Profits of oil companies are growing against the backdrop of rising energy prices. At the same time, they are growing at times: Exxon’s profit in the 2nd quarter of 2022 amounted to $17.9 billion against $4.7 billion in the corresponding period of 2021 — an increase of almost 4 times! Chevron also shows comparable growth figures. Against the backdrop of leaders, BP’s profit growth is 3 times, Shell’s — two times, and Total and Repsol’s — one and a half
<<< August 05, 2022 Feed >>>
China is Russia’s largest supplier of goods, accounting for 20% of all imports ($72 billion). Russia, on the other hand, accounts for only 2.4% of Chinese exports worth $3 trillion and is not among the top 10 largest trading partners.
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Five ballistic missiles fired by the Chinese army as part of an exercise in the Taiwan Strait landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone, Kyodo reported, citing a government statement.
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The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, by its order, expanded the list of goods that are allowed to be imported into Russia as part of the so-called parallel import, that is, without the permission of trademark owners.
In particular, cosmetics and perfumes from a number of world famous brands have been added to the list: Lancôme, Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, Giorgio Armani and others.
In addition, the list of goods allowed for parallel import includes reagent kits for the operation of medical equipment of the Miltenyi Biotec brand.
The list is also supplemented by brands of automotive parts, products of the radio-electronic, chemical industry and other goods. For example, it will now be possible to supply Castrol, Liqui Moly, Datsun, Alienware and others through parallel imports.
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According to the National Bureau of Credit Histories, 2.53 million microloans or payday loans (up to 30,000 rubles) were issued in June. Thus, the issuance returned to last year’s figures, with a year-on-year growth of 0.4%.
Growth by May 2022 is 1.7%. The largest number of microloans was issued in Moscow, Moscow region, Krasnodar region, Sverdlovsk region and Bashkiria.
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The Bank of England decided to raise the base interest rate to 1.75% from 1.25% per annum. The rate was raised following the results of the sixth meeting in a row, and the pace of its increase was a record since 1995.
The decision to raise the rate by 50 basis points (bp) was supported by eight of the nine members of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), and only 1 member voted in favor of raising it by the usual 25 bp.
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In the first half of 2022, it was possible to buy 35 sq. m of luxury real estate in Moscow for $1 million, which is half the figure for the previous year (71 sq. m), the press service of Knight Frank Russia reported.
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Yale University Medical School scientists restored blood circulation and cellular activity to vital organs in pigs an hour after death, according to a publication in the journal Nature.
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Since August 1, the agreement between the governments of Latvia and Russia on economic cooperation has been suspended, the Latvian Foreign Ministry reported in the official publication Latvijas Vestnesis.
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Engineers at the University of Massachusetts have found a specific type of microbe called G. sulfurreducens that, when exposed to sweat, produces «green» eco-friendly energy. When salt water evaporates, this electricity powers portable sensors the size of paper sheets.
Scientists have managed to “link” bacteria with microscopic wires so that they work like one big battery. In the process, these microbes die, but new ones are formed in their place. From such a sensor, it was possible to «start» a small LCD screen. The same screens are installed in wristwatches.
On average, such «microbial» sensors work for 35 days, then the energy reserve decreases. Researchers are working to make their work last forever, without the need for replacement. In this case, such microcircuits can be embedded in smart watches, bracelets and gadgets for measuring body parameters.
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Three more dry cargo ships with grain are expected to leave the ports of Ukraine on August 5, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said.
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The European Union has imposed new sanctions against former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his son Oleksandr, according to the EU magazine.
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The Joe Biden administration has postponed testing of the Minuteman III ICBM to avoid escalating tensions with China over Taiwan, The Wall Street Journal reported. The White House confirmed the postponement of the launch
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The Mir payment system stopped allocating money to banks to promote their cards after Visa and Mastercard left Russia — there is no more competition in this market. Banks will now conduct such promotions on their own
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According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in the first six months of 2022, 370 road accidents were recorded in Russia involving electric scooters, unicycles, gyro scooters, segways and other personal mobility equipment (IM). In them, according to the report of the department, six people died — this is twice as many as in the same period last year.
