El Departamento de Seguros de Texas (Texas Department of Insurance, TDI, por su nombre y siglas en inglés) les recuerda a las víctimas de las inundaciones que deben documentar los daños y presentar las reclamaciones al seguro de inmediato.

Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov said that unmanned aerial vehicles attacked the territory of the Russian University of Special Forces named after V. V. Putin (RUS) in the city of Gudermes. The attack took place on the morning of Tuesday, October 29. Kadyrov did not specify the number of drones involved. According to the Chechen President, the roof of the empty building caught fire as a result of the attack. No casualties were reported, the fire was quickly extinguished. The activities of the university have not been suspended, all services are operating as usual, Kadyrov said.

Billions of citizens from more than 130 countries are expected to turn off their lights on Saturday for the Earth Hour 2011, the event organizer told Australia's media on Thursday. The Earth Hour event, organized by environment group World Wildlife Fund (WWF), was first started in Sydney of Australia in 2007 with 2.2 million Australians taking part to turn off their lights in aid of the environment. By 2009, up to 1 billion citizens across the world had taken part. According to Earth Hour spokesman Winston Su, this year, 133 countries had signed up for the event, with 13 of them taking part for the first time, Xinhua informs. "Earth Hour is a chance for people and communities across the globe to join together with the common purpose of a sustainable future for our planet," said Andy Ridley, cofounder and executive director of Earth Hour. "This year Earth Hour asks people to commit to the event, big or small, for the coming year, taking Earth Hour beyond the hour."

Mos.ru photo A treasure of copper coins and part of wooden pavement of the XVIII century has been found on the Boulevard Ring in Moscow. Preparatory work for redevelopment under My Street project helped archeologists of the capital to find dozens of personal objects as well as remnants of the city infrastructure. The age is of 100-500 years. Everything was found on the Boulevard Ring while preparing trenches for further communications. There were found parts of the drainage systems, tram lines, as well as utility, and smaller household items. Remnants of the wooden pavement of the XVIII century were found on the Strastnoy Boulevard.

Source: Mil.ru To mark the Day of Airborne Forces, which Russia is celebrating on August 2, the Russian Defence Ministry published unique documents on its official website about the establishment of Airborne Forces.The documents date back to the Great Patriotic War. One of them is titled the "Main Directorate of Airborne Troops of the Red Army." The document had been drafted literally a few days before the beginning of the war in 1941. Another document determines the combat composition of airborne units that started fighting against fascist invaders in September of 1941. The publication also includes the combat characteristics of the commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division, Colonel Margelov, who subsequently became the legendary commander of the Airborne Forces.The main symbol of Russia's Airborne Forces - the blue beret - was approved in 1969 by Marshal of the Soviet Union Andrei Grechko.

US pilots told a story about Soviet pilots of MiG aircraft that took off to intercept enemy aircraft at the height of the Cold War. Soviet pilots were making jokes during the operations, Theaviationgeekclub website wrote with reference to a collection of stories dedicated to the Douglas F3D Skyknight air missions. "The first time we were intercepted, they reported that we were taking pictures of them, as we were carrying 35 mm hand-held cameras. Normally, it would be on the pilot's side where the interceptors were, and the ECMO would lean across and snap some pictures of them. And the Russians would report, "They're taking pictures of us. What should we do?” One of the Russian controllers had a sense of humour and said "Smile”. Who would have thought the Russians had any sense of humour at all?" Skyknight pilot Chuck Houseman said. The book also said that US pilots, who were collecting reconnaissance data near the Soviet borders in the Far East, thought of Soviet pilots as friendly individuals compared to pilots from other communist countries. According to the author of the book and aviation expert Joe Copalman, the midair encounters had always been quiet as the United States had not violated state borders and performed its tasks within international space.

