Albania’s football team is to be congratulated on some very entertaining football, taking the game to their powerful opponents in the most difficult group at UEFA 2024 Group B, the Group of Death. Spain, Italy, Croatia, and…Albania, present in the UEFA finals for only the second time (2016 was the first). Along with everyone else, when I saw the group, I groaned and said “Poor Albania, they are going to get thrashed”. Well, they didn’t. The game against Italy surprised and shocked everyone as the reigning champions were outplayed by a spirited Albania for much of the game, managing to hold on to their 2-.1 lead in a game which Albania should have drawn.  Spirit and grit For those who thought this was a fluke, they were wrong. This was already obvious in the first game with Albania’s passing and movement off the ball, the team spirit and what we call grit, saw wave after wave of Albanian attacks, intelligent attacks favouring incursions down both flanks or through the middle, depending on where there were better positioned players with all the Albanian team able to read the game as it developed. The passing was not only intelligent, it was accurate, fast-paced and sophisticated, denoting remarkable maturity.

The current Sinophobia in the 2nd Cold War between the U. S. and China has contributed to the 2nd strategic mistake that the U. S. is making by allying with India against China (without examining thoroughly its long-term consequences) -- just as the U. S. made the 1st strategic mistake by aligning with China against the U. S. S.R. in the 1st Cold War (also without examining thoroughly its long-term consequences). In global geopolitics, a friend of today can become an enemy of tomorrow. Therefore, is it too late for the U. S. to correct this 2nd strategic mistake by handling India with great care, due to the latter's hegemonic ambition as a new world power, which will then lead to the coming of what I call "Indophobia” in the next decade(s)? 1. Introduction: Historical Background In my 1999 book titled "The Future of Human Civilization” (published in 1999), I had already untimely predicted the emergence of China as the dominant global power on Earth in the following decades, as it was based on the untimely prediction made in my 1995 doctoral dissertation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.). In my 2007 book titled "Beyond the World of Titans, and the Remaking of World Order” (published in 2007), I had already untimely predicted the emergence of China and India as the two "hyper-empires” in the top (1st) tier of global politics, with the U. S. and the EU falling to the 2nd tier (as the two "meso-empires”).

By the 2020s, in spite of centuries after the Emancipation Proclamation (in 1863) and decades or generations of Black empowerment, there is still something fundamentally missing in the Black American identity, because the latter has failed to substantially "de-colonize" the violent colonial legacy (like the ruthless importation of Black slaves, not just the near-extermination of Native Americans) in the Thirteen British Colonies (and later the United States) in early American history. A good beginning for a long-term solution (de-colonization) is to understand in what ways the "average" Black American mindset has lost its average Black "African" roots, with the resultant effect of "inferiority complex" among Black Americans (involving both "self-hatred" within the oppressed and "anger" or "hatred" towards the oppressor, which vary in degree from person to person), on "average." Although this essay uses the case of Black Americans for analysis, the logical implication is much broader, since the same reasoning can be applied to Black communities around the world (outside sub-Saharan Africa), be they in Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, North Africa, the Oceania, and the like.

We are in a dangerous place, the black and white areas defined by The Global Thinking Project…and the Fake News story.  We are in a dangerous place, where the term Fake News has been hijacked to censor out everything that does not follow the Global Thinking Project, which is basically a unilateral straight-.line-on-a-map dogma defining This Is How We All Think. The Internet was praised for bringing us a wide range of information in real time, enabling us to think for ourselves and choose our sources. I myself was one of the pioneers of Intervention Journalism, telling it as it is, as it really is, including my opinion sometimes, but outside the tidy little news package edited to follow the editorial line of the Mainstream Media, funded and financed and made viable by media companies which would not toss a cent to any publication deemed outside the little box. I would take great offence at being classified over the years as a vendor of Fake News, since I do a lot of reading and listening before starting to write and speak and only write when I am sure I know what I am speaking about.

Unethical, as amoral as it is immoral, puerile, unprofessional,  criminal, shallow, devious and Lite. Western foreign policy. In short, it is a policy which is puerile, Lite and criminal. When I was twelve years old in 1970, I wrote a letter to Leonid Brezhnev, warning the USSR that Western foreign policy was all of the above and if I remember correctly, I used exactly these same words. The answer from the Kremlin was a very polite and agreeable letter in which it was stated the Soviet Union followed international law and favoured a multilateral world in which everyone played by the same set of weights and measures, or words to that effect.

