Russia sanctions remain until Ukrainian peace agreement in place, says EU September 30, 2014 The EU will maintain sanctions against Russia because of the ongoing violence in Ukraine, it decided today. At a meeting of EU ambassadors on Tuesday, the bloc ruled that the peace agreement between Ukraine and pro-Russian separatists "will need to be properly implemented" before sanctions are dropped. However an EU spokeswoman noted there had been [...]
UK superyacht industry buoyant as confidence at seven year high September 28, 2014 A flood of new orders may lead to even greater fortune for Britain’s £500m superyacht sector, with confidence in the industry at a seven- year high according to a new survey. The latest annual poll, carried out by industry body Superyacht UK, said 69 per cent of members rate prospects for the next 12 month [...]
Film review: The Equalizer September 26, 2014 It must be hard work running an international crime syndicate when so many members of the public have a background in killing people. Lately, it seems every man and his dog is in possession of a very particular set of skills, acquired over a long career, that make him a nightmare for prospective mega-villains. In [...]
Labour MPs speak out out against Ed Miliband’s mansion tax proposals September 25, 2014 LABOUR MPs yesterday hit out against Ed Miliband’s plan for a “mansion tax” on £2m-plus homes, which he has pledged to introduce to boost spending on the NHS. Hampstead MP Glenda Jackson joined Labour colleagues David Lammy and Margaret Hodge in warning that pensioners without the income to pay for the tax were likely to [...]
Sanctions push Russian prices up 7.5 per cent September 25, 2014 Russia’s rate of inflation may exceed 7.5 per cent this year, as foreign and domestic sanctions act to restrict the supply of goods. Russia’s target has been around four per cent since the end of hyperinflation in the early 1990s, but it is highly likely to miss the target this year, according to the head [...]
FFP spotlight falls on Anfield September 25, 2014 EUROPEAN football’s governing body Uefa confirmed yesterday it is currently in the process of formally investigating Liverpool and six other clubs across the continent for potential breaches of Financial Fair Play (FFP). Italian giants Inter Milan and Roma, together with Monaco, Besiktas, Sporting Lisbon and Russian side Krasnodar are the other clubs under the financial [...]
Ukrainian President unveils plans for EU membership September 25, 2014 Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is to outline plans for his country to apply for EU membership in six years time. Poroshenko said Ukraine would undertake a series of economic and social reforms to meet the standards required of EU members. "It (the strategy) provides for 60 separate reforms and special programmes, which will prepare Ukraine [...]
Russian growth forecast slashed by World Bank due to sanctions September 24, 2014 RUSSIA had its growth forecasts slashed by the World Bank yesterday due to ongoing geopolitical tensions coupled with a lack of reform. The World Bank forecast 0.3 per cent growth in 2015 and 0.4 per cent in 2016, revised down from 1.5 per cent and 2.2 per cent respectively. Sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s [...]
Putin threatens retaliation against Ukraine if EU trade deal goes ahead September 24, 2014 Russian president Vladimir Putin has warned Ukraine that its access to Russian markets could be hampered if it goes ahead with a planned trade agreement with the EU. Putin said in a letter to Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko that any change to legislation to prepare for the deal would be met with retaliation from Russia. [...]
Velocys share price hits high note after patent win over CompactGTL September 22, 2014 A High Court patent case between two energy companies providing conversion of natural gas into liquid fuel was settled in favour of Velocys yesterday over its rival CompactGTL. The patent case victory sent shares in Aim-listed Velocys 5.2 per cent higher during trading yesterday to hit a record high of 248p, before falling back to [...]