$AIM

(Reuters) - Moscow's military "tasks" in Ukraine now go beyond the eastern Donbas region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday, as the Kremlin's forces shelled eastern and southern Ukraine. Lavrov also told state news agency RIA Novosti that Russia's objectives will expand still further if the West keeps supplying Kyiv with long-range weapons such as the U.S.-made High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). His comments, the clearest acknowledgment yet that Russia's war goals have expanded over the five months of war, came after Washington said it saw signs Moscow was preparing to formally annex territory it has seized in its neighbour. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meanwhile accused Russia of "blackmailing" the European Union over energy, as she unveiled a plan to slash gas demand in the bloc ahead of a feared cut-off of deliveries by Russia as winter approaches. Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier warned that gas supplies sent to Europe via the huge Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which has been closed for 10 days for maintenance, were at risk of being reduced further. Lavrov is the most senior figure to speak openly of Russia's war goals in territorial terms, nearly five months after Putin launched his Feb. 24 invasion with a denial that Russia intended to occupy its neighbour. Then, Putin said his aim was to demilitarise and "denazify" Ukraine - a statement dismissed by Kyiv and the West as a pretext for an imperial-style war of expansion. Lavrov told RIA Novosti geographical realities had changed since Russian and Ukrainian negotiators held peace talks in Turkey in late March that failed to produce any breakthrough. At that time, he said, the focus was on the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), self-styled Russian-backed breakaway entities in eastern Ukraine from which Moscow has said it aims to drive out Ukrainian government forces. "Now the geography is different, it's far from being just the DPR and LPR, it's also Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions and a number of other territories," he said, referring to territories well beyond the Donbas that Russian forces have wholly or partly seized. "This process is continuing logically and persistently," Lavrov said, adding that Russia might need to push even deeper. After being beaten back in an initial attempt to take the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Russia's defence ministry said on March 25 that the first phase of its "special military operation" was complete and it would now focus on "achieving the main goal, the liberation of Donbas". Nearly four months later, it has taken Luhansk, one of two regions that make up the Donbas, but remains far from capturing all of the other, Donetsk. In the past few weeks it has ramped up missile strikes on cities across Ukraine. On Wednesday, the Ukrainian military and politicians reported heavy and sometimes fatal Russian shelling amid what they said were largely unsuccessful attempts by Russian ground forces to advance. Citing U.S. intelligence, White House national security spokesman John Kirby (NYSE:KEX) had earlier accused Russia of laying the groundwork to annex Ukrainian territory it has seized since the start of the war, an assertion the Russian embassy in Washington said mischaracterised what Moscow was trying to do. Russia's invasion has killed thousands, displaced millions and flattened cities, particularly in Russian-speaking areas in the east and southeast of Ukraine. It has also raised global energy and food prices and raised fears of famine in poorer countries as Ukraine and Russia are both major grain producers. There have been more than 9.5 million border crossings from Ukraine since Feb. 24, the UN Refugee Agency reported on Wednesday. EUROPE GETS READYIn Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the United States will send four more HIMARS artillery systems to Ukraine, in its latest military package to bolster Kyiv. With uncertainty swirling over the planned restart on Thursday of Nord Stream 1, the European Union proposed its 27 member countries cut gas demand by 15% from now until spring. Warning that without deep cuts members could struggle for fuel during winter if Russia cuts off supply in retaliation for the bloc's support of Ukraine, the executive Commission said that target could be made binding in an emergency. "Russia is blackmailing us. Russia is using energy as a weapon," Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, describing a full cut-off of Russian gas flows as "a likely scenario" for which "Europe needs to be ready". Sources have told Reuters that Nord Stream 1, the single largest link for Russian gas supplies to Europe, is expected to restart as scheduled on Thursday after 10 days of annual maintenance work, but at reduced capacity. Speaking after a visit to Tehran, Putin said the capacity of Nord Stream 1 could be reduced due to problems with other pumping units, one of which would need to be sent for maintenance on July 26. He said Russian energy giant Gazprom (MCX:GAZP) was ready to fulfil its obligations on gas exports. Gazprom cut exports through the route to 40% capacity last month, citing delays in the return of a turbine Siemens Energy was servicing in Canada, which had initially banned the equipment's return, citing sanctions. Putin said on Wednesday it was not clear in what condition the turbine would be returned after repairs in Canada and that there was a risk that the equipment could be switched off halting the flow of gas through Nord Stream. Russia, the world's largest gas exporter and second-largest crude oil supplier, has denied Western accusations of using its energy supplies as a tool of coercion, saying it has been a reliable energy supplier. Ukraine's western creditor governments meanwhile urged bondholders to accept Kiev's request for a two-year delay on its debt payments and said they would suspend payments owed to them.

https://cointelegraph.com/news/blockchain-based-solutions-aim-to-address-us-disaster-relief

