Moscow has been quick to shrug off the coordinated sanctions against its two biggest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil."Counterproductive" is how the Russian Foreign Ministry described the measures. It warned the Trump administration that it would fail and accused the EU of being unable to accept that its sanctions don't work.Ukraine war latest: Putin ally's warning over sanctionsIt's a similar response in the papers. "Couldn't you have come up with something better?" asks the Russian tabloid, Komsomolskaya ...

Vodafone has said a massive blackout in its internet coverage yesterday was not caused by a cyber attack.The issues have now been fully resolved, according to the company, after hundreds of thousands of people reported their wifi, 4G and 5G connections dropping out. "On Monday afternoon, for a short time, the Vodafone network had an issue affecting broadband, 4G and 5G services," said a Vodafone spokesperson."This was triggered by a non-malicious software issue with one of our vendor partners which has now ...

Thousands of Vodafone users are reporting problems with their internetThe outages began on Monday afternoon, according to the monitoring website DownDetector, which reported more than 130,000 issues with Vodafone connections. A spokeswoman for the company said: "We are aware of a major issue on our network currently affecting broadband, 4G and 5G services."We appreciate our customers' patience while we work to resolve this as soon as possible."This breaking news story is being updated and more details will ...

Former PM Rishi Sunak has been hired by tech giant Microsoft.The ex-Tory leader, who remains an MP in parliament, has joined the Seattle-based tech firm as a paid part-time senior adviser and will give the company "high-level strategic perspectives on macro-economic and geopolitical trends" as well as how these "intersect with innovation, regulation and digital transformation". He will be donating his salary to his and his wife, Akshata Murty's, numeracy skills charity, The Richmond Project.Acoba, the watch ...

Google has warned the UK against imposing "onerous" and costly regulations after the competition watchdog ruled it had "strategic market status" for its search services.The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said legal tests had been met to designate Google with the status in general search and search advertising services due to "substantial and entrenched market power", with more than 90% of searches in the UK taking place on its platform. The designation gives the CMA greater control on how Google op ...

Core Insights - The spot gold price has reached an unprecedented level of $4,000 an ounce, indicating strong upward momentum for the remainder of 2025 [1][2] - Analysts attribute the surge in gold prices to various factors, including geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, and the potential risks associated with the AI-driven technology sector [5][6] Economic Context - The rise in gold prices is partly a hedge against the US trade war and the resulting global economic slowdown, which has negatively impacted demand for traditional growth-linked stocks and the US dollar [5] - Ongoing political crises, such as the situation in France and the US government shutdown, have further contributed to the demand for gold as a safe haven [6] Market Sentiment - Gold is increasingly viewed as a collective hedge against the potential collapse of the AI-driven boom in technology stocks, with many investors treating price dips as buying opportunities [13][14] - The current market behavior reflects a shift in sentiment, where gold is seen not just as a traditional hedge but as a conviction trade, indicating deeper concerns about policy credibility and fiscal decision-making [15] Investment Trends - Institutional and retail investors are now more inclined to buy gold during price dips, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of demand [14] - The Bank of England has highlighted the risks associated with the potential bursting of the AI bubble, which could lead to tighter financial conditions and impact global growth [10][11]

The London-listed media company which produces Formula One motor racing’s official podcast series is exploring a sale following a fresh set of approaches from potential buyers.Sky News has learnt that Audioboom Group is working with advisers to explore the terms of a potential takeover of the company. J Goodwin & Co, a firm founded by prominent media industry banker Jonathan Goodwin, is understood to be overseeing talks with prospective buyers.Audioboom has a market capitalisation of close to £100m, after a ...

Group 1 - YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by Donald Trump after banning his account following the January 6 Capitol riot [1] - The settlement includes $22 million allocated for a trust for Washington DC's National Mall and the construction of a White House ballroom [2] - Trump's YouTube account has been reinstated since 2023, and Google declined to comment on the reasons for the settlement, which does not imply an admission of liability [4] Group 2 - Alphabet, Google's parent company, is the third tech firm to settle with Trump regarding his online suspension after the Capitol riot, following Meta and X (formerly Twitter) [5] - Meta settled for $25 million, while X settled for $10 million, indicating a trend of tech companies addressing legal challenges from Trump [8]

Group 1 - Electronic Arts (EA) is being taken private in a record $55 billion buyout, with shareholders receiving $210 per share, representing a 25% premium on the closing price before the announcement [1][2] - The deal surpasses the previous record of $32 billion paid for Texas utility TXU in 2007, with approximately $20 billion of the purchase price financed [2] - The acquisition reflects confidence in the recovery of blockbuster game franchises after a post-pandemic downturn, where gamers had become more cautious with their spending [3] Group 2 - EA's sports portfolio has shown strong performance due to its global appeal and resilient in-game spending [5] - The transaction is contingent upon shareholder and regulatory approval [5]

A stowaway was found dead inside the landing gear of an American Airlines plane after it touched down in the US.The discovery was made at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, North Carolina, shortly after 9am local time on Sunday. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) said the aircraft had recently arrived from Europe, with maintenance crews raising the alarm after finding the body in the landing gear.In a statement, CMPD said: "The subject was pronounced deceased on scene by CMPD's airport div ...