Fed's monetary policy threatens global finance markets |
Presently, the global financial markets experience difficult times. Whereas the probability of the next collapse increases, the effect triggered by the softening Fed's rhetoric is wearing off.
The beginning of this year was hopeful for the financial markets. However, it all ended quite quickly. At the moment, market participants reflect on the words said by Jerome Powell, the сhairman of the Federal reserve. Last week the Fed’s head announced that the regulator would stop reducing its $4 trillion portfolio. Experts fail to forecast what effect this measure will have in the near future. Currently, the Fed is carrying out an operation that is the opposite of QE. Nonetheless, it has a negative impact on the market state. Analysts record the lack of new liquidity.
Market participants are puzzled whether the Fed is going to implement its balance-sheet reduction in a gradual way or stop this process at once. Experts believe that gradual unwinding is the best option as it will allow to reduce volatility as well as to find out the level of demand for reserves. However, Thomas Simons, an economist at Jefferies money markets, believes that a smooth exit from the process of reducing the balance sheet is going to be difficult for securities with different maturity terms.
According to experts, the uncertainty in the global market will remain until the next meeting of the Federal reserve scheduled for March 19-20 this year. Investors are expecting to hear more detailed explanations from John Powell.
Meanwhile, trade negotiations between the US and China seem to affect the market negatively as well. Conflicting reports about the negotiations and their possible outcome add fuel to the fire. The reason for the downfall of the financial markets lies in the fact that the utmost optimism has been already priced in the stock quotes, while market players just need to fix the profit.
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Six amazing facts about silver |
Since ancient times, silver was considered a rival of gold. It was just as popular and attractive as gold. Its value has always remained high, though it did not outweigh the cost of gold. Silver has a number of interesting features which will be useful for market participants.
Means of payment
Silver and gold were originally used as means of payment, although later the latter became more popular. Silver was considered an exquisitely elegant payment equivalent associated with mystery and mysterious phenomena. In ancient times, people paid for goods with silver bars, and then silver coins started to be minted.
Silver country
The name Argentina derives from the latin word argentum, meaning silver. It is also the only country in the world to be named after a metal. In antiquity, when the lands of present-day Argentina began to develop, this metal was found here. However, silver mines quickly dried up, and in neighboring Peru, more than 1,000 tons per year are still mined.
Electrum is an alloy of two metals
A special technology for the purification of gold using molten lead has been known since time immemorial. As a result, a surprisingly light metal was obtained which was called pale gold. In terms of density, it exceeded gold and for a long time was considered a special chemical element. Scientists named it electrum. It has now become clear that it is an alloy of two noble metals, gold and silver.
Silver mirrors
Scientists have found that silver has high reflectance in a wide range of wavelengths, especially in the visible region of the spectrum, about 97%. This metal is used in producing high-quality mirrors. Currently, aluminum is used in order to reduce the cost, but earlier mirrors were produced only on a silver basis and were very expensive. Silver mirrors are also used for solar power stations, for example, for solar thermal power plants in California (USA).
High sensitivity
Remarkably that silver is very sensitive to environmental changes. Silver naturally interacts with oxygen and sulphur-bearing pollutants to create silver sulphide, resulting in a visible discoloration of the metal’s surface. Silver tarnishes in environments containing various sulphuric gases, even in very low concentration. The amount of tarnishing is determined by the relative humidity, ambient temperature, gas concentration, and the length of time the silver is exposed to the gases.
Used in medicine
One of the most important features of silver is a proven antiseptic and wound-healing effect. This metal is detrimental to approximately 700 species of various microorganisms, including bacteria. Previously, silver was used for the antimicrobial effect, and now this precious metal is widely used in Indian pharmacology.
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Top 10 most destructive computer viruses in history |
With the development of information technology, many computer viruses that can significantly reduce computer performance and even destroy all data on the hard disk appeared. In our article, you will find out more about worms and Trojan programs that can compete with the most dangerous human viruses and epidemics.
10 place – Nimda
The multi-vector computer worm Nimda was first spotted a week after attacks on the World Trade Center buildings in New York, on September 18, 2001.
Within 22 minutes, it spread via the Internet through email, open network resources, shared folders and file transfer, as well as through browsing malicious websites. The virus significantly slowed the speed of the Internet connection and sent emails with an infected read-me file to all email contacts of users, causing damage of $635 million.
Nimda got its name from the word admin, written in reverse. Since then, several modifications of the virus have appeared, differing only in text lines of copyright.
9 place – Conficker
The Conficker worm, first discovered on the network on November 21, 2008, infected 12 million computers running Microsoft Windows in three months. The damage caused to state, corporate and home PCs exceeded $9 billion.
