England awesome against Wales with record win in Cardiff! So are Scotland really going to try and win against France tonight knowing if they do win England will win the 6 Nations? |
Buy these Monday because in 10 days they will be over 74p |
Military operation in Ukraine14 Mar, 17:02
Ukrainian army committed crimes against civilians in Kursk Region — Putin
"As I have already said, these acts are classified by the Prosecutor General's
Office of the Russian Federation as terrorism," the head of state said at a meeting with members of the Security Council
NOVO-OGARYOVO, March 14. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin, commenting on an appeal of US leader Donald Trump to spare the lives of the Ukrainian soldiers blocked by Russian troops in the Kursk Region, said that they had committed crimes against civilian population.
"We would like to draw your attention to the fact that the Ukrainian militants have committed numerous crimes against the civilian population in the invasion zone. As I have already said, these acts are classified by the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation as terrorism," the head of state said at a meeting with members of the Security Council. |
Is there such thing as a pothole Minister?...the task is huge... |
 Carrots And Sticks: Flow Of US Weapons To Ukraine Grows Amid Negotiations
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Trump failed to play a peacekeeper. His envoy Witkoff left Moscow with no results. The US representative came to Russia with initially unacceptable proposal of a month-long ceasefire, which would be strategically beneficial for the scattered Ukrainian military.
Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly responded to the American initiative. Moscow is looking for sustainable peace but not a temporary ceasefire. Anticipating the provocation, Putin made an important diplomatic step. He highlighted Russia’s readiness to stop the hostilities, but there are still important nuances to solve. The issues include the control of the ceasefire regime, the fate of the surrounded Ukrainian grouping in the Kursk region and the ongoing mobilization in Ukraine. Russia does not accept the continuation of mobilization in Ukrainian, military supplies to the Ukrainian army and training of Ukrainian soldiers during the truce.
After Zelensky sold his entire country and his army was destroyed, Kiev tried to play the game of nobility, deigning to accept the temporary ceasefire. After Moscow expectedly refused, Russians were easily presented as warmongers, who are seeking to prolong the bloodshed. This is an easy task for Ukrainian propaganda and the MSM.
Amid the ongoing negotiation process, trying to play the main peacekeeping role but seduced by Ukrainian rear metals, Trump resumed the full-fledged military supplies to the Ukrainian military. This decision was supposed to be presented as a response to Russian refusal, but the flow of US weapons to Ukraine resumed even before the US-Ukrainian negotiations in Jeddah, after which it was officially confirmed.
Supplies of artillery shells, anti-tank weapons and ammunition for the HIMARS MLRS have resumed, as part of packages approved by the Biden administration. Some of these weapons were stored in Rzeszow, Poland, on the eve of the suspension of supplies.
Moreover, Washington increased the quantity of weapons and military equipment. Compared to the number of weapons supplied in 2024, the current flow is about three times higher. Unlike in previous years, instead of obsolete systems, the US is sending its modern armored vehicles, tanks, and various other systems. For example, the United States will resupply Ukraine with Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB), after they were upgraded to better counter Russian electronic warfare. LINK
US contractors who are in Ukraine to assist in the maintenance, training and support of the country’s more sophisticated weapons systems have also resumed their work.
Carrots And Sticks: Flow Of US Weapons To Ukraine Grows Amid Negotiations
Illustrative Image
It was also reported that the United States did not prolong the license for Russian banks that conducted energy trading operations as exceptions adopted by the Biden administration. This license allowed foreign companies to make payments for Russian energy resources through sanctioned banks of the Russian Federation. Restricting access to the US banking systems makes it difficult for other countries to purchase Russian oil, thereby limiting its global supply.
Washington is looking for the leverages that remained to force Moscow to sacrifice its interests. On the other hand, Russian position remains tough, but the Kremlin never refuses the meaningful dialogue and highlights that contacts and negotiations with Washington continue. Trump said that he had another call with his Russian counterpart on March 13th, probably after Witkoff presented report from Moscow. The US President does not stop declaring his optimism about the ongoing negotiation process, playing to his audience, stressing on the emotional issues, like for example, the fate of Ukrainian soldiers surrounded in the Kursk region. According to the American leader, there is the risk of a horrific bloodshed, that;s why he is calling on Moscow to save the lives of Ukrainian men (while the Ukrainian military command and political leadership is the only one to blame for another bloody defeat, and the Russian military has always been humane to the surrendering enemy, without any advises from abroad).
