Iran seizes Greek oil tankers in escalation of Tehran’s spat with Western powers May 28, 2022 Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have seized two Greek oil tankers, after the Iranian government said it would take “punitive action” against Greece over its seizure of an Iranian oil cargo last month. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) said it had seized two Greek tankers sailing in international waters off the coast of Iran. The seizures [...]
MPs criticise government’s unclear China strategy amid James Cleverly visit August 29, 2023 MPs have criticised the government for having an unclear strategy around its relationship with China, amid a high-profile visit by the foreign secretary James Cleverly. A parliamentary committee cited “confusion” and “failure to explain policy” on China, following a government announcement of the ‘Indo-Pacific Tilt’ as part of the integrated defence review. The report by [...]
Oliver Dowden: Joe Biden presidency will not change UK Huawei sanctions July 22, 2020 The UK’s sanctions on Huawei are unlikely to be lifted if Joe Biden wins the November US election, according to digital secretary Oliver Dowden. The UK banned Huawei from supplying any more equipment to build the UK’s new 5G network, beginning from next year, after the US leveled sanctions on the Chinese telecoms giant. All [...]
Treasury grants licence to pay contracts for Russia’s Gazprombank until May 31 April 22, 2022 The treasury has granted a licence to pay Russia’s Gazprombank and its subsidiaries until the end of next month. The decision was made to ensure gas supplies continue to flow to the European Union according to a document seen by Reuters. The license allows an individual or firm to continue paying any contracts that began [...]
UK in the dark about real owners of £6.7bn worth of British properties February 7, 2023 The UK government is still in the dark about who owns tens of thousands of British properties, after thousands of offshore firms failed to comply with new transparency laws, which campaigners said exposes the UK property market to huge money-laundering risks. There are almost 52,000 properties in Britain, worth a combined sum of £6.7bn, that [...]
Why have Manchester City been charged by the Premier League? What punishment can they face? Will it affect the title race or fellow big-spenders Chelsea? February 6, 2023 The Premier League hit Manchester City with an unprecedented volume of charges for alleged breaches of financial rules on Monday, but what happens next? What punishment could City face if found guilty? And what does it mean for the title race, and other big-spending clubs such as Chelsea? Read on to find out. What has [...]
EU unable to reach consensus on Russian oil embargo April 25, 2022 The EU remains unable to reach a consensus for a complete embargo or punitive tariff on Russian oil and gas imports.
Business budget: Hunt vows to cut taxes and boost investment by £20bn a year by 2030 November 21, 2023 Jeremy Hunt has vowed to boost business investment by £20bn a year by 2030 ahead of the Autumn Statement.
Who is buying London’s mansions? 60 per cent go to wealthy buyers from four countries February 23, 2024 The super-prime market in London is booming. More mansions in the capital are being sold, for higher prices, to an increasingly international base. In 2023, sales of super-luxury new-build London apartments rose by 137 per cent to an average of £4,306 per square foot, according to Beauchamp Estates. Supply of luxury houses has also been boosted by an influx [...]
Barclays suspend Chelsea FC bank account: Reports March 11, 2022 Barclays has temporarily suspended Chelsea FC’s bank account as it assesses the impact of sanctions, according to multiple reports. The club’s owner Roman Abramovich was placed on the UK’s sanctions list yesterday morning over his links to Vladimir Putin and his part-ownership in a firm allegedly linked to the production of Russian military equipment. The [...]