S&P: Russian economy is heading for a second year of recession in 2016 February 25, 2016 Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's has warned that the Russian economy is on course for a second year of recession, as commodity prices continue to career lower. S&P predicts that the Russian economy will shrink by 1.3 per cent in 2016, as opposed to the 0.3 per cent growth it had previously forecast. It also [...]
At the close: FTSE 100 index falls as share prices of Standard Chartered and miners including Anglo American and Glencore drop further while housebuilders make gains February 24, 2016 The FTSE 100 index closed lower on Wednesday as the price of oil slid further and miners and Standard Chartered extended losses. The UK's blue-chip index dropped 1.6 per cent to 5,867 points, led lower by Anglo American and Glencore. "European markets tripped up again on Wednesday as volatile moves in the price of oil [...]
US stock markets including Dow Jones and S&P 500 open lower as oil price slides further February 24, 2016 US markets plunged lower as markets opened today, dragged down as the price of oil continued to slide. The Dow Jones Industrial average fell over 200 points in morning trade, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq dropped over one per cent. Read more: Brexit brouhaha – Sterling slides below $1.39 "The market got overbought up until [...]
Saudi oil minister denies Opec is at war with US shale but rules out production cut, sending the price of crude lower after multi-day gains February 23, 2016 The Saudi oil minister Ali al-Naimi has denied Opec is at war with the shale oil industry, though has said production cuts are not going to happen. His comments have pushed the oil price down by around two per cent to $31.87 dollars per barrel for West Texas Intermediate and $33.33 for Brent crude. The oil price [...]
EU referendum: Leaving the EU is a “big gamble” for the UK’s security, warns defence secretary Michael Fallon ahead of Cameron’s House of Commons statement February 22, 2016 If the UK votes to leave the EU it will be a "big gamble" for the UK's security, defence secretary Michael Fallon has warned. Speaking to the BBC, Fallon claimed that the "collective weight" of partnerships, including the EU, makes it easier to deal with global threats. "At the moment our defence and security rests [...]
Putin is playing bad cards well in Syria and Ukraine – but his days are numbered February 22, 2016 Given the hustle and bustle of modern life, a primary problem for political risk analysts is that they have far too much information rather than too little. I could literally spend the whole day reading other people’s articles, and never make a dent in a day’s worth of foreign policy analysis around the world. Given [...]
Oil producers hope for a deal on production limits by early March February 21, 2016 A deal to cap oil production at January levels should be completed by 1 March, according to the Russian energy minister Alexander Novak. The deal, brokered by de facto Opec leader Saudi Arabia, has the backing of Russia, Qatar and Venezuela. Opec rebel Iran has welcomed the deal but has said it will continue to [...]
Uncle Vanya at the Almeida is brilliantly acted, cleverly staged and gratifyingly reinterpreted February 19, 2016 Almeida | ★★★★★ Anton Chekhov is a cornerstone of modern theatre, one of the fathers of realism; he eschews action in favour of mood and character, and while his Uncle Vanya is an undoubted masterpiece, the prospect of three and a half hours of Russian misery isn’t necessarily the most enticing prospect. Rejoice then that [...]
How To Be Single review – plus the rest of this week’s biggest new film releases February 18, 2016 Bone Tomahawk (18) | ★★★★☆ Dir: S. Craig Zahler The western has been given more than a few new coats of paint lately, but none will be as surprising as Bone Tomahawk, which mixes traditional Old West with horror. Kurt Russell keeps his Hateful Eight beard as a sheriff who rides out to confront a [...]
Ukraine vows to “vigorously” defend itself after Russia takes it to London court over unpaid €3bn bond February 18, 2016 Ukraine has vowed to vigorously defend its interests as it gears up for a London legal battle with Russia over unpaid debt. Ukraine failed to repay a €3bn (£2.3bn) loan in December. The country argues it cannot repay the loan as it would favour Russia over other investors – Russia did not take part in a [...]