Alexei Zheleznyakov, who is part of the team of Russian figure skating coach Eteri Tutberidze, responded to recent reports about a suspicious doping test that one of the skaters of the Russian national team had at the Beijing Olympics. Zheleznyakov said that he did not believe that anyone from the Russian team could violate anti-doping rules. "The guys took samples before the Games, most likely when they arrived and after their performances. We were staying at the hotel without getting out, but now they suddenly found something, and it happened right after the gold medal,” Alexei Zheleznyakov, who choreographs the Russian figure skaters in Beijing wrote on his Facebook account.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has announced its stance  on the case of Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva. The text is available on the website of the agency. WADA believes that the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which allowed 15-year-old Valiyeva to participate in the individual tournament at the Beijing Olympics, was made contrary to the Code of the agency. This will have consequences and may lead to the recurrence of similar cases in the future, WADA said.  The WADA statement stressed out that CAS had rewritten the Code of the agency, when it decided to allow Valieva to participate in the individual tournament. 

President of Turkey's Ankaragucu football club, Faruk Koca, punched referee Halil Umut Meler in the face after the match of the 15th round of the Super League, Sabah Spor reports. Faruk Koca punched the referee in the face knocking him down on the lawn. Several other men ran up to the referee the next moment and kicked him in the head. The incident occurred after the final whistle. According to Koca, he wanted to spit the referee in the face, but decided to hit him not too hard. The referee was hospitalised.

14-year-old figure skater Maria Simonova was rushed to hospital after she fell on ice hard during a tournament in Moscow. Male skater dropped Simonova while holding her on support. The girl fell hard on ice and hit her head. After the fall, she was able to get up and finish the programme. She did not come to the traditional kiss-and-cry room after the performance and asked for help.

Too late Group E, Dinamo Moskva 6 games, six victories, 18 points, 9 goals scored, 3 against, passes through to the next round of the Europa League together with PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands). In Group H, Krasnodar had the first victory, away at Everton in the UK (city of Liverpool) but too late. Qualified for the next round: Borussia Mönchengladbach, Villarreal, Club Brugge, Torino, Besiktas, Tottenham, Red Bull Salzburg, Celtic, Inter, Dnipro, Feyenoord, Sevilla, Everton, Wolfsburg, Napoli, Young Boys, Dinamo Kiev, Steaua Bucuresti, Fiorentina, Guingamp, Legia Warsaw, Trabzonspor Played Won Drawn Lost Goals For Against Goal Difference Points

Fans from all over the world continue coming to Russia for the World Cup. In Moscow, football fans paralyzed many pedestrian streets having arranged mass festivities there. Most fans gathered on Nikolskaya Street, which is adjacent to Red Square. Crowds of football fans gathered on Nikolskaya Street to support their national teams. Russia is welcoming fans of all ages - one can see elderly people holding hands, young people partying and even young parents with children. Light garlands above the street created a very special atmosphere of a football carnival against the background of facades of historical buildings covered with flags of the countries participating in the championship.Representatives of Latin and South America predictably turned out to be most active football fans, for whom football is a religion. Peruvians and Mexicans attracted people's attention by performing  national dances and playing traditional musical instruments. Fans from Argentina gathered the largest number of fans around themselves as they were singing the national anthem in unison, infecting everyone around with football fever.The Moscow police were behaving in a very friendly way with foreign guests, but were firmly suppressing all attempts of the latter to drink alcoholic beverages in public places. Of course, unpleasant incidents are unavoidable, and foreign football fans already appear in crime reports. In St. Petersburg, a fan from Morocco was robbed after visiting the festival of FIFA fans on Konyushennaya Square. On the way back, the man found that he lost 2,500 euros and his iPhone 7. The loss was evaluated at about 200,000 rubles. The Moroccan fan could only speak Arabic, and it took police officers a lot of time to understand what he was trying to say.On June 11, a Chinese woman reported the loss of a designer backpack and an amount of money worth 3,000 dollars. The same day, an American man addressed the police saying that he was left without cash. A 25-year-old Egyptian reported the loss of his luggage. The young man could not overcome the language barrier and resorted to the help of his friend, who could speak English. It turned out that the men forgot about their bag with tickets inside as they were stunned with views of St. Petersburg. In Kaliningrad, Nigerian football fans asked local authorities permission to bring live chickens to the stadium. The authorities had to decline. For Nigerian fans, a chicken is their mascot that they bring to every venue.  They did not specify what they needed the chickens for, although it is generally believed that African football fans usually practice various magic rituals during football matches, and chickens are widely used in Africa for sacrifice. Nigeria will play against Croatia in Kaliningrad on June 16. World Cup 2018 scheduleJune 14thGroup A. Moscow, "Luzhniki". Russia - Saudi Arabia 18:00June 15thGroup A. Ekaterinburg. Egypt - Uruguay 15:00Group B. St. Petersburg. Morocco - Iran 18:00Group B. Sochi. Portugal - Spain 21:00June 16thGroup S. Kazan. France - Australia 13:00Group D. Moscow, "Spartacus." Argentina - Iceland 16:00Group S. Saransk. Peru - Denmark 19:00Group D. Kaliningrad. Croatia - Nigeria 22:00June 17Group E. Samara. Costa Rica - Serbia 15:00Group F. Moscow, "Luzhniki". Germany - Mexico 18:00Group E. Rostov-on-Don. Brazil - Switzerland 21:00June, 18thGroup F. Nizhny Novgorod. Sweden - South Korea 15:00Group G. Sochi. Belgium - Panama 18:00Group G. Volgograd. Tunisia - England 21:00June 19Group H. Saransk. Colombia - Japan 15:00Group H. Moscow, "Spartacus." Poland - Senegal 18:00Group A. St. Petersburg. Russia to Egypt 21:00June 20thGroup B. Moscow, "Luzhniki". Portugal - Morocco 15:00Group A. Rostov-on-Don. Uruguay - Saudi Arabia 18:00Group B. Kazan. Iran - Spain 21:0021st of JuneGroup S. Samara. Denmark-Australia 15:00Group C. Ekaterinburg. France - Peru 18:00Group D. Nizhny Novgorod. Argentina - Croatia 21:0022nd of JuneGroup E. St. Petersburg. Brazil - Costa Rica 15:00Group D. Volgograd. Nigeria - Iceland 18:00Group E. Kaliningrad. Switzerland - Serbia 21:00June 23Group G. Moscow, "Spartacus." Belgium - Tunisia 15:00Group F. Rostov-on-Don. South Korea - Mexico 18:00Group F. Sochi. Germany - Sweden 21:00June 24Group G. Nizhny Novgorod. England - Panama 15:00Group H. Ekaterinburg. Japan - Senegal 18:00Group H. Kazan. Poland - Colombia 21:00June 25thGroup A. Volgograd. Saudi Arabia - Egypt 17:00Group A. Samara. Uruguay - Russia 17:00Group B. Kaliningrad. Spain - Morocco 21:00Group B. Saransk. Iran - Portugal 21:00June 26thGroup C. Moscow, "Luzhniki". Denmark-France 17:00Group S. Sochi. Australia - Peru 17:00Group D. St. Petersburg. Nigeria - Argentina 21:00Group D. Rostov-on-Don. Iceland - Croatia 21:0027th of JuneGroup F. Kazan. South Korea - Germany 17:00Group F. Ekaterinburg. Mexico - Sweden 17:00Group E. Moscow, "Spartacus." Brazil - Serbia 21:00Group E. Nizhny Novgorod. Switzerland - Costa Rica 21:00June 28thGroup H. Volgograd. Japan - Poland 17:00Group H. Samara. Senegal - Colombia 17:00Group G. Kaliningrad. England - Belgium 21:00Group G. Saransk. Panama - Tunisia 21:00Playoff schedule30 June1/8 finals. Kazan. C1-D2 17:001/8 finals. Sochi. 1A - 2B 21:00July 11/8 finals. Moscow, the Luzhniki Stadium. B1 - A2 17:001/8 finals. Nizhny Novgorod. D1 - C2 21:002 July1/8 finals. Samara. E1 - F2 17:001/8 finals. Rostov-on-Don. G1 - H2 21:003 July1/8 finals. St. Petersburg. F1 - E2 17:001/8 finals. Moscow, "Spartacus." H1 - G2 21:006 July1/4 finals. Nizhny Novgorod. (A1-B2) - (C1-D2) 17:001/4 finals. Kazan. (E1 - F2) - (G1 - H2) 21:00July 7th1/4 finals. Samara. (F1 - E2) - (H1 - G2) 17:001/4 finals. Sochi. (B1-A2) - (D1-C2) 21:0010 July1/2 finals. St. Petersburg. 9pmJuly 11th1/2 finals. Moscow, the Luzhniki Stadium. 9pmthe 14 th of JulyMatch for third place. St. Petersburg. 5pmJuly 15The final. Moscow, Luzhniki 18:00

