Toby Woodall
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EU Russian LNG ban risks exacerbating already soaring UK prices
Tomas Ragina/Shutterstock.com 3 minute read EU Russian LNG ban risks exacerbating already soaring UK prices (Montel) Britain faces the prospect of greater competition for key price-setting LNG cargoes amid a looming EU-wide ban on Russian imports from 1 January, which risks exacerbating already spiralling energy prices even further, analysts told Montel this week. Share: URL has been copied to clipboard Unrivalled insights from Europe's largest team of 50 dedicated energy journalists.
“Interconnectors exacerbated 23 June UK crisis then saved the day”
Darren Staples / AFP / NTB 1 minute read “Interconnectors exacerbated 23 June UK crisis then saved the day” (Montel) Britain’s European power interconnectors exacerbated the country’s 23 June energy crisis – when there were concerns the grid was close to a blackout – but then saved the day, Montel market expert Noemie Baud said on Tuesday. Share: URL has been copied to clipboard Unrivalled insights from Europe's largest team of 50 dedicated energy journalists.
UK power grid faces growing stress on “unprecedented” weather
Raggedstone/Shutterstock.com 1 minute read UK power grid faces growing stress on “unprecedented” weather (Montel) Britain faces the prospect of more “unprecedented” weather over winter as the power system increasingly struggles to cope with growing stress from climate change and an increasing share of weather-dependent power, said Rob Hutchinson of forecaster Meteomatics. Share: URL has been copied to clipboard Unrivalled insights from Europe's largest team of 50 dedicated energy journalists.
UK power prices hit high, may surge on colder than normal winter
Photo: Jevanto Productions / Shutterstock.com 3 minute read UK power prices hit high, may surge on colder than normal winter (Montel) British wholesale power prices – which hit a near year high above GBP 200/MWh for today – could find further support over winter amid indications of colder than previously anticipated weather, analysts told Montel this week. Share: URL has been copied to clipboard Unrivalled insights from Europe's largest team of 50 dedicated energy journalists.
“UK must secure smaller energy units as Russian threat escalates”
photoibo / Shutterstock.com 3 minute read “UK must secure smaller energy units as Russian threat escalates” (Montel) The British government must take further steps to safeguard critical infrastructure as the Kremlin intensifies a campaign of unconventional warfare that could exploit vulnerabilities in smaller distributed systems, security specialists told Montel this week. Share: URL has been copied to clipboard Unrivalled insights from Europe's largest team of 50 dedicated energy journalists.
Predicting power demand becoming more difficult – British TSO
Dietrich Leppert/Shutterstock.com 2 minute read Predicting power demand becoming more difficult – British TSO (Montel) Predicting power demand is becoming much more difficult as more factors come into play, Patrick de Mars, a programme manager at British TSO Neso, told the Future of Utilities conference on Monday. Share: URL has been copied to clipboard Unrivalled insights from Europe's largest team of 50 dedicated energy journalists.
UK must send “clear oil and gas message” as uncertainty lingers
Jiri Vondrous/Shutterstock.com 3 minute read UK must send “clear oil and gas message” as uncertainty lingers (Montel) There is still too much uncertainty over the British government's longer term strategy for North Sea oil and gas, despite the recent approval of the Jackdaw gas field, analysts told Montel this week ahead of the annual budget. Share: URL has been copied to clipboard Unrivalled insights from Europe's largest team of 50 dedicated energy journalists.
Nuclear power becomes UK political consensus but can it deliver?
Photo: Nick Beer/Shutterstock.com 3 minute read Nuclear power becomes UK political consensus but can it deliver? (Montel) Growing cross-party consensus in the UK on the importance of nuclear as a source of low-emission power overlooks long-running issues faced by the industry, with analysts telling Montel this week they were concerned whether such a renaissance could deliver. Share: URL has been copied to clipboard Unrivalled insights from Europe's largest team of 50 dedicated energy journalists.
Britain “highly vulnerable” to attacks on energy infrastructure
NEIL HALL/EPA/NTB 3 minute read Britain “highly vulnerable” to attacks on energy infrastructure (Montel) British energy infrastructure faces a growing and persistent threat as Russia intensifies its campaign of unconventional warfare against key supporters of Ukraine, while Iran is also increasingly targeting the UK, analysts told Montel. Share: URL has been copied to clipboard Unrivalled insights from Europe's largest team of 50 dedicated energy journalists.
