‘Unprecedented’ relations: China and Russia urge NATO to halt expansion February 4, 2022 China and Russia have urged against NATO expanding across Europe, as the bloc draws up a sanctions package should Russia invade Ukraine. Chinese president Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, who arrived in Beijing today for the Winter Olympics, met to discuss bilateral relations and a string of major issues concerning international strategic security and stability, [...]
European oil facilities hit by wave of cyber attacks February 4, 2022 European oil facilities have been hit by a spate of cyber attacks that crippled oil terminal IT systems across Europe and Africa.
Cybersecurity: ‘To cripple UK, Putin does not need nuclear weapons’ February 4, 2022 The UK’s public sector needs to be “agile” in employing the government’s new cybersecurity strategy, according to analysts, amid fears of a Russian devised cyberattack. While the strategy, published last week, “looks good on paper” – there are significant areas of improvement, say experts. “To cripple the UK, Putin does not need nuclear weapons,” explained cybersecurity expert [...]
London’s status as a safe haven for dirty foreign money relies on our own complicity February 4, 2022 For a decade, Zamira Hajiyeva, the wife of a jailed Azerbaijani banker, spent an average of £4,000 a day in Harrods. It was only in 2019 that the law finally caught up with her £16m Harrods bill. Her unexplained wealth – including a £12m Knightsbridge house – are set to be seized. Hajiyeva is a [...]
Russia-Ukraine: What will sanctions mean for UK businesses? February 3, 2022 Liz Truss this week warned Russia that the UK is now prepared to hit the Russian Federation with its “toughest sanctions regime” ever, as it seeks to deter the country from sending troops into Ukraine. “Nothing is off the table and there will be nowhere to hide,” the foreign secretary said. But as of yet, [...]
Shell CEO dismisses calls for windfall tax to reduce household energy bills February 3, 2022 Shell's chief executive Ben van Beurden has pushed back against rising calls for a windfall levy to ease the burden on energy consumers.
Sunak unveils £9bn package to slash £350 off energy bills this year February 3, 2022 The “vast majority” of households will get government help on their energy bills to the tune of £350 to partially offset soaring prices as a part of a £9bn package announced by Rishi Sunak today. The announcement comes as Ofgem today announced an increase in the energy price cap from April, which will mean the [...]
Oil prices ease after OPEC+ meeting February 3, 2022 Oil prices have eased but remain close to the $90 milestone after OPEC+ producers stuck to planned moderate output increases.
Explainer-in-brief: Kyiv on the brink February 3, 2022 Yesterday, US President Joe Biden announced he would send 2,000 more troops to Europe to countenance Russian aggression in Ukraine. Britain has pledged £88m following a meeting between Boris Johnson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday. But the UK is struggling to get itself taken seriously by Russia after Foreign Secretary Liz Truss mixed [...]
OPEC+ sticks to oil output increases despite members failing to hit agreed targets February 2, 2022 OPEC and its allies such as Russia (OPEC+) have stuck to agreed plans to raise production by another 400,000 barrels per day in March.