Ap0caLipse

1. Because it is a good service and I help with it and work 2.Help and good dealing with society and respect and work day and night without failure 3.Because it's a good service and I love it, and I may make up for someone's absence sometimes and you may need me to help 🙂

Nick: @Ap0caLipse Real name: Ap0c@lips3 How old are you?: 17 Years Which Games you play? and for how long?(each of them): Cs 1.6 For 9 or 10 Hours Where are you from?(country and city): Tunisia,Sfax Describe yourself(at least 50 words): My name is Motez Ben Amer, and my favorite game is Cs 1.6 which is the best game and my favorite hobby is a sport and I want to be in the future of a football player.. Note some of your qualities: Respected and loved everyone Tell us some of your defects: I want to make a great effort and hard work and my activity is high. I hate cheating, lies and occupiers Had you before any kind of responsabilities(describe it): Im Member on Project (Guardians of gaming (GOG)) and journalists on i Have a Good Activity On this projects .. On which category/categories have you been active lately?(describe your activity): Guardians of gaming : (Funny and vidéos ) journalists : News,sport,lifestyle,politics ... Which category/project you want to care off?: Guardians of gaming and journalists How well you speak english?(and other languages): ( English 9/10 , French 7/10 ,Arabic 10/10) Do you use TS3? Do you have an active microphone?: Yes I Do Have TS3 For how long can you be active after you get accepted?(days, weeks, months, years): Years Contact methods: TS3 , Discord , Facebook,forum, WhatsApp Last request: First Time ....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY BROTHER @THē-GHōST❤️🎉

LINK:https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/11/federal-reserve-expected-to-raise-interest-rates-in-week-ahead.html Investors may take the Federal Reserve’s first post-pandemic interest rate hike in stride, while uncertainty over the Ukraine crisis continues to hang over markets. The Fed has clearly broadcast that it intends to raise its target fed funds rate by a quarter percentage point from zero, and it is expected to announce that move at the end of its two-day meeting Wednesday. The central bank should also reveal new forecasts for interest rates, inflation and the economy. There are a few economic reports of note in the week ahead, including the producer price index Tuesday, retail sales Wednesday and existing home sales Friday. “Earnings are over. Monetary policy is obviously going to be important here. I don’t see the Fed surprising anyone next week,” said Steve Massocca, managing director at Wedbush Securities. “It’s going to be a quarter point and then step into the background and watch what’s happening in Europe.” Stocks fell for the past week, with the Nasdaq Composite the worst performer with a 3.5% decline. Meanwhile, the small-cap Russell 2000, which outperformed the three major indexes, lost 1% for the week. A surge in oil prices spooked investors, with crude spiking to $130 at the beginning of the week but trading back below $110 on Friday. The S&P 500 was down about 2.9% for the week. Energy stocks were the top performers, up nearly 1.9% and the only positive major sector. Fed ahead The impact of Russian sanctions on commodities markets and the lack of clarity around the outcome of the war in Ukraine are likely to keep volatility high across the financial markets. The central bank’s statement and comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday will be closely watched for guidance on how central bank officials view the Ukraine crisis, and how much it could affect their outlook and the path for interest rates. “His guidance is probably not going to be all that different from what he had to say in the [congressional] testimony. Basically, downside risks to the growth outlook have increased, upside risks to inflation have risen,” said Mark Cabana, head of U.S. short rates strategy at Bank of America. Because Russia is a giant commodities producer, its assault on Ukraine and resulting sanctions have set off a rally in commodities markets that has made already-scorching inflation even hotter. February’s consumer price index was up 7.9%, and economists said rising gasoline prices could send it above 9% in March. Gasoline at the pump jumped nearly 50 cents in the past week to $4.33 per gallon of unleaded, according to AAA. Market pros see surging inflation as a catalyst that will keep the Fed on track to raise interest rates. However, uncertainty about the economic outlook could also mean the central bank might not hike as much as the seven rate increases that some economists forecast for this year. Cabana expects Fed officials to forecast five hikes for 2022 and another four next year. The Fed previously anticipated three increases in both years. Cabana said the Fed could cut its forecast for 2024 to just one hike from the two in their last outlook. Any comments from the Fed on what it plans for its nearly $9 trillion balance sheet will also be important, since officials have said they would like to begin to scale it back this year after they start hiking interest rates. The Fed replaces maturing Treasury bonds and mortgages as they roll off, and it could slow that in a process Wall Street has dubbed “quantitative tightening,” or QT. “That they will be ready to flip the switch on QT in May is our base case, but we acknowledge there are risks that this will be skewed later,” said Cabana. He said if the Fed finds it is not in a position to raise interest rates as much as it hoped, it could delay shrinking the balance sheet right away, which would leave policy looser. Bond market liquidity The 10-year Treasury yield topped 2% at its highest level Friday, after dipping below 1.7% earlier this month as investors sought safety in bonds. Bond yields move opposite price. “It’s inflation and inflation expectations. Treasurys behave in this environment a little differently than a flight to quality asset,” Cabana said “That’s a different dynamic than we’ve observed. You may see a flight to quality into Treasurys, but the Treasurys are reflecting higher inflation expectations.” Cabana said the markets are showing signs of concern around the uncertainty in Ukraine. For instance, the Treasury market is less liquid. “We have seen that the Treasury market has become more volatile. We’re seeing bid-ask spreads have widened. Some of the more traditionally less liquid parts of the market may have become less liquid, like TIPS and the 20-year. We’re also seeing market depth thinning out,” he said. “This is all due to elevated uncertainty and lack of risk-taking willingness by market participants, and I think that should worry the Fed.” But Cabana said markets are not showing major stress. “We’re not seeing signs the wheels are falling off in funding or that counterparty credit risks are super elevated. But the signs there are very much that all is not well,” he said. “The other thing we continue to watch loosely are funding markets, and those funding markets are showing a real premium for dollars. Folks are paying up a lot to get dollars in a way they haven’t since Covid,” he said. Cabana said the market is looking for reassurance from the Fed that it is watching the conflict in Ukraine. “I think it would upset the market if the Fed reflected a very high degree of confidence in one direction or another,” he said. “That seems very unlikely.” Dollar strength The dollar index was up 0.6% on the week and it has been rising during Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The index is the value of the dollar against a basket of currencies and is heavily weighted toward the euro. Marc Chandler, chief market strategist at Bannockburn Global Forex, also points out that the dollar funding market is seeing some pressure but it is not strained. “The dollar is at five-year highs today against the yen. That’s not what you would expect in a risk-off environment,” he said. “That’s a testament to the dollar’s strength.” handler said it’s possible the dollar weakens in the coming week if it follows its usual interest rate hike playbook. “I think there might be a buy the rumor, sell the fact on the Fed,” he said. “That’s typical for the dollar to go up ahead of the rate hike and sell off afterwards.” Oil on the boil Oil gyrated wildly this past week, touching a high not seen since 2008, as the market worried there would not be enough oil supply due to sanctions on Russia. Buyers have shunned Moscow’s oil for fear of running afoul of financial sanctions, and the U.S. said it would ban purchases of Russian oil. West Texas Intermediate crude futures jumped to $130.50 per barrel at the beginning of the week but settling Friday at $109.33. “I think the market getting bid up to $130 was a little premature,” said Helima Croft, head of global commodities strategy at RBC, noting the U.S. ban on Russian oil. She said the run-up in prices Monday came as market players speculated there would be a broader embargo on Russian oil, including Europe, its main customer. “Right now, the market is too extreme in either way. I think it’s justified at $110. I think it’s justified over $100. I don’t think we’re headed for an off-ramp, and I think we have room to go higher,” she said.