India's strategic pivot towards liquefied natural gas (LNG) is set to redefine its energy landscape, especially amid the shifting dynamics of global energy trade. Earlier this year, GAIL (India) Ltd, the country's largest government-owned natural gas company, secured a 10-year LNG purchase agreement with Vitol, a global energy trader with extensive operations in Russia. This deal, which begins in 2026, will ensure approximately 1 million metric tons (mt) of LNG annually, including gas sourced from Russia. This agreement is instrumental for India as it strives to elevate natural gas consumption to 15% of its energy mix by 2030. India's LNG imports have demonstrated considerable variability, reflecting its dependence on this critical energy source. Imports surged to 3,516 million standard cubic meters (MMSCM) in May but fell to 2,794 MMSCM in July. Over the first four months of the year, LNG accounted for a substantial 12,269 MMSCM out of a total gas consumption of 24,210 MMSCM, underscoring the country's reliance on imported LNG to meet its growing energy needs. This volatility highlights the strategic importance of agreements, like the one with Vitol and the one between Novatek and Deepak Fertilisers, signed in February 2023, for both spot and long-term supply contract markets in securing energy stability. Russia, for its part, has been adapting its LNG export strategy in response to global pressures and the evolving market landscape. In the first half of 2024, Russian LNG imports to Europe rose by 11% from last year, with Russia supplying 69.95 million mt so far. Despite a general decline in European gas consumption and a shift toward long-term contracts, Russian LNG remained a significant portion of imports, with France alone seeing a 110% increase. This demonstrates the resilience of Russian LNG in maintaining its foothold in European markets. Additionally, Russia's LNG exports to China have also seen growth, with 1.648 million mt shipped in the first quarter of 2024-a 2% increase from the previous year.

London will additionally transfer about a hundred Brimstone missiles, artillery guns and ammunition, British Secretary of State for Defence John Healey said earlier. It was previously reported that the UK would transfer 100 missiles for F-16 aircraft to Ukraine at the end of the summer. The transfer of the fighters has allegedly begun. In the fall of 2022, London transferred Brimstone-2 missiles with increased range and laser guidance to the Armed Forces o Ukraine. In February 2024, the UK announced plans to transfer another 200 homing Brimstone missiles to Ukraine. The Brimstone family includes several modifications of missiles. They are launched mainly from aircraft, helicopters or unmanned vehicles to strike sea and land targets, including moving ones. One Brimstone missile costs about 175,000 pounds sterling ($234,500).

On the first day of October, Iran fired more than 200 missiles at Israel. The missiles reached their targets in 10-12 minutes. According to the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces said, the attacks were conducted to hit Navatim and Netzarim air bases, where F-35 aircraft, radars and tank assembly centers are based. It is believed that Iran used new Fattah-2 hypersonic missiles for the attack. The hypersonic ballistic missile flies at a speed of about 6,000 km per hour (up to 5 Mach); its flight range amounts to 1,400 km.

The summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was a formality, but the issue at hand is the security of the Russian Federation. Moscow needs to change its attitude towards its neighbours before it is too late. The following leaders attended the CIS summit at the personal invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin: President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Moldovan President Maia Sandu did not attend.

The BRICS summit in Kazan has formalized Russia's leadership in real decolonization and creation of developed economies based on its own strength. First steps have been named and are clear to everyone. Russia accepted as a new leader in the world The fact that 32 heads of state and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres gathered in Kazan, Russia, during the times of the special military operation has demonstrated the decline of US influence in the world and the emergence of Russia as its leader. A country with 3.5 percent of global GDP in purchasing power parity was able to withstand harsh sanctions and three years of war with NATO at the hands of Ukrainians. The West that dominates the world economy with 40 percent is clearly losing the game to Russia on all fronts. It is about the ability, desire and readiness to defend one's national interests on the battlefield and mobilize one's economy. This is valued and respected in the world, and no one saw this in the Western camp.

