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☆ The Coming Gas Stove Culture War
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A sign of the media times is how quickly our leading progressive organs rally to deny that Democrats are doing what Democrats really are doing. A classic example was this week’s flare up in the coming climate war over banning gas stoves. A Biden appointee on the Consumer Product Safety Commission explicitly threatened to ban gas stoves based on dubious evidence of public-health harm. “This is a hidden hazard,” said commissioner Richard Trumka Jr . “Any option is on the table. Products that can’t be made safe can be banned.”

☆ Germany in talks with Iraq over possible gas imports - Chancellor
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani hold a news conference at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin, Germany January 13, 2023. REUTERS/Michele TantussiBERLIN, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Germany is in talks with Iraq over the possibility of importing natural gas from the oil-rich country, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday, as Berlin scrambles to diversify its energy sources to replace a drop in Russian fossil fuel shipments. "We also talked about possible gas deliveries to Germany and agreed to stay in close contact," Scholz told journalists in a joint news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Berlin. Scholz did not give further details on the volumes of gas Germany hopes to import from Iraq. Baghdad has offered opportunities to German companies to invest in using Iraq's natural gas and the gas generated as a byproduct from oil production, al-Sudani said, adding that Iraq wants to deliver gas through a pipeline via Turkey to Europe.

However, in the age of Apaches and laptops, everything I did in the course of two tours of duty was recorded and time-stamped,” Harry writes. The disagreement came at a planned reconciliatory tea at Kensington Palace in June 2018, Harry writes. According to the book, Kate told Meghan: “You talked about my hormones. We are not close enough for you to talk about my hormones!”According to Harry, Meghan recalled the conversation but was perplexed at Kate's reaction. Harry writes: "What I do remember with stunning clarity is that I did not cry.

☆ Alan Greenspan says US recession is likely
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan believes a US recession is the “most likely outcome” of the Fed’s aggressive rate hike regime meant to curb inflation. In the 12 months that followed February 1994 Greenspan nearly doubled interest rates to 6% and managed to keep the economy steady, avoiding recession. Greenspan, now 96, said in a note this week that he doubts this current bout of hikes will result in a repeat performance. Wage increases and, by extension, employment, “still need to soften further for a pullback in inflation to be anything more than transitory,” said Greenspan. Greenspan doubts the Fed will loosen interest rates soon because “inflation could flare up again and we would be back at square one,” he said.

☆ Review: The Polestar 2 is a $65,000 electric sedan from Volvo with all the allure of an early Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Alanis King | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The Polestar 2's gold brake calipers. Alanis KingThe 2 is an electric sedan from Polestar, a new EV brand by Volvo. Alanis KingThe 2's interior is simple, airy, and spacious. The Polestar 2's headlight assembly. Alanis KingThe 2 has virtually no wind or road noise on the highway, the brakes are strong, and there's barely any body roll.

☆ We just got confirmation that interest rates on mortgages, cars, and credit cards will keep getting more expensive in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Federal Reserve's December minutes confirmed interest rates won't be cut in 2023. It noted that as long as inflation is well above 2%, continued interest rate hikes will be necessary. On Wednesday, the Federal Reserve released its minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee's (FOMC) December meeting, when it announced it would be raising interest rates by 50 basis points. "No participants anticipated that it would be appropriate to begin reducing the federal funds rate target in 2023," the minutes said. This means that while the Fed might lower the pace at which it raises interest rates throughout the year, taking on loans to buy a house, car, or mortgage will keep getting more expensive.

☆ Former Fed chair Alan Greenspan warned a US recession is on its way and slammed failed crypto exchange FTX in a recent Q&A. Here are the 10 best quotes.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Former Federal Reserve chair Alan Greenspan shared his outlook for 2023 in a recent investment commentary. He warned a US recession is now "the most likely outcome" – and slammed bankrupt crypto exchange FTX. Sign up for our newsletter to get the inside scoop on what traders are talking about — delivered daily to your inbox. Since retiring as Fed chair in 2006, Greenspan has worked as a private advisor and financial consultant. Read more: A war between China and Taiwan is the economic 'black swan' investors should be most worried about, ex-Fed chair Alan Greenspan warns

