MPs in eurosceptic ERG faction ‘will vote against’ May’s Brexit deal in June May 15, 2019 The majority of MPs in anti-EU Tory faction the European Research Group (ERG) will vote against Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit deal when it is presented to parliament next month, a minister has said. Read more: MPs will vote again on Brexit next month – despite no cross-party agreement Conservative MP Owen Paterson, who was [...]
MPs accuse government of using Brexit as an ‘excuse’ to avoid Russian sanctions May 14, 2019 More than 50 MPs have urged the government to stop using Brexit as an "excuse" not to impose sanctions against Russian figures accused of human rights violations. The head of the all party Russia group, Chris Bryant, has demanded action from foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt in the wake of the Novichok attack on Salisbury last year. Along with [...]
Three Sisters at the Almeida: This most Chekhovian of Chekhov’s plays flatters to deceive May 10, 2019 After last year’s superlative Summer and Smoke, the pairing of director Rebecca Frecknall and young star Patsy Ferran is an irresistible proposition. This time they combine to drag Chekhov’s fin de siècle play Three Sisters into an unspecified time and space somewhere between pre-revolution Russia and present-day King’s Road. But despite another fitful, engaging performance [...]
Gett eyes 2020 flotation and profitability as it raises $200m at a $1.5bn valuation May 8, 2019 Taxi-hailing firm Gett said it has raised $200m (£153m) in additional funding yesterday, with a flotation on the cards “as soon as the first quarter of 2020”. It added it is on track to become operationally profitable globally by the fourth quarter of this year, including its US operation. Read more: Uber drivers to stage [...]
London’s commercial courts hear record number of cases despite competition from overseas rivals May 7, 2019 London’s commercial courts heard a record 258 cases in 2018-19, up 63 per cent on the previous year. There was also a 54 per cent increase in the number of litigants using the courts in the year to March, with litigants coming from 78 countries, a report published today by Portland Communications shows. Read more: [...]
The British aversion to foreign languages isn’t charming – it’s a diplomatic travesty May 7, 2019 Avez-VOUS bien fermé votre porte à clé ce matin? How many Londoners would immediately understand this sentence on their morning commutes? I would wager not many. Certainly, if the English equivalent were written in Der Spiegel, la Repubblica, or Aftonbladet, the majority of German, Italian, or Swedish readers would have no problem telling you what [...]
Shares in Aeroflot fall three per cent after plane crash kills 41 people May 6, 2019 Shares in Russia’s largest airline, Aeroflot, fell by more than three per cent after a plane burst into flames in a crash-landing on Sunday at a Moscow airport, killing 41 people. A Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft carrying 73 passengers and five crew was struck by lightning as it took off towards Murmansk, in Russia’s northwest. Two [...]
The tangled Huawei web isn’t just about Gavin Williamson May 3, 2019 To say that Gavin Williamson was neither widely liked nor widely respected in Westminster would be an understatement. Often a figure of ridicule for the pet tarantula kept on his desk when he was chief whip, his former life as a fireplace salesman, and gaffes like saying Russia should “go away and shut up”, he [...]
Former energy minister Greg Barker receives £3m bonus for Russian sanctions deal May 2, 2019 Former UK energy minister Greg Barker pocketed £3m-£4m for his role in the ending of US sanctions on Russian metals giant En+, according to insiders. Read more: Lord Barker takes time out for Russia’s En+ Barker, a Conservative party politician and member of the House of Lords, helped convince US President Donald Trump to lift [...]
Russian state broadcaster RT is a ‘weapon of disinformation’, says Jeremy Hunt May 2, 2019 Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt has slammed Russian state broadcaster RT, describing it as the country’s “weapon of disinformation”. Addressing an audience in Ethiopia, Hunt launched a searing attack on the channel, formerly known as Russia Today, over its coverage of the Salisbury novichok poisonings last year. Read more: Mirror publisher Reach revenues slip amid pressure on [...]