FEATURES

Sunday, 06 March 2022 06:19

Why doesn't Ukraine attack the Russian convoy? This and other questions are answered

It's more than a week since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. Residents of the capital Kyiv and several other cities are under bombardment from Russian missiles. A nuclear power station also came under attack, causing an international outcry. Readers of the BBC News website have been sending in questions about the situation. Some of them are answered here by: James Waterhouse, reporting for the BBC from Kyiv Frank Gardner, the BBC's security editor Prof Claire Corkhill, nuclear materials expert at the University of Sheffield The bigger picture - Frank Gardner How is military aid getting into Ukraine? Why doesn't…

Sunday, 06 March 2022 06:15

Here’s how Putin protects himself from assassins and coup plots

Bodyguards with bulletproof briefcases and high-powered pistols, look-alike stand-ins and food tasters are just some of the ways Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly protects himself from would-be assassins and coup plotters. The potential threats against Putin, 69, were thrust into the spotlight Thursday when US Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) called on “somebody in Russia to take this guy out” for ordering the deadly invasion of Ukraine. But Putin, a former KGB agent who’s been in power since rising to power in 2000, is apparently obsessed with both his security and his health – protecting himself from assassins and avoiding Covid-19…

Sunday, 06 March 2022 06:05

Study examines link between accountability to God and psychological well-being

Summary: People who consider themselves more accountable to a god report higher levels of three of the four variables of psychological wellbeing. The association was stronger in people who pray more often, suggesting accountability accompanied with prayer enhances psychological wellbeing for believers. Religious believers who embrace accountability to God (or another transcendent guide for life) experience higher levels of three of the four variables of psychological well-being – mattering to others, dignity and meaning in their lives, though not happiness – according to a study from researchers with Baylor University, Westmont College and Hope College. The study also found that…

Friday, 04 March 2022 06:14

Putin is brandishing the nuclear option. How serious is the threat?

Spencer Bokat-Lindell Over the weekend, as his military laid siege to Ukraine for the fourth day, President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia’s nuclear forces into a higher state of alert, the first time the Kremlin has done so since the Russian Federation was established in 1991. “This is unprecedented in the post-Cold War era,” Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, a Washington nonprofit, told NBC. “There has been no instance in which a U.S. or a Russian leader has raised the alert level of their nuclear forces in a middle of a crisis in order to try to…

Friday, 04 March 2022 06:11

Threats of nuclear war is real now than ever before. These are things to do in case of nuclear attack

Nuclear explosions involve the use of nuclear weapons, which are devices used to create a massive, destructive explosion. These explosions can happen within minutes without warning, according to Ready.gov. What are the dangers of a nuclear explosion? There are several dangers associated with nuclear explosions. A bright flash from an explosion can cause temporary blindness to a person for less than a minute. Another hazard is referred to as a blast wave which can cause death, injury, and damage to buildings several miles away from the explosion’s origin. Fire and heat from a nuclear explosion can result in death and…

Wednesday, 02 March 2022 06:19

Russia-Ukraine war: Breaking down SWIFT, asset freezes, and the complexities of economic warfare

Sahil Bloom Economic sanctions fall into the category of economic statecraft—the use of financial levers to drive desired geopolitical outcomes. They can be broadly defined as any planned commercial or financial penalties applied by one or more countries on another country, group, organization, or individual. The goals of the sanctions include constraining cross-border money flows that are necessary for financing a long-term war effort, punishing the oligarchs who support Putin and his war efforts, depleting Russia’s financial reserves, and creating political unrest within Russia that puts Putin under pressure. While the base package of sanctions was considered standard, the weekend…

Sunday, 27 February 2022 06:25

How to end a conversation when someone won’t stop talking

When everyone was in the office, it was easier to end a long conversation. Unless you were cornered in the breakroom by someone who kept talking, you could stand and exit the area, signaling that you had somewhere else to go. When you’re on the phone or a Zoom meeting—especially one-on-one—you have to be a little more creative. “Controlling Zoom meetings requires some of the same meeting management techniques applicable to in-person meetings but with a virtual twist,” says Debra A. Dinnocenzo, founder and president of VirtualWorks, a consulting and training firm that specializes in virtual work issues. Here are…

