Latest news with #Nazi
Canada News.Net
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Canada News.Net
Trump tells Republicans to kill top US state media outlet
The president has labeled the Voice of America a left-wing disaster US President Donald Trump has called on Republicans to support his campaign to dismantle the state-funded news outlet Voice of America (VOA). Launched in 1942 to counter Nazi propaganda during World War II, the broadcaster later served as a key vehicle for pro-American messaging during the Cold War. Trump has argued, however, that VOA has in recent decades veered toward partisanship, and vowed to shut it down as part of his broader push to eliminate wasteful government spending. "Why would a Republican want Democrat 'mouthpiece' Voice of America (VOA) to continue? It's a TOTAL, LEFTWING DISASTER - No Republican should vote for its survival. KILL IT!" the president wrote on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday. Earlier that day, Trump's senior adviser Kari Lake told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA, was "rotten to the core" and should be reshaped to align with Trump's "America First" agenda. Committee Chairman Brian Mast described USAGM as "a cesspool of spies, lies, and mismanagement" that "has promoted the very propaganda it was created to defeat." He accused the agency of hiring foreign nationals, many of whom he said were "quite literally, security risks." Lake, who has been tasked by Trump with overseeing the dismantling of the agency, said last week that nearly 640 full-time staffers and more than 500 contractors had been laid off at USAGM and VOA. Democrats and press freedom advocates have criticized the move. "The wholesale destruction of public media outlets like Voice of America represents an unprecedented gift from Trump to the dictatorial censorship regimes in countries like China and Iran," said Clayton Weimers, executive director of Reporters Without Borders USA.
Canada Standard
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Canada Standard
Incoming MI6 boss grandfather was Ukrainian Nazi Butcher media
The Daily Mail has confirmed that Blaise Metrewelis grandfather was a war criminal, claiming this has no bearing on her service The Daily Mail has revealed that the grandfather of Blaise Metreweli, who is expected to become the first woman to lead the foreign intelligence service (MI6), was a Nazi collaborator who oversaw atrocities in occupied Ukraine. Metreweli's father, Constantine, was naturalized in British-administered Hong Kong in 1966. The London Gazetteidentifiedhim at the time as Dobrowolski, known as Constantine Metreweli, of uncertain nationality. In a story published Thursday, the Mail confirmed that Constantine was the son of a German-Polish Ukrainian man - also named Constantine - who worked for the Nazis and was implicated in the mass killing of Jews and other atrocities during World War II. The newspaper said it had reviewed "hundreds of pages of documents held in archives in Freiburg, Germany, detailing the extraordinary - and blood-soaked - life and times of Dobrowolski, which are themselves worthy of a spy thriller." According to the records, Dobrowolski Sr. was born into a family of noble landowners in what is now Ukraine's Chernigov Region. Following the Bolshevik Revolution, the estate was violently plundered, leading the younger Constantine to become a fierce enemy of the new authorities. He was imprisoned in 1926 for anti-Soviet and anti-Semitic agitation. He joined the German occupiers at the first opportunity in 1941, and earned the nickname 'Butcher' for his brutal actions. He is believed to have been killed in 1943. His wife, Barbara (nee Varvara Andreeva), married Georgian-born David Metreweli in Yorkshire in 1947. The Mail alleged that the Russian government is attempting to exploit Metreweli's family history in an effort to discredit her appointment. While Russian media reported on the announcement of the first female MI6 chief and her family's ties to Ukraine and Hong Kong, the British media appears to be the first to make the Nazi connection. "Ms. Metreweli cannot be judged for the sins of her grandfather," the paper stated. "One of our nation's most formidable intelligence operatives, she has served her country with distinction on dangerous operations for MI6 across Europe and the Middle East for two decades." READ MORE: Zelensky has a Nazi problem. He cant lie his way out of it Western nations sheltered thousands of Ukrainian Nazi collaborators after World War II. Many of them were recruited by the CIA to take part in covert operations against the Soviet Union, with a guerrilla war in western Ukraine continuing into the 1950s. In 2023, Canadian lawmakers gave a standing ovation to SS veteran Yaroslav Hunka during a visit by Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky. In Kiev, historical figures associated with wartime nationalist movements, including war criminals, have been honored as national heroes. (
Canada Standard
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Canada Standard
Incoming MI6 boss grandfather was Ukrainian Nazi Butcher UK media
