Britain Signals Harder Look at Wealthy Russians and Russian Wealth

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Britain Signals Harder Look at Wealthy Russians and Russian Wealth Photo Russians waiting at the Russian Embassy in London to cast their votes in the presidential election this month. The British government said this week it would review the cases of 700 Russians who were granted visas to live in Britain largely because they could invest in the country. Credit Tim Ireland/Associated Press LONDON — For years, anticorruption campaigners have railed against Britain’s openness to ill-gotten riches from overseas and the foreigners who invest them. After a nerve agent attack on British soil, and the resulting diplomatic showdown between Russia and the West, that may be starting to change.
The British government said this week that it would review the cases of 700 Russians who were granted visas to live in Britain largely because they could invest millions of dollars in the country. And it signaled an openness to cutting off access to British financial markets for President Vladimir V. Putin’..

Once Home to U.K.’s Jews, Labour Party Is Embroiled in Anti-Semitism Claims

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Once Home to U.K.’s Jews, Labour Party Is Embroiled in Anti-Semitism Claims Photo A rally in London on Monday against anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. One Labour lawmaker said anti-Semitism in the party was “more conspicuous, more commonplace and more corrosive” than at any time she could remember. Credit Jack Taylor/Getty Images LONDON — The mural emblazoned on a wall in east London has long been painted over, but the image remains jarring: a group of caricatured, stereotypically Jewish bankers playing Monopoly on the backs of the poor.
So when it appeared in the Twitter feed of a British lawmaker — along with a question about why the leader of her opposition Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn, once opposed its removal — Luciana Berger wanted answers.
I asked the Leader’s Office for an explanation about this Facebook post first thing this morning. I’m still waiting for a response. pic.twitter.com/DL8ynBtES4
— Luciana Berger (@lucianaberger) March 23, 2018 For hours, she heard nothing fr..

China Moves to Sideline Underground Bishop, His Colleagues Say

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China Moves to Sideline Underground Bishop, His Colleagues Say Photo A Palm Sunday Mass at an underground church near Shijiazhuang, China, last year. The Roman Catholic Church in China is divided between churches loyal to Rome and those approved by Beijing. Credit Kevin Frayer/Getty Images The authorities are trying to keep out of the public eye during Easter week an underground Chinese bishop at the center of a controversial deal between Beijing and the Vatican, according to people working in his office.
A Rome-based news agency has reported that Guo Xijin was briefly detained on Monday because he refused to celebrate the upcoming Easter Mass with the government-approved bishop, but people working in his parish office said the aim was to keep him out of the spotlight during the days around Easter, which is celebrated this coming Sunday.
Bishop Guo, 59, of the Mindong diocese in central-eastern China, was taken to the city of Xiamen. He was allowed to return home on Wednesday for famil..

Yulia Skripal, Poisoned Daughter of Ex-Spy, Out of Critical Condition

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Yulia Skripal, Poisoned Daughter of Ex-Spy, Out of Critical Condition Photo A picture of Yulia Skripal obtained from her Facebook account. She “continues to receive expert clinical care 24 hours a day,” a hospital statement said. Credit via Associated Press LONDON — Yulia Skripal, who was found poisoned on a park bench in a small English city earlier this month along with her father, the former Russian spy Sergei V. Skripal, is showing improvement and is no longer in critical condition, the hospital that is treating her said on Thursday.
The British authorities have blamed Russia for the poisoning, which they say was carried out with a deadly nerve agent developed by Soviet scientists and known as a “novichok.” The attack has significantly raised tensions between the West and Russia, which has denied any involvement.
“I’m pleased to be able to report an improvement in the condition of Yulia Skripal,” Dr. Christine Blanshard, the medical director for Salisbury District Hospital, said in..