LINK: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-60732486 China will face consequences if it helps Russia evade sanctions in its invasion of Ukraine, the US says. Unnamed US officials told multiple news outlets that China had signalled willingness to provide military assistance to Russia. The Chinese foreign ministry accused the US of spreading disinformation. Russia denied asking Beijing for military help. The exchanges came before top US and Chinese officials met in Rome. Media outlets, citing Washington officials, say that Russia has in recent days asked China specifically for military equipment, including drones. On Monday, the US warned allies that China had suggested it was open to a move to provide military and economic support, media reports said. The report came as US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met China's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, for talks in Rome. "Mr Sullivan raised a range of issues in US-China relations, with substantial discussion of Russia's war against Ukraine," a readout of the meeting said. "They also underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and China." In an earlier CNN interview, Mr Sullivan said the US was "communicating directly, privately to Beijing that there will absolutely be consequences for large-scale sanctions evasion efforts or support to Russia to backfill them". "We will not allow that to go forward and allow there to be a lifeline to Russia from these economic sanctions from any country, anywhere in the world," he said. He added that while the US believed China was aware that Russian leader Vladimir Putin was "planning something" before the invasion happened, Beijing "may not have understood the full extent of it". "Because it's very possible that [Mr] Putin lied to them the same way that he lied to Europeans and others," Mr Sullivan said. In response, a spokesman for the foreign ministry in Beijing, Zhao Lijian, said the US had "been spreading disinformation targeting China on the Ukraine issue, with malicious intentions". Asked if he could clarify whether China had received a request for military help from Russia, Mr Zhao said this was "fake news" but did not deny it directly. He added that China's stance had always been consistent and that China was playing a constructive role in promoting talks. President Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said reports Russia had asked China for military assistance were not true. "Russia possesses its own independent potential to continue the operation. As we said, it is going according to plan and will be completed on time and in full," he said. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US raised concerns with the Chinese delegation "directly and very clearly". China has so far refrained from condemning Russia for the invasion and has said Moscow's "legitimate security concerns" should be taken seriously. When the United Nations General Assembly voted to condemn Russia's invasion earlier this month, China was one of 35 countries that abstained. But Beijing at the same time has expressed "unwavering support" for Ukraine's sovereignty. It has also called for peace and has said it is ready to help end the war through diplomacy. Several countries have urged China to do more to stop Russia's invasion. The EU and US help Ukraine, China helps Russia; if that's how this goes, then it's a delineation that will make the war in Ukraine an even more consequential one. The White House has decided to make public its claim just as President Biden's top security adviser is due to meet China's most senior diplomat. It appears to be a tactical move, to put pressure on China; presumably to either confirm or deny it. The bigger aim could be to try to make Xi Jinping weigh up the pros and cons to his current position of what was last week called a "rock solid" relationship with Moscow. Remember that it was just weeks ago, as the Winter Olympics opened in Beijing, that Presidents Xi and Putin declared a new alliance that had "no limit". Military aid could, clearly, be part of that. But in the days after Russia's invasion China has condemned the UK, the US and others for giving weapons to Ukraine's military, saying they were adding "fuel to the fire". If the US intelligence assessment is correct and Beijing follows through on that request, then they too would be "adding fuel".

