Tuesday, June 23, 2026
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Tradition is about passing on fire, not worshiping ashes

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Broke tradition = sinned?

“Tradition is the transmission of fire, not the worship of ashes,” wrote Gustav Mahler. What is tradition in church life? Which traditions are obligatory for a Christian, which are nothing more than customs? Where is the border between tradition and commandment?

Discussion related to the modern understanding of the Sacrament of Confession. In some parishes it is no longer considered obligatory to confess before each communion, and regular parishioners receive communion regularly, but confess when necessary. This gives rise to different opinions, including about violation of church canons, about deviation from the tradition of our Church. In your opinion, is it possible, in principle, to say today that a traditional understanding and an unconventional understanding of the practice of confession has developed?

For some reason, we all tend to think of the usual things we do as traditional. But the familiar and the traditional are not the same thing. In addition, in our country, what is called traditional is perceived practically as canonized, and the church canons and commandments of God in the minds of many people are almost equal to each other. Very often you can hear: according to the canons of the Church this is impossible, that is not possible … But does it happen at the same time what is “according to the canons”?

Tradition is what holds the building of our true faith together and enables us to pray properly. There is, for example, the tradition of the Jesus Prayer – and there are things that can be wrong in this prayer: let’s say turning it into a mantra.

We have a patristic tradition, there is a tradition of icon painting, there is a tradition of worship. But none of the traditions can be frozen, dead, ritual and everyday, because then it ceases to be a tradition and turns into a familiar form of behavior. Tradition is a living phenomenon, it can change and transform along with life around. Therefore, first you need to understand what traditions we live in, and what is a form of religious behavior, so as not to substitute one for the other.

But confession before the sacrament can probably be called a tradition?

Tradition is when everyone takes communion at the Liturgy, because the Liturgy is served so that all the faithful who are in the church begin to the Holy Mysteries. And “only those who have confessed the day before can receive communion” is what we have been taught to. This is not a tradition, this is a behavioral thing that does not always bring a person real spiritual benefit and, moreover, can be an obstacle to the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. You want to receive communion, but you cannot, because you have to go to the analogue and say something about yourself, and you have already confessed recently. And the person either does not go to the Chalice, or comes to confession and begins to invent something, squeeze something out of himself, like from an old doormat: “Well, what else is dirty in me?”, Or simply confesses formally. Of course, this is something that is not a tradition.

For all this “one must constantly confess”, we forget that a Christian, in essence, should not be a sinner – in the sense that he should not be prone to gross, serious sins. A Christian is one who strives for holiness, who chooses for himself the path of struggle with sin. It is impossible to confess the way of dealing with sin all the time, because there are things that are in the process. And a person in this process must from time to time mature to a certain level when the need arises to come to confession and repentance as a result of this struggle to bring to God.

And when a person constantly confesses, he begins to confess not so much the sins that he committed and of which he repented, but rather thoughts. There are so many different thoughts running through my head every day, excuse me, and now what? All this to remember and confess? Will thoughts stop coming to mind from this – condemning, nasty, depraved, empty? A life change is needed. And when some unnecessary thought comes, I can simply ask God for help in this: “Lord, I’m thinking about something wrong, help me”. You need to have your own experience and communication with God, and asking for forgiveness from Him, in addition to what happens in the Sacrament of Repentance. After all, when we have, for example, some kind of dirt on our trousers, do we run to the dry cleaner every time? We can take a brush and clean up some small dirt ourselves – that’s all.

Of course, I understand how many people will now be indignant with these words, because “the habit is given to us from above.” “What’s wrong with frequent confession? – many will say. – Better just in case, otherwise suddenly … “

A robot dog guards the ruins of Pompeii

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The ruins of Pompeii recently have a new guard. Guard dog, but not ordinary, but entirely mechanical. The four-legged Spot robot is the latest high-tech introduction to the archeological park, which attracts millions of tourists to the ruins of a time-honored Roman city.

The robot dog can penetrate narrow and hard-to-reach places, as well as move in different terrains, and its main task is to gather information for future research of the park.

