Russian rouble (RUB) and stocks (Moex and RTS) down with US poised to reveal fresh sanctions April 16, 2018 The rouble and Russian shares have retreated today on the threat of fresh US sanctions. Sanctions targeting some of Russia’s most prominent tycoons dragged Russia’s currency down and battered some of its top companies last week. Yesterday, the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, warned a wave of new sanctions were on the way [...]
Johnson: UK must take “every possible precaution” to defend itself from revenge Russia attacks following Syria strikes April 15, 2018 Cabinet minister Boris Johnson on Sunday stated that the UK should take “every possible precaution” to defend itself from the prospect of Russian retaliation following Friday’s air strikes on Syria. The foreign secretary made the comments to the BBC’s Andrew Marr show on Sunday after reports suggested that Russia could launch cyber attacks on infrastructure [...]
US, UK and France launch air strikes on Syrian government targets April 14, 2018 Multiple government targets in Syria have been bombed by the US, UK and France force in response to a chemical weapons attack. Damascus and two locations near Homs were targeted due to their alleged use as chemical weapons sites. The intervention came in response to a suspected chemical attack on the town of Douma last [...]
Moscow Court approves ban on messaging app Telegram April 13, 2018 Russia has followed through on plans to ban messaging app Telegram, with a Moscow court approving the move. The WhatsApp rival has been under the scrutiny of Russian authorities for months, as the Kremlin seeks to gain access to encrypted communications. Media watchdog Roskomnadzor sought to limit access to the app earlier this month after [...]
OPCW backs UK on Salisbury nerve agent attack April 12, 2018 The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has backed the UK over Salisbury, confirming that the samples it has tested met “the identity of the toxic chemical” named as Novichok by the government. The nerve agent – which the OPCW did not name in its statement – hospitalised former double agent Sergei Skripal, [...]
Bitcoin price (BTC) jolts to life, climbing by $1,000 in an hour April 12, 2018 Bitcoin’s price rocketed up by about 17 per cent today to reach its highest price in more than two weeks. The cryptocurrency broke past the $7,000 and $8,000 barriers in a matter of about an hour for the first time since the end of March. At the time of writing, bitcoin was down from its [...]
The Russian rouble (RUB) is falling further as pressures mount over US sanctions and Syria April 11, 2018 The Russian rouble fell for a third day today as the fallout from new US sanctions continued to heap pressure on Russian companies and markets. After dropping around eight per cent since the start of the week, the rouble shed nearly a further three per cent this afternoon, with one dollar buying 65 roubles at [...]
US dollar tumbles as pound hit two-week high of $1.42 (GPDUSD) April 11, 2018 The US dollar is trading at nearly its lowest point in two weeks, after Chinese President Xi Jinping promised to cut import tariffs, easing concerns about a US-China trade confrontation. Meanwhile, sterling continues to rally, hitting a two-week high to trade at $1.42. The dollar dropped against a basket of six major currencies, down to [...]
Double t-rouble: Russian currency hammered as markets reel from souring relations with West over Skripal poisoning and Syria chemical attack April 11, 2018 The Russian rouble took another dive yesterday to hit its lowest point in over a year after a fresh round of US sanctions on individuals close to Russian President Vladimir Putin rattled markets. The rouble fell nearly four per cent against the US dollar, with one dollar buying 63.9 roubles at its peak, following on [...]
Glencore boss Ivan Glasenberg resigns from Rusal’s board amid Russia sanctions April 10, 2018 The chief executive of commodities giant Glencore has stepped down from the board of sanctions-hit aluminium producer Rusal. Ivan Glasenberg resigned from his position as a director of the world’s top aluminium producer after its share price halved yesterday due to a fresh round of US sanctions that targeted Russian oligarchs including Oleg Deripaska, who [...]