LINK:https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/12/politics/russia-ruble-bitcoin-crypto-what-matters/index.html A version of this story appeared in CNN's What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. (CNN)The isolation of Russia by much of the world economy may or may not convince Vladimir Putin to recall his invading troops from Ukraine (probably not). But it does mean pain for Russia's people and its economy as the value of the ruble craters. National currencies like the ruble have been the subject of much debate in recent years, particularly as technology like bitcoin has come to present a non-national alternative to the dollar. RELATED: Crypto 101: What you need to know I talked to Eswar Prasad, who's a professor at the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and the author of "The Future of Money: How the Digital Revolution Is Transforming Currencies and Finance," about the sanctions on Russia and what it all means for money. Our conversation, conducted by email and lightly edited, is below. What the cratering ruble says about currency WHAT MATTERS: When we first discussed doing this Q&A it was to talk about cryptocurrency and your book "The Future of Money." In the meantime, Russia has been partially isolated from the world economy for invading Ukraine and its currency has devalued. How does this episode factor into your thoughts on how the world will do business in the future? PRASAD: The US and other Western economies have deployed a set of highly potent financial weapons against Russia with remarkable speed. Cutting off access to global financial markets and to a country's war chest of foreign exchange reserves held in currencies of Western economies is a crippling blow for the Russian economy. This episode shows that, while the locus of global economic activity has been shifting eastward towards emerging market economies, the US dollar remains dominant in global finance. Meanwhile, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies appear to be entering the mainstream. Paradoxically, while bitcoin has failed in its stated purpose as a medium of exchange for conducting transactions, it has become a speculative financial asset. Cryptocurrencies are unlikely to seriously challenge major fiat currencies such as the US dollar. But they are setting off an important revolution. New financial technologies, including bitcoin's blockchain technology, could make it easier to create new financial products and services and give everyone, including low-income households, easy access to them. Digital payments, both within and across countries, are becoming cheaper, easier and quicker. This will benefit consumers and businesses, exporters and importers, and even economic migrants sending remittances back to their home countries. Is cryptocurrency a way around sanctions? WHAT MATTERS: One way Russia will try to find its way around sanctions is in bitcoin and other forms of cryptocurrency. How would that work? PRASAD: Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies do not yet provide the scalability to evade financial sanctions at the level of an entire economy, especially in view of the need to ultimately convert cryptocurrencies into more widely accepted global currencies to make international payments. In other words, the Russian government cannot count on bitcoin to evade sanctions -- after all, payments for international transactions still need to be settled in real money such as dollars or euros. Furthermore, cryptocurrencies cannot in any significant way prevent a country's currency from collapsing in value relative to major reserve currencies since those values are determined in formal financial markets. Cryptocurrencies might in fact hurt Russia if they are seen by the country's citizens as a better option than the plunging domestic currency. Thus, bitcoin might end up precipitating a flight of deposits from Russia's banking system and even as a conduit for capital flight out of the country. On a more positive note, Ukraine's government seems to have been able to crowdsource foreign donations in cryptocurrencies, bypassing slower conventional channels. How should cryptocurrency be regulated? WHAT MATTERS: Are there other reasons, besides patrolling bad actors like Russia, to regulate cryptocurrency? How should governments be acting now to regulate these new forms of currency? PRASAD: Cryptocurrencies are rapidly entering the mainstream. Governments are rightly concerned that cryptocurrencies could be used to conduct illegal commerce and evade taxes, in addition to fueling speculation that could hurt investors and infect the rest of the financial system. Cryptocurrencies have positive aspects, too. The blockchain technology underlying bitcoin is enabling the creation of new products and services that could one day revolutionize the way we conduct payments, banking and other transactions. The technology could make commercial transactions more efficient by cutting out inefficient intermediaries, not just banks but even attorneys and settlement agents. Variants of the technology could also make low-cost real-time digital payments, both within and across countries, easily accessible even to low-income individuals. This will benefit consumers, businesses, investors and even economic migrants sending remittances back to their home countries. The US government has the opportunity to take the lead, if it acts fast, in setting standards for this industry and guiding international cooperation. It is also essential to make a push for digital and financial literacy that makes investors, who might get carried away by the technology, better aware of the risks. The industry itself will need to acknowledge various types of risks rather than wave them off and engage with regulators instead of merely offering to police itself. In fact, this might help the technology gain legitimacy and enable it to truly disrupt the existing financial system by fixing its many inefficiencies. Why the dollar probably isn't going anywhere yet WHAT MATTERS: The US has an important reason to keep its focus on the dollar, since so much of our social safety net is funded by selling US debt. Would that be possible if the dollar were to be replaced by a more international currency? PRASAD: International payments are certainly ripe for change. New financial technologies are making it easier to conduct financial transactions directly between pairs of emerging market currencies without involving an intermediating currency such as the US dollar. Directly exchanging Russian rubles, Indian rupees or Chinese renminbi for one another without the intermediate step of exchanging those currencies into or out of dollars will become easier. This means the dollar's role as a payment currency in international transactions might become less important over time. But the US dollar is likely to remain the world's dominant reserve currency, the main global store of value. The US enjoys a powerful combination of advantages: It is the largest economy, has the deepest and most liquid financial markets, and boasts a strong institutional framework that encompasses an independent central bank, open and transparent government, an institutionalized system of checks and balances, and the rule of law. China's renminbi is often mentioned as a possible competitor to the dollar. Unless China is willing to drop restrictions on capital flows across its borders and the tight control it keeps over its currency, the renminbi will not become a major reserve currency. More importantly, private investors are unlikely to place their trust in a reserve currency that is not backed up by a robust institutional framework. What is the future of money? WHAT MATTERS: What's the most important thing from your book that What Matters readers should know about the future of money? PRASAD: The era of cash (physical currency) is drawing to an end. Digital payments have already become the norm in many developing as well as rich countries such as China and Sweden and they are rapidly displacing cash in other countries as well. Meanwhile, national central banks around the world are looking to issue digital versions of their official currencies. China, Japan and Sweden are already experimenting with central bank digital currencies and a digital dollar is probably on the horizon as well. It is also likely that major corporations such as Amazon will someday begin issuing their own stablecoins, digital coins that are backed up by reserves of US dollars and can be used for payments within and across countries. Many of these developments have been catalyzed by bitcoin's blockchain technology, which will help in creating better digital payment systems, automating a broad range of transactions and helping to democratize finance. But we should be cautious about giving free and unfettered rein to digital technologies. Otherwise, the result might be the erosion of confidentiality and perhaps greater intrusion of big business and governments in financial systems and in the functioning of society.