☆ Gulf equities ring in new year on mixed note as oil, recession worries weigh
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 2 (Reuters) - Major Gulf stock markets were mixed on Monday, coming off gains in 2022 for most, as investors braced for the new year with worries about a potential recession, crude demand and the U.S. Fed hiking rates further. A Reuters poll showed on Friday that of 30 economists and analysts forecast Brent crude would average $89.37 a barrel in 2023, about 4.6% lower than the $93.65 consensus in a November survey. Abu Dhabi's index (.FTFADGI) added 0.3%, bolstered by a 1.6% increase in AD Ports Group (ADPORTS.AD) and a 2.4% hike in Multiply Group (MULTIPLY.AD). The benchmark was 2022's best performer among the other peers in Gulf Cooperation Council countries finishing the year with a more than 20% gain, after hitting an all-time high in early November in 2022. In Qatar, the benchmark (.QSI) was also up 0.3%, supported by its financial stocks but Saudi Arabia's benchmark index (.TASI) retreated 0.2% with Saudi National Bank (1180.SE) falling 0.8% and oil behemoth and index heavyweight Saudi Aramco (2222.SE) easing 0.5%.

☆ North Korea's Kim sacks No. 2 military official
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, Jan 2 (Reuters) - North Korea has sacked Pak Jong Chon, the second most powerful military official after leader Kim Jong Un, state media reported. The party's Central Military Commission, which is headed by Kim, is considered the country' most powerful military decision-making body, above the defence ministry. In late 2020, Pak was promoted to the politburo and earned the title of marshal, the highest military rank under Kim, and became a leading voice last November against joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises. Like most other top military aides who went through ups and downs repeatedly under Kim, Pak was briefly demoted in mid-2021 after Kim chided some officials for their handling of North Korea's anti-coronavirus policy, before being promoted again months later. Ri, Pak's successor, is also a senior military commander who held key positions including chief of the army's general staff and defence minister.

☆ Stocks buoyant while darker forecasts gather on the horizon
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Nell Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) rose 0.06%, just short of an index of global shares, which climbed 0.16%. The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) climbed 0.6%, retracing little of the nearly 12% it lost in 2022, bludgeoned by central banks' aggressive monetary policy tightening. Elsewhere, the dollar edged almost 0.2% higher against a basket of major currencies, while the pound and euro fell 0.4% and 0.2% respectively. The benchmark 10-year yield climbed around 27 basis points (bps) last week and over 200 bps last year, ending 2022 around 3.88%. Germany's 10-year bond yield fell 8.4 bps to 2.47%, after hitting its highest since 2011 at 2.57% on Friday.

☆ Stocks edge higher as darker forecasts loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Nell Mackenzie | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) rose 0.04%, just short of an index of global shares, which climbed 0.21%. "Europe is taking the latest round of PMIs well enough, as the final readings help to confirm the view (hope?) DOLLAR STRUGGLING TO MAINTAIN STRENGTHElsewhere, the dollar edged almost 0.1% higher against a basket of major currencies, while the pound and euro fell 0.4% and 0.3% respectively. Germany's 10-year bond yield fell 13 bps to 2.43%, after hitting its highest since 2011 at 2.57% on Friday. Reporting by Nell Mackenzie Additional reporting Dhara Ranasinghe Editing by Mark Potter and Barbara LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Economic weakness set to weigh on oil price in 2023 - Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Brijesh Patel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A survey of 30 economists and analysts forecast Brent crude would average $89.37 a barrel in 2023, about 4.6% lower than the $93.65 consensus in a November survey. U.S. crude is projected to average $84.84 per barrel in 2023, versus the previous month's $87.80 consensus. Brent has fallen more than 15% since early November and was trading around $84 a barrel on Friday as surging COVID-19 cases in China depressed the outlook for oil demand growth in the world's largest crude oil importer. The impact of Western sanctions on Russian oil is expected to minimal, the poll showed. Moscow this week signed a decree that bans the supply of oil and oil products to nations participating in the Group of Seven (G7) price cap from Feb. 1 for five months.

