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President Putin moved his £75million superyacht three weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine to avoid having it seized as part of war sanctions, a new investigation has claimed. Secret documents released by Russian investigative journalist Maria Pevchikh, who heads the anti-corruption foundation set up by Alexei Navalny, show the Russian president had his yacht ‘Graceful’ sail from from Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg, Germany to the Russian semi-exclave of Kaliningrad two weeks before the invasion. The documents show an email was sent by an employee of Russia’s largest shipping company, the SCF Group, to Blohm & Voss saying the owner of Graceful is unhappy with an on-going “refit” and wants the ship to sail out of the Hamburg port on February 1, 2022. The email does not provide any reason why the owner of the yacht was unhappy with the on-going “refit”, which added two new balconies to the vessel and extended the pool. “The owner is not happy with the retrofit. He is dissatisfied with the delays in the construction process,” the email says. “The owner wants the Graceful to be brought to the Russian Federation on February 1st (...). Please mobilise an uninterrupted crew – 2 shifts.’ The email, sent on January 19, 2022, adds: “Please accelerate all works which may interfere with Graceful sailing out on 01 February. “Please calculate the amount to be paid by Owners due to early departure. Crew and myself will provide full assistance to prepare Graceful for Towing.” According to investigators, Blohm & Voss was set to work on Graceful for another year to fix open holes in its surface. But the company was forced to cancel its work and get the ship ready to set sail in just 12 days. The yacht’s crew, based in Hamburg, were also forced to move out of their homes so they could move the vessel. Reports suggest the company did not meet the deadline of February 1, with pictures showing Graceful being towed out of Hamburg on February 7. Sanctions imposed by the UK, US, European Union and other allied nations since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have seen Putin and his allied Oligarchs have their assets seized across the world, including numerous superyachts and houses. But president Putin was preparing for this eventuality by ordering Graceful - which has since been renamed Kosatka (Russian for ‘killer whale’) - to return to a friendly port well in advance, according to investigators. Graceful is alleged to have cost the Russian president 87 million euros (£75 million) and has a 50-foot indoor swimming pool that turns into a theatre and dance floor with the press of a button, a helipad, a gym, and a wine cave that can store 400 bottles. It also features a large library, spa and plunge pools and a cocktail bar. President Putin allegedly owns three yachts, however, his officials deny this. As well as Graceful, Mr Putin is alleged to own the Olympia, gifted to him by a top oligarch almost two decades ago, and the £550 million ‘floating palace’ Scheherazade - seized by the West. Read More Scheherazade: Giant £570m superyacht ‘owned by Vladimir Putin’ is seized by Italian authorities Vladimir Putin owns £500m superyacht moored in Italy, Alexei Navalny allies claim Wealthy Russian businessman loses fight over detained superyacht The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

By Aishwarya Venugopal (Reuters) -Coach parent Tapestry will buy Michael Kors owner Capri Holdings in a deal valued at $8.5

The internet going crazy for two films about kids’ dolls and weapons of mass destruction couldn’t have been on many people’s bingo cards. But with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie and Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer set to come out on the same day, 21 July, you’d be challenged to name a more iconic duo. The hype around the movies could hardly have been more different. Barbie is, well, Barbie; it’s pink, pretty and plastic. Oppenheimer is the atom bomb: fire and brimstone, the destroyer of worlds. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Social media doesn’t see it that way, though. As cinemas gear up to show the movies back-to-back – and film-goers argue over which one to watch first – the meme factory has been working on overdrive. Here are some of the best Twitter has to offer: It recently emerged that the Barbie dream house had mysteriously appeared in Malibu. It comes complete with a pool, huge balconies and that signature pink finish. Oh, and you can stay there on Airbnb soon. Unfortunately, Oppenheimer fans had an idea for how they could counter the excellent work done by Barbie’s marketing team with a slightly more destructive piece of marketing of their own. They wouldn’t... Would they? People are already planning their entire days around the dual event. Are you Oppenheimer first, then Barbie? (Otherwise known as Oppenbarbie.) Or are you doing it the other, incorrect way? Because if you’re seeing Barbie in the morning followed by a chaser of atomic doom in the evening (Barbenheimer, apparently), you’re doing it all wrong, apparently. Which camp (or state) do you fall into? These two iconic houses in Santa Monica almost nail the difference in tone between the two films without even knowing it: Yes, of course, there is merch. And even the stars of the films themselves have joined in the fun: Instagram has even made a trailer. The good news is, whichever you go for – Barbenheimer or Oppenbarbie – there's one thing everyone can agree on... Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

BASEL, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 5, 2023--

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Manchester City beat Inter Milan 1-0 to win the Champions League and complete the treble at the Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul. Rodri scored the second-half winner for Pep Guardiola’s side to add to their success in the Premier League and FA Cup. Here, the PA news agency picks out some of the best images from the celebrations in Turkey and at home. Treble winners Sealed with a kiss All smiles Party time for Haaland Family affair Safe hands The boss The fans Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live