Talk About Tennis 2.0

I'm sure there's a new reason to call someone treasonous and jail them in Russia daily, whereas in America the treasonous go golfing.....

Leaked audio reveals Liz Truss said British workers needed ‘more graft’
Exclusive: Tory leadership frontrunner suggested Britons lacked ‘skill and application’, in echo of ‘idlers’ row

Pippa Crerar Political editor
Tue 16 Aug 2022 20.54 BST

Liz Truss, now the Tory leadership frontrunner, launched an astonishing broadside against British workers, saying they needed “more graft” and suggesting they lacked the “skill and application” of foreign rivals, the Guardian can reveal.

In a leaked recording, the then No 2 at the Treasury also risked pitting Londoners against the rest of the country by attempting to explain the difference between the capital and other regions in the UK.

Truss, who has put patriotism at the heart of her leadership campaign, suggested the disparity was “partly a mindset or attitude thing”.

The comments were made when Truss was the chief secretary to the Treasury, a post she held until 2019. In the recording she intimated that there seemed little desire to change the working culture so that the UK could become more prosperous.

The highly disparaging remarks echo a controversial passage about British workers being among the “worst idlers in the world” in the book Britannia Unchained, which she co-authored in 2012 when she was a new backbench MP seeking to make her mark as a neo-Thatcherite.

In the first televised head-to-head Tory leadership debate last month, Truss claimed she had not written the offending chapter and blamed her fellow author Dominic Raab instead.

She told the BBC presenter: “Each author wrote a different chapter. Dominic Raab wrote that chapter – he’s backing Rishi Sunak.”

Raab later claimed that the authors, who also included Priti Patel and Kwasi Kwarteng, had taken “collective responsibility” for the book, adding: “It’s up to Liz to explain why she’s changed her view.”

In the leaked recording, Truss claimed that the book had been “mischaracterised” at the time of its release a decade ago, but gave no detail as to how she felt the passage had been misrepresented.

Truss’s remarks about the productivity of workers outside London could be particularly damaging as earlier this month she was forced to make a U-turn on plans to cut civil service pay outside the capital after a furious outcry from Conservative MPs.

She claimed there had been a “wilful misrepresentation” of her policy – despite her campaign having published specific details – but confirmed she was abandoning plans for regional pay boards for civil servants or public sector workers.

London had the highest productivity level of any UK region in 2020, with output per hour more than 50% higher than the median, according to the Office for National Statistics.

However, this is widely believed to be the result of large multinationals being based in the capital, higher engagement with research and development, the size of firms and the level of exports, and the transport infrastructure.

In the leaked recording, Truss began: “I once wrote a book about this which got mischaracterised – British workers produce less per hour than … and that’s a combination of kind of skill and application.”

She went on: “If you look at productivity, it’s very, very different in London from the rest of the country. But basically … this has been a historical fact for decades. Essentially it’s partly a mindset and attitude thing, I think. It’s working culture, basically. If you go to China it’s quite different, I can assure you.”

The minister, who had close oversight of public spending, added: “There’s a fundamental issue of British working culture. Essentially, if we’re going to be a richer country and a more prosperous country, that needs to change. But I don’t think people are that keen to change that.

“There’s a slight thing in Britain about wanting the easy answers. That’s my reflection on the election and what’s gone before it, and the referendum – we say it’s all Europe that’s causing these huge problems … it’s all these migrants causing these problems. But actually what needs to happen is more … more graft. It’s not a popular message.”

Truss was questioned about the Guardian’s revelations during a Tory leadership hustings in Perth, and appeared to confirm she still believed British workers were not as productive as they should be.

Asked by Colin Mackay, STV’s political editor and chair of the hustings, whether she stood by those remarks, Truss said: “I don’t know what you’re quoting there [but] what we need in this country is more productivity and we need more economic growth.

“The thing is we don’t have enough of is capital investment, which why it’s important to get more investment in the whisky industry and North Sea.”

The shadow work and pensions secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, said: “With wages shrinking thanks to Tory failure to bring inflation under control and years of lacklustre growth, it’s grossly offensive for Liz Truss to effectively brand British workers lazy.

“I would have hoped she had moved on from the days of her Britannia Unchained fiasco, but it seems that is the blueprint for her prospective government. Workers across the country are working all hours to keep a roof over their heads, put food on the table and provide for their families. Liz Truss should be helping working people to cope with this cost of living crisis, as Labour this week outlined we would do, not peddling this offensive nonsense.”



https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... more-graft

Anti-Putin American investor falls to his death outside his DC apartment block - with his dog carrying suicide note in nearby park: Widow DENIES suicide as it's revealed he had $2,620 in pocket

