Several Russian officials and politicians, including the foreign ministry spokesperson, criticized a documentary about the ‘Forest Brothers’ – pro-Nazi guerillas from the Baltic nations – recently released by NATO.

“I remember that 6 months ago the international community, including the leading mass media, was discussing whether Holocaust-themed dance shows should be allowed. I have a strong hope that these same people who claim that they care a lot about the tragic pages of history will also give their appraisal to this appalling stunt by NATO. I also hope that no one needs a reminder concerning mass executions performed by those who later started calling themselves Forest Brothers,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova wrote on her Facebook page.

The reaction came to the eight-minute reenactment film ‘Forest Brothers – Fight for the Baltics’ which was released by NATO. The film glorifies guerillas who fought against the Soviet regime in the Baltic countries, and depicts an ambush in which some Forest Brothers attacked and killed Soviet soldiers.

Zakharova called upon historians, reporters, and political scientists not to remain indifferent to this new attempt of distorting history. “Don’t remain indifferent, this is a perversion of history that NATO knowingly spreads in order to undermine the outcome of the Nuremberg Tribunal and it must be cut short!” she wrote. She also reminded her readers that many of the Forest Brothers were former Nazi collaborators and members of the Baltic Waffen SS, and that members of these guerilla groups killed thousands of civilians in their raids.

Russian deputy PM and former envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin was even harsher in his reaction to the film: “This reel with Forest Brothers killing our soldiers confirms the fact that when we face NATO we face the heirs to those of Hitler’s collaborators who survived the war,” he tweeted. The official noted that some time ago, when he worked as a plenipotentiary with NATO, such things would not have been allowed, but now “their insolence has reached the limit.”

Lower House MP Iosif Kobzon (United Russia) called the NATO film “vandalism and Russophobia,” adding that he was ready to propose the making of a film that would describe the story of the Forest Brothers movement in a more realistic light. He also recommended everyone watch the 1965 documentary ‘Triumph Over Violence’ by Soviet director Mikhail Romm, which describes in detail the atrocities committed by the Nazis and their allies and collaborators.

‘Forest Brothers’ is the unofficial name for guerilla units that offered armed resistance to the Soviet authorities in the three Baltic republics – Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia – from the late 1940s to the late 1950s. These guerilla groups killed at least 25,000 people in Lithuania alone, most of them civilians.

After the Baltic nations declared independence from the Soviet Union in early 1990, nationalist politicians in these countries began frequently using the images of Forest Brothers and Waffen SS veterans in their propaganda, depicting the Nazi collaborators as patriots who fought the Soviet regime. Russia has repeatedly denounced such moves as rewriting history and warned of the possible dire consequences of justifying Nazism.

RT

TASS

Germany is angling to host the London-based European Medicines Agency and the European Banking Authority after Britain leaves the European Union.

Government spokesman Steffen Seibert says Germany will apply to move the medicines regulator to the western city of Bonn, which already hosts several national and international agencies.

Seibert says the banking authority would move to Germany's financial capital, Frankfurt — already home to the European Central Bank — if the application succeeds.

He told reporters in Berlin that the exact procedures for the move could be decided at a meeting of EU leaders later this month.

Seibert was unable to say which other countries are applying to host the two agencies.

Britain is set to leave the EU by March 2019.

Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has expressed his concerns for the Northern Ireland peace process if the Conservative government is propped up by the Democratic Unionist Party.

Adams told reporters Monday that he shared the concerns of outgoing Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny that a deal between the two could jeopardize the peace process.

Adams says Ireland's incoming government must act to protect the peace process.

Some involved in the Irish peace process are alarmed at any alliance between Prime Minister Theresa May's Conservatives and the DUP because the Good Friday peace accords call for the British government to be neutral in the politics of Northern Ireland.

May lost her majority in the House of Commons in last week's election and is looking to get the backing of the DUP's 10 lawmakers.

