US intelligence services deny leaking explosive Trump dossier of personal allegations January 12, 2017 The head of the US intelligence services has hit back at US President-elect Donald Trump over claims his department leaked an explosive dossier of claims. James Clapper, director of national intelligence, denied claims that Trump had tweeted that the document had been leaked by one of the organisations under his control. Clapper said: I emphasized [...]
Turkey stuffing: The lira continues to plummet against the dollar on disappointing trade data January 11, 2017 Turkey’s lira has fallen to fresh record lows as the currency continues its precipitous decline over the course of the last year. The lira hit lows of 3.8951 lira to the dollar on Tuesday amid more signs of weakness in the Turkish economy. The dollar had strengthened 1.71 per cent against the lira at the [...]
Lord Coe set to defy select committee request over Russian corruption scandal January 10, 2017 World athletics chief Lord Coe is set to defy a request to reappear before the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee despite being summoned to answer further questions regarding his knowledge of IAAF corruption and Russian doping. Chairman Damian Collins called for Coe, president of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), to face the [...]
Ready to get back on your bike? Here’s some top new cycling technology to enhance your daily commute January 10, 2017 Revolights 360 $199, revolights.com Front and rear mounted LEDs provide 360-degree visibility. Has the added side effect of making you look like you're in Tron. Ellipse Bike Lock $199, lattis.io The solar-powered Ellipse can only be unlocked with your smartphone and uses bank-level encryption to prevent Russian hackers from opening it. Theft alerts tell you [...]
With the oil price higher, a credible central bank and warmer relations with the US, Russia’s stock market and the rouble could rise even further this year January 10, 2017 Since Donald Trump’s election, investors have embraced his tax-cutting, regulation-ripping agenda, and have been resolute in backing perceived winners and dumping losers. Developed markets are in; emerging ones are out – the obstinate tycoon must be pleased. Since 9 November, the promise of higher fiscal spending in the US has raised bond yields, and caused the [...]
The chess player and his needy friend: What Vladimir Putin really wants from Donald Trump January 9, 2017 Chess players are a particularly rare bird in the political risk ecosystem. The only major aim of such chess playing – and it is certainly an important one – is the acquisition and retention of political power over the long term. Chess players’ dogged, patient, rational, long-term pursuit of coherent strategic, political and geopolitical ends [...]
A new US intelligence report says Russia helped Trump win the US election, but gives little evidence of how January 7, 2017 The Russian government helped Donald Trump win the US election by discrediting his rival Hillary Clinton, US intelligence agencies said in a report released last night. "We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election," the report said. "We further assess Putin and the Russian government developed [...]
Exploring the Sardinian paradise of Costa Smerelda, Europe’s top playground for the fantastically wealthy January 6, 2017 Some places are just so beautiful, so unbelievably picture-perfect, so utterly, gob-smackingly Instagrammable, that you think, ‘if this didn’t exist, someone would have had to invent it.’ So I’m taken aback on finding out, on my first afternoon on the Costa Smeralda – one of Europe’s top playgrounds for the super-wealthy – that actually someone [...]
Female brewers in US are protesting Trump with a new beer January 6, 2017 A new protest against Donald Trump has emerged in the US, but this one's a bit boozier than the rest. In Denver, Colorado, multiple female-led breweries have come together to make a special protest beer just in time for the divisive US President-elect's inauguration on 20 January. Read more: Theresa May to visit Donald Trump in the US [...]
Everton sell training ground naming rights to company co-owned by Arsenal investor Alisher Usmanov and majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri January 6, 2017 Everton's training ground will be renamed USM Finch Farm after the Premier League club agreed a naming rights deal with the holding company for the businesses owned by Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov. USM Holdings, which is also part-owned by Everton majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri, counts Russia's largest mining company Metalloinvest, Russian social network VKontakte and stakes [...]