Author: Steven Sahiounie

A wave of price increases is pushing up the cost of enjoying Christmas in Japan this year.Soaring material costs and a weak yen have led to higher prices for cakes, fried chicken and “chanmery” nonalcoholic sparkling drinks.The average price of a 15-centimeter whole cake rose by ¥209, or about 5%, from the previous year to ¥4,040, according to a survey by Teikoku Databank.Prices for flour, the main ingredient of cakes, jumped by about 50% and those for strawberries and milk rose by some 10% each. Sugar and egg prices also went up.“Prices for some cakes climbed 10% or more,” said an official…

Hong Kong CNN — Beijing has vowed to go all out next year to save its Covid-hit economy by boosting consumption and loosening control over private industry, including the struggling tech and property sectors. The new pledge marks a big shift from leader Xi Jinping’s years-long effort to rein in private businesses, which were perceived as too powerful and “disorderly.”The world’s second biggest economy faces multiple challenges. Covid infections are surging in China after leaders unexpectedly eased its restrictive Covid policy earlier this month. At the same time, its exports have been hurt by a slump in global demand.Stabilizing economic growth is the top priority for 2023,…

The Bank of England has released images of the first pound notes to feature the portrait of King Charles IIIDesigns for future UK banknotes featuring the image of King Charles III were revealed by the Bank of England (BoE) on Tuesday. The regulator says the new notes will enter circulation by mid-2024.The portrait of the king will appear on the existing designs of all four polymer banknotes (£5, £10, £20, and £50) with no other changes. The king’s image will appear on the front of the banknotes, as well as in the see-through security window.“This is a significant moment, as…

The measure could increase demand and lead to supply shortages, the outlet reportsA price cap on gas that the EU agreed upon this week may trigger a deeper energy crisis and expose the bloc to supply shortages, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.The so-called “market correction mechanism” aimed at protecting EU businesses and households from “excessively high gas prices” could in reality encourage demand and lead to an even worse scarcity of gas supplies in Europe, analysts from Golden Sachs said in a report on Monday, cited by Bloomberg.Growing demand would put a squeeze on global supply and may force EU authorities…

Users of the social network have voted in favor of his stepping down as the firm’s chief executiveTwitter owner and CEO Elon Musk is looking for a new chief executive to lead the company after the platform’s users voted for him to resign, CNBC reported on Tuesday, citing its sources.People familiar with the matter told the media outlet that Musk’s search for a new CEO has been ongoing and began before the Twitter poll.On Sunday, the billionaire posted an informal poll asking Twitter users if he should step down as head of the company. Warning the audience to “be careful…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator King Abdullah II of Jordan vowed on December 16 that “anyone who raises a weapon against the state will be dealt with firmly”. Yesterday, three more policemen were killed in the same area that saw the murder of the deputy police chief on Thursday and the wounding of two others. The unrest and murders occurred in the southern area near Maan.  The area has supported the Radical Islamic ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood and ISIS.  Large amounts of guns and ammunition were seized by the police. Experts are wondering if this might be the…

STEPHEN KATTE11 HOURS AGOBlockFi files motion to return frozen crypto to wallet usersCrypto lender BlockFi has asked a U.S. bankruptcy court for the authority to return the crypto held in BlockFi wallets to users.6485580:00NEWSCollect this article as NFTBankrupt crypto lending platform BlockFi has filed a motion requesting authority from a United States bankruptcy court to allow its users to withdraw digital assets currently locked up in BlockFi wallets. In a motion filed on Dec. 19 with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the District of New Jersey, the lender asked the court for authority to honor client withdrawals from wallet accounts that have been…

As of December 20, the price of Bitcoin has remained fairly stable and is currently trading at around $16,800. In the past 24 hours, BTC has seen a slight increase of 0.21% and has fluctuated between a high of $16,858 and a low of $16,413. Over the past week, the value of BTC has decreased by about 2.5%.Bitcoin Wallet Maker Foundation Raises $7 Million to Promote Self-custodyFoundation Devices, a Bitcoin-focused company, announced on December 19 that it had completed a $7 million initial fundraising round in response to rising demand for self-custody solutions. The Boston-based company plans to use the…

The FTX disaster has set back crypto by ‘years’ — here are 3 ways it could reshape the industry If there’s no regulation, the investors are left without that protection that they need. The EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets is the most comprehensive regulatory framework to date. It aims to reduce the risks for consumers buying crypto, making exchanges liable if they lose investors’ assets.But MICA is not due to start until 12 months from now. Keystone Law’s Abbott said it’s important that regulators act quickly.“People need to see that there’s steps being taken to regulate it. And I think If we are…

December 19, 2022Ottawa will be the first among G7 countries to use a law that allows sanctioned assets to be forfeited by a court orderCanada intends to arrest and confiscate $26 million from the sanctioned company Granite Capital Holdings owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, its Foreign Ministry announced on Monday.Along with the EU and the UK, Canada imposed sanctions on Abramovich shortly after the conflict in Ukraine began in late February.It is the first time Ottawa will be using its new legislation – the Special Economic Measures Regulations – which allows the country’s government to confiscate the sanctioned assets of…