By Sujata Rao and Saikat Chatterjee LONDON (Reuters) - The euro inched higher on Tuesday, reversing earlier falls that had taken it to the brink of parity with the dollar, but it stayed under heavy pressure from a potential energy supply crunch and uncertainty over the ECB's rate rise campaign. The euro fell as low as $1.0005, before edging off that level. By 1315 GMT it was up 0.15%, at $1.00540. " onerror="this.style.display='none'" class="msg-img" /> Neil Jones, head of currency sales at Mizuho, said markets had been 'short' the euro in anticipation of a break below parity, but "we didn't get it and now these shorts are buying back into the early New York market". One-month implied euro-dollar volatility, a gauge of expected swings, around 12.5%, the highest since March 2020. The biggest pipeline carrying Russian gas to Germany, the Nord Stream 1, began annual maintenance on Monday, with flows expected to stop for 10 days. But governments and markets are worried Russia might extend the shutdown, exacerbating the euro bloc's energy crunch and tipping its economy into recession. A dire reading from the ZEW economic research institute, reinforced the economic gloom, showing German investor sentiment nosedived in July to -53.8 points from -28.0 in June. "The market is playing cat and mouse with euro parity at the moment in the absence of any major macro drivers," said Simon Harvey, head of FX at Monex Europe, adding that Wednesday's U.S. inflation data -- expected at 8.8% for June -- could prove the catalyst. "We may have to wait for U.S. CPI...or a clearer picture for European energy markets once planned maintenance in Nord Stream comes close to finalising for euro-dollar to break the threshold," Harvey added. " onerror="this.style.display='none'" class="msg-img" /> Euro weakness was most pronounced against the dollar. The dollar index, which tracks the unit against a basket of six counterparts with the euro most heavily weighted, earlier climbed to 108.56, its highest since October 2002, but then eased to $108.10. Analysts also cited growing uncertainty over the European Central Bank's plans to raise interest rates, initially by 25 basis points in July, then by 50 bps in September. Fed funds futures, meanwhile, price U.S. rates reaching 3.50% by March, rising from 1.58% currently. "The expectation is for the (U.S. Federal Reserve) to do 75 bps this month and its aim seems to be to get to neutral (rates) as soon as possible, while with ECB, it's more of a mixed message given the backdrop over gas," said Sarah Hewin, senior economist at Standard Chartered (OTC:SCBFF). Euro weakness has been a big part of the dollar index's push higher, but the greenback has been also supported by worries about growth elsewhere, with China in particular implementing strict zero-COVID policies to contain fresh outbreaks. The offshore-traded yuan approached one-month lows at 6.753. The dollar slipped however to 136.72 yen, down 0.5%, following Monday's jump to new 24-year highs at 137.75. The stuttering global economy is undermining commodity-focused currencies. Canada is expected to raise interest rates by 75 bps respectively on Wednesday but the Canadian dollar eased 0.2% versus U.S. dollar.

i dont want to keep tracking it , will keep the 27k position for long , and will aim at doing more 200% sizes from below that mark

https://cryptoslate.com/hacktivist-group-anonymous-takes-aim-at-terra-founder-do-kwon/

By Arathy Somasekhar and Jeslyn Lerh SINAGPORE (Reuters) - Oil prices edged lower on Friday as demand concerns emerged following this week's rate hikes, although persisting supply tightness and new sanctions on Iran limited the downside. Brent crude futures fell 35 cents, or 0.3%, to $119.46 a barrel at 0620 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell to $117.16 a barrel, down 43 cents, or 0.4%. If losses hold through the day, Brent futures would post their first weekly dip in five weeks, while U.S. crude futures would see their first decline in eight weeks. "Brent crude and WTI saw some heavy selling intraday as markets tried to price in a plethora of central bank hikes and potential recessions," said Jeffrey Halley, a senior Asia Pacific market analyst at OANDA. "Unfortunately, none of that changes the fact that despite those risks, the world remains short of crude supply from OPEC+, and global refining capacity, squeezing gasoline and diesel prices higher in a stagflationary embrace," Halley added. Central banks across Europe raised interest rates on Thursday, some by amounts that shocked markets, and hinted at even higher borrowing costs to come to tame soaring inflation that is eroding savings and squeezing corporate profits. In South America, Argentina's central bank raised its benchmark rate by the most in three years on Thursday, as it fights inflation running at over 60%. Those moves came on the heels of Wednesday's 75 basis point rate hike by the U.S. Federal Reserve, the highest since 1994. However, investors remained focused on tight supplies after the United States announced new sanctions on Iran. "The market has been watching negotiations between the West and Iran in anticipation of revival of the nuclear deal in recent months. This brought back into focus the ongoing supply side issues in the market," ANZ Research analysts said in a note. Washington on Thursday imposed sanctions on Chinese and Emirates companies and a network of Iranian firms that help export Iran's petrochemicals, a step that may aim to raise pressure on Tehran to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.

Much Appriciated @Mazi_P i aim to be consistently trading from here on out

yeah holding now, wondering what would you aim for?

