Russian official rhetoric has increasingly compared events in Ukraine to the darkest crimes of Nazi Germany, ahead of next week's anniversary of Soviet victory in World War II.

Since the beginning of the crisis in Ukraine, Russian television and officials have made frequent references to the "fascists" Moscow claims are now running Ukraine.

But the latest outbreak of deadly violence has seen the official Moscow propaganda reach new heights, analysts said.

The fire in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa that claimed at least 42 lives on Friday has been swiftly dubbed a new "reprisal raid" and even the "new Khatyn," a reference to the Belarussian village where 149 residents were burned alive by the Nazis in 1943.

The entire village was punished for the death of a Nazi officer and the Nazi battalion behind the massacre consisted of collaborators including nationalists from western Ukraine.

The Khatyn massacre went down in Russian history books as one of the Nazis' most brutal "reprisal raids," a term the Kremlin has now adopted to describe the offensive Kiev authorities have launched against pro-Moscow rebels in the flashpoint town of Slavyansk.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman on Saturday pointedly referred to the Odessa tragedy as a "reprisal raid," saying "extremists" burned people alive.

State television and officials went even further by overtly likening the Odessa blaze to a Nazi-style massacre.

"What has happened, especially in the Trade Unions House, brings to mind the crimes of the Nazis during World War II," pro-Kremlin lawmaker Leonid Slutsky told reporters in Moscow, referring to the Odessa fire. "These are the new Khatyn and Auschwitz." A senior official in the pro-Kremlin government of Crimea, Ukraine's peninsula taken over by Russia in March, chimed in. "The last time people were burned alive in Ukraine was by the Nazis during the Great Patriotic War," Rustam Temirgaliyev said on Facebook, referring to the Russian name for World War II. have taken control of a string of towns and cities across Ukraine's southeast as a "reprisal raid" last month and the term has since become a Moscow favourite to depict events in Ukraine, used by everyone from television news anchors to Russia's UN envoy Vitaly Churkin. Russia's losses and sacrifice during World War II remain a hugely sensitive subject in the country and Putin has often reached into this history to cast pro-Western authorities in Kiev as Moscow's enemies.

Published: 04 May 2014

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Anglo American's chief executive has hinted that the mining titan is looking to offload its strike-hit South African platinum mines to concentrate on open-cast extraction.

The London-listed firm's operations in South Africa's platinum belt north of Johannesburg have been idle for close to three months, forcing the firm to dig into reserves and hitting its bottom line.

About 80,000 miners are on strike and have vowed not to return to the shafts until their minimum monthly wage is doubled to 12,500 rand, around $1,200.

Anglo American says that demand, if met, would wreck its platinum subsidiary.

"The Rustenburg resource is no longer what it used to be," Mark Cutifani told newspaper Business Day in an interview published on Monday.

"I don't think that's where our best skills set sits."

"That's why I've been quite vocal saying we should consider taking a back step from Rustenburg."

Published: 14 April 2014

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Sainsbury’s Nine Elms Temp Store went the extra mile in their fundraising for Sport Relief, raising over £5900. It comes after the retailer announced a fundraising total of over £6.5 million, making it the biggest corporate donation on the night and £1 million higher than the retailer’s support in 2012.

Customers and colleagues got behind Sainsbury’s Nine Elms Temp Store fundraising activities for this year’s Sport Relief, which began with Store Manager Andy Robins wearing a Batman onesie and cycling on a bike, which was borrowed, to us for the whole week by the local PureGym on Monday 17^th March 2014. Colleagues also took part in dancing, singing, face painting, bag packing from the local Sea-Cadets, went to local school selling Sports Relief merchandise and colleagues cycling everyday to reach 5 miles in the store the foyer area which took place from Monday 17^th March 2014 to Sunday 23^rd March 2014 through the whole day each day and we did it !!

The store PR Ambassodor Mohammed Abdul Rokeeb and Great Place To Work Leader Michelle Bates were also collecting customer donations at the foyer area stores during a colleague flash-mob performance of Black Lace’s 70’s dance number ‘Superman’. It was part of a nationwide flash mob across all Sainsbury’s stores to help generate further funds for Sport Relief.

Along with dancing, colleagues including Matt, Michelle, Janet, Isabelle and Paul took part in the first ever Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Games mile, in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s Chief Executive Justin King, took part in his final Sport Relief Mile challenge before he leaves the company in July. Justin smashed his fundraising target of £70,000 by running 17 regional miles across the UK, raising over £104,000, with money still coming in.

Published: 13 April 2014

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Leading estate agent Andrews is predicting a cracking Easter and a record breaking May for property sales in London.

Year- on- year more people instruct Andrews to market their home in May than at any other time (25% above year average *¹); however, this year the company believe it will be its best for property sales for ten years.

Last year Andrews found that property valuations in May happened at the fastest rate across the year (15% above the year average*¹) viewings were up 10%*¹, more people applied to hear about new properties (6%*¹) and most importantly it was the most profitable time of year to sell as offers were 8%*¹ above the average.

The housing market has continued to improve since last May with house prices now up by 18.2% since 2013 in London according to the Nationwide House Price Index. With the Chancellor confirming in March that the Help to Buy Scheme will be extended until 2020 and with house prices expected to continue to rise in the next 12 months competition to buy properties looks only to increase.