Microsoft, searching for the creators of the virus, put out a reward of $250 thousand for any information about them. A special broad industry alliance, Conficker Cabal, was also created to combat the virus.
8 place – Storm Worm
A year earlier, on January 17, 2007, Microsoft Windows operating systems were attacked by the Storm Worm, a trojan horse of the backdoor type.
In the e-mail with the title “230 dead as storm batters Europe”, a file with a virus was attached, which infected about 10 million computers worldwide.
The informational breach formed in the computer system was used to receive data or send spam
7 place – Chernobyl
CIH, better known as “Chernobyl”, attacked computers running Windows 95/98 / ME in June 1998. After activation, it damaged BIOS data chips of 500 thousand computers around the world, destroying all the information from their hard drives.
Despite the serious damage inflicted by Chernobyl (more than $1 billion), its creator, a Taiwanese student Chen Ying Hao, was not punished and now works at Gigabyte. They say that he created the CIH to demonstrate how vulnerable the computers of Tatung University are but did not assess the possible consequences.
6 place – Melissa
Melissa was the first macro virus to have a devastating effect by mailing malware. So, about 20 percent of all computers worldwide were infected, and the damage amounted to about $80 million.
Infection began in March 1999, when the first 50 addresses of Microsoft Outlook Express received a letter with an attached virus list.doc file that allegedly contained passwords to 80 paid porn sites. The malicious message also contained the words: "Here is that document you asked for...don't show anyone else ;-)."
The author of the program, American David Smith from New Jersey, named his creation in honor of a stripper from Florida. Soon he was sentenced to 20 months in prison and a symbolic fine of $5,000.
5 place – SQL Slammer
The SQL Slammer worm began to generate random IP addresses and send itself out to those addresses on January 25, 2003. Mainly automated systems of banking institutions were attacked. In total, more than 200 thousand computers worldwide were infected which resulted in a loss of $750 million.
As a result, the internet connection slowed down because of the collapse of numerous routers under the burden of extremely high bombardment traffic from infected servers. South Korea suffered the most, where there was no Internet for 12 hours.
4 place – Code Red
On July 15, 2001, computers running a Microsoft IIS web server were hit by a specific Code Red computer worm, named after one of the varieties of the Mountain Dew drink.
During the week of its “work,” it infected more than 400,000 servers (including the White House server), replacing the contents of the pages on the affected sites with the phrase “Hello! Welcome to http://www.worm.com! Hacked By Chinese!" The amount of total damage is estimated at $2.6 billion.
3 place – Sobig F
Sobig F is another worm that infected 1 million computers running Microsoft Windows within 24 hours. It paralyzed Air Canada and caused a slowdown in computer networks around the world.
The principle of the virus was similar to its predecessors: after a user opened an e-mail with an attachment, the virus found the addresses on the infected computer and sent itself out to them.
The damage caused by the malware from August 19 to September 10, 2003, exceeded $37 billion. Despite the announced remuneration of $250 thousand, the name of the creator of the virus remained unknown.
1 place – Iloveyou
The Iloveyou computer worm became the most destructive virus in the entire history. In 2000, it successfully hit more than 3 million personal computers due to a skillful disguise as a letter from a fan.
The attached letter with the Iloveyou theme and the Love-letter-for-you.txt.vbs attachment contained a virus that, after opening the attachment, sent itself out to all addresses from contacts and also performed numerous changes in the system.
The damage caused by the virus to the Windows servers amounted to $10-15 billion, which is why it was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most destructive computer virus in the world.
2 place – Mydoom
The record for the number of infected computers running Microsoft Windows was broken by the Mydoom mail worm which caused damage of a whopping $38 billion.
The computer "epidemic" began on January 26, 2004, with emails with the topics "Hello", "Test", "Error", "Mail Delivery System", and so on, containing virus attachments and a text message "Andy; I'm just doing my job, nothing personal, sorry.” In addition to sending the worm to other addresses, the operating system was modified in such a way that the websites of most news feeds and anti-virus companies, as well as some sections of the Microsoft website, were blocked for the user.
A couple of weeks later, on February 12, the virus was programmed and ceased to operate.
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Barrick Gold reviews opportunity to merge with Newmont Barrick |
Gold Corporation, the largest Canadian gold producer, has offered a merger to Newmont Mining, a US mining company. The main assets of the gold miner are located in the United States, Peru, Argentina, and the Dominican Republic, while Newmont Mining Corporation's assets are based in the US, Australia, Ghana, Peru, and Suriname.
At the moment, the Canadian company proposes to pay 2.5694 Barrick shares per every Newmont share. According to experts, such a transaction will meet the market conditions. Experts emphasize that all calculations are based on weighted average price of the companies' shares on the New York Stock Exchange for the last 20 trading day. If the deal goes through, Barrick Gold and Newmont shareholders will receive 55.9% and 44.1% of the merged company, respectively.