LINK: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60724560 I'm in touch with Dmytro and Maksym and the other volunteers. This weekend I went to see them at their posts on the eastern edge of the city, where they have been issued with uniforms, body armour, proper infantry kneepads and helmets. A bitter wind blew through the checkpoint which the volunteers were trying to turn into a real obstacle with sandbags and steel tank traps. They made the best of their very basic training. Dmytro told me: "I got used to my gun. I learned how to shoot and how to act in the battle, also many other things that will be very crucial in the fight with the Russians." He laughed, as if he found it hard to imagine what he was contemplating. Maksym looked more urgent, more serious, less like a laid-back student. "I feel much more confident than I was before, because we get enough knowledge in tactics, in martial arts, in tactical medicine and in how to do something on the battlefield." Only half joking, he wanted to see the Ukrainian flag flying from the Kremlin. The question on everyone's mind here is whether the battle is coming for Kyiv. "It's definitely possible" said Dmytro. "We just have to stop them here, because if they get to Kyiv this war might be over." They are from the same town near the Russian border, which is being shelled. Their families are still there. I asked the boys what their parents thought of what they were doing. Maksym joked that his mother had told him to stay in a shelter and volunteer to cook the food. He had spared them the details of his deployment because he didn't want to worry them. Dmytro's parents knew what he was doing. He had started by volunteering to make Molotov cocktails and after a few days rang his dad to tell him he had decided to join the territorial defence force. His father told him not to try too hard to be a hero. My parents, Dmytro said, are proud of what I'm doing. He looked delighted. I asked him if he felt scared of what is ahead. "Not much, but it is human nature to feel scared, and of course deeply in my soul I feel a bit scared, as no one wants to die, even if it's for your country. So, death is not an option for us." Dmytro and Maksym talked about their dreams for the future, fun with friends, finishing their studies, careers and eventually families. Their parents must be praying that their sons' plans, energy and even their lives are not smashed by the brutal realities of war, like so many in all the other generations of young men who have joined up to fight in Europe's wars. line War in Ukraine: More coverage LIVE: Latest updates from Ukraine and nearby SANCTIONS: Impact on everyday lives in Russia EXIT: Russia faces brain drain as thousands flee abroad IN DEPTH: Full coverage of the conflict line Foreign journalists have no access to the young Russian men only a few miles away on the other side of the front line. Many are believed to be conscripts, who were not told properly what was being planned for them. Wars are mostly fought by young men. I have no doubt that many young Russians in the war have hopes as high as Dmytro and Maksym. One difference might be less motivation to fight, though without the chance to report their side properly, it is hard to say with certainty. The two young Ukrainian students-turned-soldiers went back to work on the checkpoint. The professional army is a couple of miles ahead, directly facing the Russians. But if the Russians come, like all the volunteers, Maksym and Dmytro will be firing out of the trenches they helped dig into the surrounding ground, where boxes of Molotov cocktails are waiting - old bottles filled with petrol and pieces of grated polystyrene and stuffed with a rag to ignite what they hope might even disable a tank. If that doesn't work, the Nato military alliance is pouring in thousands of much more sophisticated anti-tank weapons. Everyone here in Kyiv is waiting for what is likely to be the key battle of the war, soldiers, civilians in and out of uniform, along with Maksym and Dmytro and the other volunteers who are getting ready to fight with them.

Happy birthday !!

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Happy birthday

LINK:https://www.nbcnews.com/news/animal-news/rare-wolverine-photographed-yellowstone-national-park-rcna19705 By Tim Fitzsimons A tour guide and former park ranger last weekend had what he called a "phenomenal" encounter with one of Yellowstone National Park's rarest and most elusive animals: a wolverine. He even snapped a picture to prove it. MacNeil Lyons, owner of Yellowstone Insight, was with a tour group in the park’s northern reaches March 5 when the visitors spotted what he calls a "unicorn." The wolverine — the largest species in the mustelid, or weasel, family — is related to otters, ferrets and minks. In North America, the wolverine's southernmost range touches Yellowstone National Park, according to the National Wildlife Federation. Lyons said wolverines are known to search far and wide for food in winter and may even sniff out an avalanche-buried moose carcass that it can burrow deep into snow and scavenge from for weeks. “A wolverine is a scavenger, and it’ll eat anything it can put its mouth around, and in that bleak, high-snow country, it’s looking for dead animals, anything that’s died, a carcass,” Halfpenny said. In normal years, Halfpenny says, it's typical to get three solid reports of wolverine sightings in Yellowstone, but never a photo. "I haven't had time to run through our tracking databases yet to decide if it's a male or female," he said. Halfpenny, who runs the tracking education company A Naturalist’s World and is licensed to submit animal data to Yellowstone officials, said members of the Yellowstone Cougar Project this week found more wolverine tracks and even obtained a hair sample. If a follicle is attached or a nearby scat pile identified, Halfpenny said, researchers might have valuable DNA information to submit to Yellowstone Wolf Project, which collects data on wolves and other rare mammals. "If they can prove whether it's one or two, that would be neat," he said.

