Russia's Medvedev mocks Trump over lack of submarines near Russia

Russia's Medvedev mocks Trump over lack of submarines near Russia

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev mocked U.S. PresidentDonald Trump, saying that the United States had not sent nuclear submarines to Russian shores as Trump had promised. Trump on Tuesday cast Medvedev as "a stupid person" and said that he had moved a "submarine or two" to the coast of Russia. He said in August that he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be moved to the "appropriate regions" in response to threats from Medvedev. "New episode of the thriller series," Medvedev said on X in English. "Trump once again brought up the subs he allegedly 'sent to the Russian shores' insisting they are 'very well hidden." "As the saying goes, it's hard to find a black cat in a dark room — especially if it's not there," Medvedev said. (Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)

byAdministrator

in

September 30, 2025

Russia's Medvedev mocks Trump over lack of submarines near Russia

Russia's Medvedev mocks Trump over lack of submarines near Russia MOSCOW (Reuters) -Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev mocked U.S....

Read More

Exclusive-Austria's Raiffeisen fails in new effort to sell stake in Russia, sources say

Exclusive-Austria's Raiffeisen fails in new effort to sell stake in Russia, sources say

By John O'Donnell and Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich VIENNA (Reuters) -Raiffeisen Bank International has failed in another attempt to sell a stake in its Russian business, two people familiar with the situation said, as Russia seeks to maintain a key financial bridge to the West. Raiffeisen's bank in Russia is the biggest lender in the country that is not subject to sanctions which have isolated local rivals, making it of critical importance for trade payments with Russia, including gas exports to Europe. Russian officials opposed a sale in part because they were concerned that a Russian buyer taking the stake could result in Western sanctions against RBI, the first person said. Both spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. STRANDED BILLIONS Raiffeisen has been looking to sell a stake in its Russian arm to a local buyer in the hope that Moscow would lift a block on it repatriating billions in profits from the business. It is also under pressure from the U.S. and European Union to pare back activity in Russia due to Moscow's war in Ukraine. A Raiffeisen spokesperson said it was cutting business in Russia and that any sale of its business required Russian approval, without commenting on any recent discussions. "RBI is negotiating about a sale of its Russian subsidiary," the spokesperson said, adding that the bank could not give a timeframe "as numerous regulatory approvals are required, including approvals of the Russian authorities." Chief Executive Johann Strobl had made several attempts in the past to sell a stake in the Russian business. The first person said he had visited Russia to this end. Russia's central bank said it would not comment on any discussions with specific banks. Reuters could not establish which officials and potential buyers RBI has talked to. ESCALATING TENSIONS The latest sale efforts foundered as tension between Moscow and the West has been building. European leaders have been stepping up preparations to use tens of billions of euros in Belgium belonging to the Russian central bank to help support Ukraine. Europe also wants to end Russian gas imports, following U.S.President Donald Trump's demand that Europe cut energy ties to Moscow. The shooting down of Russian drones over Poland has further strained relations. Vienna, capital of Austria and home to RBI, has also been recently criticised by former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who warned of consequences should Austria abandon neutrality. For now, Raiffeisen continues to be important for Russia for gas and other payments, the two people said, even as it pares back activity. Russia's opposition to a stake sale was grounded in a desire to maintain what remains of its economic ties with Europe, which still buys billions of euros of Russian oil and gas, albeit far less than before the war. A third person with knowledge of Raiffeisen's work in Russia said the country's authorities wanted to keep it as a gateway for money transfers with Europe and that the bank intended to continue to operate there. SPECIAL STATUS Austria and Russia have been intertwined since the Russian army's occupation of the country at the end of World War Two, handing back its independence on condition it stayed neutral. Austria went on to become the first Western European country to sign a deal to buy Russian gas, and Vienna became an important financial hub for Russia. Raiffeisen's special status and its size - far bigger than the other European banks in Russia, Italy's UniCredit and smaller Hungarian group OTP Bank - has allowed RBI to build up roughly 7 billion euros in profits now stranded there. If Raiffeisen was blacklisted by the West, that would throttle an important avenue for payments, further isolating Russia. Raiffeisen processes payments for the TurkStream pipeline, Russia's only remaining route for sending gas into Europe after others were cut, the people said. TurkStream delivered roughly 11.5 billion cubic metres of gas in the first eight months of this year via Turkey to European countries, including Bulgaria and Hungary. At average market prices, that gas was worth roughly $3.8 billion, making it an important part of Russia's gas exports. The third person said that despite RBI limiting outgoing euro payments, a small number of large Russian companies were allowed to make payments overseas in euros via the bank. The Raiffeisen spokesperson said that lending, deposits and payments in Russia had been reduced, and that payments "are subject to severe restrictions and are in compliance with sanctions". Raiffeisen has been heavily criticised by Ukrainian officials for banking activities in Russia, buoying its war economy. The bank is vulnerable to Russian penalties. Earlier this year it was ordered by a Russian court to pay 2 billion euros in damages over the collapse of a complex asset swap. (Reporting by John O'Donnell in Frankfurt and Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich in Vienna. Editing by Elisa Martinuzzi and Mark Potter)