Here’s why bears aim to keep Bitcoin under $29K ahead of Friday’s $640M BTC options expiry https://cointelegraph.com/news/here-s-why-bears-aim-to-keep-bitcoin-under-29k-ahead-of-friday-s-640m-btc-options-expiry

Bitcoin bulls aim to flip $30K to support, but derivatives data show traders lack confidence https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-bulls-aim-to-flip-30k-to-support-but-derivatives-data-show-traders-lack-confidence

**@APompliano:** I hope each of you is successful in accomplishing whatever you aim to achieve 🙏🏼 https://twitter.com/APompliano/status/1525476620202557441

Chairman of the Digital Euro Association: ‘The primary aim of the digital euro is still not clear’ https://cointelegraph.com/news/chairman-of-the-digital-euro-association-the-primary-aim-of-the-digital-euro-is-still-not-clear

3 reasons why bears aim to pin Bitcoin below $30K for this week’s BTC options expiry https://cointelegraph.com/news/3-reasons-why-bears-aim-to-pin-bitcoin-below-30k-for-this-week-s-btc-options-expiry

Go green or die? Bitcoin miners aim for carbon neutrality by mining near data centers https://cointelegraph.com/news/go-green-or-die-bitcoin-miners-aim-for-carbon-neutrality-by-mining-near-data-centers

By Ann Saphir WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Federal Reserve on Wednesday is expected to raise interest rates by half of a percentage point and announce the start of reductions to its $9 trillion balance sheet as U.S. central bankers intensify efforts to bring down high inflation. Fed policymakers have widely telegraphed a double-barreled decision that would lift the Fed's short-term target policy rate to a range between 0.75% and 1%, and set in motion a plan to trim its portfolio of Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities (MBS) by as much $95 billion a month. The policy statement is due to be released at 2 p.m. EDT (1800 GMT) following the end of the Fed's latest two-day meeting. Markets have priced in further rate increases through this year and into next, including three more half-percentage-point hikes, as traders bet the central bank moves much more quickly than it had anticipated it would in March to get borrowing costs up to where they will start actively curbing inflation. With no fresh Fed economic or policy rate projections due until the central bank's June meeting, most clues on how far and how fast it is prepared to go will come from Fed Chair Jerome Powell's news conference, which starts at 2:30 p.m. EDT. 'SOUND HAWKISH' The Fed began its current round of policy tightening in mid-March with a quarter-percentage-point rate hike, smaller than many policymakers had wanted given inflation had hit a 40-year high, but calibrated so as not to inject more uncertainty into global markets roiled by Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. In the weeks since that decision, inflation has gained new steam as the war pushed up oil and food prices and China's strict lockdowns to combat the spread of COVID-19 further disrupted supply chains. Data on the U.S. labor market also suggests increasing labor market tightness, with employment costs surging as businesses struggle to hold onto workers. A record number of job openings may also translate to higher wages that could also feed through to inflation. And there are signs that worker shortages and higher costs may actually be sapping labor market strength. Data from the ADP National Employment Report on Wednesday showed private companies adding far fewer jobs than expected in April, and small companies shedding workers for the second time in three months. All that is ratcheting up the pressure on the Fed to act more decisively to rein things in. "Powell will continue to have a strong incentive to sound hawkish," Piper Sandler economist Roberto Perli said this week. "The Fed's focus these days is 100% on bringing inflation down, and hawkish expectations help that cause." In the run-up to this week's meeting, Powell has said he wants to get rates "expeditiously" to what Fed policymakers regard as a "neutral" range of 2.25%-2.5%, and then higher if needed. Most of his colleagues appear to be on board with at least the first part of that plan. The aim would be to lift borrowing costs high enough and fast enough that households slow spending and businesses pare hiring in response, reducing inflation that is now about three times the Fed's 2% target. Traders are now betting the Fed will get its benchmark overnight interest rate to above the estimated neutral range by September, with further rate increases on the table before topping out in the 3.5%-3.75% range in the first half of 2023. The central bank wants to avoid raising rates so high or so fast that it short-circuits the labor market and trips up the economy. The U.S. unemployment rate has only just dropped to 3.6%, near the pre-pandemic level, and any large reversal could be a prelude to a recession. The Fed has managed "soft landings" infrequently in the past, analysts say, and at this point has allowed inflation to rise so much faster than interest rates that it may have already missed its chance to do so. And while it is expected to raise rates rather quickly now to compensate, the inflation path will also depend on a number of factors beyond the Fed's control, including the evolution of the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and ongoing supply and labor shortages connected to both. The Fed's plan to reduce its balance sheet will also be a focus on Wednesday. While the broad outlines were disclosed about three weeks ago in minutes of the Fed's March meeting, investors expect to learn details of the speed and extent of the plan, including possible MBS sales at some point in the future.

Turning up the volume: Blockchain projects aim to disrupt the music industry https://cointelegraph.com/news/turning-up-the-volume-blockchain-projects-aim-to-disrupt-the-music-industry

Here's why Bitcoin bears aim to pin BTC under $39K ahead of Friday's $1.9B options expiry https://cointelegraph.com/news/here-s-why-bitcoin-bears-aim-to-pin-btc-under-39k-ahead-of-friday-s-1-9b-options-expiry

Web3 solutions aim to make America’s real estate market more accessible https://cointelegraph.com/news/web3-solutions-aim-to-make-america-s-real-estate-market-more-accessible

**@nytimesbusiness:** Twitter was expected to unveil its counterattack against Elon Musk as soon as Friday by putting in place a corporate maneuver known as a poison pill. The strategy would aim to slow or block Mr. Musk’s $43 billion bid to buy Twitter. https://t.co/6V8sOhs7sq https://twitter.com/nytimesbusiness/status/1515057431998521344