Robert Fico became the first NATO leader to have given an interview to Russian media after the start of the special military operation and he made some very bold statements in it. The West fails to bring Russia to its knees Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico gave an interview to Russian journalist Olga Skabeeva on the state-run Rossiya-1 TV channel. He started his interview with a Slovak proverb that says that "no one on their knees can be considered defeated — perhaps they are just tying their shoelaces."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he was unaware of Russian President Vladimir Putin's plans to congratulate Donald Trump on his victory in the US presidential election. "As for congratulations, I am unaware of the president's plans to congratulate Trump on the election," he said, RIA Novosti reports. The voting in the US presidential election ended. Trump is leading by a solid margin while getting the majority of votes from both voters and electors.

The Spanish authorities allowed a humanitarian disaster to occur in Valencia when a catastrophic flood hit the region. The government of Spain pays first priority to Ukraine, rather to its own people. Humanitarian crisis in Valencia due to government inaction On October 29, torrential rains hit Valencia inundating dry riverbeds and ravines filled with dead wood and debris. Floodwaters went upstream under pressure trapping thousands of people. To date, 217 bodies have been identified. According to European satellite emergency assistance system Copernicus EMS, the floods affected 15,633 hectares of land, including 3,249 kilometers of streets and roads. Over 190,000 people were affected, 17,597 residential buildings were ruined or partially damaged. Hospitals of the region work in overdrive due to disrupted logistics.

Russia's first musical marking appeared on a section of the M-11 Neva Highway (connects Moscow and St. Petersburg). When driving along the 653rd kilometer of the highway at the permitted speed, motorists can hear a fragment of the world-famous Kalinka Malinka song. Musical markings will prevent drivers from falling asleep at the wheel. They will encourage them to concentrate on the road when approaching an accident-prone section, for instance. The musical markings will serve an important purpose to reduce the number of car accidents. Such markings have not been used on Russian roads before, the press service of Avtodor (Russian Highways) said.

Brazilian journalist and geopolitical analyst Pepe Escobar admired the streets of Moscow and praised the city for its cleanliness. Escobar shared his impressions of the Russian capital on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, Moskovskiye Novosti (Moscow News) Telegram channel said. Escobar noted that he very much enjoyed walking along the streets of Moscow, especially at night. "I never take a taxi in the center, I always walk there. And it's a beautiful city: everything is clean, everything works. Fantastic. This is something that people in the West have no idea about,” the journalist said.

The practice of "lotus births" has grown by 30 percent in Russia lately. When practicing lotus delivery, women leave the umbilical cord uncut after childbirth and wait for it to dry off naturally. It is believed that the child builds a connection with space and becomes less aggressive. Lotus births can be found on the list of services provided by private clinics. Newborns are left connected to the placenta for the period of time that they "need.” This period of time can last from a few hours to 10 days. The followers of the lotus birth practice believe that they thus do not disrupt the natural course of events. In classic childbirth, one allegedly programs an incorrect code of life into the baby, "where breathing is associated with aggression."

An ostrich farm in the village of Pazhga in the Komi Republic, became famous in Russia due to its runaway Australian emu named Vasya (a short for Vasily). On the night of October 26, the bird escaped from its enclosure and ran into the  forest. Dozens of volunteers and hunters were trying to bring Vasya back home for five days. The news of his escape into the wild made national headlines.  During these days, the emu was running about the forest avoiding all traps and tricks that the volunteers could come up with. The bird would walk away from nets, and it was impossible to attract him with food - the emu can do away without food for up to 40 days.

Vyacheslav Akhmedov, director of Moscow's Patriot Park, was arrested as part of the investigation into fraudulent activities. Deputy head of the Main Directorate for Innovative Development of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Major General Vladimir Shesterov, was detained as well, the Investigative Committee of Russia said on its Telegram channel. The arrested individuals, together with their accomplices, are responsible for the theft of funds allocated for the operation of the Patriot Park. Army-2024 international military and technical forum was supposed to be held in the Patriot Park in August 2024. Now the event has been put into question.

War correspondent Yevgeny Poddubny, who was injured in an attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk region, was hospitalised in serious condition to a regional clinical hospital. In the morning of August 8, Poddubny was taken to the Sklifosovsky Institute of Emergency Medicine in Moscow, the Health Department said. After the attack, the journalist was immediately placed in the anti-shock department, given intensive therapy and then transferred to intensive care. Specialists from leading federal clinics make every effort to save the man's life.