Saturday, 26 February 2022 06:07

How Putin has fortified Russia against the West’s sanctions

Sebastian Mallaby Now, facing the Ukraine invasion, the United States and its allies are up against a dictator who imposes sacrifice on his people in the name of an antiquated, territorial vision of greatness. The West preemptively ruled out the option of matching force with force, arguing that Ukraine is not a member of NATO — never mind the fact that the security of NATO members bordering Ukraine will be undermined if Russia’s invasion is successful. Instead, the West has bet on the idea that it can fight Russia with sanctions. But sanctions are not free. They, too, demand sacrifice.…

Thursday, 24 February 2022 06:31

If you're not aware of these common biases, your entire leadership strategy is at risk

Hadiz Sikder To avoid making dangerous decisions, we must learn to be aware of the biases that plague us. Seeing may be believing, but it’s not always reality. The other day, on my way to Boston, I was looking out the window at Newark Airport when the shadow of a near-perfect hexagon on the runway caught my eye. The form was so distinct that I assumed the object casting it had to be a hexagonal shape. When I repositioned myself to see beyond the edge of the window frame, all I saw was a large rectangular truck. For a moment,…

Sunday, 20 February 2022 06:20

Nigeria's electioneering and the role of stomachs - Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani

Nigeria's T-shirt printers, jingle writers and advertisers are in for a bumper season with the country gearing up for the polls - 12 months away. As candidates begin to emerge for the presidency, as well as thousands of other positions, here is a handy guide to five things to look out for: 1) 'Stomach infrastructure' Bags of rice, bales of cloth and bundles of cash will be distributed to the electorate by grovelling candidates keen to curry favour. Known in Nigerian political parlance as "stomach infrastructure", these gifts will offer a diversion from questions about policies and promises. They will…

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Sunday, 20 February 2022 06:14

The surprising health benefits of being kind

They want you to be a "RAKtivist," or a "Random Acts of Kindness activist." Here's why: Spreading kindness not only helps others feel better about themselves -- it can also boost the giver's health and happiness, according to research. It's a win-win for all. Here's why. A 'helper's high' Putting the well-being of others before our own without expecting anything in return -- or what is called being altruistic -- stimulates the reward centers of the brain, studies show. Those feel-good chemicals flood our system, producing a sort of "helper's high." Volunteering, for example, has been shown to minimize stress…

Saturday, 19 February 2022 06:15

The 7 habits that lead to happiness in old age

Arthur C. Brooks Your well-being is like a retirement account: The sooner you invest, the greater your returns will be. Imagine yourself 10 years from now. Will you be happier or less happy than you are today? I ask my graduate students—average age, late 20s—this question every year. The majority think they will be happier. But when I ask about their prediction for 50 years from now, it seems a lot less rosy. Being in their late 70s doesn’t sound so great to most of them. They are shocked when I show them the data on what happens to most…

Saturday, 19 February 2022 06:12

Study reveals surprising link between sleep and appetite

How much sleep do you need to lose weight? It's less than you think. If you enjoy hiting the snooze button at least once before getting out of bed, here’s a good reason to keep doing it. In a new study, people consumed fewer calories when they extended their sleep time by an hour. The latest researcher contributes to bulk of good science showing proper sleep is incredibly beneficial to your health — and even an extra 60 minutes can pay off. What’s new — The latest research, published last week in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that participants who prolonged…

Friday, 18 February 2022 06:02

The root cause of procrastination

The more you know about why you are procrastinating the better prepared you are to change your ways As a business coach, it's my job to hold business owners accountable. Every day I talk with leaders who have aspirations to scale and grow their businesses, and we work together to get their businesses to the next level. At the end of each session, we part with a list of action steps that the business owner can take to make real, measurable change over the next few days and weeks. Many will come back having completed most if not all of…

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