Experts predict the transaction would generate benefits of $7 billion before tax. The united company’s revenue is estimated at about $15.6 billion, while EBITDA is expected to be $7 billion. Aggregate gold reserves would reach 141 million ounces, and the volume of resources would amount to 275 million ounces.
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Ripple dismisses chief market strategist |
According to the press service of Ripple, the largest fintech startup, the company dismissed Cory Johnson, the chief market strategist. He successfully represented the company in the cryptocurrency market, but due to changes in market conditions, Ripple cut short his tenure at the company, the press service noted.
Previously, Johnson was part of the largest news agency, Bloomberg TV, but then he started working at Ripple developing strategies to promote products among major players on Wall Street. The expert was also engaged in the company’s education sector.
Currently, the RippleNet network is very popular among other digital projects. According to preliminary data, it has over 200 participants.
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Goods appeared thanks to wars |
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Losses from sanctions against Russia estimated |
While more than 60 countries impose sanctions against Russia, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development has reckoned their losses. The Russian Federation has been already targeted by 159 restrictions from 62 countries, among which Ukraine, India, Belarus, Turkey, the United States, Australia, Brazil, Thailand, and Vietnam have suffered record losses. The total damage from the sanctions as of the end of the previous year is estimated at $6.3 billion. The European Union has introduced the biggest number of restrictions (25). The list also includes Ukraine (22), India (16), Belarus (13), Turkey (12), the United States (9), Australia (6), Brazil (5), Thailand (5), and Vietnam (5). In terms of financial losses, the situation is as follows: the EU with losses of about $2.4 billion is an absolute leader, followed by the United States, which incurred losses of almost $1.1 billion; Ukraine with losses of $775 million closes the top three. The economies which also suffered big losses are Turkey ($713 million), India ($377 million), Iran ($320 million), China ($174 million), Mexico ($120 million), Thailand ($102 million), and Belarus ($ 42 million). The Kremlin sends a clear message about the beneficial impact of the Western sanctions on the domestic economy. Besides, lingering standoff between Russia and the West supposedly deals a blow to rival economies. Interestingly, Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development neglected the important thing. The West slapped sanctions deliberately with predictable financial damage. So, they priced in potential risks. In other words, the Western countries were ready for such losses for the sake of the world order.
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Losses from sanctions against Russia estimated |
While more than 60 countries impose sanctions against Russia, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development has reckoned their losses. The Russian Federation has been already targeted by 159 restrictions from 62 countries, among which Ukraine, India, Belarus, Turkey, the United States, Australia, Brazil, Thailand, and Vietnam have suffered record losses. The total damage from the sanctions as of the end of the previous year is estimated at $6.3 billion. The European Union has introduced the biggest number of restrictions (25). The list also includes Ukraine (22), India (16), Belarus (13), Turkey (12), the United States (9), Australia (6), Brazil (5), Thailand (5), and Vietnam (5). In terms of financial losses, the situation is as follows: the EU with losses of about $2.4 billion is an absolute leader, followed by the United States, which incurred losses of almost $1.1 billion; Ukraine with losses of $775 million closes the top three. The economies which also suffered big losses are Turkey ($713 million), India ($377 million), Iran ($320 million), China ($174 million), Mexico ($120 million), Thailand ($102 million), and Belarus ($ 42 million). The Kremlin sends a clear message about the beneficial impact of the Western sanctions on the domestic economy. Besides, lingering standoff between Russia and the West supposedly deals a blow to rival economies. Interestingly, Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development neglected the important thing. The West slapped sanctions deliberately with predictable financial damage. So, they priced in potential risks. In other words, the Western countries were ready for such losses for the sake of the world order.
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Most disturbing predictions for 2019 |
According to analysts, the most pessimistic forecasts for the current year relate mainly to global financial markets. Expert estimates significantly affect the future dynamics of quotes and force traders to keep abreast. Nevertheless, experts, analyzing risk factors, call for taking into account all the pros and cons of the situation.
US stock market collapse
Some economists believe tha the collapse of the US stock market is not the final stage. Market players will see the continuation of the fall. Analysts predict not just a stock price collapse but a full-blown crisis with a prolonged recession in the economy. Such a scenario is not excluded, as there are signs of a growing slowdown in the US economy. The financial crisis in America will have a negative impact on the global economy and will affect the value of a number of assets.
