Space race take two? Putin speeds up building of Russian spaceport September 2, 2014 Russia has upped its game in the race to become a space superpower. Today, President Vladimir Putin announced that he was hastening Russia's efforts to build a multi-billion dollar spaceport in the East of the country. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has relied on the Baikonur cosmodrome in [...]
Premier League net spend: Which club makes the most money? September 2, 2014 The Premier League’s net spend of £438m in this summer’s transfer window is a new record, as clubs splashed the cash like never before. In total clubs spent a massive £889m on new players and earned £451m through player sales. Manchester United topped the spending charts, shelling out £169m on new signings, while [...]
Ukraine will need a much bigger bailout to stabilise economy, IMF says September 2, 2014 As the crisis in the east of Ukraine continues to harm the nation's economy, The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that a much bigger international bailout will be needed than was originally planned. In a review of the already agreed $16.7bn standby facility, the fund described the figure as being built on “totally [...]
Crisis, what crisis? Southampton are the Premier League’s biggest transfer window earners September 2, 2014 After a record-breaking transfer window in which £889m was spent by Premier League teams, Southampton stand out as a club apart. The excessive fees, star names and lavish splurges may have stolen the headlines yesterday, yet while the rest of the league was busy racking up a total net spend of £438m, Saints made a [...]
Halliburton finally settles Gulf of Mexico lawsuits September 2, 2014 For those living in New Orleans and the cities around it, the six months between the blowout of the Deepwater Horizon well in the Gulf of Mexico well and it being declared officially "sealed" may have seemed like an age – but that was nothing compared to the length of the ensuing legal wrangles. Now [...]
If Islamic State can prove a “true caliphate”, Taliban fighters will join September 2, 2014 Fighters from a militant Islamic group in Afghanistan have said they would consider joining forces with the Islamic State (IS). The Hezb-e-Islami group is allied to the Taliban, and its commander Mirwais told the BBC that if IS can prove a true Islamic caliphate, they would link up with it. Referring to IS [...]
More mining M&A on the cards? Anglo American share price rises as boss says “come and get us” September 2, 2014 Shares in Anglo American, the world's largest platinum miner, jumped 2.6 per cent this afternoon after its chief executive said the company is open to takeover offers. In an interview, Mark Cutifani said his job is "to create value" – adding that "if somebody sees value, then there's a conversation to be had". I'm not [...]
Saudi Arabia arrests 88 men in al-Qaeda cell for planning attacks abroad September 2, 2014 A Saudi security official confirmed today that police have arrested 88 men suspected of plotting to carry out attacks both inside and outside the kingdom. They are thought to be part of an al-Qaeda ring “on the verge of carrying out operations” according to the country's interior ministry. Three of the men are [...]
Mike Ashley retains House of Fraser stake as Nanjing Xinjiekou sale goes through September 2, 2014 The sale of department store House of Fraser to Chinese conglomerate Nanjing Xinjiekou has gone through today – with Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley retaining his 11 per cent stake. The deal values the business at around £480m – probably more than it would have valued at, had chairman Don McCarthy gone through with [...]