Does Russia want its athletes humiliated at the Olympic Games again? Will Russia boycott the Games this time? Olympic alternative to Russian national anthem In December 2020, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) prohibited Russian athletes from performing at world championships and Olympic Games under the national flag and deprived them of the right to perform the Russian national anthem. To crown it all, Russia was deprived of the right to host such sports events too.A number of active Russian politicians started looking for an alternative to the Russian national anthem and picked up the idea for the Russian athletes to perform ​​the famous WWII song "Katyusha." Some of them were not even embarrassed by the fact that the IOC requires not to include any mentioning of any war or any war-related topic in the Games, including in opening and closing ceremonies. They apparently assumed that the rest of the world should accept World War II as an excuse for Russia's current problems. On March 13, 2021, CAS rejected the request from the Russian Olympic Committee to use the "Katyusha" song as a replacement for the Russian anthem at the upcoming Olympic Games in the summer of 2021 in Tokyo and in February 2022 in Beijing. The court clarified that the concept of "any anthem associated with Russia" applied to all songs associated with Russia. However, the court decision did not close the discussion in Russia anyway, and the search for the replacement for the Russian national anthem continues. Does Russia need the white flag in sports? This is strange indeed: if Russia can stand up against the world supremacist state in Syria, return territories in Europe, ignore the work in the Council of Europe and make harsh statements about its readiness to terminate relations with the European Union, then why not slam the door to the IOC?Why should Russia should feel humiliated to participate in the Olympics? Those who believe that one needs to think about the athletes and their most important sports competitions, may forget to think that it goes about Russian athletes being Russian citizens. Does Russia need athletes that do not want to sacrifice their achievements and victories for sake of their country's dignity? Or does Russia need to live up to the interests of a handful of athletes to the detriment of its own national interests and interests of millions of other Russian citizens, who are not thrilled at the whole idea of Russia's sports humiliation?

Bones of unknown animals millions of years of age were found in Yakutia.  In the Churapcha region of Yakutia, archeologists found a Paleolithic human site that is believed to be at least 30,000 years old. Bones of unknown animals were found during excavation works.  The radiocarbon research of the finds revealed that the found remains were from the Neogene era - a period that began 23 million years ago and ended 2.58 million years ago.

On Thursday, March 21, the Soyuz-2.1a rocket with the Soyuz MS-25 manned spacecraft was supposed to blast off from launch pad No. 31 (Vostok) at Baikonur Cosmodrome. The rocket launch was aborted at the last moment. The countdown was stopped approximately 20 seconds before the start time. "Attention at the launch complex. The launch was automatically aborted. Bring the units of the launch complex to their original condition. Prepare to be parked for 24 hours,” the announcer of the broadcast hosted by Roscosmos said. The launch was dedicated to the 90th anniversary of Soviet cosmonaut and first man in space Yuri Gagarin.