Oil cost $30
The cost of the most important commodity asset, oil, largely depends on the situation in the financial markets. At the end of 2018, this asset fell from $87 to $50 and there was a shakedown in the global market. Earlier, in 2016, oil quotes dropped below $30 per barrel, and it almost became a disaster for a number of countries. In the event of such a development, the collapse may recur. In order for oil prices to crash even more, the desire of large market players is enough, and the OPEC+ deal to reduce production will not affect the situation, experts are sure.
US currency cost 100 rubles
A collapse in oil prices will inevitably lead to a devaluation of the Russian ruble, analysts believe. Many of them predict that in 2019 in the Russian Federation 1 US dollar will cost 100 rubles. However, the ruble may weaken for other reasons, for example due to sanctions or the purchase of currency by the Central Bank. Nevertheless, the financial authorities of the Russian Federation will not allow a significant weakening of the national currency, although its position remains unstable.
Tougher sanctions and a ban on the use of US dollars
According to experts, in 2019 the weakening of the ruble will be followed by tough US sanctions affecting the largest banks and the national debt of the Russian Federation. As a result, Russia will be in isolation, disconnected from the global financial and economic system. After the introduction of sanctions against RusAl, which are considered a “pilot version,” other strikes against the Russian economy will follow. New sanctions will lead to a ban on transactions in US dollars. Many Russian enterprises now use euros when dealing with foreign partners, and this trend will strengthen.
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Most disturbing predictions for 2019 |
According to analysts, the most pessimistic forecasts for the current year relate mainly to global financial markets. Expert estimates significantly affect the future dynamics of quotes and force traders to keep abreast. Nevertheless, experts, analyzing risk factors, call for taking into account all the pros and cons of the situation.
US stock market collapse
Some economists believe tha the collapse of the US stock market is not the final stage. Market players will see the continuation of the fall. Analysts predict not just a stock price collapse but a full-blown crisis with a prolonged recession in the economy. Such a scenario is not excluded, as there are signs of a growing slowdown in the US economy. The financial crisis in America will have a negative impact on the global economy and will affect the value of a number of assets.
Oil cost $30
The cost of the most important commodity asset, oil, largely depends on the situation in the financial markets. At the end of 2018, this asset fell from $87 to $50 and there was a shakedown in the global market. Earlier, in 2016, oil quotes dropped below $30 per barrel, and it almost became a disaster for a number of countries. In the event of such a development, the collapse may recur. In order for oil prices to crash even more, the desire of large market players is enough, and the OPEC+ deal to reduce production will not affect the situation, experts are sure.
US currency cost 100 rubles
A collapse in oil prices will inevitably lead to a devaluation of the Russian ruble, analysts believe. Many of them predict that in 2019 in the Russian Federation 1 US dollar will cost 100 rubles. However, the ruble may weaken for other reasons, for example due to sanctions or the purchase of currency by the Central Bank. Nevertheless, the financial authorities of the Russian Federation will not allow a significant weakening of the national currency, although its position remains unstable.
Tougher sanctions and a ban on the use of US dollars
According to experts, in 2019 the weakening of the ruble will be followed by tough US sanctions affecting the largest banks and the national debt of the Russian Federation. As a result, Russia will be in isolation, disconnected from the global financial and economic system. After the introduction of sanctions against RusAl, which are considered a “pilot version,” other strikes against the Russian economy will follow. New sanctions will lead to a ban on transactions in US dollars. Many Russian enterprises now use euros when dealing with foreign partners, and this trend will strengthen.
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Russia gets dubious benefit from trade with China |
According to government data, Russian exports to China outweighed Chinese imports to Russia for the first time in the recent 13 years. The news arouses mixed feelings. On the one hand, the statistics indicates positive trends. Indeed, Russia cut imports of low-quality consumer goods from China, contracted trade deficit, and widened export sales. On the other hand, scrutinizing the contents of shipments from Russia and China, one thing strikes the eye immediately. The two trade partners deliver stuff of completely different nature. So, Russia gains dubious benefit from this trade practice even with a trade balance proficit. In fact, Russia sells nothing but commodities to China such as crude oil, mineral fuel, and lubricants. At the same time, Chinese imports to Russia consist of goods with added value like smartphones, computers, spare parts for vehicles, and devices.
From the impartial viewpoint, it looks like swapping gold for plastic beads on a massive scale. To be honest, the rest of China’s trade partners follow roughly the same principle. Nowadays, cheap consumer goods from China are flooding the global market. If Russia aims to scale down Chinese imports, anyone would welcome this news. Last year, Russian exports to China totaled $56.065 billion, exceeded Chinese imports by $3.9 billion. China imported its good to the value of $52.218 billion in the reporting period. According to Russia’s Federal Customs Service, China has been Russia’s top trade partner among other overseas suppliers. In 2018, Chinese imports accounted for 15.7% in foreign trade of Russia. The second meaningful importer to Russia is Germany with its 8.7% share in Russia’s foreign trade.