Grid stability “increasingly hard” for British TSO Neso
Photo: Jason Batterham/Shutterstock.com 2 minute read Grid stability “increasingly hard” for British TSO Neso (Montel) British grid operator Neso’s emergency call this week for up to 1,200 MW of additional power from France is cause for concern as it seemingly struggles to maintain stability despite relatively low demand, analysts said. Share: URL has been copied to clipboard Unrivalled insights from Europe's largest team of 50 dedicated energy journalists.
2nd UK supply alert in 2 weeks “worrying” amid benign conditions
Photo: Negative Space 2 minute read 2nd UK supply alert in 2 weeks “worrying” amid benign conditions (Montel) A second electricity margin notice in as many weeks – despite “benign conditions” – from British grid operator Neso indicates supply issues are now becoming “more common outside of winter months”, analysts told Montel this week. Share: URL has been copied to clipboard Unrivalled insights from Europe's largest team of 50 dedicated energy journalists.
There's one massive problem with Trump's Ukraine diesel price theory
U.S. President Donald Trump has a very simple solution to the very real problem of rising diesel prices. "(President Volodymyr) Zelensky has to do one thing — he has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia,” he told reporters on Sept. 13.
There's one massive problem with Trump's Ukraine diesel price theory
U.S. President Donald Trump has a very simple solution to the very real problem of rising diesel prices. "(President Volodymyr) Zelensky has to do one thing — he has to stop knocking out diesel fuel in Russia," he told reporters on Sept. 13.
Global grain prices rise as Russia-Ukraine war escalates in Black Sea
Global grain prices are rising steeply as Ukraine and Russia intensify attacks upon one another's main export infrastructure on the Black and Azov seas — leaving both countries struggling to find alternative outlets with the harvest in full swing. Russia and Ukraine are both major grain producers, with the bulk of their exports bound for the Global South — particularly the Middle East and Africa — via the Black Sea , through which around a third of the world's supply passes.
Global grain prices rise as Russia-Ukraine war escalates in Black Sea
Global grain prices are rising steeply as Ukraine and Russia intensify attacks upon one another's main export infrastructure on the Black and Azov seas — leaving both countries struggling to find alternative outlets with the harvest in full swing. Russia and Ukraine are both major grain producers, with the bulk of their exports bound for the Global South — particularly the Middle East and Africa — via the Black Sea, through which around a third of the world's supply passes.
Global grain prices rise as Russia-Ukraine war escalates in Black Sea
Global grain prices are rising steeply as Ukraine and Russia intensify attacks upon one another's main export infrastructure on the Black and Azov seas — leaving both countries struggling to find alternative outlets with the harvest in full swing. Russia and Ukraine are both major grain producers, with the bulk of their exports bound for the Global South — particularly the Middle East and Africa — via the Black Sea, through which around a third of the world's supply passes.
PepsiCo said it would leave Russia. Last year, it paid $237 million to the state
In response to Russia's full-scale invasion, PepsiCo announced it would suspend production and sales in Russia in March 2022 — and yet, last year it still paid $237 million in income tax to the Russian state. PepsiCo, one of the largest food and drink producers in the world, remains Russia's fourth-largest foreign business — with 60,000 workers and 19 factories still producing Pepsi Cola for Russian shelves under new names, Lyubimaya Cola and Evervess Cola.
PepsiCo said it would leave Russia. Last year, it paid $237 million to the state
In response to Russia's full-scale invasion, PepsiCo announced it would suspend production and sales in Russia in March 2022 — and yet, last year it still paid $237 million in income tax to the Russian state. PepsiCo, one of the largest food and drink producers in the world, remains Russia's fourth-largest foreign business — with 60,000 workers and 19 factories still producing Pepsi Cola for Russian shelves under new names, Lyubimaya Cola and Evervess Cola.
Why Armenians stuck with Pashinyan
YEREVAN, Armenia — The best of a bad lot was how many Armenians described victorious Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan ahead of Sunday's pivotal election — the first since the bitter defeat in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with neighboring Azerbaijan. While the election has frequently been framed outside Armenia as a choice between pro-Russian or pro-Western forces, few locals on the streets of Yerevan saw it in such stark terms.
Putin faces rising tensions as Russian economy weakens
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Putin faces rising tensions as Russian economy weakens
The Russian economy is struggling under the weight of the ongoing war in Ukraine, leading to a contraction in early 2026 and growing discontent among ordinary Russians. President Vladimir Putin is facing challenges as the war economy that initially boosted growth is now straining the system, with the central bank cutting interest rates in an effort to revive the economy.
