UK Furlough Scheme Pays Out Millions to Foreign States and Tax Exiles

THE GUARDIAN: Qatari owners of Harrods and the Ritz claimed £3m alongside payouts to Saudi royals and British National party from Covid job support scheme

Billionaire tax exiles, the British National party, Saudi royals and oil-rich Gulf states have claimed millions of pounds in taxpayer-funded furlough money, the Guardian can disclose.

The revelations, based on analysis of government information, have sparked dismay among MPs at the use of a scheme designed to support struggling businesses and prevent mass unemployment, with one complaining of public money being scattered “like confetti”.

Beneficiaries behind companies that have drawn on the coronavirus job retention scheme include:

• Members of the Saudi royal family

• Qataris behind Harrods and the Ritz

• The ruler of Dubai

• Tax exiles Jim Ratcliffe and Guy Hands

• Billionaires Evgeny Lebedev, Len Blavatnik and Mohamed Al Fayed

• The British National party » | Rob Davies and Joseph Smith | Friday, March 19, 2021

The foreign royals and billionaire tax exiles collecting UK's furlough millions »

'Takes One to Know One': Putin-Biden Spat Escalates after 'Killer' Accusation

THE GUARDIAN: Officials in Moscow go on offensive after Biden said Russian president would pay price for election meddling

Vladimir Putin has told Joe Biden that “it takes one to know one”, as Kremlin officials promised reprisals if the US president does not apologise for describing his Russian counterpart as a “killer”.

In an escalating diplomatic spat, Russian officials described Biden as “demented and hysterical” after he agreed during a TV interview that Putin had orchestrated murders and said Putin would soon “pay a price” for alleged election meddling.

On Wednesday Moscow recalled its ambassador to Washington in protest at the interview, and on Thursday officials went on the offensive.

Relations had already been pushed to new lows after Washington imposed sanctions over the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and declassified an intelligence report stating that Putin directed interference in the 2020 US presidential election. » | Theo Merz in Moscow | Thursday, March 18, 2021

Russia Erupts in Fury Over Biden’s Calling Putin a Killer »

Russia Recalls US Ambassador after Biden's 'Killer' Comment | DW News

Joe Biden is facing what could be the first major diplomatic crisis of his presidency. Moscow has recalled its ambassador to the US for consultations after Biden confirmed he thought Russian president Putin was 'a killer.' The US president was speaking in an exclusive interview with ABC Good Morning America host George Stephanopoulos. He also promised to hold Vladimir Putin accountable for meddling in the US elections and said Russia will soon 'pay a price.' Biden's strong words follow a US intelligence report on foreign interference in last November's elections. The report says Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a campaign of misinformation aimed at sowing discord among voters. Moscow has denied any involvement, just as it has also denied meddling in the 2016 vote which saw the election of Donald Trump.

All NHS and Care Staff in Wales to Get £735 One-off Bonus

WALES ONLINE: It is estimated the payment will benefit 221,945 people in Wales

NHS and social care staff are set to be given a bonus in their next pay packet to recognise their "extraordinary contribution" during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Welsh Government has confirmed that the one-off payment is equivalent to £735 per person to cover the basic rate of tax and national insurance contributions incurred. After deductions most people will receive £500.

It is estimated the payment will benefit 221,945 people in Wales including 103,600 social care staff, 90,000 NHS Wales staff, 2,345 deployed students and 26,000 primary care staff (including pharmacy, GP, dental and optometry staff). » | Mark Smith, Health correspondent | Wednesday, March 17, 2021

The Brexit Deal Was Astonishingly Bad, and Every Day the Evidence Piles Up

THE GUARDIAN: Trade has plummeted and red tape has blocked our borders. Is that what ‘protecting our sovereignty’ meant?

Now we know that British exports to the European Union plummeted by a cataclysmic 41% after Brexit on 1 January, what next? This is not the “slow puncture” predicted, but a big bang. Yet so far, it registers little on the political Richter scale.

It should shake the government to the core, but voters are well protected from this unwelcome news by our largely pro-Brexit press. Nor does BBC news, under Brexiteer mortar fire, dare do enough to rebalance the misinformation. Saturday’s Financial Times splashed that killer trade figure on its front page, but the Daily Express splashed “Flying start for US trade deal”. There is no “flying start”. Meanwhile, an EU legal action against Boris Johnson is starting this week, for his reneging on the Northern Ireland protocol and thereby imperilling the Good Friday peace agreement.

The Sun, Daily Mail, Daily Express and Daily Telegraph barely cover the EU trade fiascos, says Dr Andrew Jones, part of an Exeter University team monitoring Brexit media stories since the referendum. Currently, Jones says, those papers’ main Brexit story is Britain’s triumph over the EU on vaccines. That trope always omits the fact the UK could have purchased the same volume while in the EU, but it has become the Brexiters’ clinching case. » | Polly Toynbee | Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Ghada - The Toxic Modesty of the Hijab

Alexei Navalny Moved to ‘Concentration Camp’ Known for Strict Control

THE GUARDIAN: Kremlin critic reveals on Instagram he has arrived in penal colony north-east of Moscow and has a ‘freshly shaven head’

The Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny is being held in a prison camp in the Vladimir region of Russia north-east of Moscow known for its strict control of inmates, a message posted on the opposition politician’s Instagram account confirmed on Monday. » | Staff and agencies in Moscow | Monday, March 15, 2021

In The News: Conversions to Judaism in Israel

Israel's Supreme Court recognized Reform and Conservative conversions carried out in Israel. Hence, such converts will be considered Jews for citizenship purposes, under Israel’s Law of Return. Journalist Ben-Dror Yemini discusses the decision's background and implications. With Shahar Azani.