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Five most expensive gold coins in the world |
Specialists dealing with precious metals offer to pay attention to five gold coins which are recognized as the most expensive. They beat world records in term of price, but experts are confident that such a cost is fair.
According to experts of the precious metals market, the list of the most expensive gold coins in the world should contain only those of them that were sold at least once. However, the Australian Red Kangaroo coin is recognized the most expensive on the planet and at the same time the largest one. Its diameter reaches 80 cm, and it weighs 1 ton. It never changed the owner and is considered an exhibit.
Double Eagle (1933)
Price: $7.59 million
The leading position in this rating is occupied by the 1933 Double Eagle coin. In 1933, the US government imposed a ban on the possession of gold for all citizens of the country. It also related to gold coins, although Double Eagle was already ready for release. Coins were melted down, but some of them were saved. The exact number of untouched Double Eagle coins is unknown. In 2002, at the Sothebys auction, one coin was sold for $7.59 million 20 cents.
Brasher Doubloon (1787)
Price: $7.4 million
The second place in the list of the most expensive coins is taken by Brasher Doubloon. This is a gold coin bought by a large Wall Street investment company in 2011. It was sold by $7.4 million. The coin received its name on behalf of jeweler Ephraim Brasher, who lived in New York in the 18th century. He is the creator of this valuable coin. Brasher Doubloon coins are considered very rare, there are only a few copies in the whole world.
South Africa's Single 9 pound (1898)
Price: $4 million
South Africa's Single 9 pound ranks third in the list of the most expensive gold coins. It was released in 1898, although 1899 is considered the actual year of minting. This was the period of the Anglo-Boer War. At that time, South Africa could not make the stamp with the date of 1899, and the authorities had to use the old one with the 1898 number. Later, the local mint started issuing coins with the right date. Coins of 1898 and 1899 years of release received the name 'Single 9'.
Umayyaden Dinar (UK)
Price: lb3.7 million
In 2011, the Morten & Eden auction house in London offered for sale an Arabic gold coin from the 8th century. It is called Umayyaden Dinar. The initial price for this lot ranged from lb300 thousand to lb400 thousand. However, by the end of the auction the cost of a unique coin with a mysterious history reached an impressive lb3.7 million.
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Trump delays imposition of further tariffs on Chinese goods |
US President Donald Trump delayed the imposition of further tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods scheduled on March 1. The reason for this was the achievement of a compromise in the recent negotiations with Beijing.
“The US has made substantial progress in our trade talks with China,” the American leader noted. As a result of these very productive talks, the increased tariffs, set to be imposed on March 1, 2019, will be postponed. According to the US President, progress was made on important structural issues including intellectual property protection, technology transfer, agriculture, services, currency, etc. The leaders of China and the United States called a truce on the sidelines of the G20 summit that was held at the beginning of December. Chinese leader Xi Jinping promised to buy a substantial amount of agricultural and other products from the US. Mr Trump, in turn, agreed not to boost tariffs on Chinese goods worth $200 billion starting from January 1, 2019, if the parties will be able to reach a compromise on a number of issues.
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Five near-future crypto cities |
Many large companies are actively mastering the blockchain technology and the cryptocurrency sphere. They are developing projects of crypto cities dominated by innovation and digital assets. The goal of these projects is to create a territory where cryptocurrencies are a reliable alternative to traditional money. Here are five projects of such crypto cities.
Sol City (Puerto Rico)
Last year, the crypto city of Sol City appeared in the city of San Juan (Puerto Rico). According to the idea of crypto-enthusiasts, this will be a city where the money would be virtual, and all contracts public. Entrepreneurs bought a whole block in the historic district of the capital called the Old San Juan. At the moment the project is still in the development stage. Crypto-enthusiasts were attracted by no federal taxes on personal profits and favourable taxes for businesses.
Noah City (Philippines)
The Asian Noah Project can be the first company to make the futuristic city dream come true, building it from scratch. The project was launched in Manila (Philippines). The huge quarter called Noah City will become a place where all types of cryptocurrencies will be accepted. The developers are also planning to launch their own virtual currency, Noah Coin. Its holders will receive exclusive access to a number of services, discounts and loyalty programs. The project of the crypto city is already at the implementation stage.
Akon Crypto City (Senegal)
The project of this innovative crypto city is also goes at a stage of development and implementation. Akon Crypto City is the brainchild of singer and music producer Akon. According to his idea, the entire infrastructure will be built from scratch in the crypto city: residential buildings, shops, parks, schools, universities, hospitals, etc. Akon’s own digital currency, Akoin, will be adopted.
