Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny loses appeal against jail term February 20, 2021 Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny lost his appeal against what he said was a politically motivated decision to jail him for nearly three years. Navalny, who is one of President Putin’s fiercest critics, said his faith in God and belief in the rightness of his cause was sustaining him. Navalny was jailed earlier this month for [...]
Are we heading into a new commodities ‘supercycle’? February 20, 2021 Since the beginning of the year commodity prices have been surging, leading a number of banks to declare the start of a new “supercycle” for the assets. Bankers at Goldman Sachs were the first off the line, declaring that the Covid-19 had created the right structural conditions for the same kind of multi-year price growth [...]
Best of travel: Conquest, casinos and copious wine in Georgia February 19, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. Today we revisit Noo Saro-Wiwa’s journey to Georgia, Europe’s most surprising destination. ••• It has been said that Georgians ‘think with European minds and feel with Asian hearts’. Their nation, clamped between Russia and Turkey, is neither [...]
Think Bitcoin is under-priced? Not if you’re Nigerian February 19, 2021 Crypto AM's Monty Munford reflects on a night in Lagos and how Nigeria will triumph over adversity as it sets its sights on Bitcoin.
Russian budget retailer Fix Price targets London listing February 15, 2021 Russian budget retailer Fix Price this morning announced plans to launch a London listing. The company, which is the largest value retailer in Russia, said the potential initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange would allow it to pursue growth and international expansion. Fix Price, which launched in 2007, has more than 4,200 stores [...]
On thin ice: the danger posed by thawing permafrost and how businesses need to prepare February 11, 2021 Rapidly thawing Arctic permafrost is a prime example of how climate change is impacting natural ecosystems and, in turn, business operations. Permafrost is the name for ground that remains frozen for more than two years. It has existed in this region for millennia. Temperatures in Russia have increased by around two and a half times [...]
Best of travel: Eating and drinking with the St Petersburg locals February 3, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. This week we revisit Ashwin Bhandari’s trip to St Petersburg, the cultural heart of Russia. Read more: Jaguar XF P300 review: revitalised luxury at a surprisingly low price ••• There are not many places that have left me [...]
Putin critic Alexei Navalny sentenced to three-and-half years in penal colony February 2, 2021 Alexei Navalny has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in a prison colony despite widespread protests in support of the Kremlin critic. Navalny, who is one of President Putin’s fiercest opponents, was arrested last month on his return to Russia from Berlin, where he was recovering from being poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent. The opposition [...]
Tokyo 2020 Olympics will happen this year regardless of Covid-19, organisers insist February 2, 2021 The delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics will definitely go ahead this summer whatever the impact of Covid-19, organisers have said. Cases in Japan remain far higher than last year, increasing fears that the Games may have to be cancelled altogether. But Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori said: “We will hold the Olympics, regardless of how the [...]
Rugby World Cup could have joint hosts in 2027 and 2031, says governing body February 1, 2021 The men’s Rugby World Cup could be shared by joint hosts in 2027 and 2031, the game’s global governing body has said. France is due to stage the 2023 tournament and World Rugby has just officially opened the bidding process for the next two instalments. “We recognise that for some of our members hosting a [...]