Latest news with #Liechtenstein
The Independent
a day ago
- General
- The Independent
Craig Bellamy wants Wales to ‘honour the shirt' by not swapping with opposition
Craig Bellamy has told his Wales players to 'honour the shirt' and not swap jerseys with Kevin De Bruyne and company after their World Cup qualifier in Belgium. Wales resume their bid to reach the 2026 World Cup finals this week with a double header at home to Liechtenstein and away to star-studded Belgium. Taking on the Red Devils in their Brussels backyard is Wales' biggest test in Group J, but boss Bellamy believes the culture and mentality fostered since his appointment last July and the eight-game unbeaten run that has followed will stand Wales in good stead. Bellamy insists Wales should not be considered underdogs – 'small footballing nations don't expect to qualify for World Cups, and we do' – and keeping hold of the jersey after the final whistle is among the pillars of his philosophy. 'You have to honour your shirt,' said Bellamy. 'The only time you give it up is when you lose your place and someone else takes it, but you've left it in a good place. 'That's a no-brainer to me and I believe the players love that as well. 'Our shirt is the most important shirt in football. We don't give that away, you can't give it away.' Asked if not swapping shirts extended to Belgian midfield maestro De Bruyne, one of the Premier League's all-time greats at Manchester City, Bellamy replied: 'I don't think it is even worth having a conversation about. 'I don't need to answer that question. It's not going to happen. 'If I'm an aspiring young player then I want that (Wales) shirt. I see ours as the most important shirt, nobody else's.' Wales opened their World Cup qualifying campaign in March with a 3-1 home victory over Kazakhstan and a 1-1 draw in North Macedonia. David Brooks equalised with virtually the last kick in Skopje to protect Bellamy's unbeaten record after Wales won promotion to the top tier of the Nations League in the autumn. Bellamy draws parallels with basic habits on the football field to a 1980s Hollywood martial arts drama success at the box office. 'Have you ever watched The Karate Kid?' said Bellamy. 'Does he do karate straight away? No – it's Mr Miyagi who decides. 'It's wax on, wax off. He paints the fence. He teaches him all these types of rules before he can do karate, so that he has the disciplines. 'It's about basics, habits. If you don't have that intensity without the ball, if your body language is poor and you're waving your hands, it's the wrong team for you. This is not your team.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Exclusive-Under US pressure, Liechtenstein seeks fix for stranded Russian wealth
By John O'Donnell and Oliver Hirt VADUZ, Liechtenstein (Reuters) -Liechtenstein is examining tightening control of scores of Russian-linked trusts abandoned by their managers under pressure from Washington, according to several people familiar with the matter. The country, one of the world's smallest and richest, is home to thousands of low-tax trusts, hundreds of which have links to Russians, two of the people with direct knowledge of the matter said, putting it in the crosshairs of Western efforts to sanction Moscow. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. Treasury has sanctioned several individuals and trusts in Liechtenstein it said were linked to Russian oligarchs, including Vladimir Potanin, and a long-time ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Gennady Timchenko. The U.S. Treasury had no immediate comment. Potanin's Interros holding company did not respond to a request for comment, while Timchenko could not be reached. That sanctioning has prompted other directors fearing such punishment to quit hundreds of Russian-linked trusts, according to several people familiar with the matter, exposing a far wider problem with Russian money in the tiny country with a population of about 40,000. The episode, in a sleepy Alpine enclave ruled by a billionaire royal family, also shows how deep and opaque Russia's business ties to Europe remain more than three years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It is a setback for the microstate that had long sought to shed its image as a safe haven for foreign wealth. The mass resignations have put scores of trusts in limbo, essentially freezing swathes of Russian wealth. The trusts are the linchpin for fortunes, including yachts or property, that are scattered around the globe. Their suspension puts that property beyond reach, a further potential lever over Russia, amid attempts by U.S. President Donald Trump to strike a peace deal. Reuters has spoken to several people with direct knowledge of these events, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter. They outlined how a push by Washington had led scores of directors to quit trusts with links to Russia and how the government was scrambling to resolve the crisis. Liechtenstein's newly elected government is seeking to fix the issue, according to people familiar with the matter, underscoring the continued pressure from Washington over Russia sanctions, despite U.S. President Donald Trump's earlier suggestions he could ease them. Liechtenstein also sees its handling of sanctions enforcement as something that could influence its government's efforts to lower newly imposed U.S. tariffs on exports, said one person with direct knowledge of the discussions. A Liechtenstein government official said 475 trusts were affected by the