Annually at the Lexus Design Award international competition young designers from different countries present their works. Some of them are spectacular and multifunctional. More details are in our photo gallery
Young talents who work in the design sphere are always happy to offer their work to the general public. At the Lexus Design Award annual international competition, held recently, the best experimental projects were selected. We offer you to get acquainted with the creations of young designers.
Among the finalists were Russian designers Nadezhda Abdullina and Marina Egorova ("I deal" brand). They created a special Grabby kitchen board for people with disabilities. It allows you to work with one hand. The top of the board is a soft kevlar fabric which is a removable surface for working with different products.
The jury recognized the development of other young designers, "Honest Egg", as another interesting and practical project. They created a special ink for eggs. When applied to a product, they change the picture as the expiry date expires, as well as if storage conditions are violated.
Another important development related to the environment is the creation of an automatic installation "Garden" for the seedling cultivation of any greens, vegetables, and fruits. "Smart" machine is able to convert light from lamps and carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen.
The attention of the Lexus Design Award jury was attracted by a comfortable chair "Spring", the diploma project of a student of the Holon Institute of Technology. It began as a study of the change in the properties of materials when they were layered or combined, and as a result led to the creation of a completely ergonomic chair. It is made of a variety of heterogeneous materials, soft, hard, plastic and rigid.
Special attention of the jury was given to the project of students of the Harvard Graduate School of Design. It is a model of commune-housing. Houses on the layout look bright, the project seems to be filled with energy and light. According to the plan of the creators, it should inspire people to work and communicate.
Both billionaires and debtors are subject to research by various rating agencies. The former is mainly compiled for curiosity whereas the latter is made by central banks to help investors evaluate the credit worthiness of countries. The European Central Bank unveiled a fresh rating of the EU countries in terms of their sovereign debt. From now on, the European regulator is going to group the 28 countries by their gravity in the eurozone’s economy.
The ranks come as no surprise even for amateurs in economics. The three leaders in the nomination for the biggest public debt represent Greece, Italy, and Portugal. These countries have the heaviest sovereign debt relative to their GDP. Greece has been the worst debtor for a few years in a row. Its government debt is 178.6% of GDP. The second rank is given to Italy with the public debt of 131.8% of GDP. Portugal is ranked third as it has run up the government debt of 125.7% of GDP. Estonia closes the rating as it has the smallest public debt of 9% among other EU countries. On the whole, the ratio of the sovereign debt of all EU countries to their GDP contracted to 81.6% in 2017 compared to 83.3% in 2016. Interestingly, despite its ailing economy Russia is among the leaders in the worldwide rating of the countries with the smallest public debt.
In the world, there is a small number of states where almost ideal conditions for financial security are created when storing various kinds of assets. Many market participants, trying to protect their currency savings and gold, choose such countries. The list of such countries can be found in our article
Most gold investors sooner or later start thinking about what country is best for keeping their assets. Experts, having analyzed all possible risks, propose to pay attention to three states where the storage of gold in the long term is seen as the most reliable option.
SingaporeThe first place among states, where gold bars are best kept, goes to Singapore. According to experts, this is the most secure place in the world for storing this asset. In addition, Singapore is recognized as the safest place to stay where there is almost no crime and corruption. The cost of storing gold in the country is affordable. In Singapore, there is a depository of precious metals, The Safe House, equipped with the latest security. Each investor is guaranteed the inviolability of their reserves for any storage time.
SwitzerlandExperts say that Switzerland is the second worthy candidate for gold storage. It is considered to be a well-established state where high-quality financial services are provided. Many decades in Switzerland there was a secret of bank deposits, but later it was canceled under the pressure of the US supervisory authorities. In Switzerland, there are many storages for gold and other precious metals. One of them is CasaForte based in Basel.
AustriaThe third place on the reliability of gold reserves storage is taken by Austria. In the Austrian capital, Vienna, there is a huge number of shops where you can buy investment gold. Financial authorities of the country have created good conditions for investment in this precious metal, so you should not be afraid of gold confiscation. In Vienna, there is a private depository Das Safe operating on the market for 40 years and offering services for the storage of both conventional jewelry and electronic data.
