Rising US rig count and strong dollar weigh on West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude oil prices October 17, 2016 Renewed oversupply concerns pushed the prices of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent crude down more than one per cent today. WTI futures were trading down 1.33 per cent to $49.68, while Brent futures slid 1.15 per cent to $51.35 per barrel in evening trading. A rising US rig count was among the factors putting pressure [...]
Exxon has lost over $1 Billion from Russian sanctions October 17, 2016 Exxon has turned into a collateral victim of the U.S. economic sanctions against Russia. So while supermajor BP’s chief executive Bob Dudley said earlier this week that he was “a little saddened” with the way the Deepwater Horizon movie has painted his company, Exxon’s Rex Tillerson has perhaps an even greater reason to be a [...]
Editor of Russia’s state broadcaster says UK bank account frozen October 17, 2016 Russia’s state-run broadcaster has had its NatWest bank account frozen, according to its editor-in-chief. Margarita Simonyan tweeted today: “Our accounts in Britain have been blocked. All of them. ‘Decision not to be discussed’. Hail to freedom of speech!” Read more: US ends Syria ceasefire talks with Russia RT, formerly known as Russia Today, reported that NatWest [...]
Indian Prime Minister threatens to fracture Brics summit calling Pakistan ‘mothership of terrorism’ October 16, 2016 India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Pakistan the “mothership of terrorism” at a Brics summit today, highlighting tensions within the group. Member China is a close ally of India’s neighbour and rival. At several events over the weekend, Modi made comments emphasising the need for tough global action against Pakistan-based terror groups carrying out attacks [...]
These are the arguments Boris Johnson would have made for Remain October 16, 2016 Boris Johnson questioned whether the logic for Brexit was "wholly correct" in a never before published article just days before he came out supporting Britain leaving the EU. The secret column was drafted by the now foreign secretary in February and argued that the implications of Brexit on relationships with Scotland and Russia needed to be considered. Read [...]
Holiday Homes: Keith Perry searches for affordable second homes on the Cap d’Antibes October 14, 2016 As the superyachts glide across the gulf of Juan-les-Pins and vintage Porsches roll out of the multimillion pound villas on the Cap d’Antibes, it’s not hard to see how F Scott Fitzgerald found the inspiration for The Great Gatsby while looking out to sea from one of these beautiful villas. Avenues of pine trees lead [...]
Former Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Guterres elected by UN general assembly as new secretary-general October 13, 2016 Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres has been elected as the new United Nations secretary-general by the UN General Assembly. The decision was widely expected, after none of the five UN Security Council veto powers — China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US — voted against him in a secret ballot last week. Guterres, a former [...]
MPs should debate Brexit, not frustrate it October 13, 2016 Parliament is back in session after the theatre of the party conference season and there are plenty of meaty topics into which our legislators can sink their teeth. The Treasury Select Committee has been grilling HMT's top officials; Tory backbenchers have called for a new Royal Yacht Britannia; Boris Johnson has lambasted Russia over its actions [...]
Oil prices fall after Opec points to bigger crude surplus in 2017 October 12, 2016 Oil prices turned lower this afternoon after the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) pointed to a larger surplus next year. Brent crude, the global benchmark, slumped 1.09 per cent to $51.84 per barrel. Its US counterpart, West Texas Intermediate crude, fell 1.32 per cent to $50.12, having recovered slightly after falling just below the $50 [...]
How to bounce back like a Russian ballet dancer October 12, 2016 St Petersburg, Russia is home to the world famous Kirov Ballet company. Over 270 years since its foundation, the existence of the Kirov has been repeatedly threatened, by – among other things – the Russian Revolution, the Second World War and the collapse of the Soviet Empire. Each time its survival has been called into question, [...]