Dan Rapoport, 52, was found dead on August 14th outside 2400 M Apartments
DC police say that is where he was living, and that he jumped from the building
He had $2,620 cash on him along with a phone, headphones and a keyring with a lanyard when he was found dead
It was initially reported that he killed himself after setting his dog free and writing a suicide note
His widow says that's not true and that no such note was ever written
Rapoport was vociferous in his criticism of Putin and the war in Ukraine
He had also been complaining to friends about being ripped off by a Russian fund
Three days before his death, Rapoport posted a haunting final message on Facebook of Colonel Kurtz from Apocalypse Now

By JENNIFER SMITH, CHIEF REPORTER and CHRIS PLEASANCE and WILL STEWART FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 07:04 EDT, 17 August 2022 | UPDATED: 13:55 EDT, 17 August 2022

The anti-Putin, Latvian-American businessman found dead in Washington DC this week fell to his death from a luxury apartment building with $2,600 cash on him, DailyMail.com can reveal.

Dan Rapoport, 52, was found outside 2400 M Apartments on August 14th shortly before 6pm. His body was discovered in the street along with his cracked cellphone, $2,620 cash, a keyring with a lanyard and a cracked white headphone.

Rapoport, a businessman who ran the iconic Soho Rooms nightclub in Moscow, lived in DC from 2012 until 2016 with his first wife, Irina.

Until this year, he had been living in Kyiv with his second wife, Ukrainian virologist Alena, and their young daughter. When was broke out in February, he sent them to Denmark and he returned to the US, planning to bring them over.

In recent months however, he'd been spotted in London 'surrounded by girls' in The Connaught Hotel, and he'd been telling international friends about being stiffed out of a $10,000 payment by a Russian VC firm.

It was initially reported by former Russian Tatler editor Yuniya Pugacheva this week, citing sources close to him, that he killed himself after setting his dog, Boy, free carrying a suicide note and cash.

DC Metropolitan police tell DailyMail.com an investigation is ongoing but they do not suspect any foul play. They area waiting a medical examiner's report.

His widow, Alena, says he did not kill himself and that Pugacheva's sources are off.

Three days before his death, Rapoport posted a haunting image on Facebook of Marilyn Brando as Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now with the words: 'The horror, the horror.'

He had become obsessed with the war in Ukraine and Putin's Army, and had always been an outspoken critic of the regime.

In a message to a friend on Facebook in April, he wrote to a friend: 'I need a small favor. I just posted on FB about a Russian VC firm trying to screw me for $10k.

'I would really appreciate if you could like and/or comment on it. I don't expect to get paid, but I want to maximize their public embarrassment.'

The list of items discovered on or near his body after he died prompts more questions.

It includes not just the phone, keyring, headphone and cash, but also a pair of glasses, an unspecified piece of metal, orange flip flops, a black hat and a Florida's driver's license.

Rapoport was outspoken in his criticism of Putin and the war in Ukraine, where his wife is from and where he had been living until the conflict broke out.

He evacuated his wife and planned to bring them to the US.

Mr Rapoport lived in DC between 2012 - when he arrived from Russia amid protests again Putin - and 2016, when he moved to Kyiv and sold his house to Ivanka and Jared Trump following Donald Trump's election win.

It was in Kyiv that Mr Rapoport met and married his second wife - and had a daughter with her.

News of Mr Rapoport's passing first broke Tuesday on the Telegram channel of Yuniya Pugacheva, the former editor of Russian Tatler.

Pugacheva said the financial executive had 'committed suicide in Washington DC' before giving details about the dog and the suicide note.

She also claimed to have seen Rapoport back in May at London's swanky Connaught Bar, alleging that he was there 'in the company of young girls'.

'They say that his wife left him,' she added.

But, speaking to Russian newswire RBC, Alena disputed the majority of that account.

She did confirm his death, telling the site: 'To our great regret, the husband and father of our daughter is no more.'

Alena did not say when exactly her husband had died or provide an alternative cause of death, but said investigations are being carried out.

'We were due to meet, he had appointments and plans. Dan evacuated us from Kyiv and returned there to help my country. Next we were supposed to meet in the USA.'

Aside from his support for Navalny - who is currently jailed in Russia and was moved to solitary confinement in recent days - Rapoport was staunchly pro-Ukrainian.

In 2018, investigative website Bellingcat outed him as the man behind 'David Jewberg' - a 'Pentagon analyst' and expert on Ukraine-Russia relations who was frequently quoted by the media in both countries.

Typical 'Jewberg' posts slammed Putin, criticised the war in Ukraine he began in 2014, and lobbied the US to take a tougher stance against him.

In fact, 'Jewberg' turned out to be fictitious with the account actually run by Rapoport with support from a circle of friends.

In 2017, Sergei Tkachenko - a business partner of Rapoport who co-owned his Moscow nightclub - also died suddenly, and was reported to have killed himself.

Rapoport was born in Latvia when it was part of the Soviet Union and moved to America with his family in 1980 after they were given political asylum.

He graduated from the University of Houston in 1991 - the same year the Union fell apart - and then returned to Russia to work in finance and banking.

