The global backlash against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has has far-reaching consequences. Not only are many countries fighting with tough sanctions against Russia and some of its most powerful individuals, including President Vladimir Putin, but the corporate response to the invasion has been swift and noticeable.

Many consumer brands are exiting the Russian market – some because they want to avoid sanctions and Russia’s economic downturn, and others because they’re taking a moral stance against the invasion.

The diversity of brands has been noteworthy: car brands like Volkswagen, tech brands like Apple, even fast food outlets like McDonald’s… Now designer fashion and luxury brands are abandoning Russia too.

Footage captured at Russian department stores and shared by Rich Kids Of Instagram – an Instagram account that chronicles the disgustingly privileged life of the world’s 1%, many of which are the children of cashed-up Russian oligarchs – shows how top labels like Dior, Fendi, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Prada have quickly packed up shop, leaving behind eerily empty stores.

It’s a bit dystopian, seeing these normally sumptuous stores reduced to bare shelves. It’s not clear how or if many of these brands got product out of Russia – normally, luxury brands are notoriously protective of their goods and go to great lengths not to heavily discount or give away stock. There’s a non-zero chance that they just destroyed their stock instead of shipping it back to the West, for example.

RELATED: Australia’s Biggest Liquor Stores Ban Russian Vodkas From Shelves

It might look a bit grim but netizens don’t have a lot of sympathy for Russians being denied access to luxury shopping.

“Awwww, poor little rich kids won’t get their Louis Vuitton. So sad. Meanwhile, most people have actual real problems to deal with,” one commenter shared. We’d tend to agree…

• “LEGENDARY”: Remembering Virgil Abloh’s Most Iconic Moments
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The post Watch: Louis Vuitton, Gucci & Other Designer Brands Abandon Russia In Droves appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

We all want a quick fix to get fit and strong, but dragging yourself to the gym to carry out a series of workouts can occasionally be at the bottom of our to-do list. Fortunately, you can work out easily at home and you don’t even need much equipment, as this single dumbbell full-body workout shows.

Posted to Instagram by André Carvalho, otherwise known as @the_naturalcoach, his single dumbbell workout consists of 5 movements to make up a set, to be performed for 3 sets, with 15-20 reps per exercise.

Translating his Portuguese caption, André says, “You can have an effective workout even with minimal equipment. Especially when you’re walking around and want to carry as little equipment as possible. There’s no excuse not to hit your goal.”

His single dumbbell full-body workout involves the following movements:

• Single Arm Squat to Press (both sides): Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and hold the dummbell in one hand using an underhand grip. Begin by holding it at your shoulder, as if you were at the top of a bicep curl. Squat down, ensuring your push your knees out and your core braced. Make sure you keep looking in front of you throughout the duration of the movement.
  
  Once you’ve reached the bottom of your squat, return to a standing position. As you do so, push your arm up to raise the dumbbell above your head. As you do this, rotate your wrist so that you end with the dumbbell in the air in an overhand grip. 
  
• Pullover Toe Touch: This one is a serious core burner. If you’ve performed a hollow hold before, this is an extension of that exercise. Lie down on your back with just your bum and lower back touching the ground. With your arms stretched out above your head, hold your single dumbbell at the ends with both hands. Next, bracing your core, you want to perform a V-sit style movement.
  
  Bring your legs up in the air (keeping them straight) and bring the dumbbell over your head and raise your upper body enough so that you can stretch to reach your shin with the dumbbell. It will help to exhale as you perform this part of the movement, and inhale when you return to the starting position. 
  
• Push Up to Row, Alternate: Get yourself into a push-up position with the dumbbell in one hand. Perform a dumbbell row whilst in this push-up position; bring the dumbbell towards your hip to engage your lats. Once you have returned the dumbbell to the floor, perform a push-up. Next, roll the dumbbell over to your other hand and complete the same two exercises again. 
  