**@nytimesbusiness:** Twitter was expected to unveil its counterattack against Elon Musk as soon as Friday by putting in place a corporate maneuver known as a poison pill. The strategy would aim to slow or block Mr. Musk’s $43 billion bid to buy Twitter. https://t.co/KA0qfRGYtr https://twitter.com/nytimesbusiness/status/1514989453575610375

Coin Center takes aim at ‘unconstitutional’ SEC redefinition of an 'exchange' https://cointelegraph.com/news/coin-center-takes-aim-at-unconstitutional-sec-redefinition-of-an-exchange

By Uday Sampath Kumar and Chavi Mehta (Reuters) -Elon Musk took aim at Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) with a $41 billion cash offer on Thursday, with the Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO and billionaire entrepreneur saying the social media giant needs to be taken private to grow and become a platform for free speech. "Twitter has extraordinary potential. I will unlock it," Musk, who is already the company's second-largest shareholder, said in a letter to Twitter's board on Wednesday. The offer was made public in a regulatory filing on Thursday. Musk's offer price of $54.20 per share represents a 38% premium to Twitter's April 1 close, the last trading day before his 9.1% stake in the social media platform was made public. Musk rejected an invitation to join Twitter's board this week after disclosing his stake, a move which analysts said signaled his takeover intentions as a board seat would have limited his shareholding to just under 15%. He told Twitter it was his best and final offer and said he would reconsider his investment if the board rejects it. "Since making my investment I now realize the company will neither thrive nor serve this societal imperative in its current form. Twitter needs to be transformed as a private company," Musk said in his letter to Twitter Chairman Bret Taylor. Musk, who calls himself a free-speech absolutist, has been critical of the social media platform and its policies, and recently ran a poll on Twitter asking users if they believed it adheres to the principle of free speech. Twitter will review the offer with advice from Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, a source told Reuters. Shares in Twitter rose about 5% in pre-market trading to $48.30 in New York, where they were the most actively traded, while Tesla stock fell by about 2%. Based on its Wednesday closing price of $45.85, Twitter's share price reaction implied a 29% chance of Musk clinching a deal. The total deal value of $41 billion was calculated based on 763.58 million shares outstanding, according to Refinitiv data. Musk said U.S. investment bank Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) was acting as financial adviser for his offer. However, he did not say how he would finance the transaction if it goes ahead. "We think Musk could look to fund the transaction, if approved, through a combination of debt financing and potentially Tesla shares. Given the size of the transaction (about $43B), we think it is conceivable that some Tesla shares could be sold given much of his wealth is tied to the company," CFRA Research analyst Angelo Zino said. Musk, the richest person in the world according to a tally by Forbes, sold more than $15 billion worth of his Tesla shares, about 10% of his stake in the electric vehicle maker, late last year to settle a tax obligation. 'SERIAL UNDERPERFORMER' Twitter's lower-than-expected user additions in recent months have raised doubts about its growth prospects, even as it pursues big projects such as audio chat rooms and newsletters. "The big question for the Twitter board now is whether to accept a very generous offer for a business that has been a serial underperformer and tends to treat its users with indifference," Michael Hewson, Chief Market analyst at CMC Markets, said after the announcement of Musk's offer. Musk has amassed more than 80 million followers since joining Twitter in 2009 and has used it to make several announcements, including teasing a go-private deal for Tesla that landed him in hot water with regulators. He has also been sued by former Twitter shareholders who claim they missed out on the recent run-up in its stock price because he waited too long to disclose his stake. "If he really wants to take Twitter private his past run-ins with regulators might not pose an obstacle – but it might make potential financing sources leery of providing the cash for the deal – unless he is willing to pledge a large portion of his Tesla holdings to collateralize the debt," Howard Fischer, a partner at law firm Moses & Singer and former senior trial counsel at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Musk's move also raises the question of whether other bidders might emerge for Twitter, although the initial share price reaction did not suggest this was widely expected. "It would be hard for any other bidders/consortium to emerge and the Twitter board will be forced likely to accept this bid and/or run an active process to sell Twitter," Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives wrote in a client note. "There will be host of questions around financing, regulatory, balancing Musk's time (Tesla, SpaceX) in the coming days but ultimately based on this filing it is a now or never bid for Twitter to accept," Ives said.

Crypto mixers’ relevance wanes as regulators take aim https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-mixers-relevance-wanes-as-regulators-take-aim

Two New ERC Standards Aim to Standardize Tokenized Vaults and Add Refund Option to NFTs https://cryptonews.com/news/two-new-erc-standards-aim-to-standardize-tokenized-vaults-and-add-refund-option-to-nfts.htm

I thought they would aim for a gap fill and dilution higher that this level > @Math said: $MOBQ monster short

LGVN LHF - still some meat left so 12 - 13 stop over 13 nail and bail SBFM LHF - still pretty much alive so be careful, 6 - 6.5 stop over prev HOD , nail and bail ATER LHF - 3.7 - 4 stop over prev HOD ANY LHF - 2.7 - 3 stop over 3 of holds and aim for higher

My break even line is 132.400 , so we are in a good profitable position . I established an entry in form of a payload at 128.600 , and just transferred the purchase to the 132.400 line after 12 payloads . The first payload intended bear , but chfjpy broke all the monthly records on us , which meant we were passed a wider macro signal . It put me to work , this scenario happens less then 5% of the time . The good thing is , that 11 from 12 payloads were closed positively after , the one that lost was negligible and closed with two other payloads , as most of the times my entries are very strong , so when you think they are burning , what you are seeing is a discount purchase . I will not be publishing more trades for two weeks after chfjpy closes in full . As I am aiming for 1,500 to 2,500 public published points . Also , I do not do so many payloads , so I have to stop the month do to over exposure of payloads as well . The aim is 1 entry per week , with a few payloads if necessary . The entry took place 9 trading days ago .

