Donald Trump’s former national security adviser Michael Flynn charged with making false statements to the FBI December 1, 2017 Donald Trump’s former national security adviser has pleaded guilty to a charge of making false statements to the FBI earlier this year. Michael Flynn falsely stated that he did not ask the Russian ambassador to refrain from escalating the situation after US imposed sanctions on Russia, according to court filings. The Dow dropped more than [...]
Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil price: Opec-led supply cut extension boosts oil prices December 1, 2017 Oil prices rose today after they were bolstered by an agreement between the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and non-members including Russia over production curbs yesterday. The Opec-led coalition agreed to extend oil supply cuts through to the end of 2018, nine months past the previous expiration date of March 2018, as the [...]
Opec and Russia agree to extend oil supply cut through 2018 November 30, 2017 The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) has agreed to extend oil production cuts with Russia and other non-Opec producers until the end of 2018. Under the deal, which started at the beginning of 2017 and was set to run until March 2018, producers are cutting production by 1.8m barrels per day (bpd) to [...]
Donald Trump attacks UK Prime Minister Theresa May for speaking out against his Britain First re-tweet November 30, 2017 Donald Trump has hit out at Theresa May after she said it was wrong of him to re-tweet the far-right group Britain First. In a tweet, the US President said May should focus on the “destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism” within the UK rather than his activities on Twitter. .@Theresa_May, don’t focus on me, focus on [...]
Oil and gas contractors are the most confident they’ve been in four years November 30, 2017 For the first time since 2013, nearly half of oil and gas contractors in the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS) are confident about their prospects, a report to be published today suggests. Of the contractors surveyed, 49 per cent were more optimistic about their activities in the current year, up from 38 per cent in the [...]
A US recession is imminent, and Germany may suffer the most November 29, 2017 “We have to wait for Germany to make its move,” George Friedman declared at the 2017 CFA Institute European Investment Conference. Friedman, the founder and chair of Geopolitical Futures, has a history of being right when others are wrong and being predictive when others are reactive. He has spent his career navigating the convergence [...]
Facebook and Twitter will cooperate with UK inquiry into Russian Brexit meddling November 28, 2017 Tech giants Facebook and Twitter have said they will cooperate with a government inquiry into the extent of Russian meddling in the Brexit vote. The pair have responded to demands from the head of the digital, culture, media and sports (DCMS) committee Damian Collins to provide information about Russian-linked adverts on their sites during the [...]
Interiors: Victorian dandy and perfumer Atkinsons returns to Burlington Arcade and we get an early preview of its 19th century-inspired decor November 24, 2017 On the black marble bar the bottles of pale and amber liquid are neatly lined up in a row. I inhale the powerful aromas one at a time like a fine wine or rare whisky. This bar, however, doesn’t serve booze, it’s the centrepiece of the new Atkinsons fragrance shop in Burlington Arcade and the [...]
Venezuela can’t restructure its way out of this socialist nightmare November 17, 2017 Venezuela, once the most prosperous country in South America, can no longer pay its debts. After missing $200m of interest payments on two government bonds, the administration of President Nicolas Maduro was this week declared “in default” by ratings agency S&P. Though bondholders are yet to follow suit, this could happen at any moment, potentially [...]
British firms fear rise in protectionism November 15, 2017 British companies are at risk from protectionist measures once the UK leaves the EU, according to a study published today. The UK is the eighth biggest victim of protectionist trading measures, research by law firm Gowling WLG shows. Some 85 per cent of director-level workers surveyed by the law firm believe some countries are increasing [...]