• Single Sided Press with Toe Touch: An upper body blaster, lie down on the floor and bend one knee. With your other leg, raise it into the air as high as you can. Hold the dumbbell with an overhand grip in the hand opposite to the leg that is in the air, with your elbow bent at 90-degrees as if you were going to perform a floor press.
  Perform a floor press (pushing the dumbbell into the air) but as you do so, raise your upper body so you get the dumbbell to reach your foot that is in the air.
  
• Waiter’s Curl: Time to build those biceps. Kneel on the ground and hold the dumbbell using both hands. But, rather than grip it, just have them open and held under one end as this will help to better engage your arm muscles. Simply curl the dumbbell up to your chest for the required number of reps. 

As to which weight of dumbbell you should use, it can be entirely down to you. Obviously, you don’t want to go so heavy that you can’t complete all reps for all sets, but you also want a weight that will challenge you. You may find you can change the weight depending on which exercise you’re performing.

As we’ve discussed before, using fitness trainer Paul Sklar as an example, using lighter weights can be just as effective as using heavy weights. He explains his reason for going lighter is that it can help improve the mind-muscle connection.

“Make the most out of any exercise you do, because each one may work a lot more than you think they do. When I use a weight like this, I take all sets to failure, understanding what failure is,” he said of his 3-movement dumbbell workout.

While, in the case of André’s single dumbbell workout, he has specified a required number of reps and sets, as opposed to training to failure, there is still much to be said of going lighter on the weight.

• Forget Ab Crunches: This Is How You Build A Strong Core
• This 3 Movement Dumbbell Workout Could Be Easiest Way To Strengthen Your Entire Body

The post Single Dumbell Workout Guaranteed To Get You Strong appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Trying to figure out just where to begin when it comes to crypto investing can be pretty daunting. New investors can easily become overwhelmed by the sea of new and over-complicated information that often leaves them feeling more confused than before they started out.

That’s why we’re going to start at the very beginning: choosing a trustworthy exchange to buy, sell and hold your crypto assets. Today, we’re going to take an unbiased look at everything that you need to know about the Australian-owned and operated crypto exchange: Swyftx. 

Check out our full round-up of the best crypto wallets here

What is Swyftx?

Since its launch in 2017, Swyftx has rapidly grown to become one of Australia’s most popular exchanges, offering its users the opportunity to buy and sell more than 280+ cryptocurrencies. This means that investors can purchase everything from Bitcoin (BTC) all the way down to the random altcoin a friend of yours told you to check out over beers last week. 

Swyftx provides users with an intuitive, beginner-friendly platform and mobile app as well as offering technical features that more advanced traders would be after. Swyftx is one of the top choices for Australian investors, as the platform conducts all transactions exclusively in AUD. 

To get a better understanding of Swyftx, let’s use a classic Pros & Cons list to weigh up the verdict.

Pros & Cons of Swyftx

Pros

• Most Competitive Fees: What really differentiates Swyftx from the other Australian crypto exchanges is that it offers the simplest, best value for money fee structures on the market. 
  
• One of the Best Platforms for Australian Users: One of the biggest setbacks for Australian users when navigating other exchanges like Binance or Crypto.com is that prices are natively denominated in US Dollars. While this might be fine for more advanced users, most everyday Aussie crypto investors just want to be able to transact easily in AUD. Swyftx makes this possible with AUD only transactions and viewing. 
  
• Beginner Friendly: If you’re new to cryptocurrency, then Swyftx is the exchange for you. The Swyftx app is one of the most beginner-friendly and simple to use crypto apps available anywhere. If you just want to buy and hold crypto assets, Swyftx takes out all the complicated and unnecessary “trading” jargon, charts and info so that users can focus on the simple stuff.   
  
• Huge Selection of Major Tokens & AltCoins: Perhaps one of the most frustrating experiences is getting completely set up on a new app or platform and then realising that the random, super niche altcoin your mate mentioned to you isn’t actually available on this random app you’ve just installed. With a selection of over 280+ digital assets, Swyftx has one of Australia’s most comprehensive coverages of all the altcoins you could ask for — second only to CoinSpot which offers over 350 cryptocurrencies on its exchange. 
  