LINK: https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/11/politics/kamala-harris-poland-romania/index.html As Vice President Kamala Harris was jetting to Poland this week, she got a mid-flight call from the White House. It was President Joe Biden, looking to make sure his No. 2 was up to speed on the administration's scramble to deal with a problem awaiting her in Warsaw, a senior administration official said. The Polish government was offering to send fighter jets through the US to Ukraine, an idea the administration had no choice but to firmly decline in a Pentagon statement the day before Harris' departure. Ordinarily such a scenario might prompt a cursory phone call between leaders to clear the air. But in this case, the administration's response was still unfolding as Harris was flying across the Atlantic to meet Poland's President and prime minister, raising the stakes for a trip that was already set to be one of the most intense moments of her vice presidency. She managed to avoid any public discord. But even a diplomatic victory left questions about how the conflict roiling Eastern Europe will end. "I want to be very clear. The United States and Poland are united in what we have done and are prepared to help Ukraine and the people of Ukraine; full stop," Harris said during a news conference Thursday alongside Polish President Andrzej Duda. As fighting intensifies in Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin increases his targeting of civilians, Harris has emerged as Biden's top-ranking envoy to a continent suddenly thrust into conflict. This week's swing through Poland and Romania was her third visit to Europe in the past four months. For a foreign policy novice with aspirations for higher office, it has been a rigorous introduction to wartime diplomacy. Like most of her events, Harris' trip was tightly scripted. Only an arch aside to the Polish President when he kept asking her to answer first during a joint news conference -- "A friend in need is a friend indeed," she said, laughing slyly -- generated some criticism, since the question was about refugees. Otherwise, there was little on Harris' trip that generated much Republican criticism, which is rare for one of the right's favorite targets. Even her predecessor Mike Pence's visit to the Polish-Ukrainian border at the same time she was in the country wasn't immediately viewed as a partisan contest. A White House official said they had not received a heads up that Pence would be in the area. By the time she took off just before 8 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Harris had already been briefed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken -- with whom she often has lunch -- about his trip to the region last weekend and had spoken to five Eastern European prime ministers in preparation for her visit. She'd consulted with country experts on Poland and Romania and conferred with other members of the National Security Council. It could hardly be said of Harris that she wasn't prepared; at nearly every public appearance, she repeated some version of a commitment to defend "every inch of NATO territory" and that an "attack against one is an attack against all" -- the words American officials have always used to affirm their commitment to the alliance's collective defense. And she did come bearing new American commitments on humanitarian aid and a Patriot missile-defense system for Poland. But it was evident there were limits to what Harris could do to entirely reassure this anxious region at a moment of deep reckoning. When a Romanian reporter asked her if that country was the next to be invaded, Harris could only say she didn't know. "As it relates to what might be the future conduct of Putin, I cannot speculate," Harris said. Harris smooths over Polish fighter jet dust-up The question of sending fighter jets to Ukraine, which hung over Harris' first stop, illustrated the constraints the United States and NATO are operating under as they work to protect civilian lives in Ukraine. When Biden called up Harris on her airplane as she was making her way to Poland, his administration was arriving at a decision to put a stake in the entire prospect of sending Polish planes to Ukraine, a signal of how intent the President is on avoiding direct conflict with Russia. The announcement blunted some of the potential awkwardness for Harris when she arrived at the Belvedere Palace in Warsaw for talks with Duda. Greeting each other under a bright blue sky, the pair shook hands for more than a minute. Inside, they had what one official described as a "tête-à-tête" to talk privately before bringing in their delegations. Polish officials had privately been annoyed at the impression they were holding up the jet transfers. When Blinken appeared on television Sunday giving Poland a "green light" to transfer the jets, it appeared to some like the United States was shirking off responsibility for what could be viewed as an escalation onto a country within easy striking distance of Moscow. For Harris and Duda, it was a topic that could hardly be ignored. US and Polish officials said afterward that the discussions on the fighter jet issue were focused mostly on the logistics and intelligence issues that prevent a transfer, rather than on the surprise nature of the Polish announcement. "This is something you address. It's obviously been out there. It's a serious and legitimate issue to discuss," one senior administration official said after the meeting. "We've been discussing for some time the best ways to provide security assistance to the Ukrainians. So the vice president did discuss it with her counterparts." When they emerged for a news conference later, Harris mostly skirted the issue. Duda, however, appeared far more intent on explaining his rationale. "Those requests were addressed to us by the Ukrainian side and also, to a certain extent, by the media," he said through a translator. "We behaved in such a way as a reliable member of NATO should behave -- a member of NATO who does not want to expose NATO to any difficult situation." With the Pentagon having already shut down the prospect of getting the fighter jets to Ukraine, Harris and Duda were able to turn their attention to what their countries are willing to do, rather than muddle through an option to which neither side ever seemed committed. But what exactly that looks like isn't clear. Harris said only that deliveries of anti-tank and anti-armor missiles would continue "to the extent that there is a need." Humanitarian crisis becomes apparent for Harris There were no signs of the need dissipating this week. Even Harris appeared taken aback by the gruesome level of atrocities taking place in Ukraine, growing most impassioned when condemning the bombing of a maternity hospital. "It is painful to watch what is happening to innocent people in Ukraine who just want to live in their own country and have pride in themselves as Ukrainians, who want to be home speaking the language they know, going to the church that they know, raising their children in the community where their families have lived for generations," she said, "And by the millions, now, are having to flee with nothing but a backpack." The human crisis the war in Ukraine has inflicted on an entire region was unmistakable on each of Harris' stops, as Poles and Romanians compassionately welcome refugees while wondering if their countries can handle them. In Warsaw, the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Europe was evident right outside her door. Just across the street from her hotel was the city's central bus station, where refugees fleeing violence in Ukraine have been arriving by the thousands since last week. Inside, volunteers in orange vests directed new arrivals to counters helping with accommodation, translation and onward journeys. Long lines wrapped around tables offering hot coffee and sandwiches. Boxes of donated clothes were positioned in corners and piles of diapers and baby products were available for the taking. The new refugees appeared dazed and somewhat disoriented, albeit relieved to have arrived in Poland. None said they had known the American vice president was also in Warsaw, staying in the hotel next door. One woman, who declined to provide her name, had just arrived with a small family and their husky mix. She said she hadn't known Harris was visiting Warsaw; after all, she'd just completed a long journey out of Ukraine. If she had a message for the United States, it was simply: "Please help Ukraine."

