From Hatton Garden heist to Eric Pickles in a pickle: Here’s what got us talking this week April 10, 2015 There was a jewel heist. There was plenty of oil. And somewhere in California, there was the world's first gathering of micronations. Here's what got us talking this week 1. There's oil in them there hills A huge oil well, thought to contain more of the black stuff than has been produced by [...]
Secret plans are being drawn up to kick Greece out of the Eurozone April 10, 2015 Eurozone countries are formulating plans to boot Greece out of the single currency, as expectations grow that Athens may default on its debts next month. A memo put together by the Finnish Finance Ministry, a close Berlin ally, talks of “very difficult political decisions” as the currency bloc braces itself for Greece’s cash flow to [...]
Fifa world rankings: Wales’ staggering performance against the odds summed up in two charts April 9, 2015 Wales' football team have risen to their highest ever Fifa world ranking thanks to a strong start to their quest for qualification for Euro 2016. Rising to 22nd in the world, Wales are now ranked above countries such as the Ivory Coast, Russia, USA, Australia and Ghana. After winning three of five games in Euro [...]
Defiant Greek PM Alexis Tsipras cosies up to Russian President Vladimir Putin April 8, 2015 Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras risked straining relations with his Eurozone partners even further yesterday after a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to boost ties between the two countries. Dismissing European officials who questioned his intentions for the trip, Tsipras said: “Greece is a sovereign state – it has its undisputed right to a [...]
Best month of car sales this century April 8, 2015 Nearly half a million new cars rolled on to Britain’s roads in March, the best month for new car registrations since 1999. Consumers and firms registered 492,774 new cars in March, up six per cent on the same month last year, according to figures released yesterday by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). [...]
British Museum boss Neil MacGregor announces plans to retire April 8, 2015 British Museum director Neil MacGregor has announced plans to retire at the end of 2015, after 13 years at the helm of the UK's most popular tourist attraction. During his time at the museum, visitor numbers have increased from 4.6m a year in 2002/03, to 6.7m in 2014/15, making it the second most visited museum [...]
Tsipras in Russia for cheap gas and loans to ease debt burden April 7, 2015 GREEK Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras flew into Moscow yesterday with the Kremlin willing to bail out the cash-strapped EU state. Tsipras and Russian President Vladimir Putin, who are to hold formal talks and a working lunch today, are expected to sign an array of economic and commercial accords. The Kremlin meeting is also expected to [...]
One chart showing why oil prices crashed last year April 7, 2015 Higher production helped the United States extend its reign as the world's top oil and gas producer last year, but the growth spurt also contributed to the black stuff's steep decline. Oil slumped from about $115 per barrel towards the middle of last year, to as low as $45 per barrel in January, and is [...]
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras flies to Russia as talks with Brussels drag on April 7, 2015 The Prime Minister of Greece will fly into Moscow today for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid ongoing concern that the Mediterranean country will run out of money this month. Alexis Tsipras' meeting had originally been scheduled for May, but has been brought forward, raising suspicions that Greece plans to gain funding from [...]
Obama should listen to the people in pushing through his Iran nuclear deal April 6, 2015 Foreign policy analysis in any country tends to be the preserve of a tiny elite: a small number of people practise it, and generally a miniscule section of society follows it. In the UK, to all our shame, a far greater percentage of the population watches The X Factor than exhibits a healthy understanding [...]