We will start clients at 5% risk per entry , this would be about 3% risk per payload . The aim is to be able to hold up to 5 payloads or 3 to 4 into a long call while risking no more then 20% of the balance , ideally 15% . Payloads will guarantee our clients a bit more then just the probable return , also some times we have to use them to average up the month . Depending on conditions payloads and paybacks can be interpreted the same . Even though we will experience some losses , we should have a good minimum of 7% per month at 5% risk per entry , with the best up at around 12% . Clients that are starting their entry at a risk higher then 5% are not allowed to do payloads , but they can do paybacks . Paybacks are applicable when an entry is live , but a return has not been accomplished within the entry . Remember that we always make profits , so when we talk about a long 15% to 20% risk , we are really just talking about half . We aim to set payloads at a minimum distance of 800 points apart . 1,000 points apart would be nice , due to timing and possible market return , is most likely always less .

Bitcoin bulls take aim at $45K while some analysts warn of possible correction https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-bulls-take-aim-at-45k-while-some-analysts-warn-of-possible-correction

Japanese crypto exchanges aim to catch up with coin listings: Report https://cointelegraph.com/news/japanese-crypto-exchanges-aim-to-catch-up-with-coin-listings-report

Greetings , Our analyst Atlas has been very busy tempering with system designs . He thinks that we should have the ability of doubling our stop loss from a possible 2,500 points loss to a 5,000 points loss if the market is breaking behavior . This typically happens once a year or way less depending on pair . To be able to do this , we will lower our risk per entry to 8% . Which means that if we execute the double safety , that we will be risking 16% of the account . This event should take place less then 3% of the times . If it catches us more , then there is possibly criminal activity in the market . Though this is our capacity , we will aim at a max drawdown of 14% or less when expanding our stop loss . This will also be on the table for only 3 months . As we can not experience spike out during this period . After so , we may accept the simple 8% loss and move forward without hesitation .

By Julie Zhu (Reuters) -Oil prices firmed and Asian shares fell on Tuesday as Ukraine peace talks made little headway and the prospect of a ban on oil imports from Russia triggered investor fears over inflation and slowing economic growth. President Joe Biden's administration is willing to move ahead with a U.S. ban on Russian oil imports even if European allies do not, Reuters reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. Crude has already hit 14-year highs and Russia warned that prices could surge to $300 a barrel and it might close the main gas pipeline to Germany if the West halts oil imports over the invasion of Ukraine. Germany has rejected plans to ban energy imports. The biggest buyer of Russian crude oil is accelerating plans to expand its use of alternative energy sources but cannot halt imports of Russian energy overnight, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday. "Clearly oil is in the firing line now from both sides. And there's a little bit of brinkmanship as to who can threaten whom when it comes to oil imports or exports," said Kyle Rodda, a market analyst at IG Australia. "We're entering some kind of crisis when it comes to energy security, and the question is how long that lasts and how big it will be. Whatever size it is, it's going to result in higher inflation and weaker growth, and we're seeing that get priced into equity markets." European markets appeared set for a lower open with pan-region Euro Stoxx 50 futures down 1.98%, German DAX futures falling 1.89% and FTSE futures dropping 0.93%. U.S. stock futures, the S&P 500 e-minis, were down 0.32%. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan lost 1% in afternoon trade, tracking a bruising Wall Street session. Japan's Nikkei sank 1.43%, hitting a 16-month low below the 25,000 level on Tuesday, while Australian shares were down 0.83% amid a sea of red across Asian markets. China stocks extended losses on Tuesday after hitting a 20-month low in the previous session, as worries about inflation and coronavirus outbreaks weighed on markets. Chinese blue chips shed 1.26% while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index lost 0.36%. International oil benchmark Brent crude, which briefly hit more than $139 a barrel in the previous session, was up about 2.6% at $126.42 in afternoon trade. U.S. crude ticked up 1.8% at $121.55 a barrel, while prices of many other commodities, including nickel, rose as industrial buyers and traders scramble as the Russian-Ukraine conflict shows no sign of cooling. Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation," but the move has triggered sweeping sanctions by the United States and Europe that aim to isolate Russia to a degree never before experienced by such a large economy. Overnight, Wall Street's main indexes fell sharply with the Nasdaq Composite confirming it was in a bear market. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2.37%, the S&P 500 lost 2.95% and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 3.62%. The yield on benchmark 10-year Treasury notes rose to 1.8025% compared with its U.S. close of 1.749% on Monday. The two-year yield, which rises with traders' expectations of higher Fed fund rates, touched 1.5705% compared with a U.S. close of 1.548%. The rally in oil and other commodities prices will only add to the global inflationary pulse with data this week expected to show the U.S. Consumer Price Index climbed a stratospheric 7.9% on a year-on-year basis in February, up from 7.5% in January. "The progressive rise in breakeven inflation rates is evidence of mounting inflation concerns as commodity prices remain firmly underpinned," ANZ analysts said in a note. With the outlook for European growth darkening, the single currency was up 0.1% on the day at $1.0857, after taking a beating and falling 3% last week to its lowest since mid-2020. The dollar index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of currencies of other major trading partners, was steady at 99.212. Gold was slightly lower, with the spot price at $1,989.66 per ounce. [GOL/]

By the way our wining percentage means nothing , by the end of each month our balance will grow , and that is what organizations within our world industry aim to achieve .

