Editorial: Oil ban dilemma points to sad truth that there are no good choices left March 7, 2022 If, as the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken hinted at yesterday, the European continent is set for a Russian-oil-free future, the implications will be enormous. Energy prices, already high, will spike further. Vast swathes of the continent – and the UK’s – manufacturing sectors will be forced to hike prices too, creating the sort [...]
PwC announces separation of Russian firm in first Big Four exit March 6, 2022 Pricewaterhousecoopers (PwC) will no longer have a member firm in Russia, with the multinational due to announce its decision tomorrow to separate its Russian company from the rest of its global network in the wake of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. The move by the Big Four giant will affect 3,700 partners and staff in Russia, [...]
Crackdown on misinformation: TikTok suspends live streaming in Russia March 6, 2022 TikTok have said it will be suspending live streaming and new content in Russia as the social media firm faces questions about the spread of misinformation. However, the Chinese tech giant has said that the in-app messaging will not be impacted in Russia as the company evaluates its safety measures, according to reports from Reuters. [...]
Labour calls for investigation of claims PM intervened to help get friend a peerage March 6, 2022 Labour is calling for a parliamentary investigation into claims that Boris Johnson intervened to get his Russian billionaire friend Evgeny Lebedev a peerage, after security services initially recommended against it. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer today told the BBC that a Westminster committee should probe the “very concerning” case and that “there’s at least the [...]
Sunak under pressure to drop NI rise in wake of Ukraine invasion March 6, 2022 Rishi Sunak is under increased pressure to drop his 1.25 percentage points increase of National Insurance next month in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It is expected the war will lead to higher inflation than expected due to Europe’s large reliance on Russian gas and Ukrainian agricultural products, like wheat. Annual growth in [...]
Anti-corruption campaigner Bill Browder warns buying Russian stocks is akin to buying ‘German equities during Holocaust’ March 6, 2022 An anti-corruption campaigner has warned people considering buying de-valued Russian stocks that it is akin to buying “German equities during the Holocaust”. Bill Browder in a tweet told people today to avoid Russian equities and bonds and to “have some decency”. London-listed stocks that have exposure to Moscow have collapsed in value since Russian troops [...]
Johnson promises Ukraine more defensive weapons in call with Zelensky March 6, 2022 Boris Johnson has promised Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky more “defensive equipment” to fight off the Russian invasion in a call today. A Number 10 spokesperson said the pair “discussed the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Ukraine, precipitated by Russia’s indiscriminate attacks and ceasefire breaches” and “the increasing threat Russia’s barbaric attacks pose to Ukrainian civilians and [...]
Russia unlikely to meet debt obligations as Western sanctions bite, Moody’s warns March 6, 2022 One of the world’s top credit rating agencies has raised concerns over Russia’s ability to service its debt as Western sanctions hobble Moscow’s economy. Moody’s said its move to downgrade Russian debt to the second-lowest rung on its ratings ladder was “driven by severe concerns around Russia’s willingness and ability to pay its debt obligations”. [...]
Payment giants join Russia exodus March 6, 2022 The world’s top payment providers have pulled out of Russia in response to Moscow’s assault on Ukraine. American Express, Mastercard and Visa debit and credit cards issued by Russian banks will be booted out of their networks, the trio announced over the weekend. Cards issued outside of Russia will no longer work at ATMs in [...]
TUI chief: Holiday bookings fly back to pre-pandemic levels March 6, 2022 Travel giant TUI said it expects holiday bookings to rise towards pre-pandemic levels as the industry gets back on its knees.