The Blockchain District (India)
The project of this territory, where different cryptocurrencies will be in circulation, is only designed so far. This will be the first blockchain district in India. It is expected that it will become a center for the development of new technology and an incubator for blockchain startups all around India and could become one of the world's centers. The district will appear in the state capital of Hyderabad. The government will build all the necessary infrastructure, and large companies will provide technological support to residents of the district.
Agnes Water (Australia)
This is a small town in Australia. Unlike others, this project is complete and operational. Such cryptocurrencies as BTC, BCH, ETH, LTC and NEM are accepted here. In the early summer of 2018, the authorities of Agnes Water declared it to be the first cryptocurrency city in the country. Despite its small size, over 30 local companies began to accept Bitcoins, Lightcoins, Bitcoin Cash, Ethereum and NEM as payment. There are always a lot of tourists in Agnes Water, so the chances for the further development of the cryptosphere are very high.
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Brexit up in the air: UK Labour Party votes for 2nd referendum |
Due to the latest events on the world stage, many experts fear that Brexit is not going to happen. The reason for this is the actions of Jeremy Corbyn, UK opposition Labour Party leader, who has bowed to pressure from his members of parliament and agreed to support a new Brexit referendum.
His actions are associated with concerns about the implementation of no-deal Brexit option which the Labour members attempt to avoid. It should be reminded that in September 2018 the Labour Party signed a new document, which reported that the Labour Party would support a referendum in which British citizens would vote again for a deal with the EU or deny it.
It is worth mentioning that Jeremy Corbyn is a lifelong opponent of the UK’s European Union membership. Earlier, he had resisted attempts to get him to back a fresh vote on leaving the bloc. However, nine lawmakers quit the Labour Party last week in protest at his leadership's strategy. There were reports that others might follow too.
According to analysts, support of Labour does not mean another referendum, as this will require a significant number of Tories to vote "for".
The global financial market reacted to the current situation by the growth of the pound sterling quotes. The British currency has been showing an uptrend. Many market participants are expecting Brexit withdrawal. Experts also do not rule out such a course of events. They are waiting for further steps of the Labour Party.
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Three revolutionary technologies that can drastically change world |
New technologies, turning from fantasy into reality, can significantly change our life. Experts consider genome editing, new computational architecture, and materials science as such turning points. These technologies are just beginning to master the market. Experts do not exclude that these discoveries will change our world beyond recognition.
Our world is constantly changing, evolving and improving. New technologies are steadily conquering our lives. Over time, it turns out that humanity can not imagine life without them. Among these technologies, scientists mark out three innovations that can radically change our lives.
Genome editing (Crispr technology)
The first genome editing developments started in 2012. A phenomenon was found in microbiology, a strange DNA sequence in bacteria. A detailed study of this feature, called Crispr, revealed that DNA elements can be used as a powerful tool for editing genes. In health care, Crispr technology can be used to treat diseases such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, and others. Innovation is in the process of clinical trials.
Post-digital computing (Quantum and Neuromorphic)
Over the past few decades, we’ve been in the midst of a digital revolution. During it, two innovations appeared - quantum and neuromorphic calculations. The essence of quantum computing is in the use of subatomic effects to create an almost unlimited computing space. They are suitable for stimulating physical and biological systems. Neuromorphic calculations mimic the design of the human brain. They are ideal for complex calculations and far superior to traditional processors.
Innovative materials science
Currently, manufacturers need new materials to create more advanced products. Previously, their development has been a slow and expensive process. Now powerful simulation techniques, combined with increased computing power and machine learning, are enabling researchers to automate much of the discovery process. This vastly accelerates the development of new materials, in some cases by a factor of more than a hundred. According to experts, the effect of breakthrough technologies in the field of materials will be impressive.
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Merkel says Europe should not cut ties with Russia |
Russian gas has long stopped being only natural fuel and an object of commercial transactions. Now it is also a tool of political pressure. Moreover, Western countries consider it exclusively a weapon of political struggle for some reason. Dissatisfaction with this situation is expressed on an ongoing basis, especially amid the construction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. But these countries need gas. That is why, guided by common sense and the modern market rules, Germany is trying to convince its allies that refusal to buy Russian gas is expensive and unprofitable. Besides, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Angela Merkel noted that Russia would always find buyers. “A Russian gas molecule remains a Russian gas molecule, regardless of whether it comes through the Ukraine or across the Baltic Sea. If during the Cold War we imported large amounts of Russian gas, I don't know why times should be so much worse today that we can say: Russia remains a partner. Do we want to make Russia only dependent on China?” Merkel stated.