(Adds Kirby (NYSE:KEX), Truss) By Pavel Polityuk and Aleksandar Vasovic LVIV, Ukraine/KYIV (Reuters) - Russian invasion forces seized Europe's biggest nuclear power plant on Friday in what Washington called a reckless assault that risked catastrophe, although a blaze in a training building was extinguished and officials said the facility was now safe. Combat raged elsewhere in Ukraine as Russian forces surrounded and bombarded several cities in the second week of the assault launched by Russian President Vladimir Putin. A presidential adviser said an advance had been halted on the southern city of Mykolayiv after local authorities said Russian troops had entered it. If captured, the city of 500,000 people would be the biggest yet to fall. The capital Kyiv, in the path of a Russian armoured column that has been stalled on a road for days, came under renewed attack, with air raid sirens blaring in the morning and explosions audible from the city centre. The Russian assault on the Zaporizhzhia plant showed how reckless the invasion has been, U.S. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told CNN. "It just raises the level of potential catastrophe to a level that nobody wants to see," Kirby said. A video verified by Reuters showed one building aflame and a volley of incoming shells before a large incandescent ball lit up the sky, exploding beside a car park and sending smoke billowing across the compound. Although the plant was later said to be safe and the fire out, officials worried about the precarious circumstances, with Ukrainian staff now operating under Russian control. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Raphael Grossi described the situation as "normal operations, but in fact there is nothing normal about this". He paid homage to the plant's Ukrainian staff: "to their bravery, to their courage, to their resilience because they are doing this in very difficult circumstances." Grossi said the plant was undamaged from what he believed was a Russian projectile. Only one reactor was working, at around 60% of capacity. He was trying to contact Russian and Ukrainian officials to sort out political responsibility. An official at Energoatom, the Ukrainian state nuclear plant operator, said there was no further fighting and radiation was normal, but his organisation no longer had contact with the plant's management or control over potentially dangerous nuclear material. "Personnel are on their working places providing normal operation of the station," the official told Reuters. Russia's defence ministry also said the plant was working normally. It blamed the fire on a "monstrous attack" by Ukrainian saboteurs and said its forces were in control. "EUROPEANS WAKE UP" Russia's grip on a plant that provides more than a fifth of Ukraine's electricity was a big development after eight days of war in which other Russian advances have been stalled by fierce resistance. "Europeans, please wake up. Tell your politicians – Russian troops are shooting at a nuclear power plant in Ukraine," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a video address. In another address, he called on Russians to protest. Thousands of people are believed to have been killed or wounded and more than 1 million refugees have fled Ukraine since Feb. 24, when Putin ordered the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two. Russian forces advancing from three directions have besieged cities, pounding them with artillery and air strikes. Moscow says its aim is to disarm its neighbour and capture leaders it calls neo-Nazis and a threat to its own security. Ukraine and its Western allies call that a baseless pretext for a war to conquer a country of 44 million people. FIGHTING RAGES, SANCTIONS MOUNT In Kyiv's Borshchahivka neighbourhood, the twisted engine of a cruise missile lay in the street where it had apparently been downed overnight by Ukrainian air defences. Residents were furious but also proud of what they see as the successful defence of the city of 3 million, which Russia had hoped to capture within days. Russian troops "all should go to hell," said Igor Leonidovich, 62, an ethnic Russian who had moved to Ukraine 50 years ago as a boy. "For the occupiers it is getting worse and worse, every day." In Russia itself, where Putin's main opponents have largely been jailed or driven into exile, the war has led to a further crackdown on dissent. Authorities have banned reports that refer to the "special military operation" as a "war" or "invasion". Anti-war demonstrations have been squelched with thousands of arrests. On Friday, Russia shut down foreign broadcasters including the BBC, Voice of America and Deutsche Welle. The most prominent independent Russian broadcasters, TV Dozhd (Rain) and Ekho Moskvy radio, were shuttered on Thursday. The lower house of parliament introduced legislation to impose jail terms on people who spread "fake" reports about the military. Russia has been subjected to economic isolation never before visited on such a large economy. Ireland's foreign minister, Simon Coveney, said more EU sanctions were coming, potentially including a ban on Russian-flagged ships in European ports and blocking imports of steel, timber, aluminium or coal. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said Western countries should look at measures targeting Russia's oil and gas sector - still excluded from sanctions - and how how reduce their dependence on Russian energy. Only one sizeable Ukrainian city, the southern port of Kherson, has fallen to Russian forces since the invasion began. But Russian forces have made their biggest advances in the south. Mykolayiv's mayor said they were now inside his city, a shipbuilding port of 500,000 people. Zelenskiy's military adviser, Oleksiy Arestovych, said the Russian advance there had been halted. "We can feel cautious optimism about the future prospects of the enemy offensive - I think that it will be stopped in other areas also." The southeastern port of Mariupol has been encircled and bomabarded, Britain said in an intelligence update. Authorities there have described a humanitarian emergency. In the northeast, along another axis of the Russian attack, Kharkiv and Chernihiv have been under bombardment since the start of the invasion. Strikes have intensified but defenders are holding out. On Thursday, Russia and Ukraine negotiators agreed at talks on the need for humanitarian corridors to help civilians escape and to deliver medicines and food to areas of fighting. A spokesperson for the United Nations childrens' agency in Lviv said there had been an "insane influx" of people into the city. Pediatricians were preparing for mass child casualties and identifying them, James Elder said. "A green dot means fine over here, a yellow dot means critical support. They are learning a black dot means the child won't make it."