The mining of bitcoins is no longer a lucrative business. After the number of big players in this segment increased significantly, mining became less efficient. According to Morgan Stanley’s estimates, with the bitcoin cost below USD 8,600 most miners will likely decide that mining is unprofitable.
“The break-even point for big mining pools should be USD 8,600, even if we assume a very low electricity cost (USD 0.03 kW/h). Therefore, we think the Bitcoin mining hardware demand and price will decline further and affect TSMC's wafer demand,” the report of Morgan Stanley said. Mining can bring steady profits only if the cryptocurrency No1 demonstrates steady growth. However, for the past several months bitcoin has been trading at low levels. Besides, with the increasing global hash rate, mining becomes more complicated. Nowadays, expensive and energy-intensive equipment is needed even at the base level of mining.
So, Morgan Stanley’s forecast implies that under the present conditions mining is not profitable. Anyway, even if the digital currency recovers and gains the previous pace of growth, profits will likely continue to decrease.
Presenting the future in the light of the development of new technologies, it is impossible to ignore the issue of the interaction of man and robot. Experts believe that a prosperous future lies in their fruitful cooperation. The information about the ways of such interaction you can find out in our article
The active development of robotics and electronics inflames minds and imagination of both ordinary people and scientists. Along with the admiration for achievements in this field, particularly alarming is the fact that robots can replace a person in a number of professions and leave him/her without work. However, scientists propose to view this issue from a different angle and are ready to offer new types of activities that will appear in the labor market. Please refer to the list of professions related to robots that may be in demand in the near future.
Art teacher for a robotIt is expected that in the future, with the interaction of man and robot, the latter will require specially trained teachers in different areas of arts: singing, music, drawing, poetry, etc. The first steps in this direction was made by the Bluefrogrobotics company, which created the Budd companion robot. Its developers regularly make updates to the robot program to support the interest of users.
Physician for a robotExperts believe that in the future, robots will need a constant "medical examination" in order to expose and fix problems. There is already a similar profession – a robot technician, and even well-paid. It is possible that in the future, in the era of social robots, there will be a need for so-called "robots-doctors", whose services will be very needed.
Travel agent for a robotIt is possible that with the rapid development of robotics, people who have this product of new technologies in their house, will need to take robots on trips. Then travel agents specializing in robot transportation will come to the rescue. This will lead to the development of the robot travel industry, special "suitcases" for transporting will be available, as well as mobile charging stations and maintenance facilities.
Organizers and judges of the robots exhibitionOne of the unusual professions of the future, according to experts, can be the profession of organizer or judge at the robots exhibitions. It cannot be excluded that such events will be structured according to the type of present-day dogs and cats shows. Owners of robots will represent their iron "pets" and compete in their improvement. As a result, companies which can organize the robots exhibitions may be created.
Most experts wonder what government influences the Russian ruble the most – the US government or the Russian one. Some of them think that the United States is to be blamed for putting the ruble under pressure. Other experts believe that Moscow benefits from the cheap ruble that provides the country with a competitive advantage on the global markets.
The Russian economy is commodity-based: its health greatly depends on the exports of natural resources that are sold for foreign currencies. Consequently, the cheaper the ruble is, the more benefits can be reaped. The US President shares this opinion. He accused Moscow and Beijing of devaluing their currencies. “Russia and China are playing the Currency Devaluation game as the US keeps raising interest rates. Not acceptable!” Trump said.
However, some experts took the side of Russia. “The message from the president on the currency did not make sense,” said IMF former board member Doug Rediker. “One could argue that any weaker Russian currency would not be the result of Russian manipulation for competitive advantage, but rather the result of actions taken by the US,” he added. Thus, opinions on this issue differ. Meanwhile, the greenback has obviously taken the lead in the pair with the Russian currency. The recently imposed sanctions prove this fact, causing a crash on the Russian stock market and a fall in the ruble exchange rate.
What world's educational institutions are the most popular and prestigious where many graduates of schools dream of studying - read in our article
Most of the graduates of schools strive to continue their education in higher institutions. In this case, they face the problem of choice. Many try to enter the best universities. Experts suggest studying the rating of the most popular universities in the world. They were selected on strict criteria: extensive research, international diversity and financial sustainability.
