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                                                                                         WORLD NEWS Wednesday 16 March 2022
             EU hits Russia with more sanctions: From trade to truffles



            By RAF CASERT                                                                                                       Moscow  Stock  Exchange
            Associated Press                                                                                                    remains  suspended.  Rus-
            BRUSSELS (AP) — Pure-bred                                                                                           sia's credit rating has been
            horses,  truffles,  a  soccer                                                                                       downgraded to junk status
            club  owner  and  a  media                                                                                          just  about  default  levels.
            company chief.                                                                                                      Many international compa-
            They  were  among  the  tar-                                                                                        nies  are  leaving  the  coun-
            gets  of  new  European                                                                                             try," Dombrovskis said.
            Union  sanctions  against                                                                                           The  import  ban  on  steel
            Russia  on  Tuesday  that                                                                                           products would amount to
            sought  to  deny  oligarchs                                                                                         some 3.3 billion euros ($3.6
            their love of luxury and rob                                                                                        billion)  in  lost  exports  for
            the nation of lucrative steel                                                                                       Russia, as the EU was its No.
            exports.                                                                                                            1 market.
            The  27-nation  bloc  sought                                                                                        This  time  special  atten-
            to  stay  away  from  sanc-                                                                                         tion  was  paid  to  the  elite
            tions that would sap its sup-  The Ukrainian flag flaps in the wind atop the Atomium landmark during a fundraising event for   by  targeting  luxury  goods.
            ply  of  Russian  energy,  but   Ukraine in Brussels, Thursday, March 10, 2022.                                     It  ranged  from  truffles,
            pounced  with  measures                                                                            Associated Press  Champagne,  cigars  and
            worth  billions  while  stifling                                                                                    perfumes to fine wines, rare
            its ability to work on global  United States.             sea  soccer  club  owner  It  didn't  work  on  Monday,  wristwatches,  pearls  and
            markets by banning EU rat-   Together  they  agreed  to  Roman  Abramovich,  who  when  Marina  Ovsyanniko-         diamonds.
            ing  agencies  to  work  with  deny  Russia  the  status  of  was slapped with an asset  va,  a  Channel  One  em-  "We're  trying  to  target  the
            Russian clients.             most favored nation, which  freeze and a travel ban.      ployee,  walked  into  the  wealthy, elite oligarchs," an
            "These  new  sanctions  will  will  cost  its  companies  The EU's official journal said  studio   during   Monday's  EU  official  involved  in  the
            cut  Russia  off  even  further  privileged  status  in  West-  that Abramovich "has had  evening news show with a  setting up of sanctions said
            and drain its resources to fi-  ern  economies.  Britain  an-  privileged  access  to  the  poster saying "no war" and  on  customary  condition  of
            nance this barbaric war. So  nounced sanctions against  (Russian) president, and has  "Russians against the war."   anonymity.
            one  can  say  that  the  Rus-  350 individuals and entities  maintained very good rela-  The  EU  announcements  Since  the  war  started  last
            sia  has  become  the  most  Tuesday and also promised  tions with him. This connec-   were in line with what lead-  month,  the  EU  has  adopt-
            sanctioned  nation  in  the  to ban the export of luxury  tion with the Russian leader  ers had announced at the  ed tough measures target-
            world, which is very dubious  goods to Russia.            helped him to maintain his  Versailles summit last Friday  ing  Putin,  Russia's  financial
            honor  indeed,"  European  The  European  Union  has  considerable wealth."            — that a stringent package  system and its high-mainte-
            Commission Vice President  already  hit  about  600  Rus-  Tuesday's list of 15 individu-  of  sanctions  would  be  up-  nance oligarchs. Last week,
            Valdis Dombrovskis said.     sians  during  the  four  sanc-  als also included Konstantin  coming if Russia continued  the  bloc's  nations  agreed
            The  continued  punishment  tion  sessions,  including  15  Lvovich Ernst, the chief ex-  its invasion of Ukraine.  to slap further sanctions on
            of  Moscow  for  its  invasion  individuals  and  nine  enti-  ecutive of Russia's state-run  And the EU insisted that the  160 individuals and added
            of neighboring Ukraine was  ties  in  the  fourth  package  Channel  One,  which  the  measures had already had  new  restrictions  on  the  ex-
            done  in  close  consultation  of  sanctions.  It  affected  EU  says  is  used  by  Russian  their impact.         port of maritime navigation
            with  Western  allies,  from  one  oligarch  already  tar-  President Vladimir Putin for  "We  see  that  ruble  has  and  radio  communication
            the United Kingdom to the  geted  by  Britain  —  Chel-   propaganda purposes.         crashed.  Trading  on  the  technology.q


             Germany to disarm far-right extremists, restricts gun access



            By FRANK JORDANS             that  benefit  such  groups,  said  separately  Tuesday
            Associated Press             including   merchandising  that  there  were  252  "re-
            BERLIN  (AP)  —  Germany's  businesses,  music  festivals  portable  events"  among
            top  security  officials  an-  and martial arts events.   German troops in 2021, an
            nounced  a  10-point  plan  Authorities  will  work  to  re-  increase compared to pre-
            Tuesday  to  combat  far-    move  gun  licenses  from  vious  years  that  she  attrib-
            right extremism in the coun-  suspected       extremists,  uted  to  heightened  sensi-
            try  that  includes  disarming  crack down on incitement  tivity surrounding extremism
            about    1,500   suspected  spread  online  through  so-  in the ranks. She called for
            extremists  and  tightening  cial  networks  and  combat  swifter  court  martial  pro-
            background  checks  for  conspiracy theories online.      ceedings  so  that  soldiers
            those  wanting  to  acquire  Faeser  said  an  emphasis  found  to  have  broken  the
            guns.                        will  also  be  put  on  rooting  law  or  breached  conduct
            Interior Minister Nancy Fae-  out  extremists  who  work  in  rules can be fired faster.
            ser  said  the  far  right  poses  government  agencies,  in-  Thomas  Haldenwang,  the
            the biggest extremist threat  cluding the security forces.  head of Germany's BfV do-  Nancy Faeser, Federal Minister of the Interior and Home Affairs,
                                                                                                   speaks  at  a  press  conference  to  present  the  Action  Plan  on
            to democracy in Germany  Reports  about  far-right  ex-   mestic intelligence service,   Right-Wing  Extremism  in  Berlin,  Germany,  Tuesday,  March  15,
            and  said  authorities  would  tremists among the police-  said  his  agency  planned   2022.
            seek  to  tackle  the  issue  and  military  in  Germany  to  release  a  report  in  the                                       Associated Press
            through  prevention  and  have raised particular con-     coming  months  about  ex-
            tough measures.              cerns because of fears that  tremists  who  work  for  the  it  can  designate  the  party  ists  traveling  to  Ukraine  as
            "We  want  to  destroy  far-  they  could  use  privileged  authorities.               as a suspected case of ex-   foreign fighters, but most of
            right  extremist  networks,"  information to target politi-  The agency is also monitor-  tremism, he said.         the chatter online by peo-
            Faeser  told  reporters  in  cal enemies.                 ing the Alternative for Ger-  Haldenwang  said  authori-  ple  saying  they  planned
            Berlin,  saying  this  included  Parliament's  commissioner  many political party after a  ties have recorded a small  to  do  so  appeared  to  be
            targeting  financial  flows  for  the  military,  Eva  Hoegl,  court  ruled  last  week  that  number of far-right extrem-  "swagger."q
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