Liverpool relish Real Madrid visit as other English clubs get deja vu August 28, 2014 LIVERPOOL manager Brendan Rodgers savoured the prospect of a visit from Champions League holders Real Madrid after the Reds were drawn with the Spanish giants in the group stage yesterday. Manchester City were dealt perhaps the worst hand of the four Premier League sides, and face German title-holders Bayern Munich, Serie A runners-up Roma and [...]
David Cameron warns of “further consequences” if Russia continues to invade Ukraine August 28, 2014 David Cameron has said he is "extremely concerned" by evidence Vladimir Putin has launched a full-blown invasion in eastern Ukraine, warning there will be "further consequences" if Russia doesn't pull them out. In a statement this afternoon, the Prime Minister said the Russian president was "completely disregarding" the sovereignty of its neighbour. The international community [...]
German bonds hit record low as tensions between Ukraine and Russia simmer August 28, 2014 Investors piled into "safe haven" assets this morning, pushing the German 10-year bond yields to a record low after Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko cancelled a trip to Turkey citing "Russian troop deployments". In a televised statement, Poroshenko said his "place is in Ukraine", adding that he was calling a meeting of the security council "due [...]
Snapchat now fundraising with a $10bn valuation August 27, 2014 Ephemeral photo messaging app Snapchat is reportedly in the process of raising a new round of investment valuing the mobile messaging app at $10bn (£6bn), far above Facebook’s $3bn takeover offer last year. According to the Wall Street Journal, prolific Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byer is said to have invested [...]
McDonald’s to take legal action against Russian restaurant ban August 27, 2014 Fastfood giant McDonald’s yesterday hit back against the closure of five of its restaurants in Russia over what the country’s food regulator Rospotrebnadzor claimed were sanitary problems. Maxim Titarenko, a lawyer representing the fastfood company, protested: “The violations mentioned by the Rospotrebnadzor have already been eliminated or are being eliminated.” McDonald’s said in a statement: “We do [...]
McDonald’s set to fight back against Moscow crackdown August 27, 2014 After Russian courts ordered the closure of four McDonald's branches for 90 days, the global food giant has responded saying it will appeal the rulings and is scrutinising the decision made by the courts. "We do not agree with the court's resolution and will appeal against this resolution in accordance with the procedure established by [...]
Snapchat valued at $10 billion with new investment as monthly users reach 100m August 27, 2014 Evan Spiegel, the 24-year-old founder of Snapchat, must finally feel some vindication in his decision to turn down Facebook’s hefty $3bn (£1.8bn) offer for the hugely popular app last year. Snapchat is in the process of raising a new round of investment valuing the mobile messaging app at $10bn (£6bn), the Wall Street Journal reports, [...]
Ukraine crisis: President Poroshenko vows commitment to end fighting August 27, 2014 Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko has vowed his commitment to end fighting between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian separatists in the east of the country. His announcement followed two hours of direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Belarus; the first time such talks have taken place between the two leaders. "A roadmap will [...]
Europe will depend on Russian gas for decades, Fitch warns August 26, 2014 Europe will be reliant on Russian gas for at least the next decade with little alternative, analysts have claimed. Ratings agency Fitch issued a stark note yesterday, warning that Europe will continue to depend heavily on natural resources from President Vladimir Putin’s nation despite the race to diversify energy sources on the continent. “Any attempt [...]
Russian government shutters three more McDonald’s outlets August 26, 2014 The Russian government yesterday closed another three branches of McDonald’s, despite official denials that the shutdowns were related to sanction efforts against western governments. Last week, the state shuttered four McDonald’s outlets in Moscow, citing unsanitary conditions. Yesterday, two more in Moscow were closed, along with one in the mountainous Urals region. The company’s Russian [...]