Christie's Auction House Slammed For Selling Jewels With Nazi Connection

'Briolette of India' and 699 other jewels belonging to an Austrian heiress will go on sale at Christie's on May 3 as part of one of the largest jewellery sales in history. According to New York Times, the auction house is predicting that jewels from the estate of Heidi Horten, the heiress who died last year, will bring in more than $150 million.

The sale could eclipse previous records set by Christie's in sales of properties that belonged to actress Elizabeth Taylor in 2011 and the "Maharajas and Mughal Magnificence" collection in 2019, both of which exceeded $100 million, according to an AFP report.

Heidi Horten died last year aged 81. According to Forbes, she was worth $2.9 billion.

However, the auction house has also acknowledged that the jewellery collection once owned by Helmut Horten, dead since 1987 made a fortune by purchasing businesses from German Jews who were forced to sell during World War II.

Anthea Peers, president of Christie's Europe, Middle East and Africa told New York Times, "We are aware there is a painful history. We weighed that up against various factors." She added saying that the foundation is "a key driver of philanthropic causes."

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In a report published in January 2022 by historians commissioned by the Horten Foundation, her husband Helmut Horten, who died in Switzerland in 1987, was a member of the Nazi party before being expelled, AFP reported.

In 1936, three years after Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany, Horten took over the textile company Alsberg based in the western city of Duisburg after its Jewish owners fled.

He later took over several other shops that had belonged to Jewish owners before the war.

"How did a 27-year-old take over a major department store? Did he put the (Jewish) seller under pressure?" the historians wrote.

"The giant among the West German entrepreneurs remained silent about his activities in the years 1933-45. And so the image of an unscrupulous profiteer endures today."

The Allied denazification committee exonerated Helmut Horten after the war.

On its website, Christie's says that "the business practices of Mr Horten during the Nazi era, when he purchased Jewish businesses sold under duress, are well documented".

Christie's CEO, Guillaume Ceruttitold AFP in a statement that the auction house's decision to take on the sale was made after "careful consideration".

"It was never Christie's intention to hide information about the well-documented history of Mr Horten and we have added relevant information to our sale materials and website to ensure that the facts are clear to all," he added.

The auction house has stressed that the proceeds from the sale will go to the Heidi Horten Foundation, established in 2021 to support the eponymous art collection, as well as to medical research, child welfare and other philanthropic activities that the wealthy heiress supported.

"For our part, Christie's will make a significant contribution from its final proceeds of the auction to an organisation that further advances Holocaust research and education," it added in its online statement.

Four hundred of the Horten lots will be sold at Christie's Geneva auction house from May 10 to 12.

Other pieces will be sold online from May 3 to 15 and in November.

 

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Supreme Court Questions Centre Over Probe Agency Chief's Term Extension

"Can one person be so indispensable?" the Supreme Court asked the government today as it questioned it about the third extension of service given to ED Director Sanjay Kumar Mishra despite its express direction that no further extension shall be granted to him.

The top court said it had categorically held in its 2021 judgement that any extension of tenure granted to officers holding the post of Director of Enforcement after attaining the age of superannuation should be for a short period and clearly mentioned that no further extension will be given to Mishra.

"Is there is no other person in the organisation who can do his job? Can one person be so indispensable? "According to you, there is no one else in ED who is competent? What will happen post to the agency post-2023, when he does retire?" a bench of Justices BR Gavai, Vikram Nath and Sanjay Karol asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who represented the Centre.

The barrage of questions from the bench came after the solicitor general said Mr Mishra's extension was necessitated because of administrative reasons and was vital for India's evaluation by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

"The next peer review of India's legislation on money laundering is to take place in 2023 and, with a view to ensuring that India's rating does not go down, continuity of the leadership in the Enforcement Directorate is crucial," Mr Mehta said, adding the person already interacting with the task force is best suited to deal with it and the skills for that is acquired after working in that position for several years.

The solicitor general said though no one is indispensable, in such cases continuity is required.

"We are not dealing with individuals, but with the performance of an entire country," he contended.

At the start of the arguments, the solicitor general questioned the locus standi of some of the PIL petitioners who have challenged the amended law that allowed extension to the ED boss.

"At the outset, I have serious objection with respect to petitions filed by political persons whose party's senior functionaries are under investigation by Enforcement Directorate. They have no locus in the matter. Office bearers of the Congress party....

