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☆ Factbox: Credit Suisse's troubles - spies, money laundering and takeover
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Credit Suisse has said it expects the case, which it is appealing, to cost it around $600 million. The hedge fund's highly leveraged bets on certain technology stocks backfired and the value of its portfolio with Credit Suisse plummeted. Swiss regulators have rebuked Credit Suisse for "serious" failings in its handling of the multi-billion dollar business with Greensill. Switzerland's financial regulator said Credit Suisse had misled it about the scale of the spying. In response, Credit Suisse said it condemned the spying and had taken "decisive" steps to improve its governance and strengthen compliance.

☆ Factbox: FACTBOX Credit Suisse's troubles - spies, money laundering and central bank cash
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Lescaudron was convicted by a Swiss court in 2018 of having forged the signatures of former clients, including Ivanishvili, over an eight-year period. Credit Suisse has said it expects the case, which it is appealing, to cost it around $600 million. The hedge fund's highly leveraged bets on certain technology stocks backfired and the value of its portfolio with Credit Suisse plummeted. Swiss regulators have rebuked Credit Suisse for "serious" failings in its handling of the multi-billion dollar business with Greensill. In response, Credit Suisse said it condemned the spying and had taken "decisive" steps to improve its governance and strengthen compliance.

☆ Georgia's PM calls on Ukraine's Zelenskiy not to interfere in Georgia affairs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

March 13 (Reuters) - Georgian's prime minister, Irakli Garibashvili, called on Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday to not interfere in the political situation in Georgia, after a wave of protests hit the country last week. During the protests against a "foreign agents" law that critics said signalled an authoritarian shift in Georgia, Zelenskiy thanked protesters for waving Ukrainian flag, saying it showed respect and wished the country a "democratic success". The Georgian parliament on Friday dropped the bill, which opponents said was inspired by a 2012 Russian law that has been used extensively to crack down on dissent for the past decade and which had threatened to harm Georgia's bid for closer ties with Europe. Referring to the war in Ukraine, Garibashvili said, "I want to wish everyone a timely end to this war, and peace." Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editng by Gerry DoyleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Georgia's parliament drops 'foreign agents' bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Jake Cordell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Lawmakers attend a plenary session of parliament where they vote on controversial 'foreign agents' bill that sparked mass protests in recent days, in Tbilisi, Georgia March 10, 2023, in this still image taken from video. Parliament of Georgia/Handout via REUTERSSummary Proposals had triggered massive street protestsCritics said bill was Russian-inspired, authoritarian moveGovernment defended proposals as boosting transparencyTBILISI, March 10 (Reuters) - Georgia's parliament on Friday dropped plans for a "foreign agents" bill that had triggered a major domestic political crisis and threatened to derail the Caucasus nation's bid for closer ties with Europe. The bill would have required non-government organisations that receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register with Georgia's Justice Ministry as a Foreign Agent. The Kremlin said it had no involvement whatsoever in the Georgian bill and rejected suggestions that it was Russian-inspired. Georgian Dream lawmakers had said the bill was based on the United States' own Foreign Agents Registration Act, which primarily covers lobbyists working directly for foreign governments.

☆ Staying in British castles may be easier — and cheaper — than you think
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Lucy Handley | Chris Dwyer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Storied Collection is a travel website that lists heritage hotels and homes — including private castles — so vacationers who love history can easily find accommodations that suit them. The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa is located inside the Royal Crescent, a row of terraced houses built between 1767 and 1775. Hauge and Goldin, with the help of former CEO of Best Western UK Rob Paterson, launched Storied Collection in 2022. Surnames of previous owners include Cooper, Bingham and Synge, according to Storied Collection. The drawing room of the Sir Percy Blakeney Suite at the Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa in Bath, England.

☆ Georgia Pulls Russia-Style Foreign-Agents Bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Evan Gershkovich | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Georgian lawmakers said they would withdraw proposed legislation labeling groups receiving funding from abroad as foreign agents, which critics said represented an authoritarian shift and threatened to derail the Black Sea republic’s hopes of joining the European Union. The move on Thursday came after thousands of Georgians took to the streets for two days running to demonstrate against the legislation, that the opposition said was inspired by a similar law in Russia that authorities have used to stymie independent media and nonprofit organizations. The legislation was set to go through two more readings after Parliament backed it earlier this week in a first reading.

