Putin’s old pal Sergei Pugachev flees London for France in £655m fraud case July 10, 2015 A once-close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin has gone on the run in the midst of a High Court case, saying his life is in danger. Sergei Pugachev defied a court order by fleeing the to France after he was charged with stealing more than £655m. The exiled Russian oligarch became a French citizen [...]
Chelsea’s house of Cold War secrets at 19 Upper Cheyne Row: Former spy’s home includes a bar that was funded by MI5 July 9, 2015 This semi-detached family house in a quiet corner of Chelsea seems inconspicuous enough, if a little dated on the inside. But it’s actually the scene of an impressive feat of British espionage that may have averted World War III. Nineteen Upper Cheyne Row has starred in numerous Cold War TV dramas over the years, [...]
Greece could be about to enter a €2bn energy deal with Russia July 9, 2015 Greek energy minister Panagiotis Lafazanis has just revealed plans for a huge energy deal with Russia – a move that will undoubtedly fan the flames over in Brussels. Read more: European markets rise sharply on Greece hopes In a speech to energy executives in Athens today, he said Greece might sign a €2bn (£1.4bn) [...]
Iran nuclear talks: These UK sectors will be in a seriously good place if a deal is reached tomorrow July 6, 2015 Tomorrow is the deadline for a nuclear deal between Iran and other foreign powers, which would involve the removal of economic sanctions against Iran in return for a curbing of its uranium enrichment programme. Read more: Iran will limit uranium enrichment but deal remains unlikely, officials say At the moment, the country's economy is [...]
Fifa bans Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 World Cup inspector Harold Mayne-Nicholls for seven years July 6, 2015 The man in charge of inspecting the bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups has been banned from football by Fifa for seven years. Read more: Swiss banks tipped off Fifa probe over "suspicious" activity Harold Mayne-Nicholls was under investigation from Fifa's independent Ethics Committee for his conduct during the bidding process for the 2018 [...]
Business group: UK will lose £31bn waiting for new runway July 5, 2015 A lack of airport capacity in London could cost the UK economy up to £31bn by 2030, according to a new report out today. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said that over the time it will take to build a new runway, the country could lose up to £31bn in trade because of a [...]
Malaysia seeks international tribunal over MH17 crash July 3, 2015 Malaysia is calling for an international tribunal to be set up in order to prosecute those suspected of having shot down flight MH17 last year. The plane, which had been flying over territory held by pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine, is believed to have been taken down by anti-aircraft missiles. Separatist leaders have denied [...]
BP closes Deepwater Horizon oil spill chapter with £12bn record US payout: Firm may now be subject to mega takeover July 2, 2015 Oil giant BP has settled a massive lawsuit surrounding the 2010 Deepwater Horizon accident, agreeing yesterday to pay up to $18.7bn (£12bn) in respect of US federal, state and local claims connected with the disaster. The payout, believed to be the largest environmental fine ever handed out, comprises $5.5bn in civil payments, $4.9bn in [...]
Russia freezes gas supplies to Ukraine July 1, 2015 Russian gas company Gazprom announced today that it has stopped all natural gas supplies to Ukraine, after a bid to hash out a quarterly price agreement between the two countries fell through. "Ukraine did not pay for July gas supplies," Gazprom said in a statement. "Gasprom halted gas supplies to Ukraine from 10am (7.00am GMT) [...]
Mark Zuckerberg’s Q+A with Stephen Hawking and the Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger July 1, 2015 Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg often turns to Facebook (where else?) to hold Q+A sessions so those around the world can raise a question with him. Last night, though, the billionaire social network founder was joined by a line-up of star-studded questioners which included scientist Stephen Hawking, media darling Arianna Huffington and even the Terminator himself, Arnold [...]