China calls friendship with Putin ‘ironclad’ amid heavy fighting and claims 10,000 Russian soldiers are now dead March 8, 2022 China’s foreign minister has called Russia his country’s “most important strategic partner” as Beijing continues to refuse to condemn the invasion of Ukraine despite growing pressure from the US and European Union (EU) to use its influence to rein Moscow in. Wang Yi said Chinese ties with Moscow constitute “one of the most crucial bilateral [...]
Ukraine: Johnson to set out UK energy strategy ‘in days ahead’ as EU clings to Russian oil and gas March 7, 2022 Boris Johnson has vowed to set out a new UK energy strategy to deal with the fallout of the Ukrainian invasion as EU leaders declare they cannot cut off Russian oil and gas yet. Johnson said the plan will be set out “in the days ahead” and that the UK is looking at “using more [...]
UK, Netherlands and Canada create International Ukraine Support Group to provide coordinated aid March 7, 2022 The UK, Netherlands and Canada today created the International Ukraine Support Group to ensure there is “unwavering assistance now and in the future” to Ukraine. Boris Johnson, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and Dutch PM Mark Rutte made the announcement today, after the trio met in London today. The Prime Minister said “we will be encouraging [...]
Hong Kong Covid-19 death rate hits world’s highest March 7, 2022 Hong Kong’s Covid-19 death rate is now the highest in the world, according to new calculations today, as the city’s residents struggle under tough restrictions. The city has adopted Beijing’s controversial ‘zero-Covid’ stance, which pushed the US to caution against travelling to the financial hub last week. Hong Kong’s weekly rolling average climbed to 27 [...]
Gas prices soar to £8 per therm as West weighs up sanctions targeting Russian energy supplies March 7, 2022 Natural gas prices in the UK and Europe have rocketed from already-record highs, peaking at a staggering £8 per therm earlier today.
Anonymous hack Russian TV urging public to oppose Ukraine invasion March 7, 2022 The notorious hacker group Anonymous hacked Russian streaming services last night, including the live TV channels Russia 24, Channel One, and Moscow 24. Taking control of the channels, the group showed clips of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “The hacking collective #Anonymous hacked into the Russian streaming services Wink and Ivi (like Netflix) and live [...]
PM denies he overruled Mi5 and Mi6 to get Russian billionaire Lebedev a peerage March 7, 2022 Boris Johnson has today flatly denied claims he intervened to get his Russian billionaire friend Evgeny Lebedev a life peerage, after warnings from security services. Johnson said it’s “not the case” he told the independent House of Lords Appointments Commission (Holac) that its assessment the media mogul should not get a peerage – after warnings [...]
Norton Rose Fulbright cuts ties with Russia over ‘brutal invasion’ of Ukraine March 7, 2022 Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has confirmed it is shutting down its operations in Russia.
International aid: UK pumps an extra $100m into Ukrainian economy March 7, 2022 The UK has injected another $100m (£75.7m) in Ukraine’s economy, to help keep the country’s finances stable as it fends off Russia’s unprovoked invasion. It takes the figure of UK backing to a little over £295m, and is likely to be used to support public sector salaries, critical state functions, as well as to protect [...]
Russia to open more civilian exit routes following two failed attempts March 7, 2022 Russia is to open ‘humanitarian corridors’ this morning in several Ukrainian cities, according to state media reports. It follows two similar moves over the weekend, as Russia outlined routes for civilians to escape the attack safely, which failed when Russian troops continued to shell the path, according the International Committee of the Red Cross and [...]