LINK:https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/12/europe/western-brands-russia-sanctions-impact-intl/index.html When thousands of Russians lined up in Moscow's busy Pushkin Square on January 31, 1990 to enter the country's first-ever branch of McDonald's, the moment represented a seismic cultural shift. The Iron Curtain, which had divided Eastern and Western Europe for decades, had only just collapsed. Now the fast-food chain beloved by Americans and many others could serve up Big Macs to Russian customers. Thirty-two years later, McDonald's has nearly 850 branches across the country. But on Tuesday, it announced their doors would close. Like many other big Western brands, including IKEA, H&M, Coca-Cola and Starbuck's, McDonald's has decided to suspend its operations in Russia in response to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. PepsiCo has also said it will stop selling some of its products there, including Pepsi Cola and 7-Up. Of course, Russians can choose to eat elsewhere and buy other goods -- many homegrown chains have sprung up across the vast country since the demise of the Soviet Union. But the decision of these international brands to suspend trading in Russia -- following several rounds of punishing Western sanctions and massive public pressure on moral grounds -- still represents the end of an era. "Coke, Pepsi, McDonald's were the symbols of westernizing Russia, Russia opening to the world. And the fact that these companies are leaving... signals and highlights the extent to which Russia is closing and turning inwards," said Gulnaz Sharafutdinova, a professor of Russian politics at King's College London's Russia Institute. That first McDonald's on Pushkin Square, known as Pushkinskaya Square to Russians, seated 700 diners and was for years the company's largest outlet anywhere in the world. Young middle class Russians growing up in the 1990s saw McDonald's as somewhere cool and alluringly foreign, a restaurant where you'd take friends to celebrate special birthdays. As the 21st century rolled on, the chain seemed a less potent symbol of American culture but remained a favorite venue for Russian college students to meet for affordable lunches or dates, and offered a fast, cheap dining option for others. Its branches also gave job opportunities to tens of thousands of Russians. All that is now gone, at least for the foreseeable future. "Our values mean we cannot ignore the needless human suffering unfolding in Ukraine," said McDonald's chief executive Chris Kempczinski in a message to staff Tuesday announcing the company's suspension of operations in the country. He added that it was "impossible to predict" when its restaurants might reopen. CNN has reached out to McDonald's for confirmation of the final closing date for its restaurants but has not yet had a response. "Whether it is an end of an era or not, it's hard to say right now, many observers do fear that it might be, and that will depend on how long it will take Russia to go through the difficult, dark, toxic authoritarian-slash-totalitarian dictatorial period," said Sharafutdinova by phone. "We are also pretty clear that to shift away from this will take a lot of effort -- social, political, economic, and leadership." Reputational wound Many ordinary Russians are still reeling from the shock of events over the past two weeks. With news coverage of the war tightly controlled by the state, it's hard to take stock of exactly how much their world has changed with the imposition of Western sanctions. But economic pain is already being felt as the ruble's value crashes and bank controls tighten. While some wealthy Russians scrambled to sell assets abroad and even to leave the country while they still could, the less affluent have fewer options.

Happy birthday !!

LINK:https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/10/politics/florida-dont-say-gay-bill-what-matters/index.html A version of this story appeared in CNN's What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here. (CNN)While there is no equivalency between the laws passed in Russia criminalizing calling Russia's war just that, a war, and what's happening in Florida as the government there seeks to restrict speech, it's striking nonetheless to see freedom of expression under assault in the United States. We've spent most of the last two weeks focused on Russia, but the controversy in Florida is worth considering. What they're passing in Florida In their quest to become the party of "parental rights," Republicans in Florida and in other states are attempting to muzzle discussion of gay and civil rights in school. One bill that is awaiting the signature of Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis -- titled "Parental Rights in Education" -- has been dubbed by critics the "Don't Say Gay" bill because it seeks to ban discussion of gender and sexuality issues with younger students. Another bill that passed Florida's Senate on Thursday would prohibit instruction that says certain races or sexes are privileged or oppressed. While the legislation doesn't specifically mention critical race theory -- an academic theory already banned in Florida that is mostly taught in colleges and graduate programs and that acknowledges that racism is systemic and institutional in American society -- a bill analysis by state Senate staff highlights the teaching of critical race theory as something that would be prohibited, according to CNN's Steve Contorno. This new bill, however, is supposed to protect "individual freedom." It would prohibit Florida's public schools and private businesses from making people feel "guilt, anguish, or other forms of psychological distress" based on their races, sexes or national origins. Opponents say it is cruel The proposal that has been dubbed by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" bill has become the subject of an intense opposition campaign. Students in Florida organized protests at schools and the state Capitol. The White House has called it cruel. "It is certainly something that is not helping, you know, young people who are members of the LGBTQI+ community who are already vulnerable, already being bullied," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said when asked about the Florida legislation in February. The CEO of Disney faces serious backlash after he initially refrained from criticizing the bill. He now plans to take LGBTQ+ leaders from the company, a major Florida employer, to meet with DeSantis before he signs it. Don't say 'Don't Say Gay' to DeSantis DeSantis grew agitated Monday at the Florida Strawberry Festival when a reporter asked him about the phrase -- "Don't Say Gay" -- that critics have applied to the bill. "Does it say that in the bill? Does it say that in the bill? I'm asking you to tell me what's in the bill, because you are pushing false narratives," DeSantis said. "It doesn't matter what critics say." What does it say? Here's what the pertinent portion of the bill does say: Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards. Here's what supporters think it says If that language seems vague, it is. But vague legislation can have massive consequences. The threat of lawsuits brought against school boards would certainly have a chilling effect on teachers and what they say in classrooms. Activists on the left and right have filled in the blanks, with some making the case the bill discriminates against LGBT people. Supporters of the bill say it's innocuous, but they don't think the bill is meaningless. DeSantis' spokesperson, Christina Pushaw, absurdly said on Twitter that the bill would protect kids from "grooming" and that opponents of the bill are "probably groomers," using a slang term for pedophiles: "If you're against the Anti-Grooming Bill, you are probably a groomer or at least you don't denounce the grooming of 4-8 year old children. Silence is complicity. This is how it works, Democrats, and I didn't make the rules." It's an old, tired and ridiculous argument that has been used to smear members of the LGBT community in previous debates over issues like same-sex marriage. At the news conference where he challenged the reporter, DeSantis said the bill was about protecting kids. "We're going to make sure that parents are able to send their kid to kindergarten without having some of this stuff injected into their school curriculum," he said. These fears are unfounded CNN's Brandon Tensley looked at this issue in his Race Deconstructed newsletter. (It's good! Sign up here.) He talked to the UC Berkeley philosopher and gender theorist Judith Butler about how with both the "Parental Rights" and "Individual Freedom" bills, Republicans are tapping into parents' fears. "There's a fantasy going on that children are being indoctrinated," Butler told CNN. "Parents and communities want to exercise forms of censorship to stop their children from knowing about how the world is being organized and how different people are living their lives." 150+ anti-LGBT proposals A separate CNN analysis by Giselle Rhoden includes a map of more than 150 anti-LGBT bills introduced at the state level so far this legislative session. They range from restricting access to gender-affirming health care for minors to excluding transgender children from athletics. Some examples: A Georgia bill similar to Florida's bill restricting discussion of LGBT topics. An Idaho bill that could punish medical personnel who provide gender-affirming health care and parents who agree for their children to receive such care with up to life in prison. A new executive order issued by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to launch child abuse investigations into parents seeking gender-affirming medical treatment for trans children. An Iowa ban on transgender women and girls taking part in girls' sports at public schools. A Tennessee ban on any discussion, textbook or instructional materials on "LGBT issues or lifestyle" in public schools. An Oklahoma proposal to ban some public school libraries from keeping books about "the study of sex, sexual preferences, sexual activity, sexual perversion, sex-based classifications, sexual identity, or gender identity or books that are of a sexual nature that a reasonable parent or legal guardian would want to know of or approve of prior to their child being exposed to it." All these proposals make it harder for certain Americans to be who they are, which is counter to the idea of parental rights or individual freedoms.

LINK:https://www.linternaute.fr/lifestyle/guide-du-lifestyle/1026775-5-conseils-avant-de-se-faire-tatouer/ Nous ne sommes pas tous égaux face à la douleur. Certains sont plus douillets que d'autres, c'est certain, mais ayez à l'esprit que se faire tatouer n'a rien d'une partie de plaisir. En revanche, certaines zones sont moins sensibles que d'autres : les épaules, le dos, les pectoraux et les endroits charnus de votre anatomie qui amortiront le mieux la vibration des aiguilles. En bref, si vous souhaitez avoir un tatouage sur les parties de votre corps où la peau est plus fine (côtes, intérieur des bras...), vous risquez de bien serrer les dents. Surtout si votre dessin demande de grands aplats de couleurs. Les tracés fins sont moins douloureux. Enfin, n'oubliez pas que votre corps va changer (perte ou prise de poids, vieillissement de la peau) et que votre tatouage va certainement en subir les conséquences. Privilégiez une zone moins exposée aux variations de poids, où la peau est moins susceptible de se distendre. Autrefois arboré par les marginaux dans nos contrées européennes, le tatouage entre dans les mœurs en perdant peu à peu son image négative. Si dans d'autres civilisations il a une valeur symbolique ou religieuse, chez nous ce dessin corporel est avant tout réalisé pour des raisons décoratives ou esthétiques. Pourtant, se faire tatouer n'est pas un acte à prendre à la légère : le dessin est indélébile et évolue dans le temps, il n'existe pas de diplôme pour exercer le métier de tatoueur, le tracé agresse la peau et demande une hygiène irréprochable... Autant de raisons qui doivent vous faire bien réfléchir avant de passer à l'acte. Voici nos conseils. Ne jamais se faire un tatouage sur un coup de tête Le mot tatouage vient du tahitien. En version originale, cela signifie "dessin de l'esprit". Donc, pas la peine de vous préciser que c'est un choix à faire de façon réfléchie. Il serait idiot de céder à la tentation à cause d'un pari, d'une mode, d'un déjeuner un peu trop arrosé... De toute façon, les bons tatoueurs verront que vous n'êtes pas "prêt" et il est impossible de se faire tatouer sans avoir pris rendez-vous (ou alors passez votre chemin). L'idée de se faire un tatouage doit avoir son cheminement. C'est souvent même l'envie d'un dessin ou d'exprimer un message en particulier qui va d'abord s'imposer. Posez-vous les bonnes questions. Pourquoi vous en avez envie ? Est-ce que vous vous êtes assez renseigné sur le sujet ? Etes-vous prêt à le porter toute votre vie ? N'allez-vous pas le regretter et parler d'erreur plus tard ? Ne vous rassurez pas en pensant que si vous en êtes lassé, vous pourrez toujours l'effacer au laser. Si les résultats sont bien meilleurs qu'autrefois, le détatouage peut laisser des cicatrices. Cela doit rester une option, très onéreuse, de dernier recours. Réfléchir au motif Si vous tenez absolument à avoir un tatouage, mais que vous n'avez aucune idée du dessin que vous souhaitez porter, il y a des chances pour que vous soyez influencé par une mode, ou par une idée que vous vous faites des personnes tatouées, et que vous le regrettiez très vite. En revanche, si c'est l'envie d'un message, d'utiliser son corps comme moyen d'expression ou d'un dessin particulier qui s'impose à vous, vous êtes sur la bonne voie. Prenez votre temps, rien ne presse, vous l'aurez ensuite rien que pour vous toute la vie. Faites vous-même un dessin, collectez des images et discutez-en avec des tatoueurs, ils seront de bons conseils et feront des croquis en fonction de vos indications. Evidemment, un catalogue sera à votre disposition, et vous pourrez y choisir un dessin "tout prêt"... Et que certaines personnes porteront déjà. Cela perd un peu de son charme non ?

