Russia economy 'to shrink 7.5%

Russia's economy will shrink by 7.5% in 2009, President Dmitry Medvedev has said - but claimed Kremlin intervention had prevented a worse decline.
Russia, which is heavily reliant on oil exports, has been hit by the sharp fall in energy prices.
Mr Medvedev said the decline was "very serious" and admitted the government had been surprised at how severely Russia had been hit by the crisis.