☆ Factbox: Why is Georgia in turmoil over a "foreign agents" law?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Jake Cordell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

TBILISI, March 9 (Reuters) - Ruling lawmakers in the South Caucasus country of Georgia on Thursday scrapped plans to introduce what critics called a Russian-inspired "foreign agents" law after two days of intense street protests in the capital Tbilisi. Here is a guide to what's going on:WHAT IS THE PROPOSED 'FOREIGN AGENTS' LAW? - Swathes of Georgian civil society, including election monitors, corruption watchdogs and independent media outlets would have been covered by the law. - Rights groups say the "foreign agent" tag is a designed to make it easier for the government to discredit its opponents. - It says it is modelled on the U.S. 1938 "Foreign Agents Registration Act", which primarily covers lobbyists and organisations directly working for or under the control of foreign governments.

☆ Georgian ruling party withdraws 'foreign agents' bill after two nights of protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Georgian ruling party pulls foreign agent billMove follows two nights of protests in GeorgiaEU praises withdrawal of foreign agent billProtests to continue, says Droa partyTBILISI, March 9 (Reuters) - Georgia's ruling party said on Thursday it was dropping a bill on "foreign agents" after two nights of violent protests against what opponents said was a Russian-inspired authoritarian shift that imperilled hopes of the country joining the European Union. The Georgian Dream ruling party said in a statement it would "unconditionally withdraw the bill we supported without any reservations". The bill would have required Georgian organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register as "foreign agents" or face fines. Georgian Dream had previously said the law was necessary to unmask critics of the Georgian Orthodox Church, one of the country's most powerful institutions. The European Union's delegation to Georgia praised the decision to withdraw the bill, writing on Twitter: "We welcome announcement by the ruling party to withdraw draft legislation on 'foreign influence'.

☆ Georgian protesters rally in Tbilisi after violent clashes with police
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Jake Cordell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The ruling Georgian Dream party say it is modelled on U.S. legislation dating from the 1930s. In violent clashes on Tuesday evening, protesters threw petrol bombs and stones at police, who used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowds. Critics say Georgian Dream is too close to Russia and has taken the country in a more repressive direction in recent years. Georgian Dream Chairman Irakli Kobakhidze defended the bill again on Wednesday, saying it would help root out those working against the interests of the country and the powerful Georgian Orthodox Church. He criticised Georgia's "radical opposition" for stirring up protesters to commit "unprecedented violence" during Tuesday's rallies, according to Georgian news agencies.

☆ Georgian police use tear gas to halt protest against 'foreign agents' law
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

TBILISI, March 8 (Reuters) - Police in the ex-Soviet state of Georgia used tear gas and stun grenades early on Wednesday to break up a protest outside Parliament against a draft law on "foreign agents". The crowd then gathered outside parliament, where some people pulled aside light metal barriers designed to keep the public away from the building. Speaking in Berlin earlier on Tuesday, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Garibashvili reaffirmed his support for the law, saying the proposed provisions on foreign agents met "European and global standards". [1/10] Police use a water cannon to disperse protesters during a rally against the "foreign agents" law in Tbilisi, Georgia, March 7, 2023. Late on Tuesday night protesters angrily remonstrated with police armed with riot shields who then used tear gas and watercannon.

☆ Georgian police use tear gas on protesters after parliament backs 'foreign agents' law
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/9] A protester sits on his haunches in front of police officers, who block the way during a rally against the "foreign agents" law in Tbilisi, Georgia, March 7, 2023. REUTERS/Irakli GedenidzeTBILISI, March 7 (Reuters) - Georgian police used tear gas to disperse protesters on Tuesday in central Tbilisi after parliament gave its initial backing to a draft law on "foreign agents" which critics say represents an authoritarian shift in the South Caucasus country. The law, backed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, would require any organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from overseas to register as "foreign agents", or face substantial fines. Georgian television showed protesters angrily remonstrating with police armed with riot shields who then used tear gas. "The future of our country doesn't belong to, and will not belong to, foreign agents and servants of foreign countries," he said.

☆ Brawl erupts in Georgia parliament over 'Russian-inspired' foreign agent law
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] People take part in a protest against the controversial "foreign agents" bill outside the parliament building in Tbilisi, Georgia March 6, 2023. Critics have compared it to a 2012 Russian law, which has been steadily expanded since then and used to crack down on Russian civil society and independent media. "The Russian legislation that now is proposed in parliament is against Georgia's national interests, against our European aspirations," said Irakli Pavlenishvili, a civil rights activist and opposition politician. However, Givi Mikanadze, a Georgian Dream lawmaker, told national television: "Georgian society absolutely deserves to know which organisations are being financed, from which sources. Last month, more than 60 civil society organisations and media outlets said they would not comply with the new "foreign agent" legislation if it becomes law.

