Latest news with #Dobrowolski
The Hindu
28-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
U.K. distances new spy chief from 'Nazi' grandfather
The British government has distanced the incoming head of its foreign intelligence service from her grandfather following reports he was a Nazi spy known as "the butcher". Blaise Metreweli will, in the autumn, become the first woman to lead MI6 in its 116-year-old history, the British government announced earlier this month. The Daily Mail newspaper reported this week that her grandfather Constantine Dobrowolski defected from the Soviet Union's Red Army to become a Nazi informant in the Chernigiv region of modern-day Ukraine. The newspaper said German archives showed Dobrowolski was known as "the Butcher" or "Agent No 30" by Wehrmacht commanders. "Blaise Metreweli neither knew nor met her paternal grandfather," a Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement. "Blaise's ancestry is characterised by conflict and division and, as is the case for many with eastern European heritage, only partially understood. "It is precisely this complex heritage which has contributed to her commitment to prevent conflict and protect the British public from modern threats from today's hostile states, as the next chief of MI6." The Daily Mail said Dobrowolski had a 50,000 ruble bounty placed on him by Soviet leaders, and was dubbed the "worst enemy of the Ukrainian people". He also sent letters to superiors saying he "personally" took part "in the extermination of the Jews", the newspaper added. The head of MI6 is the only publicly named member of the organisation and reports directly to the Foreign Minister. Ms. Metreweli, 47, will be the 18th head of MI6. Like her predecessors, she will be referred to as "C", not "M" as the chief is called in the James Bond film franchise.
Mint
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
UK distances MI6 new chief from Nazi spy grandfather dubbed ‘The Butcher' – what we know so far
The British government has cast a distance between the incoming Chief of its foreign intelligence service and her grandfather following reports he was a Nazi spy known as "The Butcher". Blaise Metreweli was announced as the incoming head of UK's Secret Intelligence Service earlier this month. She will be the intelligence service – MI6's — first female "C" (Chief) in its 116-year history. As per documents accessed by the BBC, Blaise Metreweli's paternal grandfather Constantine Dobrowolski defected from the Soviet Union's Red Army to become the Nazi's chief informant in the Chernigiv region of modern-day Ukraine. Another report by The Daily Mail, also states that German archives showed Dobrowolski was known as "the Butcher" or "Agent No 30" by Wehrmacht commanders. Dobrowolski even had a 50,000 ruble bounty placed on him by Soviet leaders, and was dubbed the "worst enemy of the Ukrainian people". He had also sent letters to superiors saying he "personally" took part "in the extermination of the Jews", The Daily Mail added. Blaise Metreweli, however, neither knew nor met her paternal grandfather, a Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement, reported AFP. 'Blaise's ancestry is characterised by conflict and division and, as is the case for many with eastern European heritage, only partially understood.' 'It is precisely this complex heritage which has contributed to her commitment to prevent conflict and protect the British public from modern threats from today's hostile states, as the next chief of MI6," reads the statement issued by the Foreign Office, reported AFP. The UK (Great Britain), a part of the Allies faced off Germany and the other Axis powers during World War II. After coming to power in 1933, Adolf Hitler flagrantly violated the Treaty of Versailles, rearming Germany and remilitarising the Rhineland in 1936. He had aggressive and ambitious foreign policy aims. Britain initially pursued a policy of appeasement, seeking to give Hitler some of what he wanted in order to preserve peace. When Hitler broke the agreement made at the Munich Conference, it became clear appeasement had failed, and war broke out following the invasion of Poland in September 1939. UK policymakers—including Churchill—believed Nazi dominance threatened the European balance of power, a cornerstone of British foreign policy since the Napoleonic era.
Time of India
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
UK distances new spy chief from 'Nazi' grandfather
The British government has distanced the incoming head of its foreign intelligence service from her grandfather following reports he was a Nazi spy known as "the butcher". Blaise Metreweli will in the autumn become the first woman to lead MI6 in its 116-year-old history, the British government announced earlier this month. The Daily Mail newspaper reported this week that her grandfather Constantine Dobrowolski defected from the Soviet Union's Red Army to become a Nazi informant in the Chernigiv region of modern-day Ukraine. The newspaper said German archives showed Dobrowolski was known as "the Butcher" or "Agent No 30" by Wehrmacht commanders. "Blaise Metreweli neither knew nor met her paternal grandfather," a Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement. Live Events "Blaise's ancestry is characterised by conflict and division and, as is the case for many with eastern European heritage, only partially understood. "It is precisely this complex heritage which has contributed to her commitment to prevent conflict and protect the British public from modern threats from today's hostile states, as the next chief of MI6." The Daily Mail said Dobrowolski had a 50,000 ruble bounty placed on him by Soviet leaders, and was dubbed the "worst enemy of the Ukrainian people". He also sent letters to superiors saying he "personally" took part "in the extermination of the Jews", the newspaper added. The head of MI6 is the only publicly named member of the organisation and reports directly to the foreign minister. Metreweli, 47, will be the 18th head of MI6. Like her predecessors she will be referred to as "C", not "M" as the chief is called in the James Bond film franchise.