”Awesome Without Allah” – Seth Andrews

"I was able to generate my own sense of purpose instead of having my life spoon-fed to me." For Seth Andrews, between the safety of the “religious cocoon” and the “goodness, love and beauty” he discovered upon leaving it?

Third Covid Wave Sweeps across EU and Forces New Restrictions

THE OBSERVER: New variants blamed as Italy, France, Germany and Poland see infection rates surge

A third wave of the Covid pandemic is now advancing swiftly across much of Europe. As a result, many nations – bogged down by sluggish vaccination campaigns – are witnessing sharp rises in infection rates and numbers of cases.

The infection rate in the EU is now at its highest level since the beginning of February, with the spread of new variants of the Covid-19 virus being blamed for much of the recent increase.

Several countries are now set to impose strict new lockdown measures in the next few days – in contrast to the UK, which is beginning to emerge slowly from its current bout of shop and school closures and sports bans.

In Italy, authorities recorded more than 27,000 new cases and 380 deaths on Friday. “More than a year after the start of the health emergency, we are unfortunately facing a new wave of infections,” said prime minister Mario Draghi. “The memory of what happened last spring is vivid, and we will do everything to prevent it from happening again.”

From Monday most of Italy will be placed under lockdown and people will only be allowed to leave their homes for essential errands. Most shops will be closed, along with bars and restaurants. » | Sunday, March 14, 2021

Cross-dressing among Nazi-era German Wehrmacht Soldiers | DW Feature

Homosexuality was a crime in Nazi Germany. Still, artist Martin Dammann found so many Nazi-era photos of Wehrmacht soldiers in drag that he published an entire book of them. What do the photos tell us about sexuality in the Wehrmacht? Why was cross-dressing so prevalent among Nazi-era soldiers?

Live on Live - Saudi Author in Exile, Rana Ahmad

RFI's Sarah Elzas talks to activist and author Rana Ahmad about her childhood in Saudi Arabia, why she fled - and what life's like as an athiest in Germany. Ahmad's first book, "Women Aren’t Allowed to Dream Here" has been published in both German and French.

Harry et Meghan ébranlent Buckingham

LE MONDE – ÉDITORIAL: Bien au-delà du psychodrame familial, le couple princier lance un redoutable défi institutionnel à la monarchie britannique, en envoyant une flèche empoisonnée aux deux successeurs potentiels de la reine Elizabeth.

Editorial du « Monde ». Difficile pour les citoyens d’une République de saisir la véritable nature de la monarchie britannique. Une survivance anachronique ? Une extravagance inutile et coûteuse ? Un « business » familial ? Un symbole d’unité nationale et un lien avec l’histoire longue chers aux Britanniques ? Un peu de tout cela en réalité.

Si l’interview explosive donnée par le prince Harry et son épouse Meghan Markle a suscité des audiences record, si elle alimente les conversations, c’est non seulement par l’intérêt très humain que suscite un tel déballage de (beau) linge sale familial, par le dérivatif qu’il constitue en pleine crise sanitaire et sociale, mais aussi parce que la monarchie britannique, instrument central du soft powerbritannique, s’en trouve affaiblie. » | Le Monde | jeudi 11 mars 2021

Amazon to Stop Selling Books That Frame LGBTQ+ Identities as Mental Illness

THE GUARDIAN: Retail giant announces decision in letter to Republican US senators about removal of book by conservative academic

Amazon will no longer sell books that frame gay, lesbian, transgender and other sexual identities as a mental illness.

The company made the announcement public in a letter sent to Republican senators who had asked why Amazon had stopped selling When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment, a book by the conservative academic Ryan Anderson, best known for his opposition to same-sex marriage.

In the letter, first obtained by the Wall Street Journal, Amazon writes: “As a bookseller, we provide our customers with access to a variety of viewpoints, including books that some customers may find objectionable.

“That said, we reserve the right not to sell certain content. All retailers make decisions about what selection they choose to offer, as do we. As to your specific question about When Harry Became Sally, we have chosen not to sell books that frame LGBTQ+ identity as a mental illness.”

The letter came in response to criticism from the rightwing senators Marco Rubio, Mike Lee, Mike Braun and Josh Hawley who wrote to the Amazon founder, Jeff Bezos, criticizing the book’s removal and calling it a signal “to conservative Americans that their views are not welcome on its platforms”. » | Dominic Rushe | Friday, March 12, 2021

What Did the Pope Know about the Holocaust? | DW Documentary

The Vatican opened once-secret records on Pope Pius XII on March 2020. This gave researchers a brand new insight into the Catholic Church during the Nazi era. What did the Pope know about the Holocaust?

