VAT on foreign goods from the markets, Mira Murati’s new project in the field of AI: the main thing for business October 19

in the world

• After a total blackout in the country, Cuban authorities report a partial restoration of the electricity supply. But for now we are talking only about a few areas of Havana.

• ATOR: There have been no massive cancellations of trips to Cuba due to failures in the country’s electricity supply. Previously, Rossiya Airlines reported that it had no plans to cancel flights to Cuba.

• RIA Novosti: If current trends continue, the trade volume between Russia and the United States will decline by the end of the year to $3.7 billion, the lowest level since 1992.

• OneTwoTrip: the number of business trips to Japan and China has doubled. Business interest in Austria, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia has increased markedly.

• SpaceX won a space tender worth $733.5 million and launched 20 new satellites.

In Russia

• The Ministry of Finance proposed to impose VAT on all imported goods sold in online stores. They plan to take responsibility for the payment of VAT to the markets or sellers.
• Anton Siluanov: Budget expenditures in 2024 may increase by 1.5 trillion rubles. The funds will be used to offset the prime mortgage (in addition to the defense industry).
• Mikhail Mishustin signed the resignation “at his own request” of the First Deputy Minister of Economy, Ilya Torosov. According to several media outlets, he wants to return to the banking sector and Maxim Kolesnikov could replace him.

• Deputy head of the presidential administration Maxim Oreshkin became the president’s special representative on issues of financial and economic cooperation with the BRICS countries. Previously he headed the Ministry of Economic Development.

• Demand for mortgages in the new building market in January-September 2024 decreased in Moscow by 60% compared to the same period in 2023. In Krasnodar – 49%, in Krasnoyarsk – 41%, in Yekaterinburg – 40% %.

• Netflix shares closed up 11% thanks to its strong financials. The service increased its quarterly revenue and profits and attracted 5.1 million new users.

in business

• Reuters: Mira Murati is seeking capital for a new AI startup. Former OpenAI research vice president Barrett Zof may also be involved in the project.
• The creators of the game Tales of Kenzera announced a hiatus pending a new publisher. Founded by actor Abubakar Salim, the studio was based on ethnocultural action.

• The head of General Motors announced that he had overcome the crisis and maintained plans for electric cars. Until the end of the year, the concern intends to start making money on battery models and, until 2035, abandon gasoline cars.

• Gazprom-Media will reduce office space on Krasnopresnenskaya embankment by half. This is due to the “move” of the company to Saint Petersburg; There will only be one “representative office” left in the capital.

• Meta (recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation) introduced a new self-learning AI model. Furthermore, for their training they used data entirely generated by AI.

• Flibusta online library servers, blocked in the Russian Federation, have been paid off. “The site is under maintenance, we are working in stable mode,” wrote the project’s author, Stiver, who previously reported that the project was completed due to his serious illness.

• Apple has removed the Present Time publication app from the Russian App Store. The reason is an official request from Roskomnadzor.