☆ Balenciaga Displays Restraint in First Fashion Show Since Child Ad Backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Nick Kostov | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Balenciaga presented a pared-down fashion show in Paris with a minimalist backdrop. PARIS—Balenciaga’s creative designer Demna mounted a toned-down fashion show on Sunday in a bid to turn the page on consumer outrage that engulfed the brand over its portrayal of children in its ads. Company executives had touted the show, Demna’s first since the controversy erupted, as an important moment to reset the brand’s image. Those gathered for the show under the pyramid of the Louvre in Paris saw a different side to the Georgian-born German national.

☆ London's 'The Holme' is the world's most expensive home for sale with a reported asking price around $300 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Aaron Mcdade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

"The Holme," a 205-year-old mansion in Regent's Park in London, is reportedly for sale. The agents handling the sale are reportedly asking for up to 250 million British pounds, about $300 million. If it reaches the reported asking price, the property would become the most expensive ever sold in the United Kingdom. Another massive mansion held the previous UK record — 2-8 Rutland Gate, which overlooks London's Hyde Park was sold in 2020 for £210 million, or $232 million. An 1820s sketch of The Holme in Regent's Park, which is currently for sale for an estimated $300 million.

With Russia embroiled in conflict again in Ukraine, in what the Kremlin says is a fresh existential battle for national survival, memories of the Soviet dictator loom large. "Firstly, thank you for the victory (in World War Two)," said 21-year-old Madina in a typically mixed view of Stalin's legacy among people on the streets of Moscow. said Moscow resident Andrei, 31, praising Stalin as a strong unifying personality whose war victory should be lauded. Today, Gori's Stalin museum, located on the town's Stalin Avenue, is the town's most famous tourist attraction, drawing visitors from across the world. In 2010, the Georgian government ordered the town's Stalin statue removed, saying he did not deserve it.

☆ A year into the war, Russians in Georgia are viewed with suspicion
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Bookshop owner Nikolai Kireev, who recently relocated from Russia to Georgia, is seen through a window in Tbilisi, Georgia, February 14, 2023. Kireev is one of hundreds of thousands of Russians who relocated to Georgia following the invasion in February and the announcement of a "partial mobilisation" in Russia in September. According to Georgia's interior ministry, 112,000 Russians were in the country, which has a population of 3.7 million, as of Nov. 1. While the emigrants have helped make Georgia, along with neighbouring Armenia - another popular destination for anti-war Russians - among the fastest growing economies in the world, many Georgians view them with suspicion. In the 1990s, Moscow backed separatists in the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, with the regions' ethnic Georgian populations expelled.

☆ Jailed ex-Georgian leader appears in court by video link, seeking urgent medical treatment
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Irakli GedenidzeTBILISI, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Mikheil Saakashvili, the jailed former president of Georgia, appeared in court via video link on Wednesday to show how much weight he had lost while incarcerated, as associates renewed calls for him to be freed for urgent medical treatment. Citing medical records, Saakashvili's team says his weight has dropped from 115 kg (254 pounds) when he was jailed in October 2021 to 68 kg (150 pounds) at a check-up this week. Georgian authorities say he is feigning the gravity of his condition in order to secure early release. Zelenskiy decried Saakashvili's condition, saying Georgian authorities were trying to kill him. Saakashvili's supporters accuse the current Georgian government of adopting a pro-Kremlin position and of refusing to sufficiently back Ukraine.

☆ Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is cleaning up her image and cozying up with GOP leadership to gain power. It's working.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Madison Hall | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is cozying up with GOP leadership after two years of being an outsider. Two years later, under Republican leadership, she's angling herself into positions of power. It's clear she's learned valuable lessons from two of her GOP colleagues, Rep. Lauren Boebert and former Rep. Madison Cawthorn. In spite of this, Gingrich ultimately gained prominence among the GOP, becoming the Republican whip and later speaker of the House. Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia takes a selfie with Kevin McCarthy after his election as speaker of the House.