Pius XII, born Eugenio Pacelli, is one of the most controversial figures in recent church history. New archive material sheds light on his career and politics. As ambassador of the Holy See in Germany and Cardinal Secretary of State of the Vatican, Pacelli witnessed Hitler’s rise to power. He was elected Pope in 1939, just months before the start of World War II. But what role did he play during the Holocaust? Many accuse him of shirking his responsibilities; of complicit silence while minorities were murdered, especially the Jewish.

Just days after the archives opened, church historian Hubert Wolf discovered a document describing the liquidation of the Warsaw Ghetto. Pope Pius XII read the paper on 27 September 1942, but its contents were never published. Nor were the notes in the margins by members of the Secretariat of State. But the Vatican claimed for decades that nothing was kept from the public.

Defenders of Pius XII say he acted in secret to save the lives of many Jews. Thousands were hidden in church institutions, and the Roman Curia helped them to escape abroad. But the credibility of the Roman Curia during the Holocaust is now at stake, with many still unanswered questions. Why did Pius XII not join the Allies’ protest in December 1942 against the extermination of the Jews?

Piers Morgan Speaks to Journalists about Meghan Row and Good Morning Britain (GMB) Exit

A day after leaving his job at Good Morning Britain, Piers Morgan said the Duchess of Sussex's interview with Oprah Winfrey was a 'diatribe of bilge' and that he doesn't 'believe almost anything that comes out of her mouth'. Morgan came under fire after making critical remarks about the Duchess of Sussex’s mental health, prompting an on-air row with a colleague and more than 40,000 complaints to Ofcom. During the interview, Meghan said her mental health had deteriorated while she was pregnant amid a barrage of negative and racist press coverage and alleged a lack of support from 'the firm' – the apparatus surrounding the royal household

Switzerland to Ban Wearing of Burqa and Niqab in Public Places

THE GUARDIAN: Muslim groups criticise move, which they say will further stigmatise and marginalise their community

Switzerland will follow France, Belgium and Austria after narrowly voting in a referendum to ban women from wearing the burqa or niqab in public spaces.

Just over 51% of Swiss voters cast their ballots in favour of the initiative to ban people from covering their face completely on the street, in shops and restaurants.

Full facial veils will still be allowed to be worn inside places of prayer and for “native customs”, such as carnival.

Face coverings worn for health and safety reasons are also exempt from the ban, meaning face masks worn because of the Covid-19 pandemic will not be affected by the new law. » | Philip Oltermann in Berlin | Sunday, March 7, 2021

Queen Hails Togetherness in Commonwealth Day Address

Queen Elizabeth II on Sunday praised the 'courage, commitment and selfless dedication to duty' of frontline healthcare and public service workers across the Commonwealth in their response to the pandemic. The broadcast replaces the annual service at Westminster Abbey, which was cancelled due to Covid restrictions, and comes hours before the airing of a two-hour special hosted by Oprah Winfrey in which the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to tell the story behind their tumultuous departure from royal duties. Harry and Meghan stir public debate ahead of Oprah interview

Global Homophobia – The Roots of Hatred | DW Documentary

This hard-hitting documentary reveals the abuse suffered by the gay community all over the world. France, despite having legalized gay marriage in 2013, has seen a rise in homophobic violence in recent years.

In Tunisia, gay people can be sentenced to three years in prison, simply for their sexual orientation. When arrested by the police, they are subject to an "anal examination," a humiliating procedure of no scientific value. Uganda is one of the 27 sub-Saharan countries in which homosexuality is suppressed, with active government encouragement of homophobia, and where homosexuality is punishable by life imprisonment.

In the United States, more progressive laws have not translated into progressive attitudes. In a desperate attempt to change their sexual orientation, around 700,000 Americans have visited therapists who claim to be able to "transform any homosexual into a heterosexual."

The Observer View on Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince

THE OBSERVER: How can the west continue to do business with the man who approved Jamal Khashoggi’s murder?

As details emerged of the gruesome 2018 murder in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul of the exiled dissident and journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, most observers became convinced it could not have happened without the approval of the all-powerful Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. The US intelligence report, published last week, definitively supports that conclusion.

Joe Biden is to be commended for making the CIA’s findings public after they were blocked by Donald Trump. The US sanctions imposed on Saudi government employees involved in the killing, and new measures to curb foreign agents who harass dissidents abroad, are welcome. But Biden’s too-pragmatic decision not to penalise Salman himself, the plot’s ringleader, and, in effect, let him off the hook, is dismaying.

The reasoning behind this shabby act of realpolitik is obvious enough. Saudi Arabia is an important western ally. Its cooperation is needed if Iran’s destabilising regional activities and nuclear programme are to be curbed. Hopes that Riyadh will follow the UAE and Bahrain in normalising ties with Israel are a factor, too. Saudi Arabia remains a key energy producer. And the crown prince, 35, is likely to lead the country for decades to come. » | Observer editorial | Sunday, February 28, 2021