Republican Sinn Fein won seven seats but historically hasn't taken them up in the London chamber.

The European Union's executive arm has indicated that negotiations with the British government over the country's exit from the bloc may not start next week as planned.

European Commission spokesman Alexander Winterstein said "we are quite confident" that technical talks "can start soon, maybe even this week."

However, when asked about whether the Brexit talks would start for real on June 19 as planned, Winterstein said: "I cannot say. This doesn't depend entirely on us."

Prime Minister Theresa May is trying to thrash out details of a parliamentary arrangement with a party from Northern Ireland to get her the votes to run a minority government after last week's election, which saw her Conservative Party lose its majority. Already there are expectations that the Queen's Speech, which would outline the government's legislative agenda for next year, will be delayed from next Monday.

In March, before calling the election, May triggered the two-year timetable for Britain to leave the EU.

British Prime Minister Theresa May's office has declined to confirm that the Queen's Speech would be held on June 19 as previously announced.

May's official spokesman told a media a briefing that the new leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom, will soon be releasing a statement on the date.

The uncertainty about the speech laying out the government's legislative program comes as May conducts talks with the Democratic Unionist Party, which is certain to expect concessions for its support. May lost her parliamentary majority in a disastrous election for her Conservative Party last week.

Britain's chief negotiator for leaving the European Union says the talks for exiting the trading bloc may not start as scheduled next week.

David Davis told Sky News on Monday that the talks tentatively set to begin on June 19 might not take place because it would clash with the Queen's Speech, which sets out the legislative agenda for the new government.

Davis also suggested the government would focus on the divorce proceedings before moving on to trade.

The EU has said that Brexit talks need to make sufficient progress before trade deals can be discussed, though Britain had argued the discussions should take place simultaneously.

The change of position comes after Prime Minister Theresa May lost her majority in the House of Commons in a disastrous election last week.

Senior members in Theresa May's government are moving to support her leadership despite doubts about whether she will remain in power following a disastrous election result.

The prime minister is meeting members of her party Monday after losing her majority in the House of Commons last week.

Seeking to set the tone, David Davis, the cabinet member in charge of European Union exit negotiations, says speculation about her removal is "unbelievably self-indulgent."

Davis told ITV he's loyal to May and there's a distinction between "running a campaign and running a country. Running a country is more difficult and she's formidably good at that."

Davis also sought to reassure the public that any deal between the Tories and the Democratic Unionist Party would not change abortion or gay rights laws.

Fox Business

New research shows workplace culture and opportunities for training are key to attracting, and keeping, the best marketing talent.

Marketing professionals are craving a more positive career experience with a focus on workplace culture, training and a work/life balance that doesn’t stifle their ambition.

According to research by Hays of 13,000 employees across sectors such as engineering, education and law, 87% of marketers consider themselves ambitious, higher than the UK average of 78%. Almost half (44%) aspire to reach senior management level, higher than the average of 38%, while 29% are looking to reach the c-suite (the average is 21%).

That might go some way to explaining why marketers are some of the most promiscuous employees, with 88% expecting to work for at least five organisations in their career, compared to 72% on average.

Clare Kemsley, managing director at Hays Marketing, says: “It’s encouraging to see marketers are highly ambitious, with many desiring to reach board level during their career. However, employers need to ensure they are looking for ways to nurture this and providing the work-life balance and positive career experience that their employees want.”

What do marketers want?

The research suggests marketers care about more than pay when choosing a place to be loyal to. While 40% of marketers say pay is the most important factor when considering a new job, this is lower than the UK average of 45%. And almost three-quarters (71%) say they would take a pay cut for better workplace culture, far higher than the 62% across other professions.

“What we see when we meet candidates is that the culture piece is really important for marketers,” adds Kemsley.

There is also high demand for training and development. Close to a fifth (19%) of marketers rate this as the most important aspect of receiving a promotion, while 37% say they would be willing to sacrifice a job offer if training wasn’t offered and 78% expect to receive third-party training from a future employer.

