Weekly Independent

Moscow Heatwave

Recently in Moscow, Russian capital city, the temperatures reached record rates, setting the highest levels since almost a century and probably the second hottest summer in Russia ever recorded. The fires in the are of European Russia are almost 35 in less that two weeks and the draught has killed almost 50-60% of the wheat crops. The country is in a state of emergency, many people die from the temperatures being over heated or exposed to the sun for too long. A thick layer of smoke has covered the capital causing serious risks for the health of the citizens.

This is just a minor consequence from the climate change. In the past several years Russia was a leading example of a rapidly expanding and modernized economy. The oil, red diesel, and gas extraction industry has reached maximum levels of production and the metal industry is working with increased rates of export -steel production in Russia supplies many of the European countries with both fuels and building materials. These industries are polluting seriously the nature and the ecosystem in Russia and, even though critics of the artificial climate change claim that this is impossible to happen, the outcome of that rapid economical expansion is recogniseable today when Russia burns in heat.

From the forest cutting in Russia many hectres of tree land have been destroyed this giving the opportunity for low level plant life to develop. In the heats that have attacked Russia the low level plats dry easily and the spreading of the fire is even easier since, even though quite massive and dangerous during fires, the high trees are easier to control when on fire and the fire itself spreads slowlier. Thus large amount of smoke goes in the atmosphere and is currently attacking the Russian capital creating potential risks for the health of the people.

Why APR is so important when purchasing a new credit card

Credit cards charge an interest rate which is known as the Annual Percentage Rate (Credit Card APR). This takes into account when the interest rate is charged and any additional costs and fees that are related. Borrowing money is often more expensive on a card which offers a lower interest rate due to a number of hidden charges which typically aren’t reflected in the standard interest rate.

Customers with good credit card ratings generally have much wider options open to them and can apply for cards which have lower interest rates. However, if you have a poor credit rating then you could consider the Vanquis Credit Card. Anyone can apply for this card, on the condition that they have not applied for a Vanquis card within the last 6 months, are able to verify their home address, are not bankrupt and are registered to vote.

Generally speaking, APR is an effective way to compare the costs of different credit cards. However, it is important to be aware of how your card is going to calculate the interest when you borrow. One of the methods is adjusted balance, which is when new purchasing fees are included when your balance is taken from a previous statement, taking into account all payments which are subtracted. Another method is the average daily balance, which is the most common method of calculation used by card companies. Your balance is tracked on a daily basis; charges are added and payments are deducted when they take place. Your previous balance is also takes into consideration the amount of money you owed at the end of the last billing period. This is generally not the best calculation, as it allows finance firms to charge interest even after a debit balance has been paid off.

How to avoid becoming a victim of fraud on the internet

Fraudsters are rampant on the internet, using it as a gateway to scam countless numbers of innocent customers who are lured into their ’special'offers because they can appear so convincing. One of the most important ways of avoiding fraudsters is to never give away any personal information to the seller. Never, under any circumstances, engage in direct transactions with an individual or company when you have even the slightest suspicions.

For example, there are a number of scam artists operating on the popular site Craigslist (a site which is used to advertise job openings and for people to buy sofas and other such things from each other), which is trying to encourage people to report fraudsters once they have proof that they are circulating a scam. You could be looking at rent vacancies in London and suddenly find an ad by an unknown sender, which advertises a studio flat right in the centre of London for just £100 a week. Some people would instantly recognise this as a scam, because no studio flat in central London is going to be this cheap. However, some people who are moving to London from abroad might be completely unaware of this and may start to make enquiries with the seller. The seller will then ask for a transaction, usually in excess of £1000, before a viewing can be arranged.

This is when it is time for you to stop and report to the authorities. However, some people have gone ahead with transactions like this, and then they arrange a viewing with the supposed seller, only to find that nobody turns up. From this point on you are powerless and it is highly probable that you will never see that £1000 again. The best thing anyone can do is to check carefully where you are buying from – if possible only use credible websites that you know you can trust. eBay has an excellent system where users can check the rating of sellers before they consider buying a product. This will help safeguard you from any potential scam artists circulating around the internet.

World oil prices increase to more than $76

Global oil prices have experienced a dramatic improvement as a result of booming stock markets to the happiness of oil companies everywhere. London Brent North sea crude oil soared $2.11 dollars up to $76.48 a barrel and New York light sweet crude for delivery jumped $1.94 to £76.89. Prices benefited from a significant rebound in global equity markets due to predictions of a reduction in crude oil inventories in the US. Wall Street also experienced an improvement profits as good second-quarter earnings boosted optimism over America’s economic recovery from the recession.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up by 1.11 percent for blue chip stocks at a total of 10.329.26 points for early trades. Alcoa also achieved a net profit of $136 million for the second quarter, which compares to a loss of $454 million a year ago. Attention is now centred on Intel, a microchip giant, due to report on its earnings on Tuesday, July 13th.

The latest report from the IEA (International Energy Agency), an energy strategy branch of the OECD (Organisation for Cooperation and Development) highlighted a rise in global oil demand, at 86.5 million daily barrels, which is a 2.1 percent increase. However, the IEA is expecting a fall in oil demand in China and other countries in 2011, when oil prices are expected to average at $79.40 dollars a barrel. However, markets are expected to remain stable for now at least. In the meantime, the United States Department of Energy is expected to publish its weekly report on the state of oil reserves on Wednesday, July 14th.

Encouraging Healthy Living

Surveys conducted by Nice (National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence) revealed that bad eating habits have lead to about 40000 deaths and this has contributed to putting the economy in considerable stress. To combat this situation, the Institute has prepared a set of guidelines. It stresses that the intake of salt and saturated fats must be reduced to encourage general weight loss. It also suggests that people should be educated that eating artificial food and fats can cause serious health issues such as heart problems.

Low fat food and healthy food items must be made available to the general public at an affordable price to prevent them from resorting to unhealthy and saturated foods. Advertisements luring customers into buying unhealthy food must be aired only after 9 pm.

Another important measure the government must take is to reduce the number of fast food outlets. The common man must be encouraged to exercise regularly and take only those foods that are rich in vitamins, and other necessary nutrients.

Research also reveals that people hardly notice if the salt level is 5-10% in the food stuffs they purchase. Many people can’t be bothered to watching the nutrient value of what they eat and this way of thinking has to be changed.

While Nice has endeavoured to make people aware of their unhealthy choices, The Food and Drink Federation have charged them with being unrealistic. They argued that the food world is always engaged in making food and drinks that do not harm the consumers’ health. They believe that the report is unfairly targeting one aspect of the fast food industry and that people do have the right not to eat those foods.

It is important to remember that fast foods are not by themselves totally responsible for the health problems people suffer from consuming too much. It is mainly up to the individual to make better decisions. No amount of restrictions on fast foods will change the behaviour of people.

In any case, what is important is, both the NICE and the government through the NHS are primarily engaged in protecting the consumer by offering important information on the impact of consuming too much fast foods on health. It is important that they continue to find other ways to spread the word.