Michael Fallon: UK will commit 1,000 troops to Nato rapid response force for further three years June 21, 2015 The defence secretary Michael Fallon has promised to commit UK troops to Nato's rapid response force for a further three years to fight threats from Russia and elsewhere Ahead of a meeting of Nato defence ministers due to be held in Brussels this week, Fallon promised support of 1,000 troops every year to Nato's new task [...]
Greece crisis: European Central Bank offers Greece another liquidity lifeline June 19, 2015 Stocks in Athens were up as much as two per cent this afternoon, after the European Central Bank (ECB) offered a lifeline to Greece this afternoon, increasing the amount of emergency liquidity its banks can draw on for the second time this week. Read more: Countdown to Grexit: The key dates that could save Greece before [...]
Murray ready for last-eight trial by serve June 18, 2015 BRITAIN’S Andy Murray expects a barrage of big serves when he faces Gilles Muller in today’s Aegon Championships quarter-final after sealing his last-eight spot by cruising past Spain’s Fernando Verdasco at Queen’s Club yesterday. Top seed Murray dispatched Verdasco in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4, to record his first victory on grass over the world No42 [...]
Why Russia’s new data law targeting Google, Facebook and Twitter will cost its economy billions June 18, 2015 A new law being introduced in Russia which will force many of the world’s largest tech companies to hold the personal data of Russian citizens within the country's borders, will cost the Russian economy billions of dollars and damage its standing on the world stage. The data privacy law, which will come into force in [...]
Fifa crisis: Swiss banks told authorities of “suspicious” activity connected to Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 World Cup bidding June 17, 2015 The heat has intensified on the future Russia and Qatar World Cups after Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber revealed he had evidence of over 50 "suspicious" banking relations connected to Fifa. Lauber, the head of the Swiss investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, declared he was not afraid if [...]
Rouble dips as EU leaders agree to extend sanctions on Russia June 17, 2015 The rouble fell 0.4 per cent against the dollar to $0.01848 in the early afternoon after reports suggested ambassadors from all 28 EU member states had agreed to extend sanctions against Russia by six months. Reuters reported sources saying the sanctions, which were due to expire in July, will run until January next year. Imposed [...]
As the crunch point nears, could Greek default prove to be a geopolitical disaster for Europe? June 16, 2015 Famke Krumbmüller, a Europe analyst at Eurasia Group, says Yes If a default prompted Greece’s withdrawal from the euro, and the new arrangement were managed badly, it could have harmful consequences for the rest of Europe. Most importantly, it would send negative signals about the future of Eurozone integration – the monetary union was never [...]
Greece wants to delay its payments to the IMF by six months June 16, 2015 Greece wants to delay paying the €1.55bn (£1.1bn) it owes the IMF by six months, according to a report in the German newspaper Bild. This wouldn't be the first time Greece has looked to put off paying creditors – it had originally said it would bundle its debts to the IMF rather than pay in [...]
Au revoir to Verona and Kuala Lumpur as Air France scraps flights June 15, 2015 Air France is chopping three European routes as part of £58m worth of cost-cutting measures in an attempt to restructure the flag carrier. The airline, part of Air France-KLM and the SkyTeam alliance, said it was cutting flights to the loss-making destinations of Stravanger in Norway, Verona in Italy and Vigo in Spain from September [...]
Austria silver after bus crash June 15, 2015 TWO Austrian synchronised swimmers have dedicated the silver medal they won at the European Games yesterday to their team-mates who were hit by a bus last week. Twins Anna-Maria and Eirini-Marina Alexandri, 17, finished second to Russia at the inaugural competition in Baku, Azerbaijan, just four days after one 15-year-old colleague was left in a [...]