defections, although added that not all were linked to Russians or sanctioned individuals. That official said Liechtenstein's justice department was seeking to install new managers to 350 trusts, while 40 were being liquidated and unsuccessful attempts had been made to appoint a liquidator to further 85 trusts. This episode strikes at the trust industry, a critical pillar of Liechtenstein's roughly 770 billion franc ($930 billion) financial centre that underpins the country's economy. Local banks, the government official said, were also affected, without elaborating. Banks are particularly vulnerable because the United States has the power to throttle them by cutting off their access to the dollar, threatening a wider crisis. The episode has confronted the country with its biggest crisis since 2008, when leaked customer data at LGT Bank, owned by the country's princely family, exposed widespread tax evasion. The government is now examining options to centralise the management of the deserted trusts under its watch and tightening supervision of trusts. The Liechtenstein official also said the country's authorities were in contact with their international counterparts and that no trust assets would be released to sanctioned individuals. Liechtenstein, sandwiched between Switzerland and Austria, is dominated by its royal family, whose castle towers over the parliament. It is tied closely to Switzerland, using its franc currency, but also enjoys freedom to do business in the European Union's single market. The country, criticised for hiding the fortunes of the wealthy in the past, had reformed and joined the International Monetary Fund. Once home to roughly 80,000 tax trusts, it now hosts about 20,000, said two people familiar with the matter - equivalent to roughly one trust for two residents. Pressure on Liechtenstein follows a similar push against neighbouring Austria and Switzerland. ($1 = 0.8273 Swiss francs) (Additional reporting by Reuters Moscow bureau, editing by Elisa Martinuzzi and Tomasz Janowski)
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Exclusive: Under US pressure, Liechtenstein seeks fix for stranded Russian wealth
VADUZ, Liechtenstein, May 30 (Reuters) - Liechtenstein is examining tightening control of scores of Russian-linked trusts abandoned by their managers under pressure from Washington, according to several people familiar with the matter. The country, one of the world's smallest and richest, is home to thousands of low-tax trusts, hundreds of which have links to Russians, two of the people with direct knowledge of the matter said, putting it in the crosshairs of Western efforts to sanction Moscow. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. Treasury has sanctioned several individuals and trusts, opens new tab in Liechtenstein it said, opens new tab were linked, opens new tab to Russian oligarchs, including Vladimir Potanin, and a long-time ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Gennady Timchenko, opens new tab. The U.S. Treasury had no immediate comment. Potanin's Interros holding company did not respond to a request for comment, while Timchenko could not be reached. That sanctioning has prompted other directors fearing such punishment to quit hundreds of Russian-linked trusts, according to several people familiar with the matter, exposing a far wider problem with Russian money in the tiny country with a population of about 40,000. The episode, in a sleepy Alpine enclave ruled by a billionaire royal family, also shows how deep and opaque Russia's business ties to Europe remain more than three years after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It is a setback for the microstate that had long sought to shed its image as a safe haven for foreign wealth. The mass resignations have put scores of trusts in limbo, essentially freezing swathes of Russian wealth. The trusts are the linchpin for fortunes, including yachts or property, that are scattered around the globe. Their suspension puts that property beyond reach, a further potential lever over Russia, amid attempts by U.S. President Donald Trump to strike a peace deal. Reuters has spoken to several people with direct knowledge of these events, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter. They outlined how a push by Washington had led scores of directors to quit trusts with links to Russia and how the government was scrambling to resolve the crisis. Liechtenstein's newly elected government is seeking to fix the issue, according to people familiar with the matter, underscoring the continued pressure from Washington over Russia sanctions, despite U.S. President Donald Trump's earlier suggestions he could ease them. Liechtenstein also sees its handling of sanctions enforcement as something that could influence its government's efforts to lower newly imposed U.S. tariffs on exports, said one person with direct knowledge of the discussions. A Liechtenstein government official said 475 trusts were affected by the defections, although added that not all were linked to Russians or sanctioned individuals. That official said Liechtenstein's justice department was seeking to install new managers to 350 trusts, while 40 were being liquidated and unsuccessful attempts had been made to appoint a liquidator to further 85 trusts. This episode strikes at the trust industry, a critical pillar of Liechtenstein's roughly 770 billion franc ($930 billion) financial centre that underpins the country's economy. Local banks, the government official said, were also