LINK:https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/11/business/alibaba-stock-sec-delisting-chinese-companies-intl-hnk/index.html Hong Kong (CNN Business)Po[CENSORED]r Chinese tech stocks have plunged after the US regulator named five Chinese companies that could be removed from American stock markets for failing to meet audit requirements. The names cited by the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday are fast-food company Yum China Holdings (YUMC), tech firm ACM Research (ACMR), biotech group BeiGene (BGNE), Zai Lab (ZLAB), as well as pharmaceutical company Hutchmed. But big tech stocks also fell because investors are concerned that more companies might be added to the US regulator's list. Alibaba (BABA) fell more than 5% Friday in Hong Kong. Its US-listed stock ended down 7.9% on Thursday. JD.com (JD) plummeted 11% in Hong Kong, after closing 16% lower on Wall Street. Baidu (BIDU) was down nearly 5%, following a 6.3% drop in the United States. Other companies with dual listings in the United States and Hong Kong also declined sharply. The broad losses came as Chinese companies face intense regulatory pressure both at home and in the US. So far this week, the SEC has pointed out five Chinese companies for not adhering to the Holding Foreign Companies Accountability Act (HFCAA). That law gives the SEC power to kick companies off Wall Street if they fail to allow US watchdogs to inspect their financial audits for three straight years. While it applies to any foreign company, the focus on China is obvious. Beijing has often resisted such scrutiny in the past. It requires companies that are traded overseas to hold their audit papers in mainland China, where they cannot be examined by foreign agencies. The companies cited by the SEC on Thursday are the first among the roughly 270 Chinese firms that could be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq for not complying with the law. According to Citi analysts in a research report on Friday, there are "worries that more companies will be put on the [US] list in the coming months." On Friday, China Securities Regulatory Commission responded to the US move and said it was confident it will reach an agreement with US counterparts on securities supervision. Talks between the CSRC, the Chinese finance ministry and the US Public Company Accounting Oversight Board had made "positive progress," the CSRC said in a statement. The SEC's move triggered a sell-off in Chinese stocks in the United States on Thursday. The Nasdaq Golden Dragon China Index, a po[CENSORED]r index that tracks more than 90 Chinese companies that are traded in the United States, fell 10% on Thursday, the worst daily drop since October 2008. Yum China (YUMC), which owns KFC and Taco Bell brands in China, tumbled 11% on Wall Street. ACM Research (ACMR) plunged 22%. Zai Lab (ZLAB), Hutchmed, and BeiGene (BGNE) were down 9%, 6.5% and 6% respectively. On Friday in Hong Kong, Yum China lost 6%, while BeiGene shed 5%. The city's benchmark Hang Seng Index (HSI) tumbled 1.6% on Friday, mainly on investor worries about a prolonged Ukraine war after peace talks between Ukraine and Russia staled. Japan's Nikkei 225 (N225) fell 2.1%, and Korea's Kospi (KOSPI) was down 0.7%. But China's Shanghai Composite (SHCOMP)reversed earlier losses and ended up 0.4%. US stocks futures also moved lower, with Dow futures down 50 points, or 0.2%. S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures were down 0.1% and 0.2% respectively.

Happy Birthday!!🎉

LINK:https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/08/how-the-tricky-politics-of-a-russian-oil-ban-roiled-washington-in-100-hours-00015374 Several factors drove congressional Democrats to prod their own president to ban Russian oil imports with stunning speed. But perhaps the most important was the messenger: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Zelenskyy brought three major requests to hundreds of lawmakers over the weekend, as Russian attacks intensified in his country. But U.S. lawmakers saw ending fossil-fuel purchases from Moscow as the one Zelenskyy ask they could actually deliver on. With Western nations uniformly rejecting Zelenskyy’s calls to establish a no-fly zone over his country, a Russian oil ban quickly became the order of the day in Washington. As Congress’ bipartisan calls for the ban grew louder, President Joe Biden and his team grew eager to avoid a fight with fellow Democrats. “The situation on the ground is only getting worse, and as Putin goes up the ladder of what he’s willing to do to innocent women and children, we should keep going up the ladder of what we’re willing to do to stop him,” Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) said. “As we’ve leaned in on sanctions and bans, the world is joining us, the private sector is joining us, and Americans also support it.” Biden announced the U.S. embargo on Tuesday, with the United Kingdom following suit. It was the only major European nation to join the U.S. in the move. Yet that didn’t deter House Democrats from pursuing their own oil ban vote as soon as Wednesday, even as senators signaled they were likely to accept the administration’s move.