Higher oil prices carry a sting in the tail for Russia - resurgent inflation
By pushing up oil prices, the war in Iran is offering Russia a short-term revenue boost — but at the cost of reigniting inflation, complicating the central bank's efforts to stabilize an already strained wartime economy. Before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes across Iran at the end of February, a slump in oil prices had been pressuring one of the Kremlin’s most important sources of revenue.
How Russia is using Cold War-era treaties to undermine Ukraine, Europe
Russian businesses and tycoons linked to the Kremlin are launching billions of dollars in claims under Cold War–era treaties against Ukraine and its Western supporters in response to sanctions. The claims, relying on investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) rules in bilateral investment treaties, challenge sanctions imposed in response to Russia's full-scale invasion and total around $48 billion in known cases.
The hidden cost of Putin’s war: A more dependent Russia
Russia's dependence on China has significantly increased since 2022, with China now accounting for 30% of Russian exports and 35% of imports, leading to growing economic leverage over Moscow. Despite the deepening economic ties, China has not fully replaced all imports from the West for Russia, leading to shortages of advanced industrial machinery and specialized equipment, as well as limited supplies of heavy weaponry and ready-made arms.
The hidden cost of Putin’s war: A more dependent Russia
3 hours ago Anti-graft watchdog Transparency International (TI) has warned that corruption is worsening in democracies worldwide and said the United States had fallen to its lowest-ever score on the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index. The Berlin-based TI said the global average score had fallen to its lowest …
Explainer: Why Russia’s nuclear industry has escaped major sanctions
Toby Woodall Fri, December 12, 2025 at 6:49 PM UTC 7 min read Since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has repeatedly threatened the use of atomic weapons, yet its much-prized nuclear industry has faced little in the way of meaningful sanctions. Russia's state atomic corporation, Rosatom, is a key part of the country's military-industrial complex — and is increasingly expanding its reach beyond nuclear weapons.
How Europe plans to phase out Russian oil and gas, explained
Generate Key Takeaways In the coming weeks, the EU will decide whether to phase out its remaining Russian fossil fuel imports by early 2027 — or give itself another year. Whichever deadline it sets, the bloc will face a difficult path to get there. It will have to overcome resistance from some capitals and secure new sources to replace the billion euros' worth of Russian oil and gas still flowing to the EU each month.
Who buys Russian oil and gas?
The Aurus Senat Is The Car Russia Built Out Of Spite For years, the country of Russia has been under punitive sanctions imposed by the EU, U.K, and U.S. These measures affect a country's ability to …
Who buys Russian oil and gas?
Summary: Russia has earned 954 billion euros from exports of fossil fuels since the intensification of its war against Ukraine in 2022, 214 billion euros of which came from the EU Oil and gas account for 30–50% of Russian budget revenue and 20% of gross domestic product (GDP) China remained the largest buyer of Russian fossil fuels in August, accounting for 40% of exports; India was second, followed by Turkey (a NATO member) A group of five EU states together spent 979 million euros in...
Slump in Russian dividends adds pressure to war-stretched public finances
Russian companies are slashing dividend payments as lower oil prices and a stronger ruble weigh on profits, complicating the government’s efforts to finance higher spending on the country’s decade-long war against Ukraine.
Polyus' production may face hangover from COVID-19 disruption until 2022
The Olimpiada mine in central Siberia accounts for almost half of the group's total gold production. Source: PJSC Polyus The disruption the COVID-19 pandemic caused to work at PJSC Polyus' largest mine in the first half may reduce production in 2021 and even in 2022.
Belarus unrest could sow seeds of change in potash industry
Political unrest in Belarus could have significant implications for the potash industry after striking workers brought the republic's state-run monopoly on the mineral fertilizer to a sudden halt in protest of President Alexander Lukashenko's disputed reelection Aug. 9. JSC Belaruskali's workers have leveraged their importance to the small country's economy to demand that Lukashenko end his 26-year rule.
Arctic oil spills overshadow Norilsk Nickel's efforts to clean up image
Arctic mining group PJSC Norilsk Nickel Co. faces closer scrutiny and fines following two major fuel spills in as many months, overshadowing its multibillion-dollar efforts to reduce its notoriously heavy environmental footprint.
Copper supply faces struggle to keep up with growing demand
A deficit in the copper market is set to deepen over the next several years as supply of the widely used metal struggles to keep up with strong demand from the power and construction sectors, compounded by the proliferation of electric vehicles.
Norilsk Nickel takes stock after catastrophic summer as further fines loom
The CEO of Arctic mining group PJSC Norilsk Nickel Co. said Sept. 26 that the company plans to spend an additional US$1.28 billion on industrial safety by 2025 after Russia's Federal Agency for Fishery revealed further fines over a catastrophic fuel spill at the end of May. The new spending is intended to prevent similar accidents in future, the group's CEO and largest shareholder, Vladimir Potanin, said in an interview with state-owned news channel Rossiya 24.