byAdministrator

in

September 30, 2025

Exclusive-Austria's Raiffeisen fails in new effort to sell stake in Russia, sources say

Exclusive-Austria's Raiffeisen fails in new effort to sell stake in Russia, sources say By John O'Donnell and Alexandra Schwarz-Goer...

Read More

US to allow South Koreans to work at sites under temp visas, but clear solution elusive

US to allow South Koreans to work at sites under temp visas, but clear solution elusive

By Jack Kim and Hyunjoo Jin SEOUL (Reuters) -The United States has agreed to allow South Koreans to work on equipment at U.S. investment sites under existing temporary visas and open new channels to help its ally send workers to do business there, Seoul's foreign ministry said on Wednesday. But U.S. officials at a working group meeting offered no new answers to South Korea's argument for wider access to U.S. visas for specialty workers, despite reaffirming a commitment to advance the trade and investment partnership, the ministry said. The working group was set up in the aftermath of a massiveimmigrationraid at a Hyundai Motor car battery facility under construction in the U.S. state of Georgia in September, where hundreds of South Korean workers were arrested. The arrests, which stunned the South Korean government and public, highlighted the lack of access to the right class of U.S. visas for specialised South Korean workers needed at investment sites. The U.S. side, made up of officials from the Departments of State, Homeland Security and Commerce, made clear that South Korean workers can install, service and repair equipment needed as part of South Korean business investment in the U.S., using the ESTA visa waver programme and the B-1 temporary visas, South Korea's foreign ministry said. "The clarification on B-1 visas essentially confirms the route we were already using for short-term assignments under six months, such as equipment installation," Mira B. Park, head of the immigration department at the Visa Service Company, told Reuters. "However, in practice, even with a visa properly issued by a U.S. consulate and supported by the right documentation, we continue to see cases where workers are denied entry at the port of entry...That said, this measure does not solve the deeper issue," she said. A new section dedicated to visas related to South Korean businesses will be set up at the U.S. embassy in Seoul and U.S. immigration authorities will open a new channel with South Korean missions to better coordinate visa matters, according to the foreign ministry. The move can be a short-term fix to visa issues, but the U.S. needs to create a new visa type or increase visa quotas for skilled workers in Korea, said Park Tae-sung, vice chairman of Korea Battery Industry Association, whose member companies include LG Energy Solution. "This would help alleviate uncertainty about workers entering the U.S. and their fears about getting denied U.S. entries at U.S. airports," Park told Reuters. LG Energy Solution, which suspended work on its joint Georgia factory with Hyundai after the September raid, said: "We are grateful for the government's prompt support, and we will thoroughly prepare and work hard to normalise the construction and operation of our plants in the United States". LEGAL CONSTRAINTS The U.S. officials said a more fundamental change to U.S. visa systems to accommodate Seoul's demand for clearer and more certain access for its specialty workers faced "practical legislative constraints," the South Korean ministry said. South Korea has pushed for years for a bill that would create or expand visa categories to accommodate skilled South Korean nationals who need to visit the United States. That bill has had difficulty getting through Congress because visas are linked to immigration, one of the most sensitive subjects in the United States, according to South Korea's foreign ministry. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau stressed the "critical role" of the skilled workers of South Korean companies investing in the U.S. during the group's first meeting in Washington, the State Department separately said. The U.S. was committed to encouraging investment by companies from South Korea as one of the leading foreign investors in the country, the department said. The U.S. is working with Seoul on "processing appropriate visas for qualified ROK visitors to continue investing in America, in compliance with U.S. laws," it said in a statement, referring to South Korea. The working group will hold further meetings, South Korea's foreign ministry said. (Reporting by Jack Kim and Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Jamie Freed, Lincoln Feast and Michael Perry)

byAdministrator

in

September 30, 2025

US to allow South Koreans to work at sites under temp visas, but clear solution elusive

US to allow South Koreans to work at sites under temp visas, but clear solution elusive By Jack Kim and Hyunjoo Jin SEOUL (Reuters) -The Un...