Russian MP Gurulev said that the border cover group was insufficiently equipped. "No one likes the truth in reports," he said. State Duma deputy Andrei Gurulev wrote in his Telegram channel that he did not believe in the fact that the Russian military administration "did not know about the buildup of enemy troops" on the border near the Kursk region. Andrei Gurulev is a member of the State Duma Defense Committee. He holds the rank of lieutenant general.

In the event of a global crisis and deterioration of relations between the United States and China, the Central Bank of Russia will have to implement its risk scenario in which the bank will have to use the National Welfare Fund (NWF). The liquid part of the fund — the part that is available for spending — will be exhausted already in 2025, the Central Bank of Russia said in its report titled "Main Directions of the Unified State Monetary Policy." A global crisis may occur against the backdrop of high interest rates and the imbalance in global financial markets, Central Bank analysts believe.

Army General Pavel Popov, former Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia, was detained. He appears on the fraud case related to Moscow's Patriot Park. General Popov is accused of fraud on an especially large scale. According to the investigation, in 2021-2024, while he was responsible for the development, maintenance, and operation of the Patriot Park, he enriched himself at the expense of this institution — he used building materials to build his own house in the Krasnogorsk District (Moscow region) and forced park employees to work at his three-hectare dacha for free. According to the Investigative Committee, the director of the park, Vyacheslav Akhmedov, and deputy head of the Main Directorate for Innovative Development of the Ministry of Defense, Vladimir Shesterov, were also involved in the fraudulent scheme. General Pavel Popov was detained based on their testimony. Akhmedov and Shesterov said that they received money following the general's orders and paid him about three million rubles.

The United States is building up its armed forces along all of Russia's borders, including on Ukraine and the Asia-Pacific region, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his speech at the Ocean-2024 command and staff exercises, TASS reports. "Under the pretext of countering the allegedly existing Russian threat and containing the People's Republic of China, the United States and its satellites are building up their military presence near Russia's western borders — in the Arctic and in the Asia-Pacific region," Putin said. The USA is thus provoking a new arms race, the Russian president said. According to him, Washington's strategy is preventing the conflict in Ukraine from ending.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has increased the number of personnel in the Russian Armed Forces. The corresponding decree was published on the official Internet portal of legal information. The number of personnel in the Russian army has thus been increased to 2 million 389 thousand people, including 1.5 million military personnel. The decree of the head of state comes into force on December 1, 2024. Putin also instructed the Russian government to provide for the allocation of funds for the Ministry of Defense from the federal budget for the implementation of the decree.

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the site of the Special Technology Center (STC) for the production of electronic warfare (EW) systems and drones, the Kremlin said on its Telegram channel. Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov accompanied Putin to the site. The STC produces unique Orlan drones, as well as small spacecraft such as CubeSat, the Kremlin press service said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed making a number of changes to conditions for the use of nuclear weapons, the Kremlin said. In particular, "Fundamentals of State Policy in the Field of Nuclear Deterrence" expands the category of states and military alliances against which acts of nuclear deterrence will be carried out. "In the updated version of the document, aggression against Russia by any non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state, is proposed to be considered as their joint attack on the Russian Federation," Putin said at a meeting of the Permanent Conference of the Security Council on Nuclear Deterrence.

Eight Russian generals from various security agencies lost their posts in one day, a RIA Novosti source said. Some of the resignations have been officially announced. The list of the dismissed generals includes: head of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Stavropol Territory, Major General of Justice Igor Ivanov (he held the position since May 2022), head of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for Buryatia Vyacheslav Sukhorukov, deputy director of the operational management department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, Major General Alexander Molchanov, head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations for the Moscow Region, Lieutenant General Sergei Poletykin, head of the Rostov Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations Sergei Filippov. General Sergei Poletykin was relieved of his post upon attaining the maximum service age of 60. According to TASS, he will be transferred to another job.

Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov informed President Vladimir Putin about practicing nuclear strike tasks. During the meeting with the top leadership of the country, the Defence Minister gave the floor to Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov. Gerasimov serves as the commander of the Russian Armed Forces in the zone of the special military operation. In his report to President Vladimir Putin, Gerasimov said that a strategic missile submarine, a land-based mobile Yars missile system, as well as Tu-95MS strategic missile carriers were involved in the drills.