"Their leaders are facing serious ED investigations and it is not just political investigation as alleged. In one of the cases, we had to bring a cash counting machine because there was so much cash recovered from them...Will this court entertain petitions at the behest of persons who are trying to pressurise the agency ED," Mr Mehta said.

The top court, however, refused to agree with Mehta's submission.

"Merely because a person is a member of a political party, can that be a ground not to permit him a petition? Can he be stalled from approaching the court?" the bench asked.

Mehta stood his ground, saying a public interest litigation has to be limited to public interest and not private interest.

The hearing in the matter remained inconclusive and will continue on May 8.

The top court had earlier disagreed with the Centre's contention that petitions challenging the amended law allowing extension of tenure of the director of the Enforcement Directorate up to five years should not be entertained as they have been filed by political entities facing serious money laundering charges.

It had said even if the petitioners are facing cases, they have the right to approach the judiciary for redress of their grievances.

The top court had on December 12 last sought the response from the Centre and others to a plea challenging the third extension granted to ED chief Mishra.

It had issued notices to the Union of India, the Central Vigilance Commission and the ED director on a plea filed by Jaya Thakur which accused the central government of destroying the basic structure of democracy by misusing the enforcement agencies against its political opponents.

A batch of petitions, including those filed by Congress leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala and Thakur, and TMC's Mahua Moitra and Saket Gokhale, had come up for hearing before the bench.

According to the latest extension notification issued by the government, the 1984 batch IRS officer will be in office till November 18, 2023.

Mr Mishra, 62, was first appointed the director of the ED for two years on November 19, 2018. Later, by an order dated November 13, 2020, the central government modified the appointment letter retrospectively and his two-year term was changed to three years.

The government promulgated an ordinance last year under which the tenure of the ED and CBI chiefs could be extended by up to three years after the mandated term of two years.

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In A First, Women Cops On Night Duty In Jammu

In a move aimed at ensuring women's safety as well as keeping tabs on women drug peddlers, female constables have been deployed at various vital checkpoints in Jammu city during night hours, officials said.

This is for the first time that women constables have been deployed during night hours, they said.

"We are deployed at various checkpoints in the city to ensure safety and protection of women at night," a female head constable said.

Anita, a constable, said that women cops have been deployed to do proper verification of women during night time.

"Our duty involves keeping tabs on movement of women residents, since male (constables) can't question them too much, so that there should be no (illegal) activities," she told PTI.

According to senior police officials, the deployment of women constables has been done not only to ensure the safety of women citizens but also to check instances of drug peddling by women.

As per sources, over 50 to 60 female constables along with male cops have been put on duty under new the set-up in the city.

Most of the women cops have been deployed at the entry and exit points of Jammu city. In the next phase, they will also be deployed in the rural areas of Jammu, the officials said.

Women residents have welcomed the initiative by the Jammu and Kashmir Police.

In Jammu, several women travel in night as part of their duties.

"This is a great and commendable initiative by the police. It will help those women who go to work at night. It will also help those who are the victims of domestic violence," Tarika Mahajan, a local resident, told PTI.

She said that at times, those women who go to the party and come back late at night have to face unwanted situation on the roads.

"Some women hesitate to tell their problem to male police personnel, but with the deployment of the female cops now, it will help them to raise their voice against any crime," Mahajan said.

Shikha Rathore, another resident, said that being a girl there have been a lot of security related issues. "But the deployment of women constables during night hours gives a sense of security." The police officers maintained that it will give women cops feeling that they are no less than their male counterparts.

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Indian Climber's Surgery Successful In Nepal, "He's Conscious," Says Brother

Injured Indian mountaineer Anurag Maloo on Wednesday underwent a successful tracheostomy surgery and his condition is improving, his brother said, nearly a fortnight after he was found alive by rescuers in Nepal's Mount Annapurna.

Anurag Maloo, 34, a resident of Kishangarh in Rajasthan, went missing in mid-April after he fell from around 6,000 meters while descending from Camp III. Mount Annapurna is the 10th highest mountain in the world.

He was found alive in a deep crevasse at some 5800-metre altitude on April 20 after three days of continuous search by a team of rescuers. He was rushed to Manipal Hospital in Pokhara and then airlifted to Kathmandu for further treatment.

"Anurag underwent a successful tracheostomy surgery," his brother Ashish Maloo told PTI.

A tracheostomy is an opening created at the front of the neck so a tube can be inserted into the windpipe (trachea) to help a person breathe. If necessary, the tube can be connected to an oxygen supply and a ventilator.