Read More

Yankees turn to All-Star Carlos Rodon vs. Red Sox to stay alive

Yankees turn to All-Star Carlos Rodon vs. Red Sox to stay alive

NEW YORK -- Carlos Rodon watched Garrett Crochet debut as a promising hard-throwing reliever while they were teammates with the Chicago White Sox in 2020 and 2021. A lot has changed for both left-handers since, as Crochet is now the Boston Red Sox's staff ace and Rodon was an All-Star with the New York Yankees this season. Crochet dominated Game 1 of the Red Sox's American League wild-card series against the Yankees. Now it's Rodon who will be pitching to prevent New York from being ousted in the best-of-three series on Wednesday. The Red Sox opened the series by getting a dominant performance from Crochet, who allowed just one run -- on a second-inning homer by Anthony Volpe -- among four hits in 7 2/3 innings. Crochet retired 17 straight after Volpe went deep and threw the last of his 117 pitches at 100 mph for his 11th strikeout. Rodon will be pitching after the Yankees attempted to stage a late comeback against their former closer, Aroldis Chapman, by loading the bases with no outs. Chapman escaped with a strikeout, a flyout and another strikeout. "We have been playing these types of games for a while now," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after his team went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and struck out 13 times. "We have been playing with a lot on the line seemingly every single day. Tonight was a great baseball game that we just couldn't get that final punch in. So we will be ready to go, and I expect us to come out and get one tomorrow." Rodon will take the mound after holding opponents to an AL-best .188 batting average while setting a career high with 18 wins. Rodon went 7-2 with a 2.43 ERA in his last nine starts, which included 5 2/3 innings of one-hit ball in a 7-2 home win over Boston on Aug. 24 that started New York's 25-8 run to finish the season. He was 1-2 with a 5.74 ERA in three starts against the Red Sox this season and is 5-6 with a 4.28 ERA in 12 career starts vs. Boston. Rodon pitched four times in the postseason for the Yankees last season, going 1-2 with a 5.60 ERA. "I learned a lot about staying within myself and just trying to keep, you know, everything in check," Rodon said. "So hopefully I can keep that going for this year." Brayan Bello, who finished 11-9 and posted career-best figures in ERA (3.35) and innings (166 2/3), will make his postseason debut for Boston on Wednesday. The right-hander was 0-3 with a 5.79 ERA in his final three starts of the season. Bello will face a different Yankees lineup, as Boone figures to insert three left-handed hitters. Ben Rice likely will start at first base, Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second and Ryan McMahon at third. "We have a tough one tomorrow again," Boston manager Alex Cora said. "Rodon has been amazing throughout this season. They are obviously going to have their left-handed hitters in the lineup. We have Brayan, who likes it here, pitched well here throughout his career. I expect the game to be just like this one." One of Bello's losses in the final weeks came against the Yankees in Boston on Sept. 13, when he allowed four runs on five hits in five innings. He is 5-4 with a 2.35 ERA in 11 career starts against New York, including 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA in three outings vs. the Yankees this year. In five lifetime outings at Yankee Stadium, Bello is 3-1 with a 1.44 ERA in five starts. "I feel like as soon as you step on the field, you feel the pressure from the fans, even when you are in the bullpen and you go to the mound," Bello said through a translator on Monday. "For me, nothing changes preparation-wise, but I feel like that extra pressure from the fans and from everybody, it gets me going." --Larry Fleisher, Field Level Media

byAdministrator

in

September 30, 2025

Yankees turn to All-Star Carlos Rodon vs. Red Sox to stay alive

Yankees turn to All-Star Carlos Rodon vs. Red Sox to stay alive NEW YORK -- Carlos Rodon watched Garrett Crochet debut as a promising hard-t...