The Daily Mail has confirmed that Blaise Metrewelis grandfather was a war criminal, while claiming this has no bearing on her service The Daily Mail has revealed that the grandfather of Blaise Metreweli, who is expected to become the first woman to lead the UK's foreign intelligence service (MI6), was a Nazi collaborator who oversaw atrocities in occupied Ukraine. Metreweli's father, Constantine, was naturalized in British-administered Hong Kong in 1966. The London Gazetteidentifiedhim at the time as Dobrowolski, known as Constantine Metreweli, of uncertain nationality. In a story published Thursday, the Mail confirmed that Constantine was the son of a German-Polish Ukrainian man - also named Constantine - who worked for the Nazis and was implicated in the mass killing of Jews and other atrocities during World War II. The newspaper said it had reviewed "hundreds of pages of documents held in archives in Freiburg, Germany, detailing the extraordinary - and blood-soaked - life and times of Dobrowolski, which are themselves worthy of a spy thriller." According to the records, Dobrowolski Sr. was born into a family of noble landowners in what is now Ukraine's Chernigov Region. Following the Bolshevik Revolution, the estate was violently plundered, leading the younger Constantine to become a fierce enemy of the new authorities. He was imprisoned in 1926 for anti-Soviet and anti-Semitic agitation. He joined the German occupiers at the first opportunity in 1941, and earned the nickname 'Butcher' for his brutal actions. He is believed to have been killed in 1943. His wife, Barbara (nee Varvara Andreeva), married Georgian-born David Metreweli in Yorkshire in 1947. The Mail alleged that the Russian government is attempting to exploit Metreweli's family history in an effort to discredit her appointment. While Russian media reported on the announcement of the first female MI6 chief and her family's ties to Ukraine and Hong Kong, the British media appears to be the first to make the Nazi connection. "Ms. Metreweli cannot be judged for the sins of her grandfather," the paper stated. "One of our nation's most formidable intelligence operatives, she has served her country with distinction on dangerous operations for MI6 across Europe and the Middle East for two decades." READ MORE: Zelensky has a Nazi problem. He cant lie his way out of it Western nations sheltered thousands of Ukrainian Nazi collaborators after World War II. Many of them were recruited by the CIA to take part in covert operations against the Soviet Union, with a guerrilla war in western Ukraine continuing into the 1950s. In 2023, Canadian lawmakers gave a standing ovation to SS veteran Yaroslav Hunka during a visit by Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky. In Kiev, historical figures associated with wartime nationalist movements, including war criminals, have been honored as national heroes. (
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Grandfather of incoming MI6 chief was leading Nazi spy, reports say
The grandfather of the incoming head of MI6 was a Nazi spy chief, reports have said. Blaise Metreweli was announced as the new chief of MI6 earlier this month – becoming the 18th person to take on the role in the organisation's 116-year history. The Daily Mail reported her grandfather Constantine Dobrowolski had previously defected from the Red Army to become a Nazi informant in the Chernihiv region of Ukraine. The newspaper said German archives showed Mr Dobrowolski was known as 'The Butcher' or 'Agent No 30' by Wehrmacht commanders. Reports also said the Nazi spy chief had a 50,000 rouble bounty placed on him by Soviet leaders, and was dubbed the 'worst enemy of the Ukrainian people'. Ms Metreweli's grandfather also sent letters to superiors saying he 'personally' took part 'in the extermination of the Jews', the newspaper said. Ms Metreweli will take over as head of MI6 from Sir Richard Moore, a senior civil servant who will step down in the autumn after five years in the role. Commonly referred to as C, the chief has operational responsibility for MI6, and is the only publicly named member of the organisation. She first joined the service as a case officer in 1999 and has carried out operational roles in the Middle East and Europe. In her new post, she will be accountable to the Foreign Secretary. A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said: 'Blaise Metreweli neither knew nor met her paternal grandfather. 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.'
Metro
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
The 1975's Glastonbury glory is overshadowed by Matty Healy's problematic past
Glastonbury 2025 is well and truly underway with The 1975, Oliva Rodrigo and Neil Young headlining this weekend's festival. However, as soon as the official lineup was announced, fans who had previously been begging for an indie or rock band to top the bill were disappointed by The 1975's spot on the bill heading tonight – Friday, June. 27. The band has been plagued by the behaviour of frontman Matty Healy, who has been on an incredibly problematic spree for the past decade. From racist comments about rapper Ice Spice to a supposedly satirical 'Nazi salute' on stage, after which he thanked Kanye, Matty has been a menace. While Matty has apologised for the 'performance art' that went too far, many have not forgiven him, judging by complaints on social media. It's unfortunate for the rest of the band — consisting of Adam Hann, Ross MacDonald, and George Daniel — as their music headlining the Pyramid stage tonight is exactly what Glastonbury needed. For years, Matty has been a sore topic of conversation for fans, as his so-called activism seemed to harm more than it helped. January 2023 marked the start of a particularly public string of bizarre and offensive moves from the Sound hitmaker. During a rendition of Love It If We Made It, Matty appeared to do a Nazi salute on stage in response to Kanye West's increased antisemitic behaviour. He also called Ye a 'hero', which prompted loud boos from his own audience before he sang: 'Thank you Kanye, very cool!' The Ye stunt is believed to have been a satirical dig and not an honest endorsement but regardless of his intentions, Matty was widely slammed over the stunt but has