As expected, Trump’s actions are again at odds with his loud statements. Having extensive experience of Western hypocrisy and dirty deals, Moscow seems to be acting cautiously, insisting on its interests, backed up by victories on the battlefields in Ukraine. Any peace agreement is yet to be reached, but some progress is already visible. For example, the NATO Secretary General has finally admitted that Ukraine’s accession to NATO is no longer being considered.
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A Conservative council leader will stand for Reform UK in this May's local government elections because he feels "let down" by his party.After more than a decade of service, Gloucestershire County Council's chairman Vernon Smith will stand for Reform in the elections on 1 May.BBC news |
After 16 trading days, buyback complete to date:
Total shares to date...........................202,793,854
Aggregate cost to date.........................£140,508,659.44
Average price paid to date.....................69.2864p
Percentage of £1.7 billion buyback completed...8.27% |
260...lot of pain and sadness there. |
Feel your pain Scruff.
I kept my GSD just a tad longer than I should (ie not jsut the one mess on floor to clear up)
But it was a glorious sunny day St George's day when we sent her to a better place.
Had the Vet come round.
Cant face another dog yet..been 4 years. |
Richard MarriottStarmer needs to get real - this is a looming Recession made in Downing Street, literally so.Reeves Budget - disaster for jobs and business.Rayner's Workers Rights - disaster for jobs and business.Miliband's Nut Zero - calamitous for UK Plc, and any energy intensive businesses.Clear the lot out now!...Daily Telegraph |
Andrew PearsonSpain seems to be booming, even Italy is doing OK. Russia is doing better than us. And, of course Tiger economies roaring ahead. The world hasn't changed for themBill Tongjust nowReply to Andrew PearsonAh. The reason is that they don't have Rachel from Accounts in charge - that's the change to which she was referring....Daily Telegraph |
While our pensioners shiver...
GET LABOUR OUT! |
After 15 trading days, buyback complete to date:
Total shares to date...........................180,439,370
Aggregate cost to date......................... £125,019,371.60
Average price paid to date.....................69.2861p
Percentage of £1.7 billion buyback completed...7.35% |
NHS England will be abolished to "cut bureaucracy" and bring management of the health service "back into democratic control", Keir Starmer announces
Democratic control- really?
More BS Kneel. |
The battle for Kursk: How Russian soldiers crushed Ukrainian defenses in Sudzha
The rapid offensive, which sent Kiev’s forces into flight, has been a triumph for the Russian Army. But how it concludes depends on peace negotiations
Moscow’s decisive offensive in Kursk Region is entering its final stage, seven months after Ukraine launched a surprise attack and seized part of its territory. The situation bears resemblance to the events around Kharkov – on the other side of the border – in 2022, when Russia forces made a hasty retreat.
However, this time, the roles are reversed. The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) find themselves unable to contain the swift movements of Russian troops, chaotically backpedalling while their commander-in-chief describes the situation as a “planned regrouping to advantageous positions.”
The so-called Sudzha foothold – named after the eponymous town and long considered Kiev’s key bargaining chip with Moscow – collapsed.
The Russian military has dislodged remaining Ukrainian forces from the town, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has announced on Thursday.
Background
Following the end of Ukraine’s surge in September 2024, hostilities entered a prolonged positional phase. The AFU transitioned to defense, gradually losing its foothold in Kursk Region while occasionally attempting to expand it. For the Russian Army, this remained a secondary concern; the AFU’s zone of control was already fragmented and did not pose an immediate threat. However, towards the end of 2024, Moscow’s primary focus remained on the Donbass front.
By January 2025, the fighting around Sudzha had intensified. Ukrainian forces attempted to reinforce their positions, but Russian troops adopted a well-honed strategy seen previously in Donbass: Encircle the enemy on three sides, cut off supply routes, and force their collapse through attrition. The turning point arrived in mid-February when Russian forces liberated Sverdlikovo and crossed the Loknya River, gaining access to the AFU’s main supply route from Sumy to Kursk.
