How the West’s utopians damned Ukraine to Russian dominance April 14, 2014 THERE is little doubt that Ukraine stands perilously on the edge of disaster, if not full invasion, as Russian troops assemble on its borders and pro-Russian activists violently demonstrate in key eastern cities. So why, in response, has the West floundered? There is a critical division between the major western foreign policy schools of thought [...]
Here’s what you need to know about today’s gold price surge April 14, 2014 Demand for the lustrous metal has seen gold prices hit a three week high, with geopolitical risks seeing investors move towards the safe-haven asset. Seen as a hedge against inflation, other metals have also spiked as tensions over Ukraine heat up. Palladium today sees an August 2011 high, as traders worry that US sanctions on [...]
What you need to know before the US open April 14, 2014 US stock futures edged higher today, following an optimistic set of results from Citigroup, which offset fears over the Ukraine situation – at least for the time being. European markets dropped to a three-week low earlier on the Ukraine worries and the continued sell-off in the US of tech shares. The Nasdaq closed below 4,000 [...]
Here’s what you need to know about today’s gold price surge April 14, 2014 Demand for the lustrous metal has seen gold prices hit a three week high, with geopolitical risks seeing investors move towards the safe-haven asset. Seen as a hedge against inflation, other metals have also spiked as tensions over Ukraine heat up. Palladium today sees an August 2011 high, as traders worry that US sanctions on [...]
What you need to know before the open April 14, 2014 Rising tensions in Ukraine are expected to hit European equities this morning. The Ukrainian government has begun a full-scale anti-terrorist operation, following the arrival of pro-Russian forces in several towns in eastern Ukraine. Russia has asked for a dialogue to be initiated, calling for Kiev not to use force. The rouble's currently down almost one [...]
Kiev strikes back in East Ukraine April 14, 2014 THE UKRAINIAN government has launched a full-scale anti-terrorist operation in the country, after pro-Russian forces moved into half a dozen towns in eastern Ukraine. The town of Slaviansk saw a reported gun battle yesterday, with at least one Ukrainian soldier and one pro-Russian fighter killed in the violent clashes. Others were said to have been [...]
Asian markets slide as Ukraine crisis escalates April 14, 2014 Asian markets are experiencing partial retreats after Friday saw sliding shares on Wall Street and tensions escalate in Ukraine over the weekend. On 11 April, JP Morgan posted results significantly below estimates, with net income dropping to $5.3bn (£3.2bn), compared with $6.5bn a year earlier. The biotech sector also struggled, leading the Nasdaq substantially lower. [...]
Letters to the Editor – 11/04 – Thatcher’s children, Problem with MBAs, Best of Twitter April 10, 2014 Thatcher’s children [Re: Why Sajid Javid could soon become the Tories’ great hope, yesterday] If the Conservative party wishes to win the 2015 election, it desperately needs a new leader and a change of political direction that encompasses the views of the electorate. Javid may be the only person who could pull off this dramatic [...]
BP: From Russia with Love April 10, 2014 Many of the shareholder questions at BP’s annual meeting today were on the topic of Russia, Ukraine and the oil major’s stake in Rosneft. The FTSE 100 firm is particularly exposed to the ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia over the sovereignty of Crimea, due to its near 20 per cent stake in the Russian [...]
Letters to the Editor – 10/04 – Housebuilding, Liberal vision, Best of Twitter April 9, 2014 Housebuilding [Re: How London can smash through the brick ceiling limiting housing supply, yesterday] A better idea would be to abolish the contradictory demand that developers build “affordable housing”, which actually puts the price of other properties up, thereby harming affordability. The housebuilding market is effectively constrained by such entry barriers. They mean that most development [...]