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Top 10 most destructive computer viruses in history |
10 place – Nimda
The multi-vector computer worm Nimda was first spotted a week after attacks on the World Trade Center buildings in New York, on September 18, 2001.
Within 22 minutes, it spread via the Internet through email, open network resources, shared folders and file transfer, as well as through browsing malicious websites. The virus significantly slowed the speed of the Internet connection and sent emails with an infected read-me file to all email contacts of users, causing damage of $635 million.
Nimda got its name from the word admin, written in reverse. Since then, several modifications of the virus have appeared, differing only in text lines of copyright.
9 place – Conficker
The Conficker worm, first discovered on the network on November 21, 2008, infected 12 million computers running Microsoft Windows in three months. The damage caused to state, corporate and home PCs exceeded $9 billion.
Microsoft, searching for the creators of the virus, put out a reward of $250 thousand for any information about them. A special broad industry alliance, Conficker Cabal, was also created to combat the virus.
8 place – Storm Worm
A year earlier, on January 17, 2007, Microsoft Windows operating systems were attacked by the Storm Worm, a trojan horse of the backdoor type.
In the e-mail with the title “230 dead as storm batters Europe”, a file with a virus was attached, which infected about 10 million computers worldwide.
The informational breach formed in the computer system was used to receive data or send spam.
7 place – Chernobyl
CIH, better known as “Chernobyl”, attacked computers running Windows 95/98 / ME in June 1998. After activation, it damaged BIOS data chips of 500 thousand computers around the world, destroying all the information from their hard drives.
Despite the serious damage inflicted by Chernobyl (more than $1 billion), its creator, a Taiwanese student Chen Ying Hao, was not punished and now works at Gigabyte. They say that he created the CIH to demonstrate how vulnerable the computers of Tatung University are but did not assess the possible consequences.
6 place – Melissa
Melissa was the first macro virus to have a devastating effect by mailing malware. So, about 20 percent of all computers worldwide were infected, and the damage amounted to about $80 million.
Infection began in March 1999, when the first 50 addresses of Microsoft Outlook Express received a letter with an attached virus list.doc file that allegedly contained passwords to 80 paid porn sites. The malicious message also contained the words: "Here is that document you asked for...don't show anyone else ;-)."
The author of the program, American David Smith from New Jersey, named his creation in honor of a stripper from Florida. Soon he was sentenced to 20 months in prison and a symbolic fine of $5,000.
5 place – SQL Slammer
The SQL Slammer worm began to generate random IP addresses and send itself out to those addresses on January 25, 2003. Mainly automated systems of banking institutions were attacked. In total, more than 200 thousand computers worldwide were infected which resulted in a loss of $750 million.
As a result, the internet connection slowed down because of the collapse of numerous routers under the burden of extremely high bombardment traffic from infected servers. South Korea suffered the most, where there was no Internet for 12 hours.
4 place – Code Red
On July 15, 2001, computers running a Microsoft IIS web server were hit by a specific Code Red computer worm, named after one of the varieties of the Mountain Dew drink.
During the week of its “work,” it infected more than 400,000 servers (including the White House server), replacing the contents of the pages on the affected sites with the phrase “Hello! Welcome to http://www.worm.com! Hacked By Chinese!" The amount of total damage is estimated at $2.6 billion.
3 place – Sobig F
Sobig F is another worm that infected 1 million computers running Microsoft Windows within 24 hours. It paralyzed Air Canada and caused a slowdown in computer networks around the world.
The principle of the virus was similar to its predecessors: after a user opened an e-mail with an attachment, the virus found the addresses on the infected computer and sent itself out to them.
The damage caused by the malware from August 19 to September 10, 2003, exceeded $37 billion. Despite the announced remuneration of $250 thousand, the name of the creator of the virus remained unknown.
1 place – Iloveyou
The Iloveyou computer worm became the most destructive virus in the entire history. In 2000, it successfully hit more than 3 million personal computers due to a skillful disguise as a letter from a fan.
The attached letter with the Iloveyou theme and the Love-letter-for-you.txt.vbs attachment contained a virus that, after opening the attachment, sent itself out to all addresses from contacts and also performed numerous changes in the system.
The damage caused by the virus to the Windows servers amounted to $10-15 billion, which is why it was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most destructive computer virus in the world.
2 place – Mydoom
The record for the number of infected computers running Microsoft Windows was broken by the Mydoom mail worm which caused damage of a whopping $38 billion.
The computer "epidemic" began on January 26, 2004, with emails with the topics "Hello", "Test", "Error", "Mail Delivery System", and so on, containing virus attachments and a text message "Andy; I'm just doing my job, nothing personal, sorry.” In addition to sending the worm to other addresses, the operating system was modified in such a way that the websites of most news feeds and anti-virus companies, as well as some sections of the Microsoft website, were blocked for the user.
