Author: Steven Sahiounie

Moscow stockpiled gold, yuan and foreign currency in cash to offset Western sanctions, the regulator has revealed The Bank of Russia had been preparing for an escalation of Western sanctions since 2014 and was beefing up additional funds as a hedge against future restrictions on its foreign exchange reserves, the regulator revealed on Wednesday. Amid “increasing geopolitical risks” the central bank ramped up investments in assets “that cannot be blocked by unfriendly nations” and transferred part of its reserves to gold, Chinese yuan and foreign currency in cash, the regulator announced in its annual report. The central bank managed to stash billions of…

Russian air defenses have intercepted a Ukraine Grom-2 tactical ballistic missile for the first time, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on March 30. “During the day, one Grom-2 operational-tactical missile, three HIMARS multiple rocket launchers were intercepted, and two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed in the areas of the settlements of Novoandeyevka and Zelyony Gai of the Donetsk People’s Republic,” the ministry said in a statement. The incident marks the first time Russia has confirmed the use of the Grom-2, which is not known to be in service with Kiev forces, since the start of the special military…

Thousands of Palestinians took part today in a rally in the city of Sakhnin, north of Palestine, commemorating the 47th anniversary of the Palestinian Land Day. The participants waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans that affirmed their right to their land and condemned the racist policies of hard-right Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir. The Palestinian Land Day refers to the events of March 1976 in which six Palestinian citizens were shot dead by Israeli forces while demonstrating against Israel’s confiscation of their land in the Galilee region. On March 30, 1976, thousands of Palestinians in the northern Galilee region demonstrated against…

China’s newly minted Premier Li Qiang painted a bullish picture of his country’s economic recovery at a key business forum this week, as Beijing seeks to win the hearts of global investors and economic leaders after emerging from its long pandemic isolation.“The dynamism and momentum of China’s economic growth is strong,” Li said Thursday in a keynote speech at the Boao Forum for Asia, a four-day gathering of international business leaders and politicians on the Chinese island of Hainan. The forum often promotes itself as “Asian Davos” and Li is tasked with reviving the world’s second largest economy at a time of…

The detainee pleaded not guilty Moscow’s Lefortovsky District Court arrested The Wall Street Journal reporter, US national Evan Gershkovich, who was previously apprehended in Yekaterinburg, over espionage charges, a source in the law enforcement told TASS Thursday. “The Lefortovsky Court of Moscow picked a prevention measure for Gershkovich, suspected of espionage, in form of detention,” the source said. The court itself categorically refused to provide any comments. The law enforcement also disclosed that Gershkovich’s case has been classified as ‘top secret’ because of the “relevant information contained in the case.” The detainee pleaded not guilty. Earlier on Thursday, the FSB…

The average annual Wall Street bonus fell to $176,700 last year, a 26% drop from the previous year’s average of $240,400, according to estimates released Thursday by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. The 2022 bonus figure is more than twice the median annual income for US households. Rising interest rates, recession fears and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine hurt Wall Street firms’ bottom line. That led to a steep drop in mergers and acquisitions last year and a dearth of initial public offerings, which ordinarily generate huge revenues for the banks handling those mega-transactions. Look no further than Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, which both…

“The Chinese People’s Liberation Army will take all necessary measures to protect national sovereignty and security and will resolutely defend peace and stability in the South China Sea,” Tan Kefei assured The US Armed Forces must stop provoking China in the South China Sea, otherwise they will bear responsibility for any potential incidents, Chinese Defense Ministry Spokesman Tan Kefei warned on Thursday. The comment was Tan’s response to a US Navy vessel that allegedly sailed near the China-controlled Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. “We sternly demand that the United States immediately stop such provocations, otherwise it will bear…

Suddenly, your beverage is taller. Beverage brands rely on packaging shape and design to draw in consumers. Now they’re counting on a new slew of skinny aluminum cans to subtly signal to consumers that their exotic new drinks are healthier than the beer and sodas in the short, round cans of old. Topo Chico, Simply and SunnyD recently launched alcoholic seltzers and cocktails in tall, thin cans, while Day One, Celsius and Starbucks have debuted sparkling water and energy drinks in new slim cans. Coke with Coffee launched in a slim version last year, too. As if describing a human,Ball, one of the largest aluminum can…

Moscow will continue to inform Washington of its launches, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said Russia will continue to inform the US about its ballistic missile launches despite Moscow suspending its participation in the New START treaty, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has stated. Russia placed its participation in the New START treaty – the last remaining nuclear accord with Washington – on hold in February. Explaining the move, President Vladimir Putin said that the 2010 deal had been signed under different circumstances, when Russia and the US did not perceive each other as adversaries. The West had also…

Moscow will continue to inform Washington of its launches, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has said Russia will continue to inform the US about its ballistic missile launches despite Moscow suspending its participation in the New START treaty, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov has stated. Russia placed its participation in the New START treaty – the last remaining nuclear accord with Washington – on hold in February. Explaining the move, President Vladimir Putin said that the 2010 deal had been signed under different circumstances, when Russia and the US did not perceive each other as adversaries. The West had also…