Opec cuts: No line in the sand for oil – CNBC Comment November 24, 2014 Not that I’m trying to do myself out of a job, but I’m a tad amazed by the furore building up about this Thursday’s Opec meeting in Vienna. I haven’t been to all the previous 165 gatherings, but I’ve been to most of the last 25 or so, and all of a sudden it’s become [...]
Pellegrini: City can beat Bayern and make last 16 November 24, 2014 MANCHESTER City manager Manuel Pellegrini insists his team can tonight overcome a patchy start to the season and the suspension of key players to snatch Champions League survival from the brink of extinction. City likely need to inflict Bayern Munich’s first defeat in 19 fixtures at the Etihad Stadium to resuscitate their European hopes and [...]
Sanctions have cost Russia billions – but Western firms are not getting off lightly November 24, 2014 WHEN the EU agreed to place new names on its Russian sanctions list last week, it added to an ever-expanding and ever vaguer body of international rules for compliance officials to navigate. While Russia’s finance minister has warned that sanctions are costing his country $40bn (£25.5bn) a year, they also pose significant challenges to businesses [...]
Has French company DCNS agreed to transfer warship to Russia despite the conflict in Ukraine? November 24, 2014 France has agreed on a deadline to deliver the first of two warships to Russia in a deal that will total around €1.2bn. DCNS, a French industrial group that specialises in naval defence and energy, has agreed with Russia to transfer the Mistral-class helicopter carrier before 27 November. With the ongoing crisis in Ukraine showing [...]
Iran nuclear deal deadline extended to end of June 2015 November 24, 2014 World powers have failed to meet today's deadline for an agreement over Iran's nuclear enrichment program, resulting in talks being extended to the end of June next year. Iran met with the UK, US, China, Russia, Germany and France in Vienna over the weekend to try to reach a compromise. The other participants want [...]
Plummeting oil prices and Western sanctions have cost Russia $140bn, its finance minister says November 24, 2014 Plummeting oil prices and Western sanctions have caused as much as $140bn to flood out of Russia this year, finance minister Anton Siluanov said today. While sanctions against its businesses are hurting the country's economy, falling oil prices are having the biggest impact. Oil and gas makes up the majority of Russian exports – 68 [...]
The astronauts with expensive taste: Caviar and special espresso machine sent up for a New Year’s Eve party in space November 24, 2014 While we're down here singing Auld Lang Syne as the clock strikes midnight, three astronauts at the International Space Station (ISS) will welcome in the new year over a meal of caviar, lemons and Lavazza coffee. Samantha Cristofetti, Anton Shkaplerov and Terry Virt successfully docked at the space port this morning, and will be [...]
Scientists say Regin is one of the most sophisticated pieces of malware ever found November 24, 2014 Cyber security firm Symantec says it's just discovered the most sophisticated piece of malware – that's malicious software – it's ever seen. The company, which has dubbed it "Regin", said that once it infects a computer, it can take screenshots, steal passwords and even recover deleted files. That makes it even more sophisticated than Stuxnet, [...]
UK consumer confidence picks up despite global growth fears November 23, 2014 Consumer confidence in the UK has bounced back in October, a major UK bank has said. Lloyds Bank’s confidence index climbed five points in October to 151 points, according to figures released by the bank today. The figure marks the survey’s second highest post-crisis level. Those surveyed were more upbeat about their employment situation, personal [...]
Global business confidence slumps to a five-year low: Europe, Japan and key emerging markets November 23, 2014 Global business confidence has slumped to a five-year low due to slow growth in Europe, Japan, and key emerging markets. The Markit global business outlook survey results released today shows business optimism falling sharply in October. However, UK companies were the most upbeat about the year ahead. A sharp downturn in business optimism has been [...]