The first launch of the Angara-A5 heavy launch vehicle from the newly built launch complex at the Vostochny Cosmodrome was aborted two minutes before lift off. The rocket with the Orion upper stage and test payload was supposed to take off for the first time from Vostochny on Tuesday, April 9, at 12:00. The launch was postponed. The launch of the Angara rocket was postponed till Wednesday, April 10, Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov said.

The Orion upper stage of the Angara-A5 heavy rocket launched the Gagarinets small satellite into low Earth orbit, Roscosmos said on its Telegram channel. "The Cubesat 3U format satellite was created by Russian private company Avant Space and is intended to test elements of the service platform,” the state corporation said. After the launch of the Gagarinets, the upper stage continued its work.

India and China evince interest in the Russian nuclear power plant project on the Moon, TASS reports with reference to Rosatom chief Alexey Likhachev. "The new solution that we are asked to implement is a version of a lunar nuclear power plant with an energy capacity of up to half a megawatt,” Likhachev said at the Eastern Economic Forum. In May, Roscosmos Director Yuri Borisov said that a Russian-made nuclear installation for a joint Russian-Chinese station would be sent to the Moon after 2036. Borisov also said that the development of a nuclear power plant for a joint lunar station with China had already begun.

China has unveiled its latest scientific development — a spheric police robot capable of pursuing criminals. The robot is equipped with artificial intelligence and can operate autonomously. Unlike Western analogues that are mostly used for surveillance purposes, the Chinese robot can effectively operate in a variety of conditions. The new Chinese robot can float and roll both on smooth asphalt and off-road terrain. Even dirt and height will not be an obstacle in its path. It can even fall from a height to continue its mission.  The robot is capable of confronting perpetrators and shooting nets to immobilise them until the human police arrive. It attacks opponents at speeds of up to 35 km/h, and also acts as part of a group with other robots. Its body is very hard to destroy. 

DPRK Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui arrived in Vladivostok, Russia, on October 29. From Vladivostok, the minister traveled to Moscow, a message posted on the official Telegram channel of the Russian Embassy in North Korea said. The North Korean Foreign Minister is visiting Russia as part of the strategic dialogue that took place between the leaders of the two countries in the June 2024 summit. Choe Son-hui's visit to Moscow is taking place in the midst of discussions in the West about the alleged involvement of DPRK military personnel in combat operations in Ukraine. On October 18, South Korean intelligence said that 1,500 North Korean soldiers were already at Russian training grounds in the Far East, from where they would be sent to Ukraine. The intelligence service later reported a larger number — 3,000 soldiers.

US Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris unveiled her platform. Predictably, Karris advocates for more migrants and more rights for those representing the LGBT* community.   Unpredictably, though, Kamala Harris proposed to introduce state regulation of prices. Donald Trump has recently called Kamala Harris a "communist", but she is as far from Marxism as Adolf Hitler was far from pacifism. Modern American pseudo-Marxism and leftism has nothing to do with social justice at all. It is not corporations, not financial monsters, but the middle classes that are supposed to become its victims.

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 October 8, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun announced that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, commonly known as North Korea) had transferred troops to Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later announced that the DPRK had effectively become a party to the conflict. First reports about the transfer of North Korean troops to Ukraine appeared after Russia and the DPRK signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty. The parties agreed to immediately provide mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of them. Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine was in a state of war with the DPRK.

The October 18 blackout paralyzed Cuba completely. The Cuban government tries to shrug the problem off by making references to the economic blockade, although the leadership of the island of freedom with no electricity should rather look at its own effectiveness. Total blackout in Cuba: three days without electricity and water Blackout, or apagon in Spanish, is a long-standing problem in Cuba that the island nation has been living with since the 1970s. Yet, this is the first time when the country experienced such a large-scale accident. On Friday, October 18, the Cuban electrical system was completely shut down as a result of an emergency at its main thermal power plant Antonio Guteras in Matanzas. This thermal power plant has not been modernized since 1988. The Cubans had to live without electricity and water for three days. All institutions and industries stopped and thus put the country's security in jeopardy.