Harvard University (the USA)The leading position in the issue of popularity is occupied by Harvard University, one of the most famous higher educational institutions of the United States and the world, the oldest university in the country. 75 Nobel laureates were brought up in its walls. Harvard University is also the leader in the number of billionaires among graduates, and its library is the largest in the US and the third largest in the country.
University of Chicago (the USA)The second place in this ranking is held by the University of Chicago founded in 1890. It is the largest private university in the country. The university is recognized as one of the prestigious institutions of higher education due to its influence in the fields of science and politics. The University of Chicago includes a college, several post-graduate courses, six vocational training institutes and a continuing education institute.
California Institute of Technology (the USA)An honorable third place among the most prestigious universities in the world is occupied by the California Institute of Technology, a private research university located in the state of California. This is one of the leading universities in the US specializing in engineering and science. 31 Nobel Prize laureates graduated this university. The Institute owns the Jet Propulsion Laboratory which is engaged in the launch of NASA's automatic spacecrafts.
Imperial College London (the UK)The fourth place among the most popular educational institutions goes to the Imperial College London. Until mid-2007, it was part of the University of London. The institution became independent on July 8, 2007. Imperial College London is part of the so-called "golden triangle" of universities which includes the Oxford and Cambridge universities.
Stanford University (the USA)The fifth place of this rating is taken by Stanford University, a private American university, one of the most authoritative and popular in the US and around the world. It is located in the Silicon Valley. Its graduates founded such well-known companies as Hewlett-Packard, Electronic Arts, Sun Microsystems, Nvidia, Yahoo !, Silicon Graphics, Google, etc. The structure of this educational institution includes various schools, including Stanford's Graduate School of Business, and research centers, such as CCRMA.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (the USA)The sixth place among the most popular higher educational institutions of the world went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is also recognized as one of the largest US research centers. The educational institution occupies leading positions in prestigious ratings of universities of the world. It is also an innovator in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligence. Educational engineering programs developed at the university, as well as programs in the field of information technology, economics, physics, and chemistry, are considered the best in the country and in the world.
Cambridge University (the UK)The seventh place in the list of the most prestigious global universities was given to Cambridge University, one of the oldest universities in the UK. Students are engaged in six so-called "schools" of the university representing a set of departments, research institutes, and laboratories. In the walls of Cambridge University, 88 Nobel laureates were brought up. The university occupies the leading position among the higher educational institutions of the world on this indicator.
Oxford University (the UK)The eighth place in the list of most important educational institutions of our time was awarded to Oxford University which has a rich history. It is one of the oldest universities in the world presumably founded in 1096. It is considered the first English-speaking university on the planet. The institution belongs to the group of ancient universities of Great Britain and Ireland. Oxford University holds leading positions in prestigious rankings of world universities.
Iran’s government decided not to use the US dollar in currency records and shift to the single European currency. Now the governmental statistics will be based on the euro. The official press release said that all ministries, governmental entities and companies should replace the US dollar with the euro in financial reports, statistics etc. The Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran (CBI) was obliged to announce and control the exchange rate of the Iranian rial against the euro.
Earlier, the CBI set the exchange rate at 42 thousand rials per US dollar. The country’s authorities try to stabilize the national currency amid a possible rejection of the US to participate in the Iran nuclear deal.
The number of online courses for private investors is growing every year. On the main educational online platforms, like Coursera, edX, Canvas, OpenLearning, Udacity, and Udemy, you can find programs not only for beginners but also for professional traders. We will tell you about what educational programs are available right now and what can be learned from them.
Most programs are still in English prepared by American and European universities and companies. Nevertheless, experts predict the growth in the number of Russian-language courses in the near future due to their relevance.
Experts highlight the pros and cons of educational programs. Among the advantages: accessibility and opportunity to choose (not only Russian but also world platforms); courses give actual and more close to reality information than can be found in textbooks. Many investors agree that such programs will help beginners get up to speed and tell them what to invest and where. Theory is theory, but, nevertheless, practice remains the basis of learning.
Foreign courses have an advantage over domestic ones, primarily in the form of content submission. The key points of financial economics and investment are presented visually with videos, dialogues, and disputes of different specialists. But, on the other hand, foreign universities often ignore the specifics of emerging capital markets when preparing their courses and this limits their use by Russian investors.