"We are hopeful that he could be taken off the ventilator in the next 3-4 days," Ashish Maloo said, adding that Anurag is conscious and opening his eyes and obeying instructions from the doctors.

Anurag Maloo is currently undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of the Medicity Hospital in Lalitpur near Kathmandu. He has also slightly moved his body, Ashish said.

He was on a mission to climb all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres and the seven highest points in all seven continents to create awareness and drive action towards achieving the UN Global Goals.

He has been awarded REX Karam -- Veer Chakra and became the 2041 Antarctic Youth Ambassador from India.

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Serbia School Shooting "Planned" Over A Month, Suspect Had A Hit List

The teenager accused of killing nine people in Belgrade on Wednesday had a detailed plan, including a kill list, that was pulled together over a month, police said.

The shooting occurred at 8:40 am (0640 GMT) at an elementary school in Belgrade's downtown Vracar district.

The suspect "planned the shooting for a month and made a list of kids he planned to kill," Veselin Milic, Belgrade's police chief, told a press conference.

"The sketch looks like something from a video game or a horror movie, which indicates that he planned in detail, by classes, whom to liquidate," Milic added.

The incident rocked the Balkan nation, where there has not been a school shooting of this magnitude in decades.

Police moved quickly to seal off the neighbourhood as parents rushed to the scene, where students were visibly distraught as they waited outside the school.

"Eight children and a security guard were killed, while six children and one schoolteacher were wounded," the interior ministry said earlier.

"All police forces are still on the ground and are intensively working to shed light on all the facts and circumstances that led to this tragedy."

Gun violence in schools is extremely rare in Serbia, where purchasing a firearm requires a special permit.

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Krunal Pandya Golden Duck: क्रुणाल पंड्या कप्तानी डेब्यू मैच में फ्लॉप... लक्ष्मण- मार्करम की बराबरी की, नाम जुड़ा अनचाहा रिकॉर्ड

क्रुणाल पंड्या को चेन्नई सुपरकिंग्स के खिलाफ बतौर कप्तान डेब्यू का मौका मिला. लेकिन वह अपने पहले ही मैच में गोल्डन डक के शिकार हुए. उन्हें श्रीलंकाई स्पिनर ने खाता भी नहीं खोलने दिया. बारिश की वजह से लखनऊ और चेन्नई का मैच पूरा नहीं हो सका.

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Tinder Exits Russia Over "Human Rights"

The company behind dating app Tinder is leaving Russia, more than a year after the invasion of Ukraine saw a wave of international companies close or suspend their Russian operations.

Match Group said on Monday that it will quit Russia by June 30 because "we are committed to protecting human rights."

The Texas-based firm made the disclosure in its annual impact report, a summary of how the company is meeting goals on the environment, human rights and good governance.

"Our brands are taking steps to restrict access to their services in Russia and will complete their withdrawal from the Russian market by June 30, 2023," it said.

Most major Western companies have ended or suspended their operations in protest to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, as Chinese companies expand their presence.

And as it seeks to reduce its dependence on the west, Russia has been shoring up its domestic technology sector in recent years.

Tinder's exit also comes when Russia has been strengthening laws to regulate the tech sector, against a backdrop of growing political repression.

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GT vs DC: कौन हैं अमन खान? एक्सीडेंट के बाद मचाया था कोहराम, अब दिल्ली का बना संकटमोचक

दिल्ली कैपिटल्स की हालत 16वें सीजन में बेहद खराब दिखी है. सीजन के 9वें मुकाबले में भी दिल्ली शुरुआत में ही बैकफुट पर नजर आई. लेकिन अमन खान ने गुजरात के गेंदबाजों का डटकर सामने किया. यह खिलाड़ी एक बार सड़क हादसे का शिकार हो चुका है.

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BJP Goes To Election Commission Over Congress's Priyank Kharge's Barb

The BJP on Tuesday raised with the Election Commission the issue of the Congress promising tough action against Bajrang Dal and its leader Prinyak Kharge calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi "nalayak" as it accused the opposition party of resorting to politics of appeasement and division in Karnataka.

Union minister Piyush Goyal, who led the BJP delegation to the EC, defended the Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of the RSS-affiliated Vishva Hindu Parishad, as an organisation devoted to Lord Hanuman and serving people, and said the Congress' attack on it was "shameful". It shows that the party believes in only appeasement, he told reporters.