Read More

How do the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury match up? First look at 2025 WNBA Finals

How do the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury match up? First look at 2025 WNBA Finals

And then there were two. The 2025 WNBA Finals is set as the No. 2 seedLas Vegas Acesand No. 4 seedPhoenix Mercurywill face off following wins over the No. 6 seedIndiana Fever(3-2) and No. 1 seedMinnesota Lynx(3-1), respectively, in the best-of-five semifinal round. This will be the Aces fourth Finals appearance since 2020 and the Mercury's first since 2021. The WNBA Finals is expanding to a best-of-seven series, which will follow a 2-2-1-1-1 format that will see the higher seed Aces hosting the first two games at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas. The series will shift to PHX Arena in Phoenix for Game 3 and 4. The Aces are vying for their third WNBA championship in four years, while the Mercury are in search of their first title since 2014. Aces center A'ja Wilson is also trying to become the second player in league history to win the league MVP and a WNBA championship in the same season twice. (Cynthia Cooper won the MVP and titles in 1997 and 1998 and Wilson in 2022.) The journey to the title continues on Friday. Here's a look at the 2025 WNBA Finals, including projected starting lineups, full rosters, head-to-head records and X factors: Las Vegas won the regular-season series vs. Phoenix, 3-1 Date Game M Time (ET) TV Channel Fri, Oct. 3 1 Mercury at Aces 8:00PM ESPN Sun, Oct. 5 2 Mercury at Aces 3:00PM ABC Wed, Oct. 8 3 Aces at Mercury 8:00PM ESPN Fri, Oct. 10 4 Aces at Mercury 8:00PM ESPN Sun, Oct. 12 5* Mercury at Aces 3:00PM ABC Wed, Oct. 15 6* Aces at Mercury 8:00PM ESPN Fri, Oct. 17 7* Mercury at Aces 8:00PM ESPN *if necessary Head coach:Becky Hammon 0Jackie Young| G 6' 0" - Notre Dame 1Kierstan Bell| F 6' 1" - Florida Gulf Coast 3NaLyssa Smith| F 6' 4" - Baylor 12Chelsea Gray| G 5' 11" - Duke 22A'ja Wilson| C 6' 5" - South Carolina Batman has Robin, and A'ja Wilson has teammate Jackie Young. Wilson is a gamechanger but the four-time MVP proved she's only human with a couple of "stinkers" in the semifinal round against the Fever. Wilson was limited to 13 points (6-of-20 FG; 1-of-2 3PT) in Game 3, but the Aces still beat the Fever behind a 25-point performance from Young. The dynamic duo were the highest scoring pair in the league this season, averaging a combined 39.9 points per game. Wilson and Young made history in Game 5 by becoming the first pair of teammates to score 30-plus points in the same game, finishing with 35 and 30 points in the must-win game. Wilson and Young can only carry the team so far, as evidenced in Game 5. Chelsea Gray and Jewell Loyd lifted the Aces to the finish line in overtime and will be critical moving forward. "It's not just one person, it's not just five people, it's everybody," Wilson said. The Aces not only have the highest field goal percentage (48.5%) and the highest amount of average points (87.0) in the postseason, Las Vegas has experience, playing in their third WNBA Finals in the four years. Smith was fire in the Aces' semifinal series win against the Indiana Fever, the team that drafted her No. 2 overall in 2022. After averaging 6.6 points in the Aces' first-round series against the Seattle Storm, Smith aggressively looked to score against the Fever. The forward averaged 11.5 points in four games, including an 18-point performance in their Game 2 win, shooting 7-of-9 from the field and securing seven rebounds. "When you are on a team where winning is the standard, it raises your level of focus," Smithsaid. Wilson's load is eased when Smith is on the court, but she must stay out of foul trouble. (She had five fouls in Games 3, 4, and 5.) Head coach:Nate Tibbetts 0Satou Sabally| F 6' 4" - Oregon 2Kahleah Copper| G 6' 1" - Rutgers 4Natasha Mack| C 6' 4" - Oklahoma State 8Monique Akoa Makani| G 5' 11" - Cameroon 25Alyssa Thomas| F 6' 2" - Maryland The Phoenix Mercury's stout defense is undeniable. The Mercury turned in a defensive clinic and leaned into their physicality to knock out the league-leading Minnesota Lynx. The Mercury have the best defensive rating of the 2025 WNBA playoffs (92.2), holding opponents to the fewest points (75.9) and paint points (32) per game