It can also check the condition of restored elements, as well as warn of possible safety problems, thus protecting archaeologists and workers working in Pompeii.

A spot can also detect underground tunnels that treasure hunters have been digging under Pompeii for years. Through these tunnels, they managed to remove valuable artifacts from the ruins, and then sold them on the black market for antiques. The tunnels themselves are often very unstable and dangerous and the use of a robot in them will allow them to be detected, studied and blocked faster.

The Spot Robot is part of a larger project to use modern technology from the park, called Smart @ POMPEI. Another “member” of the high-tech team is a flying laser scanner that performs a three-dimensional scan of the object.

Scientists have discovered substances in the clove tree that block the reproduction of COVID-19

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They are used in Chinese folk medicine

Chinese scientists led by Prof. Ding Kang of the Shanghai Institute of Pharmacology have discovered that clove tree flowers contain two types of complex carbohydrates that can block the activity of the Mpro protein, one of the three key viral enzymes needed to form new particles. SARS-CoV-2 virus, TASS reported. The results of the study are published in an article in the electronic library bioRxiv, BTA writes.

“We have found that the colors of the carnation species used in Chinese folk medicine contain molecules of hitherto unknown variants of pectin, which are unusually effective in the reproduction of SARS-CoV-2. Unlike other carbohydrates we have found. substances directly affect the enzyme Mpro and do not prevent the virus from entering the cells, “the article reads.

According to scientists, the enzyme Mpro hardly changes during the evolution of the new coronavirus, which makes clove pectins a particularly suitable means of combating COVID-19.

Trust in science strengthened faith in pseudoscience

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According to the scientific method, even seemingly obvious concepts require repeated testing. This time, scientists have confirmed in practice a trivial idea – blind faith in science only aggravates the individual’s susceptibility to pseudoscientific “facts”. But there is good news: if the subjects were simply asked to critically perceive the information before the experiment, the degree of trust in fake news, albeit in scientific language, fell sharply.

A series of four experiments was recently conducted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Thomas C. O’Brien, Ryan Palmer, and Dolores Albarracin published the results of their analysis in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. The scientific article itself will appear only in the September issue of the peer-reviewed publication, but its text has already been posted online.

The experiments were carried out as follows. First, the researchers developed two fictitious stories, similar to real ones and close in subject matter to current world problems. The first is about a virus created as a biological weapon, and the second is about the carcinogenic effects of genetically modified organisms. Based on each story, they created two texts: one that looked like it was written by scientists, which contained references to non-existent scientific works and many specialized terms, and the other that appeared to be published by some abstract “activists”.

From 382 to 605 people took part in the experiments, randomly distributed into groups receiving either a “scientific” text or a “non-scientific” one. Due to pandemic-related restrictions, work with respondents was carried out remotely. Before reading the test record, each participant took a questionnaire to characterize their degree of trust in science. And then he answered the question whether he or she considered the received text to be true. In one of the four “rounds” before getting acquainted with the “news”, the subjects were asked to take the information critically.

The results turned out to be predictable: the more the respondent trusted science, the more likely he was to recognize frank fake news as true, even if it was written in “scientific” language. Among those who did not have a special trust in science, no statistically significant difference was observed in the perception of a “scientific” and “non-scientific” text. What is most interesting, no matter how one initially feels about the authority of scientists, if he is first reminded of the need to be a skeptic and think critically, he is much less likely to be deceived by fake news.

According to the authors of the work, these results are very important in light of the recent problem of humanity – the “infodemic”, that is, the epidemic of conspiracy theory, coupled with the flourishing of fake news against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic. Scientists note the absolute need to stimulate people’s confidence in science, as this increases the survival of the whole society and its ability to develop. But this must be done not through the propaganda of blind faith in any seemingly authoritative source, but through the popularization of sound skepticism and critical thinking.

The bear with the strawberry tree: the story of the symbol of Madrid

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What do the animal and the tree have to do with the history of the Spanish capital?

In the heart of Madrid, where a number of roads depart in all directions, is one of the busiest places in the Spanish capital – Puerta del Sol. This is a place through which all tourists and many protesters in the country pass.