Bitcoin bulls aim to capture $45K leading into Friday’s $890M BTC options expiry https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-bulls-aim-to-capture-45k-leading-into-friday-s-890m-btc-options-expiry

Analysts say bulls will aim for $48K now that Bitcoin’s ‘accumulation phase’ has begun https://cointelegraph.com/news/analysts-say-bulls-will-aim-for-48k-now-that-bitcoin-s-accumulation-phase-has-begun

Welcome to The Sharp End Trading Platform. You are almost there now and about to join a group of like-minded people that have but one aim. To be successful and help others be successful. We are all in this together and we grow together. Currently you have limited access to the platform and some of its functionality. After a short time the platform will automatically lock-down. If you wish to join us follow the instructions given and you will be in the room shortly afterwards. Or you can start by simply clicking on the Sharp End Padlock on LHS of screen. You will then be directed to a payment gateway and once completed you will be "in" and able to take full advantage of the service. Very Important. Once you are subscribed please make sure that your 1st stop is the Subscription Room If you still have a question or two feel free to contact me and I will be happy to address it. I can be reached on 07595 250886 during usual working hours. Leave a message if I don't answer and I'll get back to you. So again, welcome to The Sharp End. A place where team work actually does make the dream work. See you on the other side Clive

We will aim at 1 or two more by morning .

UUU LHF - 4 - 4.5 to scale stop over 4.5 CYRN LHF - 6 - 7 to scale stop over 7 CISO LHF - 4 - 4.5 stop over 4.5 and aim for 5 later

