,000 tons of Russian grain in February
Russian court to consider terminating Starbucks trademark rights
A businessman who has bought Starbucks assets in the country has asked a court to terminate the US coffee chain’s trademark rights
IMF sharply raises Russia’s economic growth forecast
The International Monetary Fund expects Russia’s GDP to grow 3.2% this year, significantly more than the UK, France and Germany
Japan to retain oil and gas interests in Russia
Japan intends to retain its stakes in Sakhalin-1 and Sakhalin-2 oil and gas projects, the foreign ministry has said
IMF lambasts US over ballooning debt
The unsustainable rise of the US national debt is posing risk for the global economy, the International Monetary Fund says
Russian seaborne oil shipments hit 11-month high – Bloomberg
Seaborne exports of Russian crude surged to an 11-month high in the second week of April, Bloomberg has reported