Asked if the party raised the issue before the poll panel, he said every "objectionable" comment and action of the Congress aimed at dividing the society was taken up.

Party sources said the Bajrang Dal issue was raised orally before the EC.

The delegation included BJP MP Anil Baluni and party functionary Om Pathak.

Goyal claimed that the Congress is rattled as the BJP is set to win the May 10 polls, adding that the opposition party is now trying to vitiate the law and order situation and divide the society as a last resort.

Targeting the Congress, he said its president Mallikarjun Kharge first called Modi a "poisonous snake" and his MLA-son has now made another objectionable remark by calling him "nalayak" (inept). "We have demanded that the EC take strict action in all these matters," he said.

The senior BJP leader also dismissed the Congress' complaint of "hate speech" against ruling party leaders like Home Minister Amit Shah and its president J P Nadda, saying they have raised the issues of national security and integrity.

The Congress is trying to tarnish the image of Modi and India as the country's reputation has risen under his leadership, he said.

The Congress in its election manifesto said on Tuesday that it is committed to taking firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations such as Bajrang Dal and the Popular Front of India (PFI) for "spreading hatred" among communities on grounds of caste and religion.

The action will include a "ban" against such organisations, the party said.

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Cafe Names Breakfast Item After Regular Customer. Watch How He Reacts

The relationship between a business and its customers does not end with the sale or purchase of goods and services; rather, it can progress to the next level of human connection when both sides treat one another with honesty and decency.

An Irish cafe has made the move to go even farther with its sense of appreciation and civility by naming a dish after its best and most frequent customer.

Grangecon Kitchen, a cafe in Ireland, has a loyal elderly customer whose name is John, and he orders a breakfast dish daily that contains half-boiled eggs, sausages, and roasted vegetables. The restaurant named the same dish after him and added it to the menu with the name "John's breakfast".

The moment the cafe showed him the new menu with a dish named after him, his reaction was priceless and captured on camera by the cafe staff. The video was shared on the social media platform of the cafe.

"Almost every day, John (our best customer!) visits us for breakfast and orders his fry-up. So after years of dockets going into the chef for 'John's breakfast," we decided to just put it on the menu for everyone to order John's breakfast! Here's a clip of him seeing it on the menu for the first time today!" the restaurant wrote while sharing the video clip on its Instagram page.

Watch the video here: 

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However, the video went viral on the internet, and people left lovely comments on the post.

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डेविड विली के बेटे को विराट कोहली ने दिया खास गिफ्ट, इंग्लिश क्रिकेटर ने शेयर की तस्वीर

IPL 2023: विराट कोहली ने अपने साथी खिलाड़ी डेविड विली के बेटे को अपना हस्ताक्षर किया हुआ बल्ला भेंट किया है. इस दौरान उन्होंने बल्ले पर एक खास संदेश लिखते हुए उन्हें पहले सीजन के लिए बधाई भी दी है.

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Video Shows The Moment Bulgari Store In Paris Was Robbed By Armed Men In Broad Daylight

Three armed men on bikes raided the Bulgari Luxury jewellery boutique in broad daylight. The incident took place at Place Vendome in central Paris on Saturday afternoon. Now, video footage of three armed suspects making their getaway has surfaced on the internet.

Police are investigating the robbery and looking for suspects, according to a report by AFP. Three suspects who arrived on two motorbikes entered the luxury store at around 1.45 pm local time (1145 GMT), a police source said, citing preliminary information.

The value of the stolen items was not disclosed.

The video taken by passers-by and posted on social media shows two large black motorbikes parked on the pavement in front of the store. A man in a helmet with a gun and wearing black clothes is seen apparently standing guard.

Later, three men can be seen fleeing the scene on two motorbikes.

Watch the video here:

Braquage Bulgari à Paris Place Vendôme #braquage #bulgari #placevendome #arme #braqueur #violence #argent #bijoux pic.twitter.com/BXgCP32sFC

— Louis (@louisraiemont10) April 29, 2023

The same Bulgari store was also targeted in an armed robbery in September 2021, the damage of which was estimated at 10 million euros.

Following the 2021 heist at the Bulgari store, one of the robbers was wounded in the leg by a police officer.

He was arrested, charged and imprisoned.

In June 2022, two other suspects, aged 26 and 37 at the time, were arrested.

They were also charged and placed in pre-trial detention.