Following the capture of Sverdlikovo, the situation for the Ukrainian forces deteriorated visibly. The enemy’s reports indicated the significant superiority of the Russian Army, and unlike their unbelievable claims about North Korean fighters, this assessment seemed credible
With Russian forces now operating on this Ukrainian soil, territorial borders have become irrelevant – military necessity dictates movement.
The Sudzha offensive
The active phase of the operation commenced on March 7. Russian troops struck Ukrainian supply lines and key crossings while launching multi-directional assaults. In a bold move, Moscow even conducted a raid toward the border in the south, cutting off a secondary supply road to Sudzha. While soldiers later withdrew from some forward positions, the incursion had already inflicted severe disruption on the enemy’s logistics.
Unlike the protracted battles in Donbass, which focus on attrition and gradual advances, the Sudzha operation prioritized speed, surprise, and the systematic destruction of Ukrainian supply networks. This approach culminated in the now-famous ‘pipeline operation’ on March 8, in which an 800-man Russian regiment severely disrupted the AFU’s logistical chain. By the end of the day, Russian forces had gained control over key industrial areas north and east of Sudzha.
‘We burst out unexpectedly, like demons’: How Russia’s ‘pipeline operation’ crushed Ukrainian defenses in Kursk
Read more ‘We burst out unexpectedly, like demons’: How Russia’s ‘pipeline operation’ crushed Ukrainian defenses in Kursk
Ukrainian forces attempted to retreat toward Sudzha in hopes of stabilizing defensive lines and extending the battle into a drawn-out engagement. However, by March 10, their collapse was evident. Units began chaotically retreating, with some fleeing toward the border and abandoning their equipment. By March 12, Russian forces had taken control of the industrial zone, suburbs, and Sudzha’s administrative center. While this map still shows areas under AFU control, in reality, they have already become a gray zone – likely to fall within days or even hours.
What comes next?
The pressing question now is whether the Russian Army will continue advancing beyond Sudzha into deeper Ukrainian territory. Since the conflict in Kursk began last August, the concept of borders has become increasingly irrelevant – military necessity dictates movements, not outdated territorial lines. Russian troops have already crossed the border multiple times during operations around Sudzha, and there is little to suggest they would hesitate to do so again if required.
The trajectory of Russian operations hinges on the outcome of ongoing diplomatic negotiations. If Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump reach a lasting peace agreement, it is likely that Russian forces will halt their advance at Sudzha, as Moscow has no territorial ambitions beyond Kursk Region. However, should hostilities escalate into a broader phase, the Russian military may shift its focus toward the outright defeat of the Ukrainian army and the dismantling of the current Kiev regime.
The coming weeks will be decisive. Either Ukraine capitulates under American pressure, or the conflict escalates into its next, and possibly final, phase.
Sergey Poletaev
By Sergey Poletaev, information analyst and publicist, co-founder and editor of the Vatfor project. |
Mms games over the next 4 weeks to fill orders buy do not sell The div is good and these are under valued |
Have started to buy will hope to get over 300.000 |
Will the Bank of England Cut Interest Rates in March?
Significant uncertainty still surrounds the Bank of England’s rate cutting trajectory in 2025.
With inflation news worsening, the Bank of England is expected to hold interest rates steady at the next Monetary Policy Committee meeting on March 20.
That would leave the base rate 4.50%. However, expectations throughout the rest of 2025 have changed considerably, with more interest rate cuts now seen coming down the road.
There is a 95% chance of a rate hold this month, interest rate swaps data shows, with a 77% chance of a cut at the MPC’s meeting in May, and a 55.6% chance of a cut in August. This is a marked contrast from January, when traders anticipated only one cut this year—in February.
No further cuts are currently anticipated as far out as February 2026, when the MPC’s first meeting of the new year will take place.
These projections are potentially at odds with the recent upward inflationary trend seen in the UK’s inflation data. Last month, UK Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) jumped to 3.0%, an uptick from 2.5% in December.
“On the face of it seems a strange change of tack, especially given that inflation increased in January and now sits at 3%,” observes Michael Field, chief market strategist EMEA at Morningstar.
“If anything, expectations of cuts should be moving in the opposite direction.