☆ A Russian graveyard reveals Wagner’s prisoner army
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +18 min

The resting places were adorned with simple wooden crosses and brightly coloured wreaths that bore the insignia of Russia’s Wagner Group - a feared and secretive private army. The news agency matched the names of at least 39 of the dead here and at three other nearby cemeteries to Russian court records, publicly available databases and social media accounts. He said gravediggers told him the bodies had come from the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, close to Russia’s border with Donetsk region. According to Russian court documents, Kochas and another man burst into the apartment of an acquaintance while drunk in an attempted robbery. But he refused, so he’s a fool.”A Russian graveyard reveals Wagner’s prisoner army By Felix Light and Filipp Lebedev in Tbilisi and Reade Levinson in London Photo editing: Simon Newman Graphics: Fielding Cage Art direction: Eve Watling Edited by Janet McBride

☆ See how a millennial transformed a dull 1960s bungalow into a lavish Georgian mansion dripping in one-of-a-kind antiques that hosts boudoir photo shoots for $200 an hour
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Emmanuel Hébert grew up in a tiny Montreal bungalow that he has transformed into a Georgian mansion. See the renovation step-by-step, and why people rent the finished home for titillating photo shoots. Hébert is an online antiques dealer who decided to forgo a traditional storefront and transform his home into a staging ground for his business. He said he's had a handful of rap music videos filmed there, as well as many boudoir-style photo shoots. See how the home went from its drab beginnings to being a showpiece mansion with a one-of-a-kind style.

☆ How a millennial transformed his childhood home into a maximalist Georgian mansion that he rents out for nearly $200 an hour for photo and video shoots
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Emmanuel Hébert grew up in a small Montréal house that he has transformed into a Georgian mansion. He also rents it out for $184 an hour and uses the funds to further renovate the mansion. The living room of Manoir Blackswan in its full glory, dripping in antique chandeliers Hébert sells through his antiques business. Emmanuel HébertThe mansion is Hébert's home, where he's raising his 5-year-old son, Romeo, as well as a showroom for his antiques business. On Instagram, nearly 10,000 people follow Manoir Blackswan — what he calls the mansion — and 13,700 people follow his antiques business.

☆ The Armenian dram is the world's top-performing currency as the mass exodus of Russians fleeing Putin's war drives big increase in money transfers
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A mass fleeing of Russian citizens into neighboring countries has sent their native currencies soaring. Armenia, Georgia, and Tajikistan in Central Asia are among the world's top performers against the dollar. The Armenian dram has gained 22% in 2022 and is the top global currency. A large portion of the currency growth is due to money transfers, specifically from non-commercial transfers from out-of-country workers, with the equivalent of $1.75 billion entering Georgia from Russia, according to Bloomberg. The currency appreciation in countries surrounding Russia is a stark reversal of expectations.

☆ Couples are proposing to each other by writing 'marry me' on Ukrainian artillery shells to be fired at Russians
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A US supporter of Ukraine proposed to his girlfriend with a message on a Ukrainian artillery shell. They used a Ukrainian service that offers customized notes on munitions in exchange for a donation. "When we first started dating, I made an offhand comment one night," 38-year-old Emily Knight told Insider. A few months later that's more or less what her partner David did, using a then-burgeoning Ukrainian service known as SignMyRocket that the couple had been browsing. Her mother, who was ready to foot the bill for a white wedding, has been told to send the equivalent cash to Ukraine, Emily said.

The US was unable to deliver on the request for the ex-colonel, Vadim Krasikov, because he is serving out a life sentence for murder in Germany. The US made several other offers to the Russians, sources said, to try to get them to agree to include Whelan in the swap. The US also offered to trade Roman Seleznev, a convicted Russian cyber-criminal currently serving a 14-year sentence in the US, sources said. But Bélot said he could see Vinnik being part of prisoner swap negotiations in the future. “They [Vinnik and Whelan] make part of the possible ‘candidates’ for the next swap,” Bélot said in a text message to CNN.

We’re going to win Georgia,” Biden said in response to questions regarding his outlook on the Georgia Senate runoff contest as he exited Air Force One Tuesday night. Share this -Link copiedWarnock defeats Walker in Georgia Senate runoff, NBC News projects Sen. Raphael Warnock has won his second statewide runoff election in the last two years, defeating Republican Herschel Walker in the increasingly purple state of Georgia to capture a six-year term in the Senate, NBC News projected. Share this -Link copiedThe Senate runoff election is still too close to call, but Warnock leads The Senate runoff election between Warnock and Walker is still too close to call, but Warnock leads, NBC News' Decision Desk said just before 10 p.m. Share this -Link copiedPolls close soon in critical Georgia Senate runoff Polls are closing at 7 p.m. ET in the Senate runoff election in Georgia, where Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is hoping to fend off a challenge from Republican Herschel Walker.

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