China is uncomfortable about being the principal creditor of the United States. Asia’s largest nation became the hostage of the US economy in the 21st century. The reserves of the People’s Republic of China are based on dollar assets - $2 trillion. US Treasury Bonds make $700 billion of the amount. China is forced to continue crediting the budget deficit of the United States not to let these reserves go down in value.
However, China has been taking measures to overcome its dollar dependence. The head of the Chinese Central Bank put forward a suggestion in March of the current year to replace the dollar, as the international reserve currency, with the basket of currencies, which would be determined by the International Reserve Fund.

The most ambitious project is this direction is to grant the Chinese yuan the status of the reserve currency. Western observers were quite skeptic about such an idea. China would have to turn the yuan into a convertible currency, the rate of which would be determined by the market.

The idea to make the yuan a convertible currency appeared during the 1990s, but it never became a reality because of the economic crisis of 1997.

China’s financial steps of the recent two months convinced Western experts of the nation’s intention to make the yuan become a hard currency, which could be converted into other currencies freely.

A crisis is not a good time for seeking alternatives to the US dollar. Most likely, the dreams about new regional currencies will be put aside. The countries, which originally supported those ideas, gradually change their minds. The United Arab Emirates refused to participate in the Arab currency union. The expansion of the euro zone is not likely to happen in the nearest future. The Russian ruble is no longer ambitious either.
The subject of new alternative reserve currencies appeared when the crisis was gathering pace. Numerous publications reported about the possible introduction of the new currency in North America, the Amero. The Russian government put forward the idea to make the Russian ruble become a regional reserve currency too.

It seems that the subject of new currencies has been pushed into the background now. Many experts said that it would be extremely difficult and even impossible to launch such massive projects during the time of the crisis.

Official spokespeople for the foreign ministry of United Arab Emirates stated Wednesday that the nation would not be a part of the currency union in the Gulf.

There are 16 basic rules each woman must follow, according to medical experts.

The hygiene is no doubt important and can prevent from the development of many serious infectious diseases. But excessive cleanliness is not a good way to perfect health either. The research conducted by British doctors shows that the women, who use special antibacterial agents instead of common soap, are more vulnerable to infections, because strong antiseptics destroy the bacterial equilibrium of the body. Useful bacteria die, while strong pathogens survive and start propagating.
The oral contraception, i.e. taking morning-after pills, is not only the best way to prevent the unwanted pregnancy, but can also contribute to strengthening woman’s health. It decreases the risk of ovarian carcinoma by 20% for 30 years after the course of treatment.

Black tea is healthier than green one. It guards your oral cavity from bacterial contamination. The latter can cause caries and the formation of minor blood clots in blood vessels, which may trigger an infarction. Black tea prevents this.

Do not think that diet cola is very good for your health. It contains such flavor booster as phosphoric acid (E338) that literally washes away calcium from your organism. It can lead to bone dystrophy and other “skeletal” problems.

Some narcologists assert that small doses of alcohol are healthy, but oncologists do not agree. Just a drop of alcohol increases the risk of cancer of any type. Red wine stimulates breast cancer.

Pirates are all the rage these days. The brazen audacity of Somali Pirates seems to make headlines every other day. Not only does crime pay, it pays lavishly; over $15 billion a year by some estimates. Traditionally, a Pirate is someone who robs or plunders on the high seas. The most successful or notorious villains in history passed into folklore.
Blackbeard, Captain Morgan and Calico Jack come to mind. Even girls could be Pirates. Ann Bonny and Mary Read, for example. And it seems there have always been Pirates. Over 2,500 years ago, Pirates were already stalking the Aegean.

The romantic Golden Era of piracy, which lasted for hundreds of years, from the mid 16th to the late 19th centuries, was centered in the Caribbean but virtually all bodies of water navigated by commercial shipping were afflicted. There were even Russian Pirates. The Ushkuiniks were some of the most blood thirsty and feared Pirates in history. Based in the Old Russian Republic of Novgorod, they took their name from the thin snake-like boats they sailed swiftly and stealthily up and down the Volga River. Records of devastating Ushkunik raids date from the10th century, but it wasn’t until the 14th century that they evolved into well-organized bands of cutthroats.

In their hay-day, they were hired by elite Novgorodian families to intimidate and terrorize rival clans. But like most Pirates, the Ushkuniks spent the majority of their time drinking, pillaging, killing and burning villages at random, mostly for fun and profit. But eventually, even the Ushkuniks fell apart, as Moscow grew stronger and imposed her idea of order on the area.

It seems that the discussion of the good and bad of vegetarianism will never subside. The proponents of abstinence from meat claim that meat contains a whole bouquet of harmful substances. Their opponents say that the animal protein is absolutely essential for the human body. Who is right and who is wrong here? Below you will find the list of most talked-about statements about the vegan diet.
Myth No. 1. Meat contains toxins – by-products of the decomposition of the post-mortem poison, which gradually intoxicate the human body.

As a matter of fact, it is dangerous to eat only tainted meat, which indeed contains the products of decay. Many vegetarians do not eat meat, but they do eat fish assuming that there are no toxins in fish. Some others decline even eggs, in which there can be no vestiges of post-mortem poison found, of course.

Myth No. 2. Meat contains cancer-producing substances. Eating meat on a regular basis leads to the development of cancer.

As a matter of fact, carcinogens can be found in fried and smoked food. If you eat boiled, stewed meat or shashlik (shish-kebab) there is no danger posed whatsoever.

Myth No. 3. Meat makes one put on weight.