Author: Steven Sahiounie

The Russian currency is still up for the year, trading data showsThe Russian ruble dropped to a nearly eight-month low against the US dollar on the Moscow Exchange on Thursday, erasing the gains of the previous months amid the sanctions-induced decline in exports and the active recovery of imports.The ruble slipped to 72 rubles to the greenback in early trading, its lowest level against the dollar since April 29. The ruble was also trading a little under 77 against the euro, also the weakest rate since the end of April. The Russian currency has slipped in value for the ninth…

Japan set to return to nuclear energy Tokyo plans to reverse the nuclear phase-out agenda introduced after the Fukushima disasterA Japanese government advisory panel has approved a plan to revive the country’s nuclear energy sector, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced on Thursday.According to the draft policy, which is a reversal of the country’s nuclear phase-out plan adopted after the Fukushima disaster, nuclear power is said to offer stable energy production and play “an important role as a carbon-free baseload energy source in achieving supply stability and carbon neutrality.” The plan suggests restarting most existing nuclear reactors, extending their lifespans beyond…

The energy embargo was the main punitive option that Brussels had, says Virginijus Sinkevicius. The EU’s economic restrictions against Russia have exhausted themselves and there’s nothing new the bloc can come up with, the union’s environment commissioner, Virginijus Sinkevicius, told the Lithuanian radio station Ziniu radijas on Thursday.Brussels has so far adopted nine rounds of sanctions that have affected various sectors of the Russian economy and targeted many businessmen, politicians, and journalists. The latest measures, which were announced last Friday, introduced a number of export bans, and extended restrictions to include three more banks. A further 168 Russian entities came…

Berlin now owns a 99% stake in UniperThe German government has completed the bailout of gas importer Uniper, the country’s Economy Ministry and Finance Ministry said in a joint statement on Thursday. The government now controls 99% of the company’s shares.Uniper’s shareholders greenlighted the company’s rescue deal with the state on Monday. A day later, approval for the move was granted by the European Commission, which was necessary as the bailout is being conducted by an EU member state.“The federal government has acquired a stake in the energy supplier Uniper. The state participation serves to secure Germany’s energy supply,” the…

The collapsed crypto exchange’s co-founder Gary Wang and former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison are reportedly cooperating with investigatorsTwo associates of former FTX chief executive Sam Bankman-Fried have pleaded guilty to criminal charges related to the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange, US Attorney Damian Williams revealed on Wednesday.He said that former FTX chief technology officer Gary Wang and former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison were cooperating with the Justice Department’s investigation.Ellison (28) ran the crypto hedge fund Alameda Research, which was a subsidiary of FTX. She had previously worked with Bankman-Fried at Jane Street and was reportedly his girlfriend at…

Ten entities have been added to the so-called SDN List, according to the Treasury DepartmentThe US Treasury Department announced on Thursday that it was adding ten Russian entities to its so-called Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List). All the companies are related to the shipping industry.According to the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) statement, the list includes the Morinformsystem Agat Concern Joint State Company (JSC), the Central Research Institute of Structural Materials Prometey, the Battery Company Rigel, the Central Research Institute of Marine Engineering, the Avrora Scientific and Production Association, Central Institute for Scientific Research…

Kneading is when cats massage an object with the front paws, which extend and retract, one paw at a time.This massaging action, named for its resemblance to kneading dough, is repeated rhythmically. You may have spotted your cat kneading and wondered how on Earth they developed such a behavior.So, why do cats knead? Does it tell us anything about how they’re feeling, and is there anything you can do if they’re painfully kneading you while sitting on your lap?The evolutionary background of kneadingCats first begin to knead when just tiny kittens, still nursing from their mother. Kneading is associated with suckling, which…

Played on a court one third of the size of a tennis court, padel is low-impact and low-intensity compared to other racket sports – something that, together with the satisfying “pock” noise of striking the ball, has contributed to its popularity.In the World Padel Tour, the sport also has a burgeoning professional circuit – though currently padel’s strength in numbers is best exhibited in the amateur game. Could it even reach the same level of global popularity as tennis?“I think recreationally it probably could in terms of the sheer numbers of people playing the game, just from what I’ve seen…

Premier League video assistant referees have made six incorrect interventions this season – and also missed another six incidents when they should have stepped in.A five-person independent panel was introduced this season to conduct a weekly review of Key Match Incidents (KMI) for all top-flight games.BBC Sport understands the panel has gone through hundreds of incidents and identified 48 situations when VAR needed to get involved, with 42 correct decisions made.However, it found six incidents were missed completely and on another six occasions, VAR overturned on-field decisions that had initially been right.It is not known what the individual decisions were…

Planning a trip can be stressful, especially if it’s somewhere you’ve never been before. It requires significant research, determining which flight to take, which hotel to stay at, which tours to book — the list goes on.With all the time and effort you spend booking the perfect vacation, you don’t want to worry about things like delays, cancellations, or unexpected expenses. That’s why some travelers buy travel insurance, which allows you to submit a claim to the insurer for financial reimbursement of up to 100% of your trip cost for a variety of covered reasons.If you’re looking to protect your trip and…