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Sanction Russian tycoon who owns 3,000-acre Scottish estate, demands Ukraine Story by Roland Oliphant
Sanction Russian tycoon who owns 3,000-acre Scottish estate, demands Ukraine
Russian steel tycoon who owns a Scottish shooting estate must be sanctioned for supplying one of Vladimir Putin’s largest tank factories, Ukrainian MPs have demanded.
Vladimir Lisin, the head of Russian steel giant NLMK, is Russia’s richest man according to Forbes magazine.
He was placed on Australia’s sanctions list in April, but unlike other prominent Russian tycoons, such as Roman Abramovich and Mikhail Fridman, has so far avoided designation by the EU, US and Britain.
Olekskiy Goncharenko, a Ukrainian MP from Odesa, is demanding to know why Mr Lisin has evaded sanctions lists in the EU, UK and United States.
“His company is the main provider of steel to Uralvagonzavod,” Mr Goncharenko told The Telegraph in London last week. “That is one of Russia’s biggest tank factories. So he is directly supplying the war effort."
Mr Goncharenko highlighted Mr Lisin as a prime target of a campaign he is leading to consolidate and expand the various sanctions lists used by Ukraine’s Western allies.
He wrote to Anthony Blinken, the US secretary of state, and Josep Borrel, the EU’s foreign policy chief, asking them to sanction Mr Lisin and five other individuals in October. So far, that request has been ignored.
He said he intended to team up with sympathetic British MPs to write a similar letter to James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary.
“We have two problems: first not everyone who should be sanctioned is, and second no one is coordinating the sanctions regimes,” he said.
Mr Lisin is sanctioned by Australia, but not in the EU, US, or UK.
Forbes estimates his wealth at $18.4 billion. He acquired the 3,000-acre Aberuchill estate in Perthshire in 2005.
Like many of Russia’s richest businessmen, Mr Lisin has generally tried to avoid getting drawn into the debate around the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
He is known for keeping a lower profile than many other Russian billionaires, and seldom gives interviews.
However, he did appear to question the morality of the invasion in a letter to employees in March, writing that “the death of people in Ukraine is a tragedy that is hard to justify or explain” and calling for a peaceful diplomatic solution.
Novolipstetsk steel works, or NLMK, is Russia’s fourth largest steel producer and controls plants in Belgium and Italy.
Its representatives have argued sanctions on the company or the steel trade in general could lead to job losses.
The European Union sanctioned the import of finished steel products from Russia in March. It extended the ban to semi-finished steel products in October.
Uralvagonzavod was founded as a tank factory in the Second World War. It remains Russia’s primary supplier of main battle tanks, but also produces civilian products including railway carriages and agricultural machinery.
Mr Lisin, a shooting sports enthusiast, was president of the International Shooting Sport Federation until last month, when he lost his bid for reelection to Italy’s Luciano Rossi.
He had faced pressure from shooting officials in several member countries including Britain and Germany to stand down following the invasion of Ukraine.
Britain and the EU have imposed travel bans and asset freezes on several of Mr Lisin's peers on the list of richest Russians, including former Chelsea owner Mr Abramovich and Alfa group’s Mikhail Fridman and Petr Aven, but others have so far avoided designation.
EU foreign ministers met in Brussels on Monday to discuss a ninth package of sanctions. A draft list which may be subject to change includes 144 names, including several linked to the Kremlin’s propaganda machine, the EU Observer reported.
NLMK denied in a statement that it had ever supplied Uralvagonaavod and said its products were not suitable for military applications such as armour plating and that its operations focus solely on producing rolled strip steel intended for general civilian use. The company added that Mr Lisin has never been connected to Mr Putin or Russian politics.
Ex-Pakistan leader Imran Khan shot in 'assassination attempt'
Ex-Pakistan leader Imran Khan shot in 'assassination attempt'
Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has been shot in the leg in what his supporters say was an assassination attempt.
A gunman opened fire while Mr Khan, 70, was giving a speech at a rally in Wazirabad in Punjab province on Thursday, wounding him and some of his supporters, officials said.