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In June, the volume of industrial production in Germany rose by 0.4% compared to May, data from the country’s Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) showed.
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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) raised its key interest rate in an effort to limit the pace of growth in consumer prices in the country. The REPO rate was increased by 50 basis points (bp) to 5.4% per annum.
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U.S. plant-based meat substitute manufacturer Beyond Meat nearly quintupled its net loss in the second quarter of fiscal year 2022 (ended July 23). The company’s net loss for the reporting financial quarter amounted to $97.1 million, or $1.53 per share, compared to $19.7 million, or $0.31 per share, for the comparable period last year. Revenue fell 1.6% to $147 million from $149.4 million a year earlier.
In addition, the company announced a 4% reduction in employees worldwide, noting that the cuts are part of a cost-cutting plan. Beyond Meat expects layoffs to save $8 million annually.
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Sberbank has reduced the minimum loan amount secured by real estate from 500 to 300 thousand rubles, the press service of the bank said.
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Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli & C SpA increased its net profit by 1.8 times in the first half of the year
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The Hungarian oil and gas MOL Group in the second quarter of 2022 received a net profit of $690 million, which is 1.6 times higher than in the first quarter and 14% more than in the same period in 2021
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German insurer Allianz SE cut its net income sharply in the second quarter of 2022 due to declining revenues from its asset management business, it said in a report.
The company’s net profit in April-June decreased by 23.3% and amounted to 1.71 billion euros compared to 2.23 billion euros in the same period a year earlier.
Allianz’s operating profit increased 5% to 3.50 billion euros, while quarterly revenue increased 8.2% to 37.1 billion euros.
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Deutsche Post winds down its activities in Russia. The German postal concern stops the transportation of goods and postal items within the country. For employees affected by this decision, the company intends to develop a social plan. Contractual obligations in the field of import and export remain in force, said the head of the concern, Frank Appel.
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China suspends cooperation with the United States in a number of areas. Beijing will not engage in dialogue at the level of military leaders, in the field of justice, on the fight against drugs and illegal migration, as well as within the framework of the maritime security mechanism
Earlier, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced sanctions against US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for visiting Taiwan.
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Climbers will have to leave a deposit of 15,000 euros before climbing Mont Blanc. This decision was made by the mayor of the French city of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, through which lies the path to the top, writes The Guardian.
Mayor Jean-Marc Peyet announced the need for a deposit after dozens of travelers ignored warnings about the dangers of climbing. On his Twitter, he spoke about the case when five tourists tried to climb to the top in shorts and sneakers, but the mountain police stopped them.
It is noted that 10 thousand euros is the average cost of a rescue operation, and the burial of the deceased will cost 5 thousand euros. The mayor considers it unacceptable that these costs should be borne by French taxpayers.
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Russia is expelling 14 Bulgarian diplomats in response to the expulsion of 70 employees of Russian diplomatic missions from Bulgaria. Sofia was previously supported both in the EU and in NATO. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the Bulgarian side of unfriendly actions.
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The Court of the Central District of Minsk for the first time included sticker sets for Telegram in the list of «extremist» materials. Two sets of stickers called «Luka» and «Sasha 3%» were banned. They contain ironic pictures of Alexander Lukashenko and opposition slogans used during the 2020 protests.
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Three ships with a cargo of corn left the Ukrainian ports and went to Turkey. Navistar, Rojen and Polarnet went to Istanbul to carry out security checks as stipulated in the grain deal.
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The colorful plumage of European birds has faded over the past 15 years due to climate change. This can lead to problems during the mating season — the bright color of birds attracted partners. Color changes can be caused by a combination of a 1.23°C increase in temperature and a 0.64mm decrease in rainfall. Becoming less bright, the birds adapted to the new environmental conditions. They may now have to change their breeding strategy
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