Minsk ukraine agreement

Lukashenko says Russia 'must be ready' to use nuclear arsenal Sign up for our news briefing, including a daily special Russia-Ukraine edition SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Alexander Lukashenko said on Saturday that if Belarus were to come under “attack”, its army would respond immediately. The West has speculated over the level of involvement of Belarus in Russia’s ongoing “special military operation” in Ukraine since late February. Related articles Putin under pressure as Kremlin growing 'upset' over sanctions Russia accuses Ukraine of launching 'deliberate cluster strike’ Lukashenko said his state stood fully behind Russia in its invasion as part of its commitment to a “union state” with … [Read more...] about Putin’s Belarusian ally Lukashenko threatens missile attacks on West in chilling warning

Chris Carr’s family building company is facing the worst conditions he has ever witnessed. Set up by his grandparents more than 100 years ago, Grimsby-based Carr & Carr has survived multiple economic cycles and major global events including the 2008 financial crash and the Second World War. But current conditions of surging material costs and availability – combined with staff shortages – are unlike anything previously experienced. “I’ve never known a time like this – it’s the perfect storm,” says Carr, who has been a developer for almost forty years. “The worst thing at the moment is the materials shortages, and we’re seeing double-digit increases in prices as well. “It’s difficult to determine a price for a job and tell someone when it will be completed, because you don’t know how much the materials are going to cost and you don’t know when you’re going to get them.” Carr, however, could be one of the luckier ones. The industry-wide problems have forced hundreds of … [Read more...] about ‘We survived the 2008 financial crash and the Second World War – but I’ve never known a time like this’

T he pound is facing an “existential crisis” and is likely to weaken further during this year, one of Wall Street’s top banks has warned. Bank of America says sterling “finds itself in an increasingly invidious position” for reasons including “increasingly challenging” Bank of England communication. Kamal Sharma, a London-based foreign exchange strategist for the lender, said the outlook for the pound was “grim”. The warnings came as the price of oil breached $120 (£95) a barrel on Monday, hitting a two-month high amid tightness in the market and concern over supplies. Oil prices have risen amid tight supply driven by the fallout from Russia’s war in Ukraine, as well as increased demand as more economies return from Covid-related restrictions. China announced easing of its restrictions, while the European Union worked on a plan to ban imports of Russian crude. The pound has fallen about 6.6pc this year in dollar terms, leaving it as one of the worst performers among the … [Read more...] about Pound faces ‘existential crisis’, Bank of America warns

Brexit: Liz Truss says Northern Ireland Protocol 'isn't working' Sign up for FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Speaking in the House of Commons, the former Prime Minister told DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson that her Brexit deal protected the Good Friday Agreement and would have prevented a border in the Irish Sea or on the island of Ireland. The dispute comes as tensions between the EU and UK erupt, with Liz Truss suggesting the UK could act unilaterally to shred unwanted parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol. Responding to Ms May's comments, Twitter user @TrudgianDavid said: "It was more like your veiled attempt to entrap us and keep us locked into the EU and why NI finds … [Read more...] about Theresa May sparks furious row after deal rant ‘You tried to entrap us!’

PM facing Cabinet backlash over Pincher sex pest allegations PM knew about Pincher allegations before appointment, No 10 admits Tory rebels plot another vote to oust Johnson this month Diane Abbott claims Boris is ‘rumoured to like assaulting women’ Ukraine war: Zelensky vows to retake lost Lysychansk J eremy Hunt would lose a Tory leadership contest against all other potential candidates, a poll of Conservative members has found. Research by ConservativeHome, published on Monday, found that if the former health secretary made the last two of any other leadership vote, he would lose to all other potential contenders. It came as he refused again to rule out another tilt at becoming Prime Minister. The candidate that Mr Hunt comes closest to was Steve Baker, receiving only 27 per cent of votes - while the former Brexit minister received almost double that, with 48 per cent. Mr Hunt's biggest threats, according to the poll, were Ben Wallace, the … [Read more...] about As it happened: Jeremy Hunt would lose Tory leadership contest to every major contender, poll finds

UK economic crisis 'has little to do with Brexit' says Rees-Mogg Sign up for FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Speaking to Andrew Marr on LBC, the Brexit Opportunities minister refuted claims Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union had created more bureaucracy and complicated trade barriers. He said Britain was “reducing red tape” in relation to countries outside of the EU, such as India, and that there would not have been access to these “fantastic” opportunities had Britain remained in the union. Mr Rees-Mogg added that the operative issue when it came to soaring coasts and high inflation was the “lack of Chinese semiconductors and cities in China still being … [Read more...] about ‘Very little to do with Brexit’ Rees-Mogg says cost of living nothing to do with EU vote

Germany's reliance on Russian gas addressed by Eva Maydell Sign up for our news briefing, including a daily special Russia-Ukraine edition SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Friedrich Merz, the leader of the CDU in Germany , has expressed concerns over what the impact would be in the European Union if gas supplies from Vladimir Putin fail to materialise. He warned in an interview with the 'Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung': "It is important that after the declaration of the second alert stage by Federal Minister Habeck, a concrete gas schedule coordinated within the EU now follows. Thus, there will probably be considerable distribution conflicts within the EU - as in 2015 and 2016 with the refugee crisis." Related articles … [Read more...] about Energy crisis grips Europe with fears of ‘price explosion’ and future without Putin’s gas

FMQs: Ross says Sturgeon is 'on a different planet' with policing Sign up for our news briefing, including a daily special Russia-Ukraine edition SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has voiced her assurances that Scotland will secure an independence referendum in October 2023. Last week, the Scottish National Party (SNP) leader hailed the publication of a poll on independence which found the Yes campaign had a narrow lead. A survey by Panelbase found that 48 per cent of Scots supported independence while 47 per cent were against — and just five per cent said they were undecided. Reacting to the poll, Ms Sturgeon said: "Very encouraging Panelbase poll - Yes ahead, surge in support for choice in … [Read more...] about Nicola Sturgeon and Ian Blackford slammed over pension claims: ‘Misleading Scots again!’

SIR – The Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Governor of the Bank of England are being taught by the unions what happens when you over-tax people, permit inflation to rise well above wage increases and fail to show any evidence of the advantages of an economy unhampered by European bureaucracy and red tape. Chaos. Alison Rhodes SIR – No trade union with any effective bargaining power would accept a 3 per cent pay rise (with strings attached) when the Bank of England predicts that consumer prices will soon rise by 11 per cent. No responsible government would approve of a pay rise that would lead to even higher inflation. A solution, proposed by Milton Friedman in 1974, would be an agreement to compensate for inflation retrospectively, in other words to agree that by this time next year there will have been a real-terms rise. If that were widely implemented, the forecast of 11 per cent might prove pessimistic. Frank Fishwick SIR – To receive … [Read more...] about Letters: The chaos of strikes thrives when taxes rise and inflation undercuts incomes