Sky's Cordelia Lynch, who was at the scene, said a Sky News producer saw the injured former cricketer emerge from his container truck.
"My cameraman Duncan Sharp and I were sitting inside the container Imran Khan was on top of, when we suddenly heard screams," she said.
Footage from the unfolding scene captured what local media is citing as the gunman, who appeared to escape as members of the public tried to take the weapon off him.
"Then Imran Khan emerged. He had been shot, I understand, in the left leg. In fact, our producer here, Muhammad, was able to see that."
Mr Khan was rushed away from the scene to a hospital in Lahore, and his supporters said he had survived the assassination attempt.
The former prime minister gave an interview to Sky News two hours before he was shot in which he said he was hopeful there would not be violence during his march across the country.
Asked if the prospect of violence worried him, he said: "I've been on the road for six months now, what I've seen I'm confident that I will be able to direct it through elections. I will be able to direct this through elections and bring about a change. But the other possibility is, you would not want it to go the other way."
The cricketing hero-turned-politician - who has been pushing for new elections after being ousted from power in April - has been delivering fiery speeches at gatherings across the country.
He was six days into a march from Lahore to Islamabad in his drive to bring early elections to the country, pushing for radical change, when the shooting took place.
Large crowds had gathered to hear him speak - and Lynch said she had just interviewed him about threats of violence - when there was a "sudden commotion".
She said: "The door flew open and we were faced with a panicked-looking crowd. Some were shouting, 'Imran Khan is dead', others were asking: 'Is he dead? Is he dead?'
"Armed police started running towards us. Ambulances were screeching into the area. I saw one bloodied man carried into the ambulance and then another," she said.
"The injured were taken into an ambulance... a lot of panic... people rushing. No one could quite work out what was happening.
"Imran Khan was taken away... a doctor, who was close by, treated three patients."
Faisal Javed, one of Mr Khan's close aides and a senator, was among the injured.
"Imran Khan and Faisal Javed received bullets wounds. A bullet hit Imran Khan's shin. Both have been taken to hospital for treatment," said Fawad Chaudhry, a spokesman for Mr Khan's political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
"It was a clear assassination attempt. Imran Khan was hit but he's stable. There was a lot of bleeding.
"If the shooter had not been stopped by people there, the entire PTI leadership would have been wiped out."
Mr Javed, who had blood stains on his clothes, told Geo TV from the hospital: "Several of our colleagues are wounded. We heard that one of them is dead."
During the interview, a supporter pointed to a bandage on the left-hand-side of Mr Javed's face, saying a bullet had skimmed his cheek.
"This was the worst case scenario - what so many people were concerned about was that this peaceful protest had the potential to turn violent," said Lynch.
Footage from the unfolding scene captured what local media is citing as the gunman, who appeared to escape as members of the public tried to take the weapon off him.
"Then Imran Khan emerged. He had been shot, I understand, in the left leg. In fact, our producer here, Muhammad, was able to see that."
Mr Khan was rushed away from the scene to a hospital in Lahore, and his supporters said he had survived the assassination attempt.
The former prime minister gave an interview to Sky News two hours before he was shot in which he said he was hopeful there would not be violence during his march across the country.
Asked if the prospect of violence worried him, he said: "I've been on the road for six months now, what I've seen I'm confident that I will be able to direct it through elections. I will be able to direct this through elections and bring about a change. But the other possibility is, you would not want it to go the other way."
The cricketing hero-turned-politician - who has been pushing for new elections after being ousted from power in April - has been delivering fiery speeches at gatherings across the country.
"This is a very real dramatic turn of events, and you could really feel the fear. An hour before we had seen people throwing up confetti.
"A lot of people in the crowd were instantly in tears and were very worried about what had happened to him (Mr Khan)," she added.
Mr Khan had been travelling in a large convoy of trucks and cars heading towards the capital, as part of his campaign.
"This is not for politics or personal gain, or to topple the government... this is to bring genuine freedom to the country," the cricket legend said in a video message on the eve of the march.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Mr Khan's successor, condemned the shooting and has ordered an immediate investigation.