Yet just 37% say they receive support towards third-party training in their current role. Mentoring is also important to marketers, with 57% considering it when they look for their next role. What employers need to do

The research suggests employers need to work harder to express and highlight their workplace culture to set them apart from competitors. While 94% of employers think they already do this, just 71% said this was actually the case.

They should also focus on areas beyond pay from as early in the job hiring process as possible, starting with job specifications.

Kemsley explains: “Employers need to make sure they discussing and promoting their workplace culture in interviews. They need to be explaining the DNA of the business and what the culture feels like to future employees. And doing this early on in the recruitment process.”

Explaining at the very first meeting what training and development opportunities there are is also key because it is such an important aspect of career progression for marketers. This is equally as important in retaining staff. According to the research, 50% of marketers are on the lookout for a new job as demand rises.

Marketers expect to receive training and they want a good work/life balance. Some 54% think they have a good balance now, compared to 51% across the wider UK workforce, but maintaining that is key to ensuring marketers enjoy their work and don’t look to move on.

Subsequently, Kemsley suggests looking at factors such as flexible working and restricting out-of-hours work. She concludes: “Employers should be aware of flexibility in working patterns for marketers and ask if they need to be sat at their desk all the time.

“What attracts a marketer to a job in the first place can be what keeps them there so don’t think once you’ve hired someone its job done!”

MarketingWeek

The "Immortal regiment" march to honor the victims of the World War II was held in the German capital for the third year in the row, a Sputnik correspondent reported on Tuesday. Several hundred people carrying photographs of their relatives who participated in the Great Patriotic War gathered near the Brandenburg Gate and then marched to the memorial to the fallen Soviet soldiers in Tiergarten Park.

The "Immortal Regiment" march was first held in Berlin in 2015, with 500 people taking part in it. They laid the wreaths at the memorial in Treptower Park honoring the memory of 7,000 of the 80,000 Soviet soldiers that fell in the Battle of Berlin in 1945.

Russian President Vladimir Putin showed off ballistic missiles, armored tanks and new aircraft systems at a World War II commemorative parade in Moscow on Tuesday. More than 10,000 troops marched in formation through Red Square to mark Victory Day, an annual event to celebrate the Soviet Union's triumph over Nazi Germany in a series of battles that ended on May 9, 1945.

Among more than 100 pieces of equipment put on display was an apparently new air defense division for operation in sub-zero Arctic conditions, state-run news agency Sputnik said. That included missile defense systems, bearing the image of an Arctic wolf.

Moscow has been conducting military activities in the Arctic, in a race with the United States, Canada and Norway to control the resource-rich area. Yars intercontinental ballistic missiles were among more than 100 pieces of military equipment rolled through the square. The usual fly-past appeared to be canceled as thick clouds hovered over the Russian capital.

Russia is the world's third largest military spender after the US and China. In 2016, Russia spent over $69 billion on its military. In his remarks, Putin said that World War II taught Russia to be vigilant and ready for any assault. But he also called for international unity in the fight against terrorism. "Our forces are capable of repelling any kind of attack, but to efficiently combat terrorism, Nazism, extremism, what we need is the consolidation of international community. We are strengthening that," Putin said at the parade in Moscow's Red Square. "Russia will always be on the side in the world of those who fight against these scourges. Dear friends, as the Second World War recedes in history, we are obliged to make sure that stability throughout the world is observed." Russia is currently heavily involved in the Syrian conflict, using its air power to prop up the regime of embattled President Bashar al-Assad. The country also sees the NATO alliance between the US and European nations as a regional military aggression.

Russia is celebrating Victory Day with festivities all across the nation marking the 72nd anniversary of the capitulation of Nazi Germany in 1945. Dozens of Russian cities are staging military parades, concerts, firework displays and other festive events.

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