Record high oil prices in 2008

Oil flows from Russia to Slovakia are expected to re-start within days after being cut off for almost a week. The country had not received any oil from Russia since August 4, but today Slovnaft announced it expected flows to restart soon. Ukraine stopped crude exports via the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline, which crosses into Slovakia, on August 4. Russian firm Transneft said its payments for oil transit to Ukrainian pipeline operator TransNafta were blocked because EU sanctions prevented the money being accepted from Moscow. However, Druzhba is exempt from EU sanctions imposed on Russian oil imports. Skryť Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryť Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement The cut off in supplies affected Slovakia , Czech Republic, and Hungary. Flows continued via the northern branch of Druzhba running through Belarus to Poland and Germany. Oil is expected to … [Read more...] about Russian oil flows due to restart in days

Ofgem’s energy price cap will be now be going up every three months , instead of every six – with a new cap coming in October, and energy bills expected to reach £4,266 per year by January 2023 . This new figure will leave many at risk of being ‘destitute’ , says trusted money expert Martin Lewis . Indeed, Brits are being warned of a ‘very challenging winter ahead’ when it comes to energy costs – despite people already facing crippling rises in their energy bills earlier this year. Energy companies have been going bust since 2021, as rising gas prices led to a global supply crisis, which in turn has led us down the path of more expensive energy costs. Coupled with the general rise in the cost of living , and you’d be forgiven for worrying about what all this really means for you, your loved ones, and your bank balance. Here, we’ll explain the energy price cap, and how much bills are set to rise by during the next update. What does the energy price … [Read more...] about What does energy price cap mean and how much will my bills rise by?

Sign up for Derek’s newsletter here . Remote work seems fully entrenched in American life. Offices are more than half empty nationwide, while restaurants and movie theaters are packed. Housing prices in suburbs and small towns have surged as white-collar workers take advantage of the demise of the daily commute. But if the work-from-anywhere movement has been successful for veteran employees in defined roles with trusted colleagues, for certain people and for certain objectives,  remote or hybrid work remains a problem to be solved. First, remote work is worse for new workers . Many inexperienced employees joining a virtual company realize that they haven’t joined much of a company at all. They’ve logged into a virtual room that calls itself a company but is basically a group chat. It’s hard to promote a wholesome company culture in normal times, and harder still to do so one misunderstood group Slack message and problematic fire emoji at a time. “Small talk, passing … [Read more...] about The Biggest Problem With Remote Work

Rishi Sunak apparently used a Sainsbury’s workers family car for a photo op to make himself appear relatable. The millionaire chancellor put £30.01 into a Kia Rio in New Cross, south east London, yesterday. A picture of him doing so was posted on Twitter at 6pm on Wednesday and it has since emerged that it belonged to a worker called Conner. It did not take long for people to respond, suggesting that someone as rich as Rishi would not own a car like this (which costs around £13,000 from new). The timing of the post suggests it was taken earlier in the day – therefore before he introduced a 6p decrease in fuel prices in his spring statement. Mr Sunak is believed to have paid out of his own pocket to fill up Conner’s car. Once at the petrol station counter, things only got worse for Rishi. Footage that he didn’t appear to know how to use a contactless machine when he tried to pay. Footage shows Mr Sunak raising his bank card to the shop attendant’s barcode … [Read more...] about Rishi borrowed Sainsbury’s worker’s car for photo op and put £30.01 in the tank

Energy bosses have been "hauled in" before government to discuss what they are going to do with their rising profits as household bills soar, the education secretary has told Sky News. James Cleverly said Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng are to meet with leaders of energy companies as calls grow for more to be done to ease the cost of living crisis. He told Sky News: "The chancellor and the business secretary have hauled in the leaders of the energy companies to hold them to account, to discuss with them what they are going to do with these unexpected, unplanned, unprecedented profits that they have been making because of that sudden spike in energy prices caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine ." Politics Hub: Tory MP defects from Sunak to Truss - live updates Mr Cleverly also failed to deny there could be blackouts this winter , but did say the UK was in a "better position than many in terms of our domestic energy production". … [Read more...] about Cost of living: Energy bosses ‘hauled in’ for talks with government as household bills soar