Spanish brands Zara and Bershka that left the Russian market after the start of the special operation in Ukraine plan to return. It is believed that their stores will reopen in Russia in early 2023, Mash Telegram channel reports. According to the channel, Bershka's new name will be Br, and Zara's — Z. The new owners of the business thus want to keep part of the former name in order to attract customers' attention. Other brands that are part of Inditex, such as Pull&Bear and Stradivarius, will return to the country as well.

In October, Russian companies delivered 2.16 tons of gold worth $124.6 million to China — a record amount since 2016. Yet, Russia remains a marginal supplier in the Chinese market that is primarily dominated by suppliers from Switzerland and Canada. Russia's gold exports to China doubled in physical terms in October compared to the same period last year, having reached 2.16 tons, the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China said, RBC reports. It goes about raw or semi-finished forms of gold. Supplies in monetary terms also doubled up to $124.6 million. Judging by China's monthly statistics, these are the largest supplies since 2016.

Staying in compliance in the Texas workers' compensation system

According to the latest Canalys data, worldwide tablet shipments reached 33 million in Q3 2023, marking a 7% annual decline. But this represents an 8% sequential increase, reflecting a revival of the tablet market ahead of the crucial holiday season and the strong performance of new entrants in the space.

In recent times, there has been a greater focus on hygiene in the workplace, likely spurred on by the COVID pandemic. While some germs are completely harmless, others can cause unpleasant illnesses. The chances of a germ surviving largely depends on the type of species, the surface where it is present, and other factors such as ambient temperature or solar radiation.

As Dyslexia Awareness Week (07-13 October 2024) arrives this week, digital transformation specialists Sherwen Studios are advocating for retailers to reconsider how accessible their website is for users affected by dyslexia.

At GroceryShop, Bazaarvoice, the platform for full-funnel authentic user-generated content (UGC) and social commerce solutions, announced Bazaarvoice Vibe – a comprehensive solution designed to help marketers source, amplify and optimise user- and creator-generated content across all channels, all from one place. Global general availability begins 1 November.

A silent crisis of ‘serial returns’ is eroding retail profit margins as uncovered in the Annual Returns Benchmark Report 2024* conducted by returns specialist ZigZag, in partnership with Retail Economics, accounting for 1 in 10 (11% of) online shoppers that make returns, are generating a quarter (24%) of all online non-food returns.

By Luke Alexander, freelance writer.

In today's digital landscape, social media has become a pivotal tool for eCommerce businesses looking to thrive in a competitive market. With 5.17 billion active users, social media is essential for businesses aiming to grow and sustain their presence.

Russia again owes more than $50 billion to former shareholders of the Yukos oil company after a court of appeal in the Netherlands upheld three international arbitration decisions on the lawsuits of Yukos shareholders that were brought down in 2014 in The Hague. This is the largest compensation in the history of international arbitration. The court thus agreed with the former shareholders that oil company Yukos was illegally nationalized and liquidated, while its assets were transferred to state-owned companies. Following the court decision in The Hague, the company's former shareholders will try to seize Russian property in other countries. It remains unclear, though, how long the complex process will take. The landmark decision to collect $50 billion from Russia was made in 2014  by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. The plaintiffs in the case were three offshore companies: Hulley Enterprises Yukos Universal Veteran Petroleum, part of Group Menatep Limited. They owned 70% of Yukos and lost their money during its bankruptcy. Company founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky was not on the list of the plaintiffs. In accordance with the decision, Cyprus-based Hulley Enterprises and Yukos Universal Limited were to receive a compensation of $39.9 billion and $1.85 billion, respectively, while the Yukos Pension Fund Veteran Petroleum Ltd. - 8.2 billion dollars. In 2016, the execution of these decisions was suspended by the first instance of the Dutch court, which satisfied Russia's complaint, but now the plaintiffs will be able to resume their attempts to arrest Russian state property abroad. In turn, the Russian authorities intend to reach the Supreme Court of the Netherlands. Arresting Russian state property abroad worth $50 billion will be quite difficult Russia has the right to appeal the decision at the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, but proceedings in other countries to enforce the decisions to recover more than $50 billion may resume already now.