Elementary levelLet's start with a review of foreign educational programs. Stanford University, one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the US, offers a course "Value Investing: An Introduction." As a result, traders will learn how to analyze the company's financial performance, forecast their further development and find undervalued assets. The course is designed for 10 weeks at a cost of $695. The course is designed for up to 65 people at a time.
The University of Geneva together with the UBS Swiss bank has prepared several online investment programs: "Securing Investment Returns in the Long Run," "Meeting Investors' Goals." The duration of most of these courses is four weeks (from one to three hours per week). In addition to university professors, traders are lectured by UBS experts, for example, the head of the European investment division, Themis Themistocleous. The course is hosted on Coursera where users can pay $49 for a monthly subscription.
Among the Russian-language programs on investing, it is worth highlighting "Financial Instruments for a Private Investor", developed by the Higher School of Economics. The program includes the following courses: "Personal finance management", "Investments in stocks", and "Portfolio investments: active and passive strategies". They are very popular, because they take into account local specifics more than foreign ones.Emerging markets are described in a course called "Trading Strategies in Emerging Markets" prepared by the Indian School of Business (ISB). It can also be found on Coursera.
Advanced levelNow, online courses more often contain the information not about traditional directions for investment but about new areas or new methods and tools. For example, you can find programs on cryptocurrencies (the course "Cryptocurrency Fundamentals: Buy, Sell Trade Cryptocurrency"), and quantum trading (when investment decisions are made automatically on the basis of mathematical models).
This way of investing is becoming more common. Educational programs in this area balances between financial education and computer science. Investors who are interested in this topic will like the following courses: "Machine Learning for Trading" by Georgia Institute of Technology; "Analytics of Finance" prepared by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.For venture investors, several programs on investing in startups were prepared by the South Korean University of Yonsei: "Financial Analysis For Startups", "Applying Investment Decision Rules for Startups".
The UK wage growth is below inflation, despite unemployment hitting the lowest rate since 1975. According to some economists, the low wage growth rate will not affect the Bank of England’s decision to raise interest rates in May 2018.
After wages rose by 2.8% over the past three months, the pound sterling has depreciated. The inflation rate for three months was about 2.9%. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Britain’s unemployment rate unexpectedly declined to 4.2%, which was the lowest in more than 40 years.
Earlier, the Bank of England said it expected acceleration of the wage growth due to a decline in the unemployment rate. According to the regulator, if this happens, it will be possible to raise interest rates.
The UK wage growth is below inflation, despite unemployment hitting the lowest rate since 1975. According to some economists, the low wage growth rate will not affect the Bank of England’s decision to raise interest rates in May 2018.
After wages rose by 2.8% over the past three months, the pound sterling has depreciated. The inflation rate for three months was about 2.9%. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Britain’s unemployment rate unexpectedly declined to 4.2%, which was the lowest in more than 40 years.
Earlier, the Bank of England said it expected acceleration of the wage growth due to a decline in the unemployment rate. According to the regulator, if this happens, it will be possible to raise interest rates.
The UK wage growth is below inflation, despite unemployment hitting the lowest rate since 1975. According to some economists, the low wage growth rate will not affect the Bank of England’s decision to raise interest rates in May 2018.
After wages rose by 2.8% over the past three months, the pound sterling has depreciated. The inflation rate for three months was about 2.9%. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), Britain’s unemployment rate unexpectedly declined to 4.2%, which was the lowest in more than 40 years.
Earlier, the Bank of England said it expected acceleration of the wage growth due to a decline in the unemployment rate. According to the regulator, if this happens, it will be possible to raise interest rates.
Regular refusals of sellers to accept new banknotes of 200 and 2,000 rubles forced Rospotrebnadzor first to threaten with fines, and then Gosznak to issue a special application which would indicate the authenticity of banknotes. The information about where to download this application and how to use it is in our photo gallery.
he Banknotes 2017 application was announced on January 15. The launch of the version for Android was held on January 18, the version for iOS was also launched. So, what should you do?
The whole process takes several steps. Go to the menu of the downloaded application, click “Define the banknote 2017", and then point the camera of a smartphone to the note.
The service automatically recognizes the face value and side of the banknote, as well as it checks the authenticity of the separate elements and allow you to see the sights.
