On thin ice: the danger posed by thawing permafrost and how businesses need to prepare February 11, 2021 Rapidly thawing Arctic permafrost is a prime example of how climate change is impacting natural ecosystems and, in turn, business operations. Permafrost is the name for ground that remains frozen for more than two years. It has existed in this region for millennia. Temperatures in Russia have increased by around two and a half times [...]
Best of travel: Beijing and its surprising contemporary art scene February 9, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. This week we revisit Laura Millar’s exploration of Beijing’s contemporary art scene. Read more: Jaguar XF P300 review: revitalised luxury at a surprisingly low price ••• Picture the likes of London’s White Cube, the Saatchi Gallery, and the [...]
Growing risk of attacks on UK in ‘breakdown of world order’, says defence secretary February 9, 2021 Britain is at growing risk of chemical and biological attacks due to a “breakdown of world order”, the defence secretary has warned. In an interview with the Times, Ben Wallace said the internet had proved a “turbo boost” for terrorist groups and nation states seeking information on deadly attacks. “Globally, I think there is a [...]
Special wines to treat your beau this Valentine’s Day February 8, 2021 “We sold a bottle of Sine Qua Non The Hussy Roussanne 2000 to a customer for Valentine’s Day. It currently retails for £1,580. The most expensive bottle we have in the shop is the Macallan Lalique 2 55YO, which sells for £145,000.” Established in 2012 in the heart of London’s Mayfair by Russian mobile phone entrepreneur [...]
En+ sales fall as pandemic prompts drop in aluminium demand February 8, 2021 The global leaders in aluminum production saw sales of the metal fall 7.1 per cent in the fourth quarter, signaling a 6 per cent yearly drop. En+ Group says the coronavirus pandemic and the collapse of the global economy played a significant role in the fall in demand. Vladimir Kiriukhin, CEO of En+ Group, said: [...]
Rolls-Royce continues disposal plan with €150m Bergen Engines sales February 4, 2021 Rolls–Royce has today announced that it will sell an engine units to Russian firm TMH for €150m (£132.5m). The sale of gas and diesel subsidiary Bergen Engines is the second disposal the FTSE 100 firm has made it as it seeks to raise £2bn to survive the pandemic. Chief exec Warren East said: “We believe [...]
The financial case for Scottish separatism doesn’t bear real scrutiny February 4, 2021 The story goes that in 1787, as Russian Empress Catherine the Great travelled in the Crimea, her minister Grigory Potemkin erected fake portable villages along her route as a façade to hide deep-seated poverty in the region. The Potemkin Villages, as they became known, were the means by which the gilded monarch was persuaded that [...]
Best of travel: Eating and drinking with the St Petersburg locals February 3, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. This week we revisit Ashwin Bhandari’s trip to St Petersburg, the cultural heart of Russia. Read more: Jaguar XF P300 review: revitalised luxury at a surprisingly low price ••• There are not many places that have left me [...]
Putin critic Alexei Navalny sentenced to three-and-half years in penal colony February 2, 2021 Alexei Navalny has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in a prison colony despite widespread protests in support of the Kremlin critic. Navalny, who is one of President Putin’s fiercest opponents, was arrested last month on his return to Russia from Berlin, where he was recovering from being poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent. The opposition [...]
Oil prices hit highest levels in a year as producers cut output February 2, 2021 Oil prices rose more than 2.5 per cent today to reach its highest since last February after major producers showed they were reining in output roughly in line with their commitments. Brent crude was up 2.5 per cent at $57.77 a barrel for its third straight day of gains and the highest levels in 12 [...]