Officials said a suspect was arrested at the scene. Local media reports suggested the gunman had acted alone.
Reference: Sky News: Sunita Patel-Carstairs, news reporter -
Corruption Scandal: Malaysia Court Upholds Guilty Verdict for Ex-PM Najib Razak
Corruption Scandal: Malaysia Court Upholds Guilty Verdict for Ex-PM Najib Razak
The court found he had illegally received about $10 million from SRC International, a former unit of now-defunct 1MDB, although Najib pleaded not guilty and has consistently denied wrongdoing.
Kuala Lumpur: A Malaysian court on Wednesday upheld former premier Najib Razak’s guilty verdict on corruption charges over a multi-billion-dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), dealing a blow to his hopes of a political comeback.
Najib was appealing a 12-year prison sentence and a $50 million fine imposed by Kuala Lumpur High Court last year for criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering, one of five trials he is facing over corruption allegations.
The court found he had illegally received about $10 million from SRC International, a former unit of now-defunct 1MDB, although Najib pleaded not guilty and has consistently denied wrongdoing.
The appeal was closely watched amid fears that ruling party leaders facing criminal charges could secure leniency after the return of Najib‘s party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), to power in August.
“This is an important decision that has a direct political implication,” opposition lawmaker Wong Chen said on Twitter. “This ruling means that Najib will not be able to stand as a candidate if there is a snap election early next year.”
Court of appeal judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil said he agreed with the high court on the conviction and sentencing.
“We dismiss the appeal on all seven charges and affirm the conviction on all seven charges,” the judge said.
Najib has been free on bail pending the appeal, and judge Abdul Karim agreed to his request to be released on bail again and stayed the sentence.
Najib‘s lawyer, Shafee Abdullah, told the court the former premier would appeal the verdict at the federal court, Malaysia‘s top tribunal.
Deputy prosecutor V. Sithambaram told reporters after the verdict that Najib‘s appeal process at the top court could take up to 9 months.
Wearing a black suit, Najib showed no emotion as the judgment was read out and was seen taking notes occasionally during the hearing.U.S. and Malaysian authorities say $4.5 billion was believed to have been stolen from 1MDB, and that more than $1 billion made its way into Najib‘s personal accounts.
Najib faces a total of 42 criminal charges and five trials, including the SRC case.
He remains influential within his party, which was voted out three years earlier amid widespread corruption allegations.
He has also been eyeing a political comeback, telling Reuters in September that he has not ruled out seeking re-election to parliament, a move that would require his conviction to be overturned.
Reference: The Wire:
Asylum seeker shot dead in Glasgow after he stabbed six people ‘made 72 phone calls before attack’
Asylum seeker shot dead in Glasgow after he stabbed six people ‘made 72 phone calls before attack’
Badreddin Abadlla Adam, 28, was one of hundreds of asylum seekers moved into hotels in Glasgow at the start of lockdown.
It is understood he had contacted the Home Office, the housing and social care provider Mears, and the charity Migrant Help repeatedly about his health and accommodation.
An internal Home Office evaluation said has cautioned that his calls “should have acted as a warning”.
The Scottish Refugee Council said the Home Office’s decision to continue to house refugees in hotels after the incident showed that it had not learned any lessons from the Glasgow tragedy.
It also found Adam had complained to staff in the hotel and was in touch with the Home Office about an assisted voluntary return to his home country.
The review is said to have made various recommendations, including developing a system to identify patterns of contact which may cause concern, and ensuring hotel staff are given “mental health awareness and de-escalation training.”
A spokesperson for the Home Office said “significant” changes have now been made.
On June 26 2020, Adam stabbed six people in the Park Inn hotel in Glasgow, including three other asylum seekers, police constable David Whyte and two members of hotel staff before he was fatally shot.
Sabir Zazai, chief executive of the Scottish Refugee Council, said: “This report speaks to issues we knew were present all along in regards to a lack of preparation and communication around the move into hotels, and that hotel staff had to fulfil responsibilities they should never have been faced with. These circumstances must be confined to the past. Hotel staff should not have to be trained to support people with complex mental health needs. The fact is, hotel staff cannot be should not have been expected to act as specialist mental health practitioners here.