☆ Analysis: Iraq's mercurial Moqtada Sadr risks isolation with political retreat
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Ahmed Rasheed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Pro-Sadr clerics, former legislators and analysts say Sadr has no clearly defined political role for the first time since 2005, leaving him at his weakest since entering Iraqi politics. Sadr officials, pro-Sadr Shi'ite clerics and religious sources in the sacred Iraqi city of Najaf told Reuters they believed Tehran was behind the pronouncement. Haeri told Sadr's followers to seek future guidance on religious matters from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a scholar who is Iran's Supreme Leader. Ghazi Faisal, chairman of the Iraqi Center for Strategic Studies think-tank, said Haeri gave "momentum to Iranian efforts to consolidate the powers of its allies in Iraqi politics." Human rights groups accused Sadr militiamen of kidnapping and killing Sunnis at the height of Iraq's civil war.

☆ Chinese jet came within 10 feet of U.S. military aircraft -U.S. military
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Idrees Ali | Thomson Reuters | National Security Correspondent Focusing On The Pentagon In Washington D.C. Reports On U.S. Military Activity | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The close encounter followed what the United States has called a recent trend of increasingly dangerous behavior by Chinese military aircraft. A U.S. military spokesperson said the Chinese jet came within 10 feet of the plane's wing, but 20 feet from its nose, which caused the U.S. aircraft to take evasive maneuvers. China claims vast swathes of the South China Sea that overlap with the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. In a meeting with his Chinese counterpart in November, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin raised the need to improve crisis communications, and also noted what he called dangerous behavior by Chinese military planes. Australia's defence department said in June that a Chinese fighter aircraft dangerously intercepted an Australian military surveillance plane in the South China Sea region in May.

☆ Here's why egg prices surged in 2022. Those elevated costs could last into the first quarter of 2023, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

D3sign | Moment | Getty ImagesThe surge in egg prices has stood out in a year when Americans saw their bills balloon across the grocery store. Bird flu is largely to blame for rising egg pricesAbout 40 million egg-laying hens — "layers," in industry shorthand — have died this year due to avian flu, Moscogiuri said. Egg prices jumped 2.3% just in the month of November, and by 10.1% in October, according to the CPI. watch nowElevated egg prices "could last into the first quarter of 2023," Lapp said. It's also due to record egg prices somewhat dampening demand, he said.

☆ Israel's Netanyahu returns with hard-right cabinet set to expand settlements
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in as Israel's prime minister again on Thursday. Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in as Israel's prime minister again on Thursday in a comeback at the head of a hard-right cabinet that promises to expand Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and pursue other policies criticised at home and abroad. For Palestinians, Netanyahu's line-up has darkened an already bleak outlook, with violence surging and Jewish settlements set to expand in the West Bank - among territories where they hope to build a future state. This year has already seen some of the worst West Bank violence since 2015 as Israeli forces have cracked down on Palestinian unrest and militant attacks. Israel's president, Isaac Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, warned on Sunday against causing potential harm to individuals' rights.

☆ Roberto Clemente remains Latino legend 50 years after death
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

When Puerto Ricans belt the name Roberto Clemente in song, they want the world to understand their pride, unity and culture. “We are Roberto Clemente, so you know who we are. Half a century after he played, many of today’s Latino baseball players credit him for paving the way. “The name Roberto Clemente is something that fills us with passion and admiration,” said Miami Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcantara, who was born in the Dominican Republic. The Roberto Clemente Award is given each year to a player for charitable work in the community.

☆ Gold ticks up in light trade after holiday weekend
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Gold prices edged up in early Asian hours on Tuesday, helped by a softer dollar, although trading was thin after the long Christmas weekend. U.S. gold futures rose 0.3% to $1,810.00. Data on Friday showed U.S. consumer spending rose 0.1% in November after climbing 0.4% in October, while inflation cooled further. The European Central Bank must be prepared to take the heat and raise interest rates further, ECB policymaker Isabel Schnabel said in an interview published on Saturday. SPDR Gold Trust , the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, said its holdings fell 0.1% to 913.01 tons on Friday.

☆ Why ethnic tensions are flaring again in northern Kosovo
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Kosovo won independence from Serbia in 2008, almost a decade after a guerrilla uprising against Belgrade's repressive rule. Serbia, however, still considers Kosovo to be an integral part of its territory and rejects suggestions it is whipping up tensions and conflict within its neighbour's borders. Ethnic Serb mayors in northern municipalities, along with local judges and some 600 police officers, resigned in November in protest at the looming switch. Serbs in Kosovo want to create an association of majority-Serb municipalities that would operate with greater autonomy. Serbia and Kosovo have made little progress on this and other issues since committing in 2013 to the EU-sponsored dialogue.