At one end of the square stands a special monument – a figure of a bear raising its paws to a strawberry tree. For many, this statue and its meaning remain a mystery, but if you look closely, you will see that it is present in many places in the city, not only here, because it is part of the coat of arms of the city.

The bronze statue was made in 1967 by order of the Spanish government. Although only 4 meters high, it weighs 22 tons. But at first glance, Madrid has nothing to do with bears or strawberry trees. Where does its symbolism come from?

How do the bear and the strawberry tree appear on the coat of arms of Madrid?

The bear has long been part of the coat of arms of Madrid. The first documents in which it is written that Madrid troops carried a flag with a bear and the seven stars of the constellation Ursa Major, is from 1212. Probably this comes from the ancient Roman name of Madrid – Ursalia, which translated from Latin means “Land of Bears”. “. Numerous bears that lived in the area at the time were captured and used for Roman spectacles – fighting with wild beasts.

Ten years later, the strawberry tree appeared on the coat of arms – for the first time on the seal of King Alfonso VIII. This seal was placed on a document that put an end to the land ownership dispute between the city council and the church. The document stated that the trees and forests (symbolized by the strawberry tree common here) would be owned by the city, and the animals and plains (symbolized by the bear) would be owned by the church. This royal decision resolved the dispute and later became the official coat of arms of Madrid.

Nowadays, there are no more bears around Madrid, as in almost all of Spain. They are found in the wild only in parts of Asturias.

The fruits of the strawberry tree cause a slight intoxication if eaten raw

What is a strawberry tree?

The strawberry tree was once a tree typical of the Madrid area, and people believed it cured the plague. Today it is almost non-existent.

It is different from the strawberries we know. Its fruits are small, red and round and taste like figs. They are mainly used for jams and liqueurs. Fully ripe fruit contains a certain amount of alcohol and can cause mild intoxication. This may explain the popularity of the tree in the Middle Ages.

Photo: The fruits of the strawberry tree cause a slight intoxication if eaten raw

A farmer discovered a 3,300-year-old gold bracelet

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While plowing his fields, a farmer stumbled upon a unique 3,300-year-old ancient bracelet from the Hittite era.

The farmer, who lives in the village of Chitli, near the town of Corum in central Turkey, found the bracelet while preparing his fields for sowing. He later took the ancient treasure to the Corum Museum.

Experts found that the artifact is from the ancient Hittite civilization and carried out restoration work. The bracelet then remained in the museum’s collection.

The beautiful bracelet is made of bronze, nickel, silver and gold, and is decorated with images of Hittite symbols, including images of Itar / Auka and his servants Nina and Culita.

Resul Ibish, an archaeologist at the museum, told Ihlas Haber (IHA). “After the initial assessments, we realized that this piece is unprecedented and we have never seen anything like it,” he said, adding that it was from the 13th century BC.

Ibish also noted that the bracelet was deformed when it was brought to the museum and some parts of it are missing, but they are restoring it.

The archaeologist also noted that there is very little jewelry from the Hittite era and this piece sheds light on the styles of jewelry of civilization.

Corum is home to the ancient Hittite city of Hatusha, one of Turkey’s most important tourist destinations. It serves as an open-air museum with 6 kilometers of city walls, monumental city gates, a 71-meter underground passage, the Hittite palace in Buyukkale, 31 open temples and ancient wheat silos. It was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986 due to its well-protected architectural structures and excavation site. It also bears the 2001 UNESCO World Memory title with its cuneiform writings, the oldest known form of Indo-European languages.

Hatusha served as the capital of the Hittite Empire, which was one of the civilizations that played an important role in the development of urban life in the late Bronze Age.

Products that treat headaches

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One of the most common and unexpected ailments is headaches. It can occur as a result of diet, stress, sleep deprivation, menstruation and others. It is known that some foods are able to cause us headaches, while others manage to protect us from pain.

Here are the foods and drinks that you should consume more and more often if you suffer from headaches.

