CNBC Comment: Why instability isn’t spooking markets July 21, 2014 THE BIGGEST point markets are making at the moment is that they aren’t making a big point. Given increased tensions around Russia and Ukraine, we are closer to war in Europe than we have been for a long time. Simultaneously, the death toll in Gaza tragically keeps rising. Yet despite these dominating geopolitical events, involving [...]
Ukraine rebels hand over black boxes from MH17 flight to Malaysian officials July 21, 2014 Pro-Russian militants have handed over the two black boxes from the downed MH17 aircraft to Malaysian officials. After an agreement with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Monday evening, separatist leader Aleksander Borodai signed them over to the Malaysian experts at a meeting in the eastern Ukranian city of Donetsk. A number of reporters were [...]
Are tougher sanctions the best way to tackle Putin’s Russia? July 21, 2014 Timothy Ash, head of emerging market research (ex Africa) at Standard Bank, says Yes. Sanctions have already had an effect, by preventing a broader Russian incursion into Ukraine. Russia did not expect them, and the measures made it bide time to assess their impact. Crucially, this gave the new Ukrainian government time to regroup, and [...]
Train with bodies from MH17 leaves crash site as all eyes turn to Europe July 21, 2014 A train carrying the bodies from the Malaysian Airlines MH17 flight left the crash site on Monday evening and will be handed over to the Dutch authorities, according to the Malaysian Prime Minister. Prime Minister Najib Razak said that he had reached a deal with pro-Russian rebels controlling the area where the plane was downed [...]
Iran converts most dangerous nuclear material, leading to easing of sanctions July 21, 2014 Iran has converted its most enriched uranium to less harmful forms such as fuel, according to the UN nuclear agency. This marks significant progress as Iran and six world powers continue to try and reach an agreement about Iran's nuclear programme. The US has said that it will unblock $2.8bn worth of frozen Iranian [...]
Ukraine challenges Russian media with launch of international news channel Ukraine Today July 21, 2014 An international news channel is being launched in Ukraine to challenge the allegedly pro-Putin narrative of Russian state broadcasters as the two countries continue to place blame on each other for the downing of flight MH17. As the two neighbour states continue their war of words amid growing tensions over the disaster, English-language channel Ukraine Today, run [...]
EU still divided over Russian sanctions following MH17 crash July 21, 2014 On Tuesday, EU leaders will meet in person to discuss possible sanctions on Russia following the crash of flight MH17 into rebel-held territory in the east of Ukraine. Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande have already agreed over the phone that Russia must give investigators and aid [...]
Fresh sanctions expected as West blames Putin’s Russia for MH17 crash July 21, 2014 Western governments yesterday warned that a more severe round of sanctions could be imposed against the Russian government, with heads of state increasingly blaming Moscow for supplying the missile which brought down a Malaysian airlines jet last week. Foreign secretary Philip Hammond, who has held the post for less than a week, said yesterday that [...]
There will be more Putins – and more Flight MH17s – if Europe fails to act now July 21, 2014 “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain” – The Wizard in L Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz In her able, forthright way, Hillary Clinton has just painfully called Europe’s bluff. Speaking just after the horrific details of the Malaysian plane disaster became clear – where it looks increasingly likely that murderously clueless [...]
Russia faces further sanctions as international horror over MH17 plane crash deepens July 20, 2014 Pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin intensified as the international horror over the treatment of the bodies at the crash site of the downed MH17 Malaysia Airlines jet deepened. US Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday expressed his fury at the "really grotesque" mishandling of the victims of the tragedy, calling on Russia to take [...]