Screenshot from the site of Japanese company K.K. Mirai Genomics The Moscow Healthcare Department purchased more than 50 devices and hundred of thousands of test systems for SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus from a company called Medpromresurs. This sounds like good news, if it was not for the dodgy reputation of the company. Thieving businessmen are trying to cash in on the disease that their compatriots suffer from while keeping an eye on the funds from the state budget too. US funded Radio Liberty investigated the Moscow's purchase, that got links to 2019 scandal in Tatarstan. The story began in September 2019. During the Eastern Economic Forum, which was held last autumn, a little-known Japanese company K.K. Mirai Genomics promised to invest 2.5 billion rubles ($30 million) in the production of a diagnostic system for infectious diseases in the Republic of Tatarstan. The systems were supposed to be subsequently acquired at the expense of mandatory medical insurance - the state budget that is. Russian company PharmMedPolis-RT acted as a partner on the Russian side. Taliya Minullina, the head of the Agency for Investment Development of the Republic, put her signature on the agreement for the production of biochips for the diagnosis of influenza. The story was highlighted by a lot of Russian media for its connection to corruption and money-laundering issues. The chips were allegedly patented in Europe, the USA and Japan (coronavirus was nowhere near back then). Strangely enough, the supposedly patented trademark for the LifeRing molecular diagnostic system that consists of disposable chips is not manufactured in any of the above-mentioned countries. Moreover, as the Versia found out, the company's offices in Japan and the United States are located in cheap Class B office buildings, which does not go along with the promise to invest 2.5 billion, because a company like that simply does not have that much money.  However, methods for rapid diagnosis of influenza are not just being developed in our country - they are already in practical use. Moreover, the time that is required for testing biomaterial is even shorter in comparison with the time period that foreign-made chips need for the same purpose.  K.K. Mirai Genomics was a very little-known company indeed: it did not even have a website at the time when the deal was signed. Mirai never provided any specifications and descriptions of the technology, nor did it say anything about the results of clinical trials. Such facts did not stop the authorities of Tatarstan, though. 

The US will expand sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project. The sanctions will now affect companies that provide services or funding to install equipment on board the vessels that take part in the project. Such a move may permanently halt the construction of the pipeline. The news to expand the sanctions was reported on the website of the US Department of State. Similar restrictions are to be imposed on the participants of the Turkish Stream and other similar projects.The Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline provides for the construction of two sections of the gas pipeline system with a total capacity of 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year from the coast of Russia to Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Originally, the construction of the pipeline system was supposed to be completed in 2019. However, the work on the project was suspended after US Congress passed a package of sanctions against the participants of the project. The USA remains opposed to the project, claiming that it makes Europe overly dependent on Russian natural gas and increases political pressure on Ukraine, which transits natural gas further to Europe. Kiev and several countries of the European Union share the same position. "Russia uses its energy export pipelines to create national and regional dependencies on Russian energy supplies, leveraging these dependencies to expand its political, economic, and military influence, weaken European security, and undermine U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. These pipelines also reduce European energy diversification, and hence weaken European energy security," the US State Department said in a statement. Russia, Germany, Austria and a number of other countries, whose companies are involved in the construction, insist that this is nothing but a business project.In late 2019, the United States imposed sanctions on Nord Stream-2, having demanded the companies involved in the construction should immediately stop their works on the project. Allseas, a Swiss company, pulled out of the project almost at once.Representatives of Russia's natural gas monopoly, Gazprom, stated that they would be able to complete the construction of Nord Stream-2 independently. For the time being, one needs to finish the construction of the section that is 100 kilometres long. On October 17, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in an interview with RND that the project would be completed.

Bankruptcy isn't a topic that anyone likes to discuss. Creditors, debtors, and government officials all get a little queasy at the thought of bankruptcy, but it exists for a reason. And in many situations, it can provide relief when financial friction is heightened. But bankruptcy isn't the same in every country. Laws, rules, and stigmas differ rather significantly - particularly between Russia and the United States. The what and why of bankruptcy Bankruptcy is one of the primary methods by which control over an asset can be transferred to more capable or efficient owners in the instance of market economies. Ultimately, bankruptcy serves three distinct purposes: To solve collective action problems among creditors as they deal with insolvent debtors. To give individual debtors a chance at a "fresh start" when they're overburdened by debt. To preserve/save the financial distress firms have by reorganizing rather than liquidating. Bankruptcy is basically government-sanctioned relief that allows individuals or businesses to have debts forgiven, granted they meet specific criteria and follow certain guidelines. It plays an important role in keeping the larger economic engine hitting on all cylinders. Without bankruptcy, millions of citizens would find themselves impoverished and unable to financially recover from dire situations.