Water: It is not surprising that water is first on the list. It is important for us because thanks to it we manage to hydrate. If you feel a severe headache, the first thing we advise you to do is drink a glass full to the brim with water. You will immediately feel fresh and feel much better.

Mint: Mint is a solution for people who often suffer from headaches. You can rub your temples with your fingers, having previously applied a few drops of peppermint oil.

Coffee: This is the drink that will help you deal with headaches. As soon as you feel tension in the head area, drink a cup of coffee.

Himalayan salt: Pour a glass of water, grind a little Himalayan salt in it and add the juice of half a lemon. In minutes you will forget about the discomfort.

Ginger: Ginger can help you deal with migraines. You have several options – to make tea from it, mix it with a little lemon and honey or eat it yourself.

Fruits and vegetables with high water content: One of the reasons for the exacerbation of migraine is dehydration. Therefore, in addition to the recommended 8 glasses of water a day, add to your menu fruits and vegetables that will hydrate you further, such as carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, celery, watermelon, melon, apples.

Fresh lemon juice: It can also reduce your headaches, as it is rich in vitamin C. With it you can prepare a drink to relieve migraines.

How Life in England in the Middle Ages Revolved Around the Church—Particularly at Easter

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How Life in England in the Middle Ages Revolved Around the Church—Particularly at Easter

As Easter approaches, an article on History Extra, the official website of BBC History Magazine, explains that in Medieval England, although everyone was expected to attend church every week, the only compulsory church attendance for all adults was on Easter Sunday.

Professor Nicholas Orme paints a panorama of Medieval England, showing how the church played a central role in most people’s lives:

  • In a rural community of the Middle Ages, the local church was a major place to meet and socialize.
  • The Church was one of the main distributors of charity. It gave out alms such as money or food to the poor and needy.
  • Hospitals run by religious orders cared for the sick and poor and gave shelter to travelers.
  • From puberty on, everyone was expected to go to church on Sundays and for religious festivals—there were about 40 or 50 important festivals in the annual church calendar.
  • Shepherds, fishermen and servants, however, were often exempted from attending because of their work.
  • The north side of the church was “presided over” by the Virgin Mary and was considered to be the “side of the save.”
  • Women were seated there because they were considered to be “more open to temptation.” Men, thought to be better able to stand up to evil, were placed on the “unsafe” side.
  • Before 1300, the only seats in the church were for the nobility and gentry, who sat in the chancel with the clergy.  The congregation mostly stood, unless they brought their own stools.
  • By the 15th century, parish churches were obliged to put in general seating, with the wealthy in seats at the front and inferiors farther back.
  • Services were conducted in Latin, but by the 15th century, the mass included some material in English. 
  • The service included announcements, and prayers for the pope, the king, the crops and individuals in need. 
  • Only at Easter did the congregation receive the communion bread, and even then, they did not partake of the wine. The rest of the year, an ordinary loaf was blessed and divided up.

Orme is a British historian and Emeritus Professor at the University of Exeter, specializing in the Middle Ages and Tudor period. He is author of the book Going to Church in Medieval England.

Europeans, Alcohol and Lifehood

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FRANCE – Alcohol (ethanol or ethyl alcohol) is a substance resulting from the natural fermentation of grain, sugar juices or plants and ripe fruits, already known and practised for a very long time in human history. Pure alcohol is a colourless liquid very inflammable and highly miscible with water. Its semi-developed formula is CH3-CH2-OH or C2H5OH.

Boiling Point: 78.37°C
Melting point: -114.1°C
Density = 0.7893

Considering the natural life, not only humans but also animals from the elephant to the little monkey are experimenting in sub-Saharian Africa with the psychotropic effects of alcohol with fermented fruits (such as of Marula tree) resulting in a drunk behaviour too.

Alcohol as all addictive substances has powerful effects on the human brain with progressive changes in its structure and function. Indeed, the initial effect makes the users to experience the most often euphoric and pleasurable feelings that motivate people to use again those substances despite the numerous risks, generally unknown by the users, of significant harm.

Studies of adolescents show that extended alcohol use is associated with a 10% reduction in the size of the hippocampus area of the brain responsible for memory and learning.