A couple of weeks later, on February 12, the virus was programmed and ceased to operate.
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Foreign investors rush to buy Saudi stocks |
Foreign investors are flocking to Saudi Arabia’s equity market, having bought stocks at record worth in January, Bloomberg reported. Investors express optimism as the Saudi Arabia stock market has been upgraded to the rank of the largest global exchange floors.
In January, speculators outside the Middle East invested in total 4.4 billion riyals ($1.17 billion) in Saudi equities that was the highest value since 2015.
Foreign institutional investors also welcome the news that the Tadawul All Share Index (TASI) comprising shares of domestic companies will soon be assigned to the group of emerging markets. The news could encourage more capital inflows to the Saudi stock market. Interestingly, analysts report that Saudi investment funds have been cutting purchases of domestic shares.
Read more: https://www.mt5.com/forex_humor/image/40296
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Top 10 young self-made billionaires |
Most of today's young billionaires have to achieve success on their own. They don't wait for an inheritance. It disciplines and brings subsequently a considerable income. We offer you to get acquainted with the list of such wealthy people who are under 40 years old.
Mark Zuckerberg
Wealth: $65.5 billion
The leader of this rating is a famous American programmer, an entrepreneur in the field of Internet technologies and a dollar billionaire. Mark Zuckerberg is one of the developers and creators of the Facebook global social network. He is the head of Facebook Inc. and owner of 24 percent of its shares. Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in the world. Since 2010, he is in the list of the most influential people in the world according to the Forbes magazine.
Huang Zheng
Wealth: $13.7 billion
Zheng Huang, the founder and CEO of Pinduoduo, took the second place in the list of the wealthiest young people. He became one of the billionaires in China after a successful IPO in July 2018. The company Pinduoduo, created less than three years ago, occupied the third place in terms of turnover among all marketplaces of China. About 200 million customers make purchases through the Internet platform, and more than 300 million users are registered on it. In the first quarter of 2018, Pinduoduo profits were estimated at $208 million.
Dustin Moskovitz
Wealth: $11.8 billion
This American entrepreneur, along with Mark Zuckerberg, Eduardo Saverin and Chris Hughes, is one of the founders of the largest social networking site, Facebook. Dustin Moskovitz owns 7.6 percent of the company's shares. Previously, he was responsible for the technical component of the project. In 2008, Moskovitz left Facebook and together with Justin Rosenstein founded the Asana company specializing in software.
Eduardo Saverin
Wealth: $9 billion
A major entrepreneur of Brazilian descent is one of the co-founders of the Facebook social networking site. He owns a 5-percent stake in the company. Eduardo Saverin was the main investor and commercial director of the project. Subsequently, the businessman left the company. His share in the company's authorized capital was reduced from 34 percent to 0.03 percent. Saverin filed a lawsuit, and in January 2009, the court confirmed his right to own 5 percent of Facebook shares.
Scott Farquhar and Mike Cannon-Brookes
Wealth: $6.7 billion (both)
Both entrepreneurs met in Australia while studying at the university. Later they created a joint software company, Atlassian. The key products of Scott Farquhar and Mike Cannon-Brookes are the Jira error tracking system and the Confluence collaboration system. In 2017, Atlassian merged the developer of the project management service, Trello. As a result, Atlassian owners became billionaires.
Robert Pera
Wealth: $6.4 billion
The founder of Ubiquiti Networks, Robert Pera, considers his company promising and creative. The firm, specializing in the development and production of equipment for computer networks, is very successful in the global market. Thanks to an innovative approach to solving technological problems, Ubiquiti Networks specialists were able to reverse the existing understanding of wireless networks.
Zhang Bangxin
Wealth: $5.5 billion
The Chinese billionaire entrepreneur has two degrees. He studied at Sichuan and Beijing universities. In 2008, Zhang Bangxin founded TAL Education Group engaging in education and development. One of the key objectives of TAL is the integration of new technologies into the educational process.
Wang Tao
Wealth: $5.2 billion
This businessman from China is the creator of the SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd company. It specializes in the production of multicopter and controllers. From the very beginning to this day, Wang Tao has held the position of executive and technical director of SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd.
Zhan Ketuan
Wealth: $5.2 billion
Bitmain Technologies was founded in 2013 by businessman Zhang Ketuan. It became one of the most recognizable companies in the crypto world. The firm was created on the wave of innovations related to blockchain technology and bitcoin mining. It specializes in developing and selling the latest ASIC chips. The world's leading manufacturers are eager to purchase Bitmain products. In four years, the Chinese mining start-up has expanded to the size of a transatlantic corporation with a $3 billion profit.
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