Straits Times
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
UK distances new spy chief from 'Nazi' grandfather
Ms Blaise Metreweli, a career intelligence officer, is currently MI6's head of technology, known as "Q". PHOTOS: MI6, REUTERS LONDON - The British government has distanced the incoming head of its foreign intelligence service from her grandfather following reports he was a Nazi spy known as 'the butcher'. Ms Blaise Metreweli will in the autumn become the first woman to lead MI6 in its 116-year-old history, the British government announced earlier this month. The Daily Mail newspaper reported this week that her grandfather Constantine Dobrowolski defected from the Soviet Union's Red Army to become a Nazi informant in the Chernigiv region of modern-day Ukraine. The newspaper said German archives showed Dobrowolski was known as 'the Butcher' or 'Agent No 30' by Wehrmacht commanders. 'Blaise Metreweli neither knew nor met her paternal grandfather,' a Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement. 'Blaise's ancestry is characterised by conflict and division and, as is the case for many with eastern European heritage, only partially understood. 'It is precisely this complex heritage which has contributed to her commitment to prevent conflict and protect the British public from modern threats from today's hostile states, as the next chief of MI6.' The Daily Mail said Mr Dobrowolski had a 50,000 ruble bounty placed on him by Soviet leaders, and was dubbed the 'worst enemy of the Ukrainian people'. He also sent letters to superiors saying he 'personally' took part 'in the extermination of the Jews', the newspaper added. The head of MI6 is the only publicly named member of the organisation and reports directly to the foreign minister. Ms Metreweli, 47, will be the 18th head of MI6. Like her predecessors she will be referred to as 'C', not 'M' as the chief is called in the James Bond film franchise. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Miami Herald
27-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Teeny peek inside Tampa's tiny home town
By Michael Lee Simpson Welcome to the tiny homes town - where more than 60 people live in four villages in homes which are as small as 8.5ft wide. Dan Dobrowolski, 66, is the founder of the national tiny home company Escape and has built The Village, The Oaks, Palm Court, and The Grove in Tampa Bay, Florida. The 45 homes fit up to two bedrooms, full kitchen and bathrooms, despite the smallest being even less than 8.5 feet wide, and cost as little as $156,199 to buy and $1,295 a month to rent. Unlike mobile home parks or RV sites, Escape Tampa Bay is built with permanent infrastructure. Dobrowolski built the homes in 2020 - some of which he has built across the country - in a bid to address the deepening housing affordability crisis. "Even though it's a tiny house, you still have a large area where you can go outside and walk just like you're in a normal neighborhood," he said. "We intentionally designated the entire central part of the development as a large park, so it's very green, very quiet, and you have space." Escape Tampa Bay is near major roads and basic amenities and offers long-term housing at lower costs than typical rentals in the region. Homes in the community range from about 200 to 600 square feet, with some of the earlier models reaching 800 square feet. Monthly rent averages around $1,400 - below current market rates in the area, where rental prices have been climbing amid high demand and limited availability. Dobrowolski says he sees this type of housing as one possible answer to the wider affordability problem. "People all talk about the affordability crisis in housing," he said. "Especially if you're a working person - cops, teachers, mechanics - they're priced out." There are shared amenities on-site, including a pool, a workspace area, and secured entry, as well as underground utilities and fiber optic internet. Most residents own their homes, though the company offers some units as rentals with leases between nine and twelve months. Some homes have been resold, with recent prices as low as $89,197 plus a $595 monthly lot fee. Dobrowolski purchased the land and developed the community. However, he does not personally own all the homes in the village. The homes are sold to individual buyers, who then own or rent their units privately. Zoning restrictions and local opposition can slow or stop expansion. "The demand is off the Richter scale," he said. "Beauty is important, and we've shown that affordable housing doesn't have to mean sacrificing neighborhood quality or design. He added: "What we've created here isn't just housing - it's a real community where people can afford to live and thrive in today's economy." The post Teeny peek inside Tampa's tiny home town appeared first on Talker. Copyright Talker News. All Rights Reserved.