By Natalia Zinets and Aleksandar Vasovic KYIV/MARIUPOL, Ukraine (Reuters) - Russian forces invaded Ukraine on Thursday in a massed assault by land, sea and air, the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War Two. Missiles rained down. Ukraine reported columns of troops pouring across its borders from Russia and Belarus and landing on the coast from the Black and Azov seas. Ukrainian troops fought Russian forces along practically the entire border, and fierce fighting was taking place in the regions of Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson, Odessa and at a military airport near Kyiv, an adviser to the presidential office said. Explosions were heard before dawn and throughout the morning in the capital Kyiv, a city of 3 million people. Gunfire rattled, sirens blared, and the highway out of the city choked with traffic as residents fled. The assault brought a calamitous end to weeks of fruitless diplomatic efforts by Western leaders to avert war, their worst fears about Russian President Vladimir Putin's ambitions realised. "Russia treacherously attacked our state in the morning, as Nazi Germany did in the WW2 years," tweeted Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. "Russia has embarked on a path of evil, but Ukraine is defending itself & won't give up its freedom no matter what Moscow thinks." Calling on Ukrainians to defend their country, he said arms would be given to anyone prepared to fight. He also urged Russians to take to the streets to protest against their government's actions. U.S. President Joe Biden called the Russian action an "unprovoked and unjustified attack". EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the bloc would impose a new round of sanctions that would hit Russia's economy severely. EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said: "These are among the darkest hours of Europe since the Second World War." RUSSIAN BOMBING In an early-morning declaration of war, Putin said he had ordered "a special military operation" to protect people, including Russian citizens, subjected to "genocide" in Ukraine - an accusation the West calls baseless propaganda. "And for this we will strive for the demilitarisation and denazification of Ukraine," Putin said. "Russia cannot feel safe, develop, and exist with a constant threat emanating from the territory of modern Ukraine" He added: "All responsibility for bloodshed will be on the conscience of the ruling regime in Ukraine." A resident of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second biggest city and close to the Russian border, said windows in apartment blocks were shaking from constant blasts. Blasts could be heard in the southern port of Mariupol, near a frontline held by Russian-backed separatists. On a highway leading out, a Ukrainian armoured column thundered along the road, with soldiers atop turrets smiling and flashing victory signs to cars which honked their horns in support. Civilians in Mariupol packed bags: "We are going into hiding," a woman said. Ukrainian officials said Russian helicopters attacked Gostomel, a military airport near Kyiv, and Ukraine downed three of them. Ukrainian border officials said the Russians were trying to penetrate Kyiv region and the Zhytomyr region on the Belarusian border, and they were using Grad rockets. Initial unconfirmed reports of casualties included Ukrainian civilians killed by Russian bombardment and border guards defending the frontier. Regional authorities of Ukraine's southern Odessa region said 18 people were killed in a missile attack. At least six people were killed in Brovary, a town near Kyiv, authorities there said. Ukraine reported five people killed when one plane was shot down. Ukraine's military said it had destroyed four Russian tanks on a road near Kharkiv, killed 50 troops near a town in Luhansk region and downed six Russian warplanes in the east. Russia denied reports its aircraft or armoured vehicles had been destroyed. Russian-backed separatists claimed to have downed two Ukrainian planes. 'RUSSIA ALONE IS RESPONSIBLE' Even with a full-blown invasion under way, Putin's ultimate aim is obscure. He said he did not plan a military occupation, only to disarm Ukraine and purge it of nationalists. The outright annexation of such a vast hostile country could be beyond Russia's military capabilities. But if the aim is just to replace Zelenskiy's government, it is hard to see Ukrainians accepting any new leadership Russia might try to install. "I think we must fight all those who invade our country so strongly," said one man stuck in traffic trying to leave Kyiv. "I would hang every single one of them from bridges." Biden has ruled out sending U.S. troops to defend Ukraine, but Washington has reinforced NATO allies in the region with extra troops and planes. The West has pledged to impose severe sanctions. "Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way," Biden said. Russia is one of the world's biggest energy producers, and both it and Ukraine are among the top exporters of grain. War and sanctions will disrupt economies around the world already facing a supply crisis as they emerge from the pandemic. Stocks and bond yields plunged; the dollar and gold soared. Brent oil surged past $100/barrel for the first time since 2014. [MKTS/GLOB] At least three major buyers of Russian oil said they had been denied letters of credit from Western banks, needed for shipments to go ahead. A democratic country of 44 million people, Ukraine is Europe's biggest country by area after Russia itself. It voted overwhelmingly for independence at the fall of the Soviet Union, and aims to join NATO and the European Union, aspirations that infuriate Moscow. Putin, who denied for months he was planning an invasion, has called Ukraine an artificial construct carved from Russia by its enemies, a characterisation Ukrainians see as an attempt to erase their more than 1,000-year-old history. While many Ukrainians, particularly in the east, speak Russian as a native language, virtually all identify as a separate nationality. 'WE'RE AFRAID' Queues of people waited to withdraw money and buy supplies of food and water in Kyiv. Cars stretched for dozens of kilometres (miles) on the highway leading from the capital west towards Poland, where Western countries have prepared for the likelihood of hundreds of thousands of refugees. "We're afraid of bombardments," said Oxana, trying to flee and stuck in her car with her three-year-old daughter on the backseat. "This is so scary." Three hours after Putin gave his order, Russia's defence ministry said it had taken out military infrastructure at Ukrainian air bases and degraded its air defences. Earlier, Ukrainian media reported that military command centres in Kyiv and Kharkiv had been struck by missiles, while Russian troops had landed at Odessa and Mariupol. Russia announced it was shutting all shipping in the Azov Sea. Russia controls the strait leading into the sea where Ukraine has ports including Mariupol. Ukraine appealed to Turkey to bar Russian ships from the straits connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. In Russia, where state media have for weeks been airing footage of purported Ukrainian attacks that Western countries call crudely staged fakes, the broadcast regulator said all news outlets must cite only official Russian sources on Ukraine. An activist who called for anti-war demonstrations was detained.

"The Kremlin's aim is to re-establish its sphere of influence, rip up the global rules which have kept us all safe for decades and subvert the values that we hold dear. This is the new normal for our security. Peace cannot be taken for granted."

FED'S DALY: WE AIM TO RAISE RATES GRADUALLY.

ETHDenver Hackathon Finalists Aim at These Pain Points Across DeFi, NFTs, DAOs, and Metaverse https://cryptonews.com/news/ethdenver-hackathon-finalists-aim-at-these-pain-points-across-defi-nfts-daos-metaverse.htm

Bitcoin bulls aim to solidify control over BTC price by flipping $44K to support https://cointelegraph.com/news/bitcoin-bulls-aim-to-solidify-control-over-btc-price-by-flipping-44k-to-support

Good morning, futures quite red this morning on $FB big earnings miss. $FB down 22% and they make up nearly 4% weighting on $QQQ so techs are showing severe relative weakness. The Dow and small caps are showing some relative strength. BOE raised rates for the second time taking aim at inflation, ECB didn't raise but they will in the future. They are still on the transitory fence like the FOMC but soon will fall off on the side of raising and playing catch up. Will be an interesting trading day to say the least.

Ethereum bulls aim to flip $2.8K to support before calling a trend reversal https://cointelegraph.com/news/ethereum-bulls-aim-to-flip-2-8k-to-support-before-calling-a-trend-reversal

Bulls aim to turn the tide in Friday’s $580M options expiry after BTC tops $43K https://cointelegraph.com/news/bulls-aim-to-turn-the-tide-in-friday-s-580m-options-expiry-after-btc-tops-43k

Crypto exchanges aim for home run at Super Bowl 2022 https://cointelegraph.com/news/crypto-exchanges-aim-for-home-run-at-super-bowl-2022

wish it had away messages like AIM