affected, without elaborating. Banks are particularly vulnerable because the United States has the power to throttle them by cutting off their access to the dollar, threatening a wider crisis. The episode has confronted the country with its biggest crisis since 2008, when leaked customer data at LGT Bank, owned by the country's princely family, exposed widespread tax evasion. The government is now examining options to centralise the management of the deserted trusts under its watch and tightening supervision of trusts. The Liechtenstein official also said the country's authorities were in contact with their international counterparts and that no trust assets would be released to sanctioned individuals. Liechtenstein, sandwiched between Switzerland and Austria, is dominated by its royal family, whose castle towers over the parliament. It is tied closely to Switzerland, using its franc currency, but also enjoys freedom to do business in the European Union's single market. The country, criticised for hiding the fortunes of the wealthy in the past, had reformed and joined the International Monetary Fund. Once home to roughly 80,000 tax trusts, it now hosts about 20,000, said two people familiar with the matter - equivalent to roughly one trust for two residents. Pressure on Liechtenstein follows a similar push against neighbouring Austria and Switzerland. ($1 = 0.8273 Swiss francs)
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Craig Bellamy picks Ronan Kpakio for Wales after failing to buy him for Burnley
Craig Bellamy has revealed he tried to sign Ronan Kpakio at Burnley after naming the Cardiff teenager in his Wales squad. Full-back Kpakio, 18 last Sunday, was the surprise name in Bellamy's 27-strong squad on Wednesday for upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Belgium. Kpakio made his first league start for Cardiff on the final day of the season at Norwich after being capped by Wales at various age-grade levels. The right-back – who only turned 18 on Sunday and has captained Wales several times at youth level – has been named in Craig Bellamy's 27-strong squad.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
‘Forget what you've done': Bellamy wants Wales players to switch focus to World Cup
Craig Bellamy has said his Wales players must reset and focus on a the World Cup qualifying double-header regardless of whether they finished the season 'on a trampoline or with a ball around their neck'. Brennan Johnson and Ben Davies won the Europa League with Tottenham, while Bellamy's squad for matches against Liechtenstein and Belgium also includes a quartet of Leeds players in Karl Darlow, Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon and Daniel James, who recently celebrated promotion to the Premier League. Connor Roberts was also promoted with Burnley, but Bellamy is mindful other players experienced disappointment. The Wales manager said: 'It's a positive [to have winners in the squad]. But when I was at a club, anyone who went away for international football and came back it was: 'Forget about what you've just done. Focus on what we're doing here. Every meeting, every part of football you thought you'd just learned there, forget about it. Get back on track here.' 'It's the same here with international football. You'll have a moment where you can congratulate players and I love them being on a high. But I also have to be responsible for players that perhaps haven't had the season they would have expected. As well as your egos, everything else is forgotten, it's not going to serve you here. 'This is what we do, how we work.' Related: Lionesses to be handed record £1.7m bonus package if they win Euro 2025 Advertisement 'You're in a different world, you need to be in our world and they always are. Whether they're coming in on a trampoline or with a ball round their neck, off we go.' Bellamy named a 27-man squad for the qualifiers on Wednesday, with the 18-year-old Cardiff City right-back Ronan Kpakio receiving his first call-up. There is no place for the 18-year-old Manchester United striker Luca Biancheri, who will join Canada's senior squad on Sunday. Biancheri, whose mother is Canadian and father is Italian, has been capped by Wales at Under-19 level and was part of Wales's recent training camp in Spain, but Bellamy had no plans to bring him into his latest squad. Wales are relaxed about the teenager's situation and are happy for him to gain further experience. Wales are without Joe Allen, who retired this month. The 35-year-old reversed his decision to retire from international duty last year, but has stepped away a second time. Wales were staring at a first defeat under Bellamy when Allen's wayward pass allowed North Macedonia to take a stoppage-time lead in Skopje in March until David Brooks's 96th-minute equaliser. 'I knew he was going to retire,' Bellamy said. 'When we conceded, it was like: 'There's no way this is going to be his last touch for us.' Even if I would delay it after we play this one in June, you are not finishing that way.'' Bellamy, who had two spells at Liverpool as a player, said he was shaken by the incident at their title parade on Monday that left 65 people injured. 'It's heartbreaking to go to what should be an incredible moment, the most successful club in England with 20 titles, which was so important,' he said. 'I am a Liverpool fan and to see that happen was incredible. I'm probably like everyone else, I'm still trying to absorb it. Maybe I will in the next few weeks, but it is still quite raw for me.'
