PwC resigns as auditor of gold miner Petropavlovsk on governance concerns August 24, 2020 PwC has resigned as the auditor of under-fire gold miner Petropavlovsk due to concerns over the firm’s corporate governance after a long-running boardroom battle. The FTSE 250 miner today confirmed that the Big Four accountant had turned down its appointment as Petropavlovsk’s auditor. According to the Russia-focused company, PwC cited “the recent significant changes in [...]
Italy begins coronavirus vaccine trials as WHO chief urges global cooperation August 24, 2020 Italy has become the latest country to begin testing a potential coronavirus vaccine on human candidates, it was announced today, as cases of the new disease continue to rise again in Europe. The trial begins as the World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries around the world to come together to ensure that all nations get [...]
By ignoring the Civil War in Libya, the EU risks its stability August 24, 2020 The art of statecraft consists in large part of separating risks which cannot be tolerated from those which have to be lived with. This key political realist imperative is all but lost on the European Union. While EU leaders are focused on Belarus, which will remain close to regional power Russia whatever the outcome of [...]
Trust is at an all-time low, but we need journalism now more than ever August 21, 2020 Last month, a YovGov poll found that over 50 percent of adults in the UK now see the British media as a “force for bad”. This is an alarming statistic. It is the first time the monthly tracker has found that the majority of Brits hold this view, and the speed at which this trend [...]
Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny hospitalised after suspected poisoning August 20, 2020 Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny is in a serious condition in a Siberian hospital after suffering severe symptoms of suspected poisoning, his spokeswoman said today. Navalny, 44, is unconscious, in intensive care and on an artificial lung ventilator, his spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, said on social media. “We assume that Alexei was poisoned with something mixed [...]
Belarus: There will be no new election, says Lukashenko August 17, 2020 Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko today said there would be no new presidential election despite calls from the opposition and nationwide anti-government protests, the Belta news agency reported. “You should never expect me to do something under pressure,” he was quoted as saying. “They (new elections) won’t happen.” Lukashenko’s reported comments came as he faces the [...]
Petropavlovsk appoints interim CEO after boardroom battle August 17, 2020 Under-fire gold miner Petropavlovsk appointed an interim chief executive today after an activist investor succeeded in blocking the reappointment of its former boss. Maksim Meshcheriakov will also be a candidate for the permanent position after Pavel Mavlovskiy’s return was scuppered by 7.5 per cent shareholder Everest. Founder of the Russia-focused miner Peter Hambro, and temporary [...]
Belarus protests continue as Lukashenko claims Nato tanks are on the border August 16, 2020 Tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Minsk again today to protest against the allegedly fixed election result that returned Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko to power. The “March for Freedom” has seen Belarusian opponents of Lukashenko clash with police, after Lukashenko won last week’s electoin with 80 per cent of the [...]
UK signs deal for 90m more coronavirus vaccine doses August 14, 2020 The UK government has signed a deal for 90m more coronavirus vaccine doses from US biotech company Novavax and Belgian pharma giant Janssen. That means the UK has now agreed deals for a stockpile of 340m vaccine doses, and six different types of coronavirus vaccines. The government did not reveal how much it has agreed [...]
Markets live: Wall Street bull run resumes as FTSE 100 pushes higher August 12, 2020 Wall Street continued its winning streak as markets opened this afternoon after the FTSE 100 shrugged off dour UK GDP data to push higher. The blue chip index closed up 2.20 per cent at 6,289 points, marking a three-week high. Traders shrug off recession It comes after official data showed UK GDP shrank 20.4 per [...]