Published: 04 April 2014

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Tom Higgins, age 22, from Pimlico has just completed phase one of the revered Yachting Cadetship by leading maritime training provider and youth charity, UKSA - and his new role as a professional deckhand cruising American waters for the next six months is phase two of his training for a lucrative and exciting career on superyachts.

This structured three-year apprenticeship includes a Foundation Degree in Operational Yacht Science delivered in conjunction with Falmouth Marine School and validated by the University of Plymouth.

Tom began his training last October after being selected for a coveted bursary that covers the first phase of learning at UKSA’s Isle of Wight campus and amounts to a minimum of £17,000 worth of assistance and funding. Plus, students can typically earn €2000 a month tax free (not including tips) as entry level deckhands, while once onboard a vessel almost all their living costs are covered by the yacht too.

Published: 31 March 2014

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Leading scientists and officials completed a fresh climate report Sunday expected to lay bare the grim impact of climate change, with warnings that global food shortages could spark violence in vulnerable areas.

Part of a massive overview by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) set for release on Monday, the report is likely to shape international policy on climate for years to come, and will announce that the impact of global warming is already being felt.

Some 500 scientists and government officials have been gathered since Tuesday in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, to hammer out its wording.

It will serve as the second of three volumes into climate change's causes, consequences and possible solutions by the expert panel.

The work comes six months after the first volume in the long-awaited Fifth Assessment Report declared scientists were more certain than ever that humans caused global warming.

Published: 30 March 2014

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Banking giant HSBC announced on Monday a 15.5-percent rise in annual net profit to US$16.2 billion (11.8 billion euros).

The company's performance in 2013 compared with profit after tax of $14.03 billion in 2012.

That was when HSBC had been hit by high fines and other one-off provisions, the British bank said in an earnings statement.

Published: 24 February 2014

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Three former employees of banking giant Barclays have been charged in connection with the Libor interest rate-rigging scandal, Britain's Serious Fraud Office said in a statement on Monday.

Published: 17 February 2014

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16% admit their cars are insured in a parent's name and 3.5% are driving without arranging any cover at all

Nearly 20% of the UK's 17 to 19 year old drivers are flouting the law by committing insurance fraud or driving without an insurance policy.

New research commissioned by comparison website Gocompare.com has revealed that 16% of 17 to 19 year old drivers have their cars insured in a parent's name because they could not afford to insure the car themselves. The practice, known in the industry as ‘fronting', is fraudulent, invalidates a policy and could land in court those who knowingly try to fool insurers into charging lower premiums.

A further 3.5% of the UK's youngest drivers admit to driving without any insurance at all. Driving a car on a road or in a public place without at least third party insurance is illegal. The consequences of driving without insurance include a fixed penalty of £300, six penalty points and the risk of having the car seized and destroyed. If the case goes to court the driver could receive a fine of up to £5,000 and be disqualified from driving.

• 24% of 17 to 19 year old drivers struggle to afford to run their car

• 30% get financial help from parents

• Average annual running costs are estimated to be £1,753.34, or 22% of income

• 16% estimate they pay over £3,000 a year keeping their car on the road

• 16% are ‘fronting' their car insurance

• 3.5% are driving uninsured

• 20% were sure they'd be covered for driving someone else's car by the vehicle owner's policy

Nearly a quarter (24%) of 17 to 19 year olds said that they often struggle to afford to keep their cars on the road with 30% saying their parents help out with the costs. They estimate that it costs them an average of £1,753.34 a year in running costs which constitutes approximately 22% of their income. And 16% of 17 to 19 year olds estimated that it cost them over £3,000 per year, or more than £250 per month, to run their cars.

In the survey, 33% of 17 to 19 year old drivers said that they do not own their own car but instead use their friends', parents', or other relatives' cars when necessary. However, just 20% of drivers in the same age group were sure they would be covered in the event of having an accident whilst driving someone else's car.

Published: 03 February 2014

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City of London, Hillingdon, London Bridge & Westminster have been selected from more than 1,000 entrants from across the UK to take part in the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Britain in Bloom UK Finals 2014, as the campaign celebrates its 50^th anniversary.

The finalists from London were nominated following the regional stage of judging in 2013.  The shortlisted groups were chosen for their efforts to engage all members of the community, for demonstrating an exceptional commitment to helping the environment and for horticultural achievement.

In July / August, the finalists will be visited by two RHS judges who will meet community representatives and go on a tour of local projects. As well as the usual bedding displays, judges will inspect everything from local recycling initiatives to areas of natural habitat and conservation. They will also be looking at the management of street furniture and public parks, and will be assessing how well the group is responding to climate change and local challenges.  Special awards will be presented to finalists demonstrating excellence in specific areas such as planting for pollinators and community involvement.

Each group is going for Gold in the hope of being crowned winner of their individual categories.   Three out of the four nominated regions, Hillingdon, London Bridge and the City of London will be looking to build on their achievements from last year’s national finals.    Results will be announced at an awards ceremony in Bristol this October and will be attended by representatives of all 72 finalists.

Published: 30 January 2014

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