this postseason. That'll make for an interesting matchup as the Aces' have scored 47.5% of their points in the paint. We can't forget about the Mercury's ability to score, primarily Phoenix's Big 3 of Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally and Kahleah Copper, who average 47.3 combined points per game this season. The Mercury haven't been shooting the 3-pointer as consistently as they did in the regular season, averaging 31.4%, slightly down from the team's 34% average in the regular season. If the Mercury can get going from the 3-point line and stretch the floor, they will be clicking on all cylinders heading into the WNBA Finals. The Mercury entered the postseason with the highest scoring bench in the league and Phoenix will need two-time WNBA champions Sami Whitcomb and DeWanna Bonner to win the Mercury's first title since 2014. Whitcomb was pivotal in the Mercury's Game 2 comeback win over the Lynx, knocking down a clutch 3-pointer to send the contest to overtime. But Whitcomb was held to four points (2-of-7 FG, 0-of-2 3PT) in 24 minutes in Game 3 and six points (2-of-8 FG, 1-of-6 3PT) in 27 minutes in Game 4. The Mercury are 2-1 this postseason when Whitcomb scores 10 or more points. Bonner struggled in the first three games of the semis against the Lynx, averaging 2.6 points in about 24 minutes per game, although she found other ways to impact the game, with eight rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block in Game 3. Bonner turned in a breakout performance in the Mercury's Game 4 win over the Lynx to clinch the semifinal series, scoring 11 of her 14 points in the fourth quarter, including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. The Mercury will benefit if she can consistently contribute on both sides of the ball. Bonner has appeared in 94 career playoff games, the most in WNBA history, and her experience will be crucial in the Finals. She previously won two titles with the Mercury in 2009 and 2014. # NAME POS EXP HT COLLEGE 0 Jackie Young G 7 6' 0" Notre Dame 1 Kierstan Bell F 3 6' 1" Florida Gulf Coast 3 NaLyssa Smith F 3 6' 4" Baylor 11 Dana Evans G 4 5' 6" Louisville 12 Chelsea Gray G 10 5' 11" Duke 13 Aaliyah Nye G Rookie 6' 0" Alabama 17 Megan Gustafson C 6 6' 4" Iowa 22 A'ja Wilson C 7 6' 5" South Carolina 24 Jewell Loyd G 10 5' 11" Notre Dame 32 Cheyenne Parker-Tyus F 10 6' 4" Middle Tennessee State 41 Kiah Stokes C 10 6' 3" Connecticut # NAME POS EXP HT COLLEGE 0 Satou Sabally F 5 6' 4" Oregon 1 Alexa Held G Rookie 5' 10" DePaul 2 Kahleah Copper G 9 6' 1" Rutgers 4 Natasha Mack F 4 6' 4" Oklahoma State 8 Monique Akoa Makani G Rookie 5' 11" Cameroon 9 Kitija Laksa G Rookie 6' 1" South Florida 14 DeWanna Bonner G 16 6' 4" Auburn 21 Kalani Brown C 7 6' 7" Baylor 23 Kiana Williams G 4 5' 8" Stanford 24 Kathryn Westbeld F Rookie 6' 3" Notre Dame 25 Alyssa Thomas F 11 6' 2" Maryland 33 Sami Whitcomb G 8 5' 10" Washington Who will be the next team to join this list? Year Champion Runner-Up New York Liberty Minnesota Lynx Las Vegas Aces New York Liberty Las Vegas Aces Connecticut Sun Chicago Sky Phoenix Mercury Seattle Storm Las Vegas Aces Washington Mystics Connecticut Sun Seattle Storm Washington Mystics Minnesota Lynx Los Angeles Sparks Los Angeles Sparks Minnesota Lynx Minnesota Lynx Indiana Fever Phoenix Mercury Chicago Sky Minnesota Lynx Atlanta Dream Indiana Fever Minnesota Lynx Minnesota Lynx Atlanta Dream Seattle Storm Atlanta Dream Phoenix Mercury Indiana Fever Detroit Shock San Antonio Silver Stars Phoenix Mercury Detroit Shock Detroit Shock Sacramento Monarchs Sacramento Monarchs Connecticut Sun Seattle Storm Connecticut Sun Detroit Shock Los Angeles Sparks Los Angeles Sparks New York Liberty Los Angeles Sparks Charlotte Sting Houston Comets New York Liberty Houston Comets New York Liberty Houston Comets Phoenix Mercury Houston Comets New York Liberty The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:How do the Aces and Mercury match up? 2025 WNBA Finals analysis

byAdministrator

in

September 30, 2025

How do the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury match up? First look at 2025 WNBA Finals

How do the Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury match up? First look at 2025 WNBA Finals And then there were two. The 2025 WNBA Finals is set ...

Read More