The runaway owner of TogliattiAzot, Sergei Makhlai, is once again in the spotlight of Russian media. This time their interest was aroused, apparently, by the media publications sponsored by Makhlai. Recently several Russian media have suggested that the chemical giant TogliattiAzot needs a change of ownership, since the current main owners of the plant, headed by Sergei Makhlai, have ruined the enterprise and criminalized it drastically. This seriously scared Makhlai, who attempted to justify himself and lay the blame on the others.

Many foreign companies, including oil and gas enterprises, are leaving the Russian market due to high risks associated with the sanctions war between Russia and the West. In addition, it will be too difficult for them to withdraw their income from Russia abroad, economist Marcel Salikhov believes. At the same time, oilfield service companies that used to work in Russia back during the days of the USSR, will stay in the country, he added, lenta.ru reports. It is up to company administrations to decide whether they want to leave the Russian market or not. The sanctions that were imposed on Russia following the military operation in Ukraine do not limit their participation in the Russian economy. Russia's response to Western sanctions may in one way or another affect the position of foreign companies in the country, especially with regard to strategic sectors of the economy. In addition, Putin banned foreign companies from withdrawing their funds abroad to parent companies. All this combined has tarnished the assets.

The Russian special operation in Ukraine served as a catalyst for the confrontation formed between Moscow and the collective West, as a result of which the United States and its politico-military partners immediately activated "suspended" economic sanctions. In addition, half of Russia's foreign exchange reserves were frozen, provoking an unprecedented escalation of confrontation in the financial sphere. Price increases and shortages of certain commodity items are not only observed in Russia. The global nature of international relations has caused destructive influence of sanctions on the economies of the initiating countries as well. In the U.S. they decided to call inflation "Putin's price hike". In fact, inflation in Western countries began after the declaration of economic war by European leaders and their sovereign, U.S. President Biden.

The losses that American, European and Japanese companies have suffered after they left the Russian market are evaluated at tens of billions of dollars, RIA Novosti reports. Since the beginning of the special operation in Ukraine to the present, foreign companies have lost a total of $70 billion. Companies of the fuel and energy complex have suffered the biggest losses. Many companies in this sector have deconsolidated and devalued Russian assets by ceasing to report the results of their activities in the country, they have not completely stopped working in Russia. For example, the UK-based BP, having made a number of statements about its decision to withdraw from Russian projects, was forced to retain shares in local assets. According to Putin's decree from August 5, shareholders from unfriendly countries will no longer be able to make transactions with shares in companies of strategic significane, fuel and energy companies and banks without the consent of the state. In its report for the first quarter of 2022, BP depreciated Russian assets in the amount of $25.5 billion, but it did not take practical steps to exit the projects.

Shipster, a custom shipping integration platform, and Futura Retail Solutions, an advanced retail and warehouse management software, have announced a strategic partnership to target growing omni-channel retail markets.

By Craig McPherson, freelance writer.

Think of this. You've got a serious deadline to cover and are working on it. After one hour of work, you turn back to social media for a "state of relaxation". But guess what? You keep on scrolling your favourite social media platform for hours and end up missing the deadline. Sounds familiar, right?

By Georgia Leybourne, Chief Marketing Officer, Linnworks.

Success in ecommerce and retail today hinges on consumer convenience. It is fast becoming a powerful tool in the e-commerce industry, transforming the way businesses engage with their customers and increasing sales through social commerce.

With the holiday season fast approaching, retail payroll teams around the world are bracing for the strain of seasonal hiring. The influx of workers means added payroll runs, and yet too few are turning to technology to ease the pressure.

Russia's Vkusno i Tochka (Tasty and That's It) fast food chain, which appeared n the country instead of McDonald's, will have meal combos for children similarly to Happy Meal, the company's press service told RBC. The sets will be called "Kids Combos." The company will remove toys from the sets to replace them with books. The new products will be available at restaurants of the network from December 12 in Novokuznetsk, Novosibirsk, Berdsk, Barnaul, Tomsk, Kemerovo and Krasnoyarsk. Kids Combos will be available throughout Russia starting from January. Kids Combos will include nuggets, cheese snacks, classic burgers, salads, carrot sticks and apple wedges, as well as a drink of choice, a representative of Tasty and That's It said.