Putin critic Bill Browder slams ‘prostitution’ of UK firms working for Russian regime November 5, 2018 UK hedge fund boss and prominent critic of the Russian government Bill Browder today slammed UK firms that work for the Russian regime and its cronies. Speaking to City A.M. Browder said: “The most significant issue on Russian intelligence is not the official spies or even unofficial informants, but the British enablers to this process. [...]
Londongrad: Explosion in number of Russian spies in UK November 5, 2018 The number of Russian spies in the UK has exploded in recent years with up to five times as many Russian case offices in the UK as there were in 2010, a new report says. The report from think tank the Henry Jackson Society says there are 200 Russian case offices in the UK handling [...]
Zizzi Salisbury branch made famous by Skripal attack to reopen tomorrow November 5, 2018 The Salisbury Zizzi branch that found itself at the heart of a suspected Russian plot to poison former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in March will reopen tomorrow. The quiet Cathedral city was thrust into the international spotlight after former Russian spy Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found slumped on a bench outside the restaurant [...]
Leave tycoon Arron Banks insists there is ‘no Russian money’ in Brexit campaign donations November 4, 2018 British millionaire and political donor Arron Banks has insisted there was "no Russian money" in the donations received by his controversial campaigns to leave the EU. Banks, a prominent Brexiter, was referred to the National Crime Agency (NCA) on Thursday by the Electoral Commission which said it had found evidence of "multiple suspected offences" committed during the [...]
Oil prices fall on reports US will allow eight countries to buy oil from Iran despite sanctions November 2, 2018 Oil prices continued to fall on Friday on reports that the US has agreed to let eight countries keep buying Iranian oil after it reimposes sanctions next week. Washington has granted eight nations, including South Korea, Japan and India, waivers on sanctions on Iran, due to kick in on Monday, according to Bloomberg. Brent crude [...]
Editor’s Notes: Business chiefs can do great things in politics, but what about the pay cut? November 2, 2018 Foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt has raised the prospect of senior business figures giving up the boardroom and joining the Foreign Office in the service of their country. When I asked a former senior diplomat, with an alphabet of letters after his name, what he made of this proposal he slapped his hands on his head [...]
Central bank gold buying hits highest level since 2015 amid market volatility and currency weakness November 1, 2018 Central bank gold buying hit its highest level since 2015 in the third quarter as demand rose on stock market volatility and currency weakness. The World Gold Council reported that central bank gold reserves grew 148.4 tonnes, up 22 per cent year-on-year as more countries bought the commodity. A four-month trend of gold outflows was [...]
British jets scrambled to investigate Russian planes October 31, 2018 British jets were scrambled earlier today to investigate suspected Russian fighter plans flying close to UK airspace. “Typhoon fighters … were scrambled today as a precautionary measure against a potential incursion into UK area of interest by one or more unidentified aircraft,” a spokesman for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) told Reuters. “At no time was [...]
Erdogan calls for Saudis to reveal who gave order to kill journalist Khashoggi October 26, 2018 Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged Saudi Arabia to reveal who ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and disclose the location of his body. Erdogan ramped up the global pressure on the Saudi government following the killing of Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on 2 October. But the Kremlin said Russia [...]
Total profits soar on record production and higher oil prices October 26, 2018 French oil giant Total saw profits soar in the third quarter on higher oil prices and raised its production growth target for the year. The company reported its net income rose by 48 per cent to $4bn (£3.1bn) in the third quarter compared with the previous year. Chief executive Patrick Pouyanne said oil prices increased [...]