Obama phones Putin, warns him to negotiate ahead of Minsk summit February 11, 2015 US President Barack Obama has upped the rhetoric over Ukraine, using a phone call to tell Vladimir Putin to negotiate a peaceful settlement this week. The phone call came after Obama confirmed he had asked officials to look into supplying the Ukrainian government with weapons to fight the Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine. Putin is meeting [...]
Dominique Strauss-Kahn: Sex parties were only four times a year, not more than that February 10, 2015 Former head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Dominique Strauss-Kahn said he only occasionally attended sex parties as he took the stand in his trial for aiding and assisting in the prostitution of seven women. Strauss-Kahn is accused of aggravated pimping and involvement in a prostitution ring run from a luxury hotel in [...]
Four surprising discoveries from Twitter’s latest transparency data February 10, 2015 Twitter has released the latest round of its bi-annual transparency data, showing requests for removal of data, account information and copyright notices from both governments and private individuals. The company has been making its data available since 2012, when it and other tech giants complained that governments were forcing them to disclose data they'd rather [...]
Oil price jumps as Opec’s strategy undercuts rivals’ supply February 9, 2015 Oil prices rose after the Organisation for Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) said demand for its crude oil will rise this year as rivals' supplies suffer, reinforcing the group's decision not to cut production in November. Its monthly oil market report said demand for the group's crude oil will jump by around 100,000 barrels a day to 29.2m [...]
World powers clash over solution to the Ukraine crisis February 7, 2015 World leaders clashed over possible solutions to the on-going crisis in Ukraine today, highlighting a lack of consensus over how to halt the conflict which has so far killed around 5,000 people. Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned sending arms to Ukraine to fight Russian separatists would be futile, sparking sharp [...]
Film review: Jupiter Ascending leaves plenty of space for improvement February 5, 2015 Cert 12a | ★☆☆☆☆ Sean Bean probably resisted at first. I picture bitter arguments, impassioned pleas, point-blank refusals. Contracts will have been brought out, threats made against the future of his career, the safety of his family. Eventually he capitulated, agreeing to read the line. “Bees are genetically programmed to recognise royalty.” Jupiter Ascending’s [...]
Sport Comment: Blaming Europeans for Lance ills is sick argument February 5, 2015 IF YOU love sport, you love Sundays. I do. It’s a time to appreciate the Saturday programme and look forward to an increasingly varied diet on the Sabbath. But not last Sunday, dear me, no way. It began bleakly with Andy Murray’s implosion in the Australian Open. And then there was the cricket. Strewth. England [...]
Rocky market could prompt oil mega-mergers as price fall forces drastic decisions February 3, 2015 After six months of falling oil prices, analysts have pointed to a possible mega-merger between the majors. Chances of a shock deal have been heightened by firms slashing their spending in the face of oil prices that are expected to remain low for at least the next six months and possibly the next three years. [...]
Can game theory save the Greeks from euro oblivion? Don’t count on it February 3, 2015 Game theory is a big topic in academic economics. Indeed, it is scarcely possible to graduate from a good university without exposure to its abstruse logic. So perhaps the Greek government, replete with economists, is using game theory to plan its tactics for the coming negotiations with its creditors. Or is Chancellor Merkel herself being [...]
Cuadrado deal takes Chelsea’s transfer spend to highest levels for a decade as player sales reach all-time record February 2, 2015 If you thought Uefa’s financial fair play rules were going to curb Roman Abramovich’s spending at Chelsea, think again. Following the signing of Juan Cuadrado from Fiorentina for £29.4m, the Blues’ total spend on transfer fees for the season has reached £123.3m. Chelsea have not spent as much in a single season for 10 years. [...]