Kremlin says it hopes US investor Michael Calvey will be freed June 3, 2019 The Kremlin said it hopes US investor Michael Calvey, who is under house arrest in Russia, will be freed and able to attend an economic forum in St Petersburg this week. Calvey, who founded private equity group Baring Vostok, was detained in Russia in February over embezzlement charges. The businessman has denied wrongdoing and alleges that [...]
DEBATE: Is the uproar over Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK in June unwarranted? April 25, 2019 Is the uproar over Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK in June unwarranted? Freddie Jordan, a freelance writer, says YES. President Trump’s visit has unleashed the same public mania as would Lord Voldemort’s. He may be unctuous, and some might prefer to watch his comedy of errors play out from afar, but to throw a childish [...]
Forget Brexit, corporate debt is a bigger issue March 11, 2019 As a few of you might have been told many times already, today is the latest Brexit D-Day for the UK, and for Theresa May in particular. Now, despite the fact that I am – at the moment that you are reading this – down on a chilly College Green in Westminster reporting on the latest [...]
The Great Russian Firewall: Putin’s unplugging his country from the internet February 11, 2019 Russia is preparing to detach itself from the rest of the world by briefly disconnecting from the internet, as it readies for future cyber warfare. The test, due to be held before 1 April, will keep all data circulating between Russian citizens and organisations within the country's borders rather than passing through international routes. The move [...]
Putin suspends missile treaty and pledges to build more weapons February 2, 2019 Russian President Vladimir Putin said today that Russia has suspended a cold war era treaty to limit missile building after a similar move by the US. Putin told a meeting with foreign and defence ministers that Russia had suspended the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty which limits land-based missiles with ranges of 310–3,420 miles. Putin [...]
Bill Browder attacks British establishment for allegedly accepting Russian money laundering bribes January 30, 2019 Financier and prominent Putin critic Bill Browder has launched an incendiary attack on "members of the British establishment" for allegedly accepting bribes linked to Russian money laundering. Browder, the chief executive of Hermitage Capital Management, alleged that an investigation into money laundering had uncovered evidence that members of the House of Lords have received bribes [...]
US Treasury lifts sanctions on aluminium and power firms linked to Putin ally Deripaska January 28, 2019 The US treasury has lifted sanctions on three companies linked to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska – an ally of President Vladimir Putin – despite efforts by Democrats to maintain trade restrictions on the companies. Aluminium giant Rusal, En+ Group and power firm JSC EuroSibEnergo are beneficiaries of the department’s decision to lift restrictions, after Republicans [...]
Public trust in Putin falls to new low as disposable income falls, new figures show January 21, 2019 Public trust in President Vladimir Putin has fallen to its lowest level in 13 years as Russians contend with new taxes and a sluggish economy. Confidence in Putin fell to 33.4 per cent last week, down more than 30 percentage points since its high in 2015 after the annexation of Crimea, according to state-owned polling [...]
Russia denies ‘rubbing hands with glee’ at Brexit uncertainty after May’s deal rejected by parliament January 16, 2019 Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov has denied his government is rubbing its hands with glee at Britain’s turmoil over the terms of Brexit. Lavrov said Russia actually prefers a united European Union to a news conference earlier today. Read more: Russia detains American on spying charges in Moscow “We won’t and aren’t saying anything about Brexit, [...]
Editor’s Notes: Brexit: An Uncivil War was a five-star blockbuster for Channel 4 January 11, 2019 Brexit drama may be playing out all around us but it had its own silver screen moment earlier this week when Channel 4 aired its much-hyped drama, Brexit – The Uncivil War, by acclaimed writer James Graham. The drama drew heavily on the masterful account of the referendum campaign, All Out War, by Tim Shipman. [...]