The current Israeli escalation of violent conflicts with multiple adversaries in the Middle East, in a way which is both excessive in scale and emotional in tone, while under the unconditional support of the United States, spells trouble for Western power politics in years to come. This is a classic example of the self-destructiveness of power politics in the long term, when power is unchecked in wreaking havoc on others for short-term "feel good" gains, under the temptation of unrealistic goals (wishful thinking).  1. Introduction: Israel, the United States, and Western Power Politics There are 3 important factors contributing to the unconditional support of Israel by the United States in recent decades.

In October 2024, Russia announced plans to significantly increase year-round shipping through the Northern Sea Route (NSR), aiming a boost in cargo volume to over 200 million tons annually by 2030 — a critical step in transforming the Arctic into a global trade corridor. With 2023's cargo volume already reaching 36.254 million tons, despite a slight dip this year so far mainly due to delays in launching major raw material projects like Arctic LNG 2, the route continues to demonstrate its growing role in Russia's trade and energy strategy. The Northern Sea Route, stretching across Russia's Arctic coastline, has long been eyed as a potential alternative to the Suez Canal for connecting Europe and Asia. With shorter transit times — promising to reduce the distance between Asia and Europe by 10 to 14 days compared to the Suez Canal route — and bypassing congested chokepoints, the NSR offers the promise of a more direct, efficient maritime route between the two continents. This October's decision is only the latest in a series of strategic moves by Russia to establish the NSR as a primary passage for international sea-based trade, catalyzed by Russia's growing ties with both China and India, who are actively seeking reliable access to the Arctic. Amid escalating tensions, particularly the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict, which has the potential to severely disrupt sea trade along the Suez Canal, the NSR's strategic importance becomes even more pronounced.

Cosmonaut candidate Andrei Babkin, who was dismissed from his flight position in September due to a runny nose, wrote a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin. In his address to the head of state, Babkin wrote that he would like independent experts to assess his health condition. In response, the Roscosmos Cosmonaut Training Center (CTC) said that an extended consultation was held on July 12. Members of the ENT section of the Main Medical Commission, as well as specialists who had previously treated the cosmonaut, were present at the meeting. As a result, no grounds were found for revising the previous medical conclusion in relation to the cosmonaut candidate.

Blogger Kristina Ray was found dead in Sochi. Her body was found in a sewer. Kristina Ray (real name Kristina Kozhevnikova), the former holder of the title "Biggest Lips in Russia" went missing in Sochi. The woman stopped communicating with friends and family on September 28. Kristina's relatives told the police that she had suffered from drug addiction for a long time. A few days before her disappearance, Kristina found out that they wanted to put her in a rehab clinic. The police were able to find out that on the day of her disappearance, the woman went to get drugs. She was 35.

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.

Russian President Vladimir Putin took part in the ceremony to launch the Chukotka nuclear icebreaker built at the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg. Putin participated from Moscow via video link. The footage shows the head of state giving the command "Launch cleared!" A bottle of champagne was traditionally smashed against the side of the vessel before launch. Three best workers of the Baltic Shipyard cut the detent that secured the ship to the land. The multi-ton vessel then slowly slid along the rails into the water.

Utimaco has released new consumer research that has found a low level of trust around Internet of Things (IoT) devices. This has highlighted the need for more education from industry into how smart devices are secured with the latest digital security solutions.

Canalys' recent global wearable band market analysis forecasts a 2% rise in 2023, totaling to 186 million units. This growth is primarily driven by a significant 22% surge in basic watch shipments in emerging markets, notably India.