Standing before the door of his long-established but modest emporium, his ample form flanked by windows displaying hoes and pancake flour, boys’ suits and writing-paper, washboards and cigars, while a garish sign, “General Merchandise” creaked above, the pioneer proprietor pointed to a heap of freight the train now disappearing over the plains had dumped on the depot platform. “More work of the catalogues,” he commented bitterly. “Three sacks of ’em came to the post office last week, — now the folks are sending for the goods. Think they are saving money, I suppose.” “Perhaps they are?” “Not much. If they will give me all their orders and pay cash as they have to do with the catalogue mail-order houses, I’ll get ’em just as good stuff, and just as cheap. Some things they may buy cheaper, but they’re cheaper goods.” “Why do they do it, then?” “Because it’s the city, — it sounds better, somehow; and the catalogues make everything look so fine. Why, the other day a farmer came … [Read more...] about The Country Store

Britain is being warned to brace for almost a week of home blackouts this winter amid the nation’s spiralling energy crisis . Four days of residential power cuts are included in a government plan to cope with a worst-case electric and gas supply scenario, it was revealed today. Millions of families could be hit with the emergency measure in January if a perfect storm of shortages and huge demand puts too much strain on energy networks . Food firms have also been asked to prepare plans to avoid empty shelves, while NHS bosses must ensure ‘diesel tanks are full’. The reported blackouts would come at the same time energy bills are expected to surge past £4,000 as the price cap set by regulator Ofgem more than doubles. A bleak new forecast by power consultancy Cornwall Insight predicts this will rise even further in April as bills surge to £4,400. Consumer campaigners including Martin Lewis are now piling pressure on ministers to better protect the vulnerable and … [Read more...] about UK could face days of blackouts this winter under emergency energy plan

II THE first characteristics which the book of Grotius revealed were faith and foresight. Great as it was, — the most beneficent among all volumes not claiming divine inspiration, — yet more wonderful than the book itself was the faith of its author. In none of the years during which he meditated it, and least of all during the years when it was written, could any other human being see in the anarchic darkness of the time any tribunal which could recognize a plea for right reason in international affairs, or enforce a decision upon it. The greatness of Grotius lies first of all in the fact that he saw in all this darkness one court sitting supreme to which he might make appeal, and that court—the heart and mind of man. What the darkness was which his eye alone could pierce was stated in his preface. He says: “I saw many and grave causes why I should write a work on that subject. I saw in the whole Christian world a license of fighting at which even barbarous nations might blush. … [Read more...] about The Warfare of Humanity With Unreason: Hugo Grotius

EDWARD ALSWORTH ROSS THE sinful heart is ever the same, but sin changes its quality as society develops. Modern sin takes its character from the mutualism of our time. Under our present manner of living, how many of my vital interests I must entrust to others! Nowadays the water main is my well, the trolley car my carriage, the banker’s safe my old stocking, the policeman’s billy my fist. My own eyes and nose and judgment defer to the inspector of food, or drugs, or gas, or factories, or tenements, or insurance companies. I rely upon others to look after my drains, invest my savings, nurse my sick, and teach my children. I let the meat trust butcher my pig, the oil trust mould my candles, the sugar trust boil my sorghum, the coal trust chop my wood, the barb wire company split my rails. But this spread-out manner of life lays snares for the weak and opens doors to the wicked. Interdependence puts us, as it were, at one another’s mercy, and so ushers in a multitude of new forms of … [Read more...] about New Varieties of Sin

A man who "jokingly" placed an e-cigarette into a baby 's mouth for a viral social media video has been arrested . The unnamed businessman, 23 was detained yesterday (August 8) by police in Johor, Malaysia, according to North Johor Baru district police commander Rupiah Abd Wahid. Rupiah explained that the baby was in a restaurant with its mother, her sister and the man - reportedly a friend of the sister - at the time of the incident. READ MORE: Mum's plea after two drags on dodgy vape left teenage son fighting for his life "All of a sudden, the man who was carrying the baby had jokingly placed the non-functioning e-cigarette into the baby’s mouth," the commander said. "This was recorded by the mother’s sister who posted it on social media and it went viral." The 17-second video went viral on Friday (August 5). The man was seen carrying the baby and placing the vape into its mouth. A woman could be heard laughing in the background. At no point in the video … [Read more...] about Man who put e-cigarette in baby’s mouth for viral clip faces 20 years in jail