On the reward system (located in the limbic area) that motivates to survive, take actions, and then brings pleasure, the alcohol consumption results in raising the levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine and other proteins. This ends up transforming the controlled and occasional alcohol use into an impaired control of the drinking. With repeated drug use, the reward system of the brain becomes subservient to the need for the drug by action in the executive area in the prefrontal cortex, from where impulsions are controlled, decisions planned and then put into execution. And ultimately this is leading to addiction.

Alcohol Effects

Among the symptoms resulting of alcohol, harms are disinhibition in the social behaviour, problems with concentration and memory, confusion, loss of coordination with impaired motor skills, aggressiveness, injuries in the workplace, dizziness, double vision, drowsiness, road accidents, slurred speech, lethargy and also anxiety.

A long term use leads to serious health degradation with cardiovascular problems, increased blood pressure, stroke, pancreas and liver (cirrhosis and fibrosis) problems, impaired cell tissue regeneration of the kidneys, weak immune system, depression, seizures, coma, suicidal thoughts, and death by overdose.

The binge drinking of the youths :

For a blood alcohol concentration higher than 0.8 gr/l in less than 2 hours, i.e. an intake of at least 5 glasses for boys and 4 for girls, studies from 2016 show neuro-inflammatory phenomena responsible for brain damage that could persist in the very long term, with more severe consequences for the girls.

In addition:

Alcohol is a genotoxic agent that causes DNA damage increasing the risks of cancers of the mouth, œsophagus, larynx, pharynx, liver, colon, rectum and for women, breast cancer. In a pregnant woman, the alcohol is crossing the placental barrier and thus is able to alter the developing nervous system of the embryo and fœtus.

In the case of a mother breastfeeding, the baby got with the milk the same concentration of alcohol than for the mother blood! This is causing the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, and also is one cause of the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

We can (more or less) revert but…

These brain changes persist long after an individual stops using alcohol, producing a craving for the substance that can lead to relapse in more than 60% of people treated within the first year after treatment and a person can remain at increased risk of relapse for many years.

In 1913 the writer Jack London was writing about the users:

“John Barleycorn [the alcohol] extinguishes their flame, quenches their agility, and when he does not kill them or drive them mad right away, he turns them into heavy, coarse beings, twisting and distorting their original goodness and the fineness of their nature“.

Alcohol metabolism

The alcohol is soluble in water (so in blood) and has also affinity for the fat tissue of the body including the white matter of the brain (the axons of the neurons). This explains the fast reach of the highly vascularized brain and also the lungs, kidneys and the liver a key detoxifying organ.

Regardless of the amount consumed (one glass contains about 10 gr of alcohol) the liver can only metabolize a limited amount of 11-15 mg of alcohol per hour, enabling the excess of alcohol to circulate in the body. About only 10% of the consumed alcohol will be eliminated by the kidneys in urine and by the lungs with breathing. This is currently used for alcohol testing.

The oxidation of alcohol consists in three main steps :

1) in the liver, alcohol is oxidized by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) in acetaldehyde (very toxic and causing the hangover), in presence of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) derived from Vitamine B3,
2) always in the liver, the acetaldehyde is oxidized in acetate by the enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) in presence of NAD,
3) the acetate is now transformed into Acetyl CoA as for the main nutrients (carbohydrates, lipids and proteins) resulting in CO2 eliminated by breath, in fatty acids, in ketone bodies (when an excess of fatty acids), and cholesterol.

In Europe

According to the 2019 Report of the European School Survey Project on Alcohol and other Drugs (ESPAD), the youth consider alcoholic beverages (spirits, beer, wine, premixed drinks and cider) to be easy to obtain compared with other illegal substances. Between 1995 and 2019, an overall increase in heavy episodic drinking can be noted among girls (from 30% to 34%) and a decrease among boys (from 41% to 36%), narrowing the gender difference over time.

The World Health Organization (WHO) 2019 Report has found that one in every four deaths among young adults was caused by alcohol, due to injury.