The banknote 200 rubles should include sightseeing attractions of Sevastopol: on the front side, there is a monument to the sunken ships, and on the back side - a view of Tauric Chersonesos. The national emblem of Russia is also printed on the front side of the banknote, and in the lower right corner, there is a QR code containing a link to the Bank of Russia website describing the banknote's protective features. The main color of this note is green.The color prevailing on the 2,000 rubles banknote is blue. On its front side, there is a bridge to the Russian Island, on the reverse side - the Vostochny Cosmodromein the Amur Region.
Further, check the front side. To do this, align the note and the frame in the application. If the alignment is correct, the phone will vibrate, and the edges of the banknote on the screen will run green.
After this, it is necessary to check from a different angle. In case of successful verification, the service will display the inscription on the screen: "Signs of the authenticity are detected".In the opposite case, a question mark appears on the screen with the inscription: "The application can not detect signs of authenticity".
Goznak gave recommendations for verification: during the process, it is necessary that there is enough lighting, but it is recommended to avoid direct bright lights directed at the banknote.
Regular refusals of sellers to accept new banknotes of 200 and 2,000 rubles forced Rospotrebnadzor first to threaten with fines, and then Gosznak to issue a special application which would indicate the authenticity of banknotes. The information about where to download this application and how to use it is in our photo gallery.
he Banknotes 2017 application was announced on January 15. The launch of the version for Android was held on January 18, the version for iOS was also launched. So, what should you do?
The whole process takes several steps. Go to the menu of the downloaded application, click “Define the banknote 2017", and then point the camera of a smartphone to the note.
The service automatically recognizes the face value and side of the banknote, as well as it checks the authenticity of the separate elements and allow you to see the sights.
The banknote 200 rubles should include sightseeing attractions of Sevastopol: on the front side, there is a monument to the sunken ships, and on the back side - a view of Tauric Chersonesos. The national emblem of Russia is also printed on the front side of the banknote, and in the lower right corner, there is a QR code containing a link to the Bank of Russia website describing the banknote's protective features. The main color of this note is green.The color prevailing on the 2,000 rubles banknote is blue. On its front side, there is a bridge to the Russian Island, on the reverse side - the Vostochny Cosmodromein the Amur Region.
Further, check the front side. To do this, align the note and the frame in the application. If the alignment is correct, the phone will vibrate, and the edges of the banknote on the screen will run green.
After this, it is necessary to check from a different angle. In case of successful verification, the service will display the inscription on the screen: "Signs of the authenticity are detected".In the opposite case, a question mark appears on the screen with the inscription: "The application can not detect signs of authenticity".
Goznak gave recommendations for verification: during the process, it is necessary that there is enough lighting, but it is recommended to avoid direct bright lights directed at the banknote.
Regular refusals of sellers to accept new banknotes of 200 and 2,000 rubles forced Rospotrebnadzor first to threaten with fines, and then Gosznak to issue a special application which would indicate the authenticity of banknotes. The information about where to download this application and how to use it is in our photo gallery.
he Banknotes 2017 application was announced on January 15. The launch of the version for Android was held on January 18, the version for iOS was also launched. So, what should you do?
The whole process takes several steps. Go to the menu of the downloaded application, click “Define the banknote 2017", and then point the camera of a smartphone to the note.
The service automatically recognizes the face value and side of the banknote, as well as it checks the authenticity of the separate elements and allow you to see the sights.
The banknote 200 rubles should include sightseeing attractions of Sevastopol: on the front side, there is a monument to the sunken ships, and on the back side - a view of Tauric Chersonesos. The national emblem of Russia is also printed on the front side of the banknote, and in the lower right corner, there is a QR code containing a link to the Bank of Russia website describing the banknote's protective features. The main color of this note is green.The color prevailing on the 2,000 rubles banknote is blue. On its front side, there is a bridge to the Russian Island, on the reverse side - the Vostochny Cosmodromein the Amur Region.
Further, check the front side. To do this, align the note and the frame in the application. If the alignment is correct, the phone will vibrate, and the edges of the banknote on the screen will run green.
After this, it is necessary to check from a different angle. In case of successful verification, the service will display the inscription on the screen: "Signs of the authenticity are detected".In the opposite case, a question mark appears on the screen with the inscription: "The application can not detect signs of authenticity".
Goznak gave recommendations for verification: during the process, it is necessary that there is enough lighting, but it is recommended to avoid direct bright lights directed at the banknote.