Getac has introduced the AI-ready ZX80, a brand new 8-inch fully rugged tablet, powered by the versatile Android operating system.

The June Issue features a Special Technology Report looking in depth at the latest developments in the world of Automatic Identification and Data Capture/Mobile Computing solutions.

Also included is a ‘Cover Story’: Gartner forecasts spending on cloud security to grow 24% in 2024, making it the highest growth of all segments in the global security and risk management market.

Datalogic, provider of automatic data capture solutions, has launched its Memor 30 and 35 flagship mobile computers. The Memor 30/35 is designed to expedite operations with a superior scanning performance in all environments.

By Philipp Pfister, Chief Customer Experience Officer at Transporeon (a Trimble company)

There’s no denying that the transport sector is a prominent cog across most global industries. As the saying goes, “There is no production without procurement logistics, and no trade without delivery traffic.”

Quadient (Euronext: QDT), a global automation platform powering secure and sustainable business connections, has partnered with Co-op in the UK to deliver further parcel locker growth and added convenience to its communities.

Think Tank, the UK bespoke packaging design agency, is launching new SMART packaging formats designed to help brands elevate their packaging design and boost their commercial reach.

While retailers understand the need to move towards increased first-party data collection and personalised shopper engagement, many remain concerned about building privacy-centric experiences that meet consumers’ growing demands for the responsible use of their data, the latest research from Wunderkind, the AI-driven performance marketing solution, warns.

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.

Forter, the Trust Platform for digital commerce, has released findings from its 2024 Consumer Trust Premium Report, which explores the evolving relationship between consumer shopping habits and brand trust, based on 2,000 survey respondents in the US and UK.

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.

MandM, the online retailer specialising in discounted fashion, sports and outdoor brands, has launched the first of a series of live shopping events on Facebook and Instagram in collaboration with Sprii.

DHL eCommerce UK has made two new appointments to its management team, drawing on experience from the retail industry to further align DHL’s services to the evolving eCommerce market.

While discounts and sales events have long been associated with holiday shopping, new data from e-commerce provider Visualsoft reveals that consumers are motivated by more than just deep discounts when it comes to their seasonal and gifting purchases.

Ilgar Hajiyev, a developer of Accord Smart residential complex, accused of numerous crimes, including real estate scam, is facing another criminal case in Russia. Defrauded homebuyers are collecting signatures for a petition in their defense. These people, who paid their money for apartments in the Moscow region, Odintsovo сity district, but never received keys to their new homes, demand Hajiyev should be delivered to Russia to stand trial for fraud. Only 4 apartment buildings out of 12 that should have been commissioned in 2020 are built - with many violations. "Numerous violations were committed during the construction: façades are falling off, walls and decoration of public areas are crumbling, cardboard doors are already broken," the petition reads. The billion worth scam Hajiyev fled overseas with investors' money in January 2019. It was not only clients, but also business partners, whom Hajiyev scammed, including creditors of SDI Group. Apart from Accord Smart housing complex, subsidiaries of SDI Group were also developers of the Pirogovskaya Riviera residential complex in Mytishchi, the Moscow Region. The complex is being finished by another developer. Hajiyev started building the Pirogovskaya Riviera complex together with businessman Isai Zakharyaev, who later left the project, but never received money for his share. The head of SDI Group owes more than one billion rubles to the former partner. Another one billion Hajiyev siphoned off from the project developer Comfort Invest.

Startups are a lot like infants. They come into the world vulnerable and needy. And it's your job, as the founder, to protect your new business much like a parent would with a helpless baby. Businesses face numerous risks from the start. And in many regards, it's your ability to protect your fledgling business during these early days that makes or breaks your chances of long-term success. In light of this, here are a few practical tips you may find valuable in your pursuit of growth and stability: Form the Right Legal Entity One of the first steps every business owner should take is to form the correct legal entity. This legal entity will provide tax advantages as well as certain asset protections. The most common types of legal entities include:

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.