“That said, there are likely two drivers behind this move. First, growth expectations for 2025 were recently halved by the BOE to just 0.75%. This means the risk of overheating is very low and, if anything, lower rates are required to stimulate the economy.
“Secondly, the European Central Bank is currently working off 2.5% rates and is likely to cut a couple of more times this year. This makes the current BOE rate of 4.5% look incongruous—especially when the economic environments are quite similar.”
What is the Bank of England’s Base Rate?
The UK’s base rate sits at 4.5% following three rate cuts in August and November last year, and on Feb. 6 this year. At its last gathering in February, when it cut rates, the MPC said it had voted seven-to-two in favor of the decision. Next week, investors will be watching those numbers once again to see whether consensus on the committee is changing.
The UK’s latest inflation data for the 12 months to January 2025 showed Consumer Prices Index running at 3%. This is 0.5% higher than December’s data, and 1% higher than the Bank of England’s own target 2%.
Persistent inflationary activity has already led to fears the Bank may keep rates higher for longer, putting pressure on those with significant debt and mortgage holders switching onto more expensive packages after their fixed-rate deals end. The UK mortgage market remains competitive, however, so borrowers of all kinds should survey the mortgage deals on offer and get professional advice to navigate changing interest rates.
Will the Bank of England Continue to Cut Rates in 2025?
Significant uncertainty continues to surround monetary policy in the UK, Europe, and across the Western Hemisphere. For one, investors still aren’t quite sure what the impact of US government tariffs will be on the global economy. The geopolitical situation changes daily.
On UK gross domestic product, or GDP, plenty of economists are still concerned about the UK’s lack of progress. The UK base rate is still relatively high. Fears that high rates are stifling growth by limiting spending in the real economy are potentially justified.
Investors will have to wait until next Tuesday, Mar. 18, to find out the UK’s latest CPI figures for January 2025. For now, we know that the UK economy grew 0.1% in Q4 2024 after a no-growth Q3 2024. Year-on-year growth for Q4 2024 was 1.4% compared with Q3 2023.
On the Continent, the balance of power over the future of Ukraine has shifted dramatically in just a few weeks. In the US, equity markets are reacting negatively to the uncertainty this causes for company order books, balance sheets, and investor earnings. Several large investment banks—including Goldman Sachs—have revised upward their view on the likelihood of a US economic recession.
Meanwhile, commitments to increase defense spending in the UK and Europe have sent bond yields rising. This was recently in visible in Germany, where the abandonment of the country’s long-held debt brake lifted defense stocks like Rheinmetall RHM accompanied a new era of government spending. Bund yields spiked.
Back in the UK, a pledge to reduce the government’s international aid budget in favor of more spending by the Ministry of Defense has achieved certain political aims. But the longer-term effects—alongside other government policies announced at last year’s October Budget—may well be inflationary too. If the data shows persistent inflation in the UK economy, the Bank of England will likely continue to hold rates.
What Will Equities and Bonds Do if the Bank of England Holds Rates?
Equity markets typically react positively to rate cuts, so the response to a rate hold by the Bank of England next week would in principle be negative. That said, markets appear to have priced in a rate hold already, so the reaction could be muted.
However, there are plenty of other things going on, and plenty of other reasons UK equity markets could perform negatively or positively next week. Equities are currently exceptionally sensitive to geopolitical developments, so significant developments could have a pronounced effect on investor sentiment.
This has been most visible in the US, where bullish sentiment over the return of Donald Trump as president in November and December 2024 has given way to serious anxiety. On Monday this week, Tesla TSLA stock closed 15% lower on fears that chief executive Elon Musk’s political activities could lead to a smaller order book this year.
Bond investors are exposed to the uncertainty of geopolitics too. Expectations over government and corporate spending are changing across the world. Bond prices and bond yields are inversely correlated, so the situation has sent prices down and yields upward.
This is where the duration of investor bond holdings really matters. Because bonds are sensitive to interest rate changes, longer-duration bonds are particularly affected by periods of changing monetary policy. And as longer-term projections change, so too do prices (and the yield) of longer-term securities.
As my colleague Valerio Baselli has explained, bond managers are reacting to this in different ways. Some are selling their longer-dated holdings. Others are buying to take advantage of attractive prices and higher yields by buying the dip. |
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