Here is everything we know about the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant accident in Ukraine December 3, 2014 Ukraine’s Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk has confirmed there has been an accident at one of the country’s major nuclear power plants today. The reactor affected is Zaporizhia NPP – the largest power plant in Europe, which is in the South East of the country. “I know that an accident has occurred at the Zaporizhia NPP,” Yatsenyuk said. Ukraine’s energy [...]
These five charts show why Russia is edging towards recession December 3, 2014 It's not been a good year for Russia. Yesterday the country revealed it had lowered its growth forecasts, and is now expected to enter recession in the first quarter of 2015 – the first time in five years. The deputy economic development minister Alexei Vedev announced the drop – from 1.2 per cent growth [...]
Kensington and Chelsea wins its bid to restrict “billionaire” basement extensions December 2, 2014 Kensington and Chelsea has won its bid to limit the size of multi-storey basement extensions, amid complaints regarding the building projects of a number of rich residents. The London Borough won approval on new rules which will restrict so-called "dig-downs" to just one storey below ground level. The extent to which basements can be spread [...]
Rouble sees steepest crash since 1998 after early oil price drop December 1, 2014 THE RUSSIAN rouble yesterday suffered its sharpest fall since the nation’s 1998 financial crisis. The currency dived by 7.6 per cent against the dollar early in the day before staging a recovery. The rouble began the day worth $0.02015 but had dropped to $0.01861 by 11:40am. Late last night the rouble was worth $0.01955. The movements [...]
Rouble plummets again on oil and China woes December 1, 2014 The rouble fell at its fastest rate since the Russian crisis in 1998 this morning, as it approaches the end of the year as the world's worst-performing currency. The currency fell 3.1 per cent to 52.00 against the dollar, at 2.5 per cent to 64.55 against the euro during early trading. In the past week [...]
The oil war has begun: The Saudis are using crude tools to hobble their rivals November 30, 2014 “Paranoia is knowing all the facts.” – Woody Allen Venezuelan foreign minister Rafael Ramirez certainly believes in my Saudi oil conspiracy theory. With his horribly-run country requiring a break-even oil price of at least $121 per barrel to balance its budget, and with the global price of crude already down 30 per cent since July [...]
Cooper-Hohn divorce has led to Britain’s biggest pay out – here the five largest UK settlements in history November 28, 2014 Hedge fund titan Sir Chris Hohn will have to pay his ex-wife £337m, in what is thought to be the largest ever settlement in a UK divorce case. His estranged wife, Jamie Cooper-Hohn, had been seeking half of Hohn's estimated £700m fortune since the summer, however Hohn offered a quarter. Both parties are thought to [...]
London house prices: Market for £10m-plus homes gets boost from Russia November 25, 2014 Sales of homes valued above £10m has soared by a third this year. The figures released yesterday by estate agents Knight Frank also show the number of transactions were 92 per cent higher from January to October than they were in the same period of 2014. A surge in demand has been seen from Russia. [...]
Wenger takes aim at Usmanov as Arsenal train their sights on wounded Dortmund November 25, 2014 UNDER-FIRE Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has issued a thinly-veiled rebuke to Alisher Usmanov, the club’s second largest shareholder, for breaking ranks and publicly criticising the team. Russian billionaire Usmanov, who owns 30 per cent of the Gunners but is not on the board, accused Wenger of failing to learn from his mistakes after Saturday’s defeat [...]
France suspends delivery of its first Mistral warship to Russia “until further notice” November 25, 2014 After much agonising by French president Francois Hollande, the decision's been made. The country has put off delivery of the first of two warships to Russia "until further notice". It can't have been an easy choice. That contract for the two Mistral helicopter carriers, due to be delivered this month, is worth €1.2bn (£951m) – [...]