As an asset’s price incorporates all relevant information, financial markets depend on Donald Trump’s tweets. Emotional remarks from the US leader are included in fundamental analysis as market-moving events. The Russian markets are especially sensitive to them.
A few days ago, Donald Trump made the Russian stocks to incur heavy losses with just one comment. He told the Kremlin to get ready for a missile attack on the Assad regime despite Russia’s objections. “Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and “smart!” You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!” The market instantly showed a negative response. Half an hour later, Trump posted another tweet, saying that he is ready to help Russia with the economy. This enabled Russian companies to recoup some losses. Eventually, the Russian stock market revived after the US leader had decided to cancel a new portion of sanctions against Russia.
Experts say that the Russian market is vulnerable to the Twitter diplomacy. Verbal interventions from Washington are able to drive a rally and cause losses of the Russian stocks. This is what happens on a daily basis. Unfortunately, statements and decisions of the Russian policymakers are of minor importance to the domestic assets and a forex rate of the Russian ruble.
In spring, when you want to shake things up a bit, leading fashion designers are ready to offer you the best novelties from their collections. Some of them are presented in our photo gallery
In spring, people always want something new: new emotions and impressions, and often new things. Designers of fashion houses in Europe and Asia offer an impressive range of products that can awaken a huge range of desires and please the most demanding client. Look at these novelties in our article.
Dolce & Gabbana perfumeThe most famous fragrant spring novelty, released by Dolce & Gabbana, is the male and female versions of The One perfume. They are released in a small series and decorated in a luxurious Oriental style. In the female version of the floral fragrance, a freshness of the lily is added, and in the male version there are notes of wood and tobacco in combination with herbs such as coriander, basil, cardamom, and ginger.
Rolex Cellini Time WatchRolex offered a new Cellini Moonphase watch made from 18-carat gold with a unique indication of the lunar cycle. On the dial of the clock, there is a disk with the image of a full moon made from a meteorite, and a new moon in the form of a circle. The astronomical accuracy of this mechanism, in which the unique module of the lunar phases is integrated, is 122 years.
Herno Bike clothesCapsule clothing collection by the Italian company Herno Bike is developed based on the Herno Laminar proprietary technology. It is made of Gore fabric, is sewn with an ultrasonic seam and consists of hot-melted parts. Due to this, clothes are considered windproof and waterproof. The ergonomic design of most models does not limit the freedom of movement, and special details, such as built-in gloves, smart pockets, adjustable hoods and light reflectors, allow you to feel most comfortable.
Exquisite Chopard watchThe Chopard Jewelry House presents the same name watch, the only one of its kind. Their case and band in the form of two intertwined ribbons are made of white gold and decorated with round and pear shaped diamonds. Inside the diamond case there is an automatic mechanism that controls the hour and minute hands.
Jewelry by Van Cleef & ArpelsNew items appeared in the jewelry collection of the Frivole Jewelry House by Van Cleef & Arpels. The new necklace is made in the form of petals of yellow gold supplemented by new versions: a combination of large and miniature flowers with mirror polished gold surfaces. The main item is a necklace-transformer in the form of a flower with heart-shaped lobes and three diamonds in the center of the inflorescence. It can also be worn as a brooch.
Louis Vuitton perfumeAmong the fragrances of the Louis Vuitton fashion house, there is a new perfume water Le Jour Se L`eve. According to the idea of the author, Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud, this unusual aroma should be associated with a journey at dawn. One of the "highlights" of the perfume, which imparts a highly optimistic mood, is a mandarin note. To emphasize the freshness of the composition, the author added a note of Arabic jasmine, shading it with the aromas of magnolia, apricot, and black currant.
Kelys & Chirp unique music boxThe unusual Kelys & Chirp musical box in the form of a turtle appeared as a result of the creative work of the Reuge manufactory, the MB & F watch brand and the master Nicolas Kurt. Its movements mimic the movements of the turtle due to the movement of special gears. The main feature of the box is a small bird that pops up from a nest on the back of a turtle. It opens and closes her beak, flaps her wings and moves her tail to the beat of the music. The complicated mechanisms of the automaton and music box have 480 parts.