Rapoport became a well-known face in post-Soviet Moscow thanks to his ownership of the popular nightclub Soho Rooms.

But around 2011 he became involved in opposition politics amid a wave of protests against what were widely believed to be fraudulent elections.

He returned to the US in 2012 with wife Irina - a former model - and their two children, and remained in the city until 2016.

Following divorce from his first wife, he sold his house to the Trumps for $5.5million in December of that year and departed for Kyiv where he set up another investment firm and again got involved in politics.

His death stirs up sinister memories of the 1941 'suicide' of Walter Krivitsky, a Soviet spy who was said to have jumped to his death in DC.

Krivitsky had notoriously said in close circles: 'Any fool can commit a murder but it takes a true artist to stage a natural death or suicide.'

He was then found dead in DC, and it has long been suspected that he was killed by the Kremlin.

In the last year, there have been multiple mystery deaths among some of Putin's closest allies and associates.

In April, Sergei Protosenya was found dead in his Spanish villa with his wife and his daughter having been stabbed to death. He was hanging from a tree in the backyard.

That same month, Vladislav Avayev, a former Russian banking executive, was found shot dead.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... on-DC.html

Ah, is there any doubt that...?
Nope. Not saying it. I mean, I am in Caracas. There's already a million ways to die here. And those are the natural causes.

Read the article at your own risk.

Sanna Marin: Finland PM partying video causes backlash
By Merlyn Thomas
BBC News

The Finnish Prime Minister, Sanna Marin, is facing a backlash after being seen partying in a leaked video.

In the footage, thought to be taken from social media, she and friends including Finnish celebrities are seen dancing and singing.

She has faced criticism from opposition parties, with one leader demanding she take a drug test.

Ms Marin, 36, denied taking drugs, saying she only drank alcohol and just partied "in a boisterous way".

Formerly the world's youngest head of government - a title now held by Chilean President Gabriel Boric - Ms Marin makes no secret of partying, and has often been photographed at music festivals.

Last year she apologised for going clubbing after coming into close contact with a Covid-19 case.

Just last week, Ms Marin was dubbed the "coolest prime minister in the world" by German news outlet Bild.

Commenting on the video on Thursday, she said she knew she was being filmed but was upset that the video had become public.

"I danced, sang, and partied - perfectly legal things. And I've never been in a situation where I've seen or known of others [using drugs]," she added.

Opposition party leader, Riikka Purra, called for Ms Marin to take a voluntary drug test, saying there was a "shadow of doubt" hanging over the prime minister.

And MP Mikko Karna, a member of the Centre Party who serve in Ms Marin's coalition government, tweeted that "it would be wise" for her to "voluntarily undergo a drugs test".

Ms Marin appeared open to the suggestion, telling reporters that she had "not used drugs" and had "no problem taking tests".

"I have a family life, I have a work life and I have free time to spend with my friends. Pretty much the same as many people my age," Ms Marin said.

She added that she felt no need to change her behaviour. "I am going to be exactly the same person as I have been until now and I hope that it will be accepted," the prime minister added.

There has been widespread reporting on the video in Finnish media - which justified the use of the footage as being in the public interest.

But other opposition party politicians have criticised both the prime minister and the media for talking about partying - instead of more important domestic problems.

Ms Marin has been in power since December 2019 and retains the support of her party.


https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62588480

A 36 yo woman dancing.
Outrageous.
I believe they all need a corset...
(Joke. Bad joke. Why is this news?)

Hypothetical here.

She's out and about, a single woman, free to do her thing. Having watched some Finnish noir-ish TV drinking may be involved. Everyone is imbibing and no one notices something being slipped into her drink. She's then waylaid on her way home and divulges things she shouldn't. Unless of course all of this is staged and everyone in the picture has been cleared by Finnish intelligence and she is just letting off steam.

It's not a good look for the leader of a NATO country.

Remember a few years ago when Suliso posted a photo of Switzerland's president, standing alone at the train station, going to work?
The relationship with their leaders in the Scandinavian countries is different than in other countries, perhaps with the exception of New Zealand. They are seen as true public servants, not protected by 5 rings of security. Sure, in the USA, that would be impossible, but somehow these countries have managed it.
It can lead to disastrous consequences, like the assassination of Olof Palme (Sweden's PM, 1986) but overall, they have a much healthier relationship with their leadership. They are not treated like superstars, and therefore they do not behave like one.
Ergo, this 36 yo girl dancing.

Sorry for that article from TASS being repeated but everyone is linking to it.

This may be a translation of the above article.



More on the explosion

It is so boring.
All these wanna be dictators/rulers always come back to the same stupidity: "We need to be sovereign, we need to be truly independent and recover our national identity".

All is fair in love and war. I hope he really loved his daughter and is suffering similarly to the all the Ukrainian men grieving over their lost daughters killed or raped by Russian soldiers.