☆ Investors pulled a record $42 billion from stocks in the last week as they aim to cut their tax bill after grim 2022 losses, Bank of America says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Investors pulled a record $41.9 billion from equities last week to engage in tax-loss harvesting, Bank of America said Friday. Tax-loss harvesting is a strategy to lower investment taxes that involves selling securities at a loss to offset capital gains. BofA said investors in the past week also pulled out $10 billion from bonds. Under tax-loss harvesting, investors sell securities such as stocks, ETFs, and mutual funds at a loss and then use that loss to offset any capital gains. BofA said investors in the past week pulled out $10 billion from bonds.

☆ How to help loved ones with disabilities during the holidays, from a TV host whose family struggled with aunt's MS diagnosis
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Jeannie Mai Jenkins, a TV host on syndicated talk show "The Real," kept her Aunt Linh's multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis a secret from her other family members, until her aunt was ready to tell them herself. Once her family became aware of her aunt's condition, they decided to change how they approached the holidays. Those taxing gatherings also influenced Mai Jenkins to get involved with Express4MS, a new campaign that aims to provide visibility into the journeys of people living with the disease. Ultimately, her family made adjustments that could help people with conditions beyond MS, too. "If you have someone in your family who has a condition of any kind, keep this in mind," she adds.

☆ Three dead as blast shuts part of Russia-Ukraine gas export pipeline
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MOSCOW, Dec 20 (Reuters) - A blast ripped through a gas pipeline in central Russia, killing three people and disrupting some of the limited amount of Russian gas that is still reaching Europe, local officials said on Tuesday. He said it was unclear when gas supplies via the pipeline could resume, and authorities were trying to work that out. The pipeline, built in the 1980s, enters Ukraine via the Sudzha metering point, currently the main route for Russian gas to reach Europe. Europe's gas prices have surged this year after Russia cut exports through its main gas pipeline route into Germany, leaving only pipelines via Ukraine to ship Russian gas to European consumers. The head office of the state-owned gas producer Gazprom and its local branch did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, reflecting the joint leadership of China and Canada, is the culmination of four years of work toward creating an agreement to guide global conservation efforts through 2030. A Congolese representative argued that developed nations should provide more resources to nature conservation efforts in developing countries. [1/6] The leadership of the U.N.-backed COP15 biodiversity conference applaud after passing the The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in Montreal, Quebec, Canada December 19, 2022. Developed countries will provide $25 billion in annual funding starting in 2025 and $30 billion per year by 2030. The agreement, which contains 23 targets in total, replaces the 2010 Aichi Biodiversity Targets that were intended to guide conservation through 2020.

☆ Australia FA pledges to "weed out" trouble-makers after violent pitch invasion
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Ian Ransom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MELBOURNE, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Football Australia (FA) has launched an investigation into the violent pitch invasion that left a player injured during the abandoned A-League derby between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City. The pitch invasion shocked Australian soccer, with Socceroos goalkeeper Danny Vukovic, who plays for A-League side Central Coast Mariners, describing it as the "darkest day for football in Australia". Melbourne Victory managing director Caroline Carnegie said the club would assist a police investigation into the incident and apologised to Glover, King and the camera operator. "There’s no place at our club, no place in the game, no place in the league for that sort of behaviour." The pitch invasion occurred amid a fan backlash against the A-League's decision to sell its men's and women's title-deciding Grand Final matches to Sydney until 2025.

☆ Uganda president lifts all Ebola-related movement restrictions
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

KAMPALA, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni lifted all Ebola-related movement restrictions on Saturday, saying the East African country had made progress in curbing the deadly disease. Museveni rescinded restrictions on the disease's epicentre in the district of Mubende, which logged 66 cases and 29 deaths, and in the Kassanda region with 49 cases and 21 deaths. In October, the Kampala government imposed travel restrictions and an overnight curfew and also shut places of worship and entertainment. Ebola causes vomiting, bleeding and diarrhoea and spreads via contact with bodily fluids of the infected. The virus can sometimes linger in the eyes, central nervous system and bodily fluids of survivors and flare up years later.

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