Gold Ends Year Nearly 30% Higher

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently said bitcoin is a compelling alternative asset for his sanctions-hit country. AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, PoolRussian firms are using crypto for international payments amid sanctions, said the country's finance minister. Recent legislative changes have reversed Russia's previous resistance to crypto. Global banks have reduced transactions with Russia, prompting a shift to alternative payment systems.

Private equity companies have joined the race to own assets of 7-Eleven's parent company assets. Budrul Chukrut/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesKKR and Bain Capital bid over $5 billion for Seven & i's non-core assets. Seven & i's non-core assets include superstores, baby stores, and Denny's Japan operations. Seven & i also received a $47 billion offer from Alimentation Couche-Tard.

Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans. Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game. Strands requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer. If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed.