Vladimir Putin

"The unemployment rate was at a historic low, even before the pandemic, our unemployment rate was 4.7 per cent, and the latest labour market data (shows) it is 3.6 percent," Xinhua news agency quoted Putin as saying on Tuesday. I think nobody expected that. Everyone expected that plants will stop. They are functioning. The unemployment rate goes down. Incomes have a slight uptick.

On Friday, Zelensky instructed authorities to "thoroughly study" the proposal to officially rename Russia to 'Moscovia'. He was reacting to an online petition, which argued that the name 'Russia' provided grounds for "further encroachment" on the history of Kievan Rus, a medieval state from which both Russia and Ukraine trace their origin, Russia Today (RT) reported.

As per reports, the Kremlin is working to clear Putin's schedule to make it possible for the Russian President to participate after he had to skip the last two summits. Reports said that even as the Kremlin is currently considering this, no decision has been taken in this regard. No official confirmation has been issued in this regard, even though India has formally invited Putin and the Kremlin has accepted it.

The Ukrainian leader made the remarks to CNN in an interview on Wednesday night amid intense fighting in Bakhmut, which according to Zelensky will pave an "open road" for Russian troops to capture key areas if they are able to seize the besieged eastern city. Regarding talks with the Russian side, Zelensky said that they cannot currently envisage a situation in which he would meet Putin.

The two sides on Monday exchanged views on economic cooperation and ways to expand it, particularly in the field of international transportation, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the website of the Iranian President's office. The two leaders also reviewed initiatives involving regional transportation development, according to Mohammad Jamshidi, deputy chief of staff for political affairs to the Iranian President.

Earlier, the Governor of Bryansk region had said that "saboteurs from Ukraine" had fired at a civilian car in Lyubechane, a border village, killing one person and injuring a child, BBC reported. Speaking on Russian state TV, Putin said, "Today they committed another terrorist act, another crime, penetrated the border area and opened fire on civilians.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law officially suspending his country's participation in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with the US. The law came into force immediately after the signing on Tuesday and the decision to resume Russia's participation in the treaty is up to the head of state, reports Xinhua news agency.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin threatened to have his men bring Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu's son-in-law Alexey Stolyarov (33) to him so he could be trained to go and fight in Ukraine, Daily Mail reported. Prigozhin said the fitness influencer could be 'raped' or face the notorious 'sledgehammer' that Wagner has used to kill defectors, as the bitter rift.

The Russian President claimed that America's "satellite states" are also well aware of the US' "egoistic" intentions, but, have chosen to ignore it, for the time being, "due to various reasons connected first and foremost with huge dependence in the economic sphere and defence".

Yellen was addressing the media ahead of the first G20 finance ministers and central bank governors' meeting set to begin here from Friday. The US Treasury Secretary said that the twin goals of degrading Russia's military-industrial complex and reducing the revenues that it can use to fund its war are succeeding.