America’s call to kick China out of the WTO is in no one’s interest November 26, 2018 China has “misbehaved” when it comes to global trade. That’s according to one of Donald Trump’s key economic advisers, who suggested last week that China should be evicted from the World Trade Organisation (WTO). It’s a clever move from the US administration, which conflates its dissatisfaction with multilateralism with the President’s putative trade war. If you [...]
Russian boss of spy agency blamed for Novichok attack on Sergei Skripal dies November 22, 2018 The Russian spy chief who allegedly oversaw the attacks on the Skripals in the UK has died. Colonel-General Igor Korobov, 62, who has run Russian spy agency the GRU since 2016, died on Wednesday, the Russian defence ministry said today. The UK government has accused the GRU of being behind the nerve agent attacks on [...]
Mothercare shares fall as it puts the media in the firing line after losses widen in insolvency battle November 22, 2018 Losses have mounted at embattled childcare retailer Mothercare, which blamed it on critical press coverage of its financial woes as the company undergoes a restructuring process. Group managing director David Wood, who acted as interim chief executive earlier this year, stepped down from his position yesterday. Its share price fell more than 10 per cent as markets [...]
B&Q owner Kingfisher plans foreign market exit as France drags down sales November 21, 2018 B&Q owner Kingfisher today said it will exit Russia, Spain and Portugal to focus on its struggling French operations after a drop in like-for-like sales in the third quarter, sending shares down more than two per cent in early trading. Total sales rose 1.2 per cent to £3.04bn in the three months to the end [...]
Interpol votes against controversial Russian candidate for new leader November 21, 2018 Interpol has rejected a controversial Russian candidate tipped to land the job, electing South Korea’s Kim Jong-yang instead. Alexander Prokopchuk was widely expected to win the election today, but Interpol’s 194 member states picked Kim instead at the international police body’s annual congress in Dubai. Prokopchuk had been accused of abusing Interpol’s arrest warrant system, [...]
Whatever the CIA says, the west could turn a blind eye over Khashoggi’s murder November 21, 2018 The murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi has put a strain on political and economic relations between Saudi Arabia and the west. On Sunday, word came that the CIA blamed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder, with sources close to the agency saying that it had assessed the evidence in detail. The [...]
Deutsche Bank shares hit record lows as German bank dragged into money laundering scandal November 20, 2018 Shares in Deutsche Bank hit record lows today after the German bank confirmed it was involved in the Danske Bank money-laundering scandal. Danske whistleblower Howard Wilkinson had claimed on Monday that a major European lender was involved in processing up to $150bn (£117bn) in suspicious payments. The former head of Danske Bank’s trading unit in [...]
Bill Browder calls for Russia to be barred from Interpol system after ‘serial abuse’ November 20, 2018 Hermitage Capital boss Bill Browder called today for Russia to be barred from the Interpol system ahead of the potential election of a Russian head of the international policing body. At a press conference in London today, Browder and exiled Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky described Russian abuse of the Interpol system to pursue them overseas. [...]
Danske Bank whistleblower says he was offered hush money November 19, 2018 The whistleblower at the heart of a widening money-laundering scandal centred on Danske Bank has claimed the Danish bank tried to pay him to keep silent, and implicated a major European lender, reported to be Deutsche Bank, and two US banks in having handled suspect funds. Howard Wilkinson – head of Danske Bank’s trading unit [...]
Russia wants to destabilise Interpol, warns Putin critic Bill Browder November 19, 2018 Bill Browder, the US-born investor and Putin critic, struck back today against new allegations made against him by Russia, accusing the country of attempting to use its international influence to destabilise Interpol. Prosecutors in Moscow claimed Browder's fund shareholders used illegal profits made in the country to fund donations to the Democratic Party, and claimed he may [...]