The Italian jeweller Bulgari is owned by the French fashion conglomerate LVMH.

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लखनऊ सुपर जायंट्स का बीच मैच में बदला कप्तान, क्रुणाल पंड्या ने संभाली कमान, केएल राहुल हुए बाहर

सोमवार 1 मई को लखनऊ सुपर जायंट्स की टीम अपने घर पर रॉयल चैलेंजर्स बैंगलोर के खिलाफ मुकाबला खेलने उतरी. मुकाबले के दौरान बीच में ही लखनऊ की टीम का कप्तान बदल गया. नियमित कप्तान केएल राहुल दूसरे ही ओवर में मैदान से बाहर चले गए और उनकी जगह पर क्रुणाल पंड्या को कप्तानी का जिम्मा दिया गया.

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UP Leader Disqualified As MP After Conviction In Kidnapping, Murder Case

BSP's Afzal Ansari was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha on Monday after he was convicted and sentenced to four-year imprisonment in a kidnapping-and-murder case by a court in Uttar Pradesh.

Ansari, the Lok Sabha member from Ghazipur, was sentenced to four years in jail by an MP/MLA court on Saturday.

His brother, criminal-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari, was also convicted in the same case and was sentenced to 10 years in jail.

The brothers were booked under the UP Gangsters Act in connection with the murder of the then MLA from Ghazipur, Krishnanad Rai, on November 29, 2005 along with the kidnapping and murder of Varanasi-based trader Nand Kishore Rungta in 1997.

"Consequent upon his conviction...Afzal Ansari, Member of Lok Sabha representing the Ghazipur Parliamentary Constituency of Uttar Pradesh, stands disqualified from the membership of Lok Sabha from the date of his conviction i.e. 29 April, 2023 in terms of the provisions of Article 102(1)(e) of the Constitution of India read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951," according to a Lok Sabha secretariat notification.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently lost his Lok Sabha membership after he was convicted in a 2019 defamation case and sentenced to two years in jail.

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Ludhiana Residents Mourn Neighbours, Families Killed In Gas Leak

Kavilash, who died along with his family in the gas leak incident in the city's Giaspura area, was fondly called "doctor sahib" and had come to Punjab from Bihar over 25 years ago for a better future.

Kavilash, 40, his wife Varsha (35) and their children Kalpana (16), Abhay (13) and Aryan (10) died after inhaling toxic gas in the thickly populated Giaspura locality on Sunday.

A total of 11 people, including three children, have been killed in the incident, police had said, adding that four more people, who were taken ill, are undergoing treatment at a hospital. Kavilash, who hailed from Gaya in Bihar, was a registered medical practitioner and had been running his clinic in Giaspura since the last 25 years, his neighbour said.

"Kavilash was fondly called 'doctor sahib' and his family was always ready to extend help to all," he said.

Two members of another family -- Navneet Kumar (39) and his wife Neetu Devi (37) -- also died in the same incident. According to locals, Kumar was working as an accountant in a steel firm located near Vishkarma Chowk. His brother Nitin (40), who was injured in the incident, is undergoing treatment at the civil hospital, said officials.

The brothers, who also hailed from Patna in Bihar, had been living in Ludhiana for the past 20 years. Thirty-five-year-old Sourav Goyal, his wife Preety (31) and mother Kamlesh Goyal (60) also died in the incident. Sourav was running a kirana store in the locality where people who came to buy milk started fainting on the fateful day.

Sourav's brother Gaurav (50) is also undergoing treatment at the civil hospital.

Sourav hailed from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh and had been living in Punjab for the past 20-22 years.

One of the people who died in the incident is yet to be identified, officials said.

Giaspura is a thickly populated area with a migrant population. Several industrial and residential buildings are located there. All the victims belonged to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and had been staying in Ludhiana.          

Ludhiana, being the industrial hub of Punjab, attracts a large number of migrants from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other states. The migrants work mostly in industry verticals like bicycle, hosiery, automative parts, iron and steel, among others.

The incident came to light when some people at the local grocery store started fainting on Sunday. Four people died on the spot, while others were rushed to the hospital.

Meanwhile, a portion of the Giaspura locality where the incident took place remained cordoned off on Monday while the district authorities said the affected area underwent a night-long decontamination process.

Teams of the Punjab Pollution Control Board checked what led to the buildup of hydrogen sulphide in the sewer that might have led to the tragedy, officials said, adding that the poisonous gas is no longer being detected in the air. 

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