never publicly apologised or addressed the situation. While on The Adam Friedland Show podcast a month later, he said: 'Obviously someone who is dealing with grief and has mental health issues, but that's not an excuse to do, like, antisemitism.' In the same episode, he also joked about sliding into Ice Spice's DMs (to no avail) before the hosts began making fun of her ethnicity — she is Dominican and Nigerian. Matty seemed to encourage the pair, who were imitating accents including Chinese, Hawaiian, and Japanese at Ice Spice's expense. He publicly apologised on stage afterwards, with the Karma hitmaker saying later that she received multiple apologies in private from him too. Then came the on-stage kiss in Malaysia, which resulted in a lawsuit and a festival getting shut down. When performing in Kuala Lumpur, he kissed bassist Ross MacDonald, which resulted in a brief imprisonment for the band due to laws around same-sex relationships. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video However, his apparent LGBTQ+ activism was slammed by many local activists who claimed Matty's drinking and disorderly behaviour before the kiss had been detrimental to their cause. The lawsuit was subsequently dismissed with the band's lawyer arguing:' The allegations of breaches of a duty of care are not breaches of a duty of care at all. They are breaches of Malaysian statutes and guidelines. That is why this claim is completely artificial against my clients.' Then there are feuds with other artists and no, we don't mean his apparent whirlwind romance and split with Taylor Swift. Azealia Banks filed a cease and desist against the frontman to the tune of $1,000,000 after he threatened to 'slap' her in a now-deleted post. He apologised for the post in December 2024 before insisting his outbursts on the platform come during 'manic episodes'. It's interesting that Glastonbury organisers chose The 1975 as headliners after Rina Sawayama called out the star – who owns the record label she's signed to – for 'microaggressions' while performing at Worthy Farm. She took issue with Matty owning her masters and has since said she 'feels really trapped' by her Dirty Hit Records deal and 'can't release another album under my current conditions'. These are just the biggest issues, he has said numerous problematic things, including randomly calling Harry Styles a 'queerbaiter'. Matty's behaviour, particularly over the past two years, has been a relentless barrage of 'performative art' and 'satire' that has failed to land as anything other than racism and idiocy. Also, there's the weird raw meat antics but the less said about that, the better. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Matty has, at almost every turn, apologised or addressed his problematic behaviour once called out by fans. During the worst of his behaviour, the band decided to go on hiatus to let things calm down without any more on stage debacles. Most recently, he replied to a fan on The 1975 subreddit about the 'performance art' claims he made. In a (rare) self reflective statement, the Robbers singer replied: 'I really appreciate your thoughts. But for clarity, I am sincerely sorry for what I said and I will not do anything like that again. 'I'm gonna stay more consistent in my life choices and be more of an adult. I have to take accountability for what I said as real person not an artist. 'This is not performance art. I will make sure any 'art' I make is titled and documented as such I'm not willing to hurt people in the pursuit of artistic statements.' He added he 'regrets having done that' and signed off with 'huge love'. This year, Matty has been incredibly quiet on any controversy and kept to himself so we will just have to see what Glastonbury 2025 brings. Matty's behaviour aside, The 1975 are a classic headliner choice for Glastonbury; a British band with huge tunes spanning years. The 1975 embodies that early to mid-2010s indie guitar band moment, with throwback hits like Chocolate, Sex, and Robbers all staples of the era. They're not stuck in the past though, with 2022's About You having a viral moment ahead of their sold out tour last year. In sheer numbers, the band has four Brit Awards, two Ivor Novello Awards, two Grammy nominations and were dubbed 'Band of the Decade' by NME in 2020. Let's not forget how influential The 1975 actually is, with their synth-pop-rock-blended sound meeting new wave, softer emo lyrics as that Fall Out Boy era began to fade. As for their space on the Glastonbury lineup: While Olivia Rodrigo is pulling in a younger, pop audience (a la Dua Lipa), Neil Young and Rod Stewart are easy crowd-pleasers following Paul McCartney's example. The 1975 is the perfect answer for Glasto-goers in their late 20s to mid 30s, who will instinctively recognise the big hits while lesser known songs are fairly inoffensive and danceable. Like them or loathe them, The 1975 and Matty's distinctive vocals defined a generation and they're still making hits — exactly what a Glastonbury headliner should be doing. More Trending It's a shame that the musical achievements of this world-class British band are being overshadowed by the actions of a frontman desperate to be seen as controversial. The 1975 will undoubtedly put on a good show later this evening, as long as Denise Welch's misguided son stays on his best behaviour. A version of this article was first published on March 7, 2025. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Robbie Williams drops major hint he's making surprise Glastonbury appearance MORE: Glastonbury performers share update after lead singer falls ill before show MORE: Kneecap star unfazed about US visa being revoked: 'There's people being starved'