Dr Carina Ferreira-Borges, of the WHO regional office for Europe, said: “When alcohol is one of the biggest killers of our young people, we cannot afford to be complacent. This is a product that is repeatedly marketed and made available to youth despite evidence that alcohol consumption has a detrimental effect on brain development and physical health. This is the next generation of leaders and we must protect them.”

Based on the 2019 figures from Eurostat, 8,4% of Europeans drink alcohol on a daily basis, 28,8% weekly and 22,8% monthly. This represents 8,7 litres per year per person across the countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). And alcohol is responsible for more than 290 000 deaths, representing 5,5% of all deaths.

For adults, a study made by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) revealed that among the injured or killed drivers, the most responsible substance was alcohol alone followed by alcohol combined with another substance.

In 2019 alone, by road accidents, there were 23 000 deaths and 120 000 serious injuries.

In 2020, the number of deaths amounted to 42 per million inhabitants in the 27 countries of the European Union. According to a European Commission study, alcohol is estimated to be involved in around 25 % of all road fatalities, leading the European Commission recommendations (2021-2030) to include a zero-tolerance drink-driving limit toward the « Zero deaths » by 2050.

In conclusion

If alcohol use may cause human body and mental harms during all key sensitive periods of life with prenatal alcohol exposure, adolescent binge drinking, illnesses and overdoses all along adulthood, serious education and prevention programs have to be better developed at governmental and educational levels, starting with the youth but also involving the parents, and in partnerships with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and associations that show the Truth About Drugs (and alcohol is a drug). This is already enshrined in the International and European Conventions but not forcefully applied facing the lobbies. Similarly successfully evidenced alcohol and drug rehabilitation programs, especially those which don’t use other drugs as substitutes, must be broadly applied toward a full recovery, not for a simple and useless harm reduction, and of course with no one left behind!

Don’t Ruin Your Life With Alcohol, Stay Safe! ■

Financial sector: European supervisory authorities see recovery stalling amid existing and new risks

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European Euros EUR paper banknotes and credit cards, closeup shot from above
The institutional framework governing EU financial market supervision is defined by various authorities. The key supervisory framework is the European System of Financial Supervision (ESFS) comprising the European Supervisory Authorities (ESAs) and the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB). The European Central Bank and the authorities of the Banking Union also play a role in supervising the financial markets.

A report highlights the increasing vulnerabilities across the financial sector as well as the rise of environmental and cyber risks

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its economic consequences have aggravated the outlook for growth and inflation and brought heightened market volatility. Market resilience will critically depend on the ability of markets and financial institutions to deal with the economic consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and to withstand changes in public policy support on the monetary or fiscal side without material disruptions.

Some of the risks emerging during 2021 and highlighted in the report were amplified by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The EU economy was on track for a strong recovery from the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the financial sector largely proved resilient. However, the recovery appears to have been hindered by new waves and variants of the virus, concerns regarding inflation risk, rising commodity prices and heightened geopolitical risks.

Additional vulnerabilities and risks for the financial system have built up over time. Financial markets remain vulnerable to changes in market sentiment, particularly if financial conditions tighten unexpectedly due to inflation pressures. In the real estate sector, persistent price increases and higher borrowing by households have increased risks. At the same time, the financial sector is increasingly exposed to environmental risks and risks stemming from digitalisation.

In light of the risks and uncertainties, the ESAs advise national competent authorities, financial institutions and market participants to take the following policy actions:

  1. Financial institutions should be prepared for further potential negative implications stemming from geopolitical tensions and ensure compliance with the sanctions regimes put in place both at the EU and at global levels;
  2. Financial institutions and supervisors should prepare for a possible deterioration of asset quality in the financial sector;
  3. The impact of further increases in yields and sudden reversals in risk premia on financial institutions and investors should be closely monitored;
  4. Retail investors are of particular concern, and supervisors should monitor risks to retail investors seeing that their participation in financial markets has increased substantially in recent years;
  5. Financial institutions should further incorporate ESG considerations into their business strategies and governance structures; and
  6. Considering the elevated level and frequency of cyber incidents, financial institutions should strengthen their cyber resilience and prepare for a potential increase in cyberattacks.