Writing instruments by S.T. DupontThe French company S.T. Dupont introduced a unique series of Line B writing instruments, Ligne 2 lighters, and leather accessories. The collection was named Picasso in honor of one of the greatest artists of the XX century, Pablo Picasso. They are decorated with an image of one of the artist's favorite paintings, Woman in Profile. Elegant lines, conveying the duality of a female character, are applied to natural lacquer and a skin with a diamond coating.
Sunglasses by Giorgio ArmaniA new collection of frames and sunglasses by Giorgio Armani offers men a variety of shapes, materials, and colors. Reliable frame, clear lines and impeccable proportions are typical for the entire summer collection. It features round glasses with a technological design, models with an avant-garde volumetric silhouette, as well as glasses of the panto form.
Mon Tresor mini-bagA pale pink handbag by Fendi embodies the elegance and spring mood. Miniature ladies' accessory has the form of a bucket. It has drawstring fastening and metal decorations. The bag has two detachable shoulder straps, one long and one short. It is quite roomy and ideal for any outing. The Mon Tresor handbag is available in six colors, as well as in several versions of leather with FF monograms.
The Russian ruble struggles to stay afloat desperately. While the country’s central bank and the government do not hurry to interfere, only external factors can provide support to the national currency. And the support came quickly. Donald Trump, the most famous trend-maker on the globe, managed to prevent the ruble’s crash in just one tweet.
The US President decided to postpone new sanctions against Russia which boosted a rise in both the ruble and the Russian stocks. According to the sources that are close to the White House administration, the sanctions policy was put on hold after a discussion with the National Security Advisor. Additionally, the American leader disapproved the fact that the new package of sanctions was a settled issue, though Trump himself hesitated to take such a decision. Anyway, the ruble benefits from this situation. The Russian currency has not only ceased falling, but also managed to offset some of its losses against the US dollar and the euro.
As for the new sanctions, they are intended mostly for the companies that supply goods to Syria. Thus, this measure is Washington’s response to Moscow’s support of the Assad regime. The previous sanctions package against the Russian oligarchs triggered a crash on the Russian stock market and a slump in the ruble exchange rate to the 1.5-year low.
Two years ago the Federal Court Bailiff Service published the top ten debtors, people's deputies. Read about how the parliamentarians of different levels performed their duties on loans in our photo gallery.
Vagiz MingazovThe deputy of the State Council of Tatarstan, a former member of the Federation Council, the founder of the agro-industrial holding "Vamin Tatarstan" was declared bankrupt in July 2016 with a debt of 9 billion rubles, and only 2.6% of creditors' claims were satisfied. Artur Parfenchikov, head of the Federal Bailiff Service, publicly spoke about Mingazov's debts in 2014, after which he was forced to leave the Federation Council becoming a deputy of the Tatarstan State Council. At the end of March 2016, the case about the bankruptcy of the deputy was opened after the appeal of VTB to which Mingazov owed 410 million.
Mingazov became a debtor as a result of the bankruptcy of the "Vamin Tatarstan" holding company in 2013, under the credits of which he was a guarantor. To satisfy the claims of creditors, money was withdrawn on accounts (51 500 rubles and 1 euro) and 0.05% of shares of Arsk brick factory with a nominal value of 34,300 rubles. But this was enough for only 0.01% of all requirements. Another 2.5% of debts were written off due to the repayment of part of the obligations of "VaminTatarstan" in the bankruptcy case of the company itself. VTB filed a complaint against the completion of the bankruptcy procedure, arguing that not all of the assets were identified. The court rejected the appeal.
Gennady MurylevMember of the Volgograd Regional Duma.The procedure of bankruptcy of Murylev with a debt of 1.7 billion rubles, recognized by the courts, was initiated. He acted as a guarantor for the loan of the JSC ZhBI-1 and his structures for the construction of housing founded by him. The enterprise went bankrupt in 2014, and by mid-2015 the courts recognized debts to creditors of more than 1.7 billion rubles, of which 131.4 million was debt to Sberbank. The tax authorities appealed to the arbitration court demanding that Murylev be declared bankrupt.
According to the declaration, the income of Murylev in 2016 was 915,351 rubles (565,666 rubles for 2015). The deputy has only a garage in a property, and in perpetual use - an apartment of 33 square meters. The spouse's income for the year is 397,395 rubles (395,378 rubles a year earlier) and the same apartment in use.
