Legal Tales | Centuries ahead of Wall Street: how China’s Song dynasty pioneered global fiat currency

    Legal Tales | Centuries ahead of Wall Street: how China’s Song dynasty pioneered global fiat currency

    At least gold glitters. Long before the first paper banknotes fluttered through the financial houses of Europe, the bustling markets of 11th century China birthed an unprecedented financial “innovation”: the use of paper currency. In the 1020s, burdened by the shortage of bronze coins and a rapidly expanding economy, merchants in the southwestern province of…

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    Dancers rehearse before an audition for the Radio City Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall in New York, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

    Exclusive-France Probes Whether Israeli Firm BlackCore Interfered in Local Elections, Sources Say

    By Gabriel Stargardter and Raphael Satter PARIS, May 13 (Reuters) – French authorities are examining whether a foreign interference campaign aimed at a hard-left party ahead ⁠of March’s ⁠municipal elections was carried out at least in part by an obscure Israeli ⁠firm called BlackCore, according to three sources familiar with the matter. French intelligence agencies are…

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    Dancers rehearse before an audition for the Radio City Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall in New York, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

    Factbox-From Australia to Europe, Countries Move to Curb Children’s Social Media Access

    GDANSK, May 13 (Reuters) – Australia in December became the world’s first country to ban social media for children under ⁠16, ⁠blocking them from platforms including TikTok, Alphabet’s YouTube and Meta’s Instagram ⁠and Facebook. The ban comes amid mounting concerns over the impact ofsocial media on children’s health and safety. Below is a summary of…

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    Dancers rehearse before an audition for the Radio City Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall in New York, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

    Russia’s Lavrov Says ‘Nothing Is Happening’ With US-Russia Relations

    MOSCOW, May 13 (Reuters) – Russian Foreign ⁠Minister ⁠Sergei Lavrov said ⁠on Wednesday that many positive things were ​being said about the enormous potential of U.S.-Russia relations, ‌but that in reality “nothing ‌is happening”. After winning the 2024 U.S. presidential ⁠election, ⁠Donald Trump re-established U.S. dialogue with Russian President Vladimir ​Putin and has repeatedly promised…

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    Dancers rehearse before an audition for the Radio City Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall in New York, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

    Kyrgyzstan Charges Ousted Ex-Security Boss With Coup Plot, Lawyer Says

    BISHKEK, May 12 (Reuters) – Kyrgyzstan ⁠authorities ⁠have charged eight people, ⁠including powerful ex-security chief Kamchybek Tashiev, with plotting to ​seize power from President Sadyr Japarov, who has consolidated power in the ‌historically volatile central Asian country.  Tashiev ‌had ruled the former Soviet republic of 7 million in ⁠a ⁠de facto tandem with Japarov since…

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    Dancers rehearse before an audition for the Radio City Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall in New York, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

    EU Ministers Reject Putin’s Idea of Role for Schroeder in Future Security Talks

    By Andrew Gray and Lili Bayer BRUSSELS, May 11 (Reuters) – European governments on ⁠Monday ⁠rejected suggestion by Russian President Vladimir Putin ⁠that German former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder could represent them in possible future talks with Moscow on ​the continent’s security. Putin said on Saturday he believed the war in Ukraine was coming to an…

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