“We are deeply worried that this report shows that the Home Office has not learned any real lessons from this tragedy.”
He added: “Reports that Badreddin Abadlla Adam made over 70 calls for help while he was in hotel accommodation are extremely worrying. We need answers as to why these calls were not met with swifter support.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “Due to the pandemic the Home Office had to use an unprecedented number of hotels for asylum seekers, including in Glasgow.
“The use of hotels is unacceptable and we are working hard to find appropriate accommodation for asylum seekers but local authorities must do all they can to help house people permanently.
“Since this horrific incident we have undertaken a number of significant changes to keep asylum seekers safe, including how we, our contractors and charities spot vulnerable individuals and provide them with wraparound support and appropriate accommodation.
“The Home Office has completed the majority of recommendations in the review which found that hotels in Glasgow were of a good standard, clean and well-maintained.
“Our New Plan for Immigration, which is going through Parliament now, will fix the broken asylum system, enabling us to grant protection to those entitled to it and to remove those with no right to be here more quickly.”
St Vincent volcano eruption: Thousands flee as Caribbean volcano belches smoke and ash
St Vincent volcano eruption: Thousands flee as Caribbean volcano belches smoke and ash
The St Vincent volcano erupted on Friday, April 9, after authorities warned of a possible imminent eruption of La Soufriere. Evacuation orders and a red alert were issued on Thursday after an increase in earthquake activity at the volcano. The country's National Emergency Management Organisation warned there was a "substantial prospect of disaster".
An explosive eruption at about 1.41pm BST (8.41am local time) was then confirmed by experts at the University of the West Indies.
The University's UWISeismic Research group tweeted: "At 8.41am this morning 9-4-21 an explosive eruption began at La Soufriere volcano in St Vincent.
"This is a culmination of the seismic activity that began on April 8.
"The eruption is ongoing and more information will be shared as things progress. #lasoufriere #uwi #volcano #svg"
Volcanic ash was seen falling on the volcano's flanks, covering communities at Chateaubelair and Petite Bordel.
St Vincent is the largest island in the country of St Vincent and the Grenadines and is estimated to be home to some 130,000 people.
Incredible video footage of La Soufriere shows the volcano spewing a thick column of ash and smoke.
The video was recorded from inside of a moving car and shows the volcano's impressive plume choking out the sky.
A person can be heard shouting inside of the vehicle: "Holy, it really erupt. My God."
People living near the volcano were ordered to flee, with cruise ships ferrying evacuees to nearby islands.
However, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves warned people would need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to take the ferries.
He said: "This is an emergency situation, and everybody understands that."
The nearby islands of St Lucia, Grenada, Antigua and Barbados have all extended a helping hand and have offered to take on the evacuees.
The eruption was also seen from space in satellite imagery shared on Twitter by WCNC Charlotte meteorologist Brad Panovich shows the eruption from space.
You can see the plume of ash and smoke extending from the island and over the sea towards the North Atlantic Ocean.
The meteorologist tweeted: "Volcanic eruption of #LaSoufrière #volcano going on right now on #StVincent in the Caribbean."
La Soufriere is an active volcano on the island of St Vincent in the Caribbean Windward Islands.
The stratovolcano's summit marks the highest point on the island at more than 4,000ft (1,234m).
The volcano last erupted in 1979, although its deadliest blast occurred in 1902.
The 1902 eruption, which went off on May 6, killed some 1,680 people.
Just hours later, the eruption of Mount Pelee on the island of Martinique in the West Caribbean killed 29,000 people.
Thankfully, St Vincent's residents were warned in time to prevent any loss of life in 1979.
Before that, La Soufriere's eruptions were recorded in 1812 and 1718.
The volcano has been showing signs of activity since December 2020.
A new dome was spotted forming inside of La Soufriere's crater and seismic activity spiked on April 8 this year, leading experts to believe an eruption was imminent.
Reference: Daily Express: Sebastian Kettley
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