Sergey DoroninHe is an ex-deputy of the State Duma, the creator of the Kirov-Chepetsk holding Absolut-Agro.His debt is about 800 million rubles (in solidarity with the partner, ex-deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Kirov region Konstantin Moshurenko).Doronin and Moshurenko were guarantors of the holding's loans. Payments on loans from the holding's structures ceased to arrive in 2013, and a year later the holding was declared bankrupt. In 2016, the bankruptcy proceedings against Doronin and Moshurenko began.
As follows from the materials of the court, the partners had no property, and repayment was possible due to the sale of the assets of the holding. In October 2016, a criminal case against Moshurenko was opened under Art. 196 of the Criminal Code (deliberate bankruptcy). The case was closed in 2017. This decision of the court was appealed against by Sberbank. Both businessmen were not re-elected to legislative assemblies following the results of the 2016 elections.
Mikhail BalakinA deputy of the Moscow City Duma, the founder of SU-155.His debt is estimated at 8 billion rubles. Creditors have appealed to the court with a demand for bankruptcy.One of the largest developers of Russia, the SU-155 group, began to experience the first problems in 2014, being unable to redeem their own bonds on time. Then the creditors began to file claims for collecting debts and recognizing Balakin, as a guarantor for the company's loans, insolvent. At the end of 2014, the company's debt was 25 billion rubles, the company suspended the construction.
In 2015 the sanatorium for SU-155 was appointed. It was the bank "Russian Capital" (at that time the subsidiary of the Deposit Insurance Agency), which is to complete the construction of 147 apartment buildings in 14 regions of Russia.The debt of the businessman to Rosbank is 3 billion rubles, to the Otkrytie bank - 5 billion rubles. In May 2017, Sberbank said in court that the bank "lacks grounds for introducing bankruptcy proceedings against a businessman." At that time, the debt was 324 billion rubles, and in the autumn there was no debt. According to media reports, an agreement was concluded with Sberbank.
Alexander SaloEx-deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Samara Region.Debt in 2015: 721 million rubles. Salo owned 50% of the "Samara elevator" that went bankrupt. At the beginning of bankruptcy, banks filed claims against the enterprise and a guarantor for loans of its structures amounting to 721 million rubles. Today, the balance of debt to Sberbank - 93.9 million rubles. In 2015, Salo was sentenced to two years and 10 days of imprisonment with serving in a general regime colony as a result of fraud with the use of official position and beatings. In 2016, he was conditionally released ahead of schedule, and in 2017 became a figurant of a new case.
Alexander ChetverikovAn ex-deputy of the State Duma.In 2015, bailiffs claimed to pay the debt amounted to 818 million rubles.In the years 2007-2009, he acted as a guarantor for Sberbank loans for 1.3 billion rubles, issued to the agricultural holding created by him. At the end of 2015, the debt of the agricultural holding to Sberbank was 133 million rubles, and Chetverikov's debt was 43 million rubles. Sberbank filed a lawsuit about the personal bankruptcy of the guarantor. In April 2016, the parties entered into an amicable agreement. The client showed readiness for a constructive dialogue and a desire to fulfill his obligations, a source in Sberbank said.
Last week, Turkey’s lira fell to record lows, CNBC reported. According to analysts, the Turkish government's inability to balance the monetary policy to combat 10% inflation was the reason behind the decline.
Geopolitical uncertainty over the military conflict in Syria also prompted the fall. On April 13, the Turkish currency made a rebound on the back of top officials’ statements about possible action regarding the exchange rate. However, that did not help much. The currency climbed back by only 0.74%, hitting 4.08 lira to the dollar.
Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan has been opposed to tightening monetary policy and raising rates, despite inflation reaching a whopping 10.23%. This causes discontent among emerging market investors.
The lira, which had lost 13.9% since August 2017 to an all-time low of 4.1944 against the dollar, is currently considered one of the worst-performing emerging market currencies.
Meanwhile, Turkey's treasury bond yields reached highs and its current account deficit increased by more than 60% to $4.152 billion in February.
The Turkish real GDP growth came in at 7.4% in 2017, more than double the pace of 2016. According to analysts’ estimates, it is the highest growth rate among the G20 members.