Gold price set to lose momentum beyond pandemic after 28% increase in 2020
The price of gold has risen 28% since the start of 2020, spurred by the coronavirus pandemic, but it is difficult to predict just how much higher it could go in the coming months and beyond. Gold was priced at US$1,950.85 per ounce as of Sept. 18, jumping from US$1,520.55/oz at the start of 2020. Most analysts expect the pandemic and its economic fallout to further buoy the precious metal, but price expectations begin to diverge markedly as they look further ahead.
Russia's Uranium One aims to capture 10% of global lithium market by 2030
Russian state-owned mining group Uranium One Inc. plans to begin producing lithium in 2023 and to capture as much as 9% to 10% of the global market by 2030, the head of the country's nuclear fuel distributor said in an interview with ROSATOM's weekly in-house news publication.
Russia's environmental watchdog files US$2B claim against Norilsk over oil spill
Russia's environmental watchdog filed a claim Sept. 10 of 147.78 billion Russian rubles against Arctic mining group PJSC Norilsk Nickel Co. over a catastrophic fuel spill at the end of May at its OJSC Norilsk-Taimyr Energy Co. subsidiary. The environmental agency known as Rosprirodnadzor previously requested Norilsk to settle the US$1.96 billion claim voluntarily, before threatening legal action in September.
Rising temperatures leave Russia's Arctic ambitions on thin ice
Rising temperatures and several environmental catastrophes over summer have revealed the underlying risks to Moscow's ambitious plans to develop everything from military bases to mines and associated infrastructure in Russia's far-flung eastern and northern regions, including the increasingly strategically important Arctic.
Shortage of critical minerals leaves EU reliant on problematic sources for now
The EU's dearth of critical minerals leaves it reliant on problematic sources such as Russia and China, which have less regard for the environment and human rights and often have conflicting geopolitical objectives, as the EU strives to become climate neutral by 2050.
Global steel sector faces uncertain road to recovery in wake of pandemic
Steelmakers responded quickly to the sudden plunge in demand caused by the coronavirus pandemic with capacity cuts, but the timing and extent of a recovery remains uncertain with key consuming industries still under pressure. As of May 18, production stoppages had halted 7% of global output capacity excluding China, according to research from VTB Capital.
Russian gold producers in position to capitalize on rising prices amid pandemic
Russian gold producers are well positioned to take advantage of the growing demand for the precious metal amid the downturn brought on by the outbreak of the new coronavirus. Domestic gold producers are benefiting from higher gold prices and a weakened Russian ruble — with most of their costs denominated in the currency — while keeping their mining plans on schedule, Senior Manager Dmitry Izotov at Deloitte & Touche CIS told S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Russia poised to replace China as world's top gold producer in 2026
Russia is on track to overtake China as the world's largest producer of gold in 2026, according to research from Fitch Solutions that projects a rebound in global mine supply in the coming years.
Russia bans coal, oil exports to Ukraine
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a resolution banning exports of oil, petroleum products and coal to Ukraine, he told a televised cabinet meeting on April 18, citing Ukraine's recently expanded restrictions on Russian goods.
Norilsk falters as Abramovich sells shares below market value
PJSC Norilsk Nickel Co.'s share price dropped more than 4% upon opening March 13 in Moscow before pulling back slightly, after Roman Abramovich and Alexander Abramov's Crispian Investments sold a stake in the major nickel and palladium producer at below market value in a March 12 accelerated bookbuild.
Barrick makes all-share bid for Newmont, dismissed by Newmont CEO
Jan. 25 2017 — S&P Global Market Intelligence recently explored whether mines based in the European Union are cost competitive with other global producers. We examined operating costs of copper, iron ore, and gold mines in 2015. In considering unit costs for operating mines, figures indicate that the EU28’s mining operations are, and can continue to be, competitive compared to mines in other countries around the world.
TOP NEWS: Melrose Narrows Loss As Nortek Delivers Strong Performance
LONDON (Alliance News) - Melrose Industries PLC on Tuesday reported strong underlying revenue and profit growth in 2017, buoyed by a strong performance from recent US acquisition Nortek, whilst statutory results were affected by ongoing difficulties at Brush. Melrose focuses on acquiring and improving manufacturing businesses and currently is in the midst of a hostile takeover bid for UK engineering blue-chip GKN PLC.
Moody's Takes Rating Actions On HSBC Credit Default...
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