• 24/7 Customer Support via Live Chat / Help Desk: Great customer support may not be the first thing investors jump to when it comes to buying cryptocurrency, but it can be a deal breaker when digital assets get transferred to the wrong place and you get stuck with a “help-bot” that is anything but helpful. That’s why Swyftx now offers a Live Chat support feature where users can interact with a real human person, which if you find yourself needing assistance with monetary issues can be a life-saver.

Cons 

• AUD Only Transactions: While pure Australian Dollar deposits and transactions may be great for the fresh new Aussie investor, this feature can end up becoming a little limiting once investors develop more proficiency and become interested in trading. If you’re just looking to buy and sell crypto quickly and easily without any super fancy bells and whistles then this won’t be a problem for you.

Swyftx Fees Explained

Fees are ultimately how crypto exchanges and platforms make their money, so it’s really important for investors to understand how much they’re paying every time they make a trade. Fee structuring can be pretty tricky, as platforms often like to disguise hidden costs in the form of strange fees.

The best thing about Swyftx is that it has the simplest fee structure of any Australian crypto platform. 

Swyftx Deposit & Withdrawal Fees

Good news — Swyftx does not charge a deposit or withdrawal fee when investors transfer their Australian dollars onto the platform. Investors can use a wide variety of different methods to onboard their fiat currency onto the platform including: debit cards, bank transfer 

Swyftx Transaction Fees

Blanket 0.6% Fee: Swyftx charges a blanket 0.6% fee on all trades, which is one of the most competitive in the Australian crypto industry. This fee will also be incrementally reduced if investors begin transacting high volumes of digital assets. 

Swyftx Spread: Swyftx offers investors one of the lowest spreads of any Australian cryptocurrency platform. Now, for those reading who may not be familiar with the term spread — it simply refers to the small difference (spread) between the buy and sell prices of a cryptocurrency. When you submit a transaction, the broker (Swyftx) increases the final purchase or sale price by a small amount as payment for executing that transaction.

Swyftx spreads are incredibly low, with their average spreads for Bitcoin being as low as 0.45%. The average spread for Swyftx is 1.7%, which is impressive when compared to the average competitors’ spreads, which can be as high as 4%.

Is Swyftx Safe to Use?

No matter your experience level, the security and safety of the platform used to buy and sell digital assets is usually a top concern for crypto investors. Swyftx is among the most secure and reliable cryptocurrency exchanges in the Australian market. 

Swyftx is a certified member of Blockchain Australia and is also registered with AUSTRAC. It is aiming to receive its ISO 27001 certification in 2022, which is one of the highest levels of information security possible. All Swyftx login and transaction activity is further protected by 2FA (two-factor authentication) that requires investors to enter a code generated on their registered mobile device to sign in to the Swyftx platform.

The only downside to Swyftx security is that the platform does not store any of its assets in offline cold storage crypto wallets, which other exchanges such as CoinSpot and Digital Surge do. 

Swyftx Alternatives

If Swyftx isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, there are plenty of alternatives. The alternatives listed here are ranked in order of similarity and preference for using AUD.

• CoinSpot: Australia’s largest cryptocurrency platform with more than 350 digital assets available.
• Cointree: An Australian operated exchange and fully AUSTRAC-regulated. Offers similar features to Swyftx but with a smaller selection of tokens and slightly higher fees.
• Digital Surge: Another Australian exchange with more than 200 cryptocurrencies that operates natively in AUD. Has a quick verification process but higher fees than CoinSpot.
• Binance: The largest crypto exchange in the world based on daily trading volume. Binance is oriented more strongly towards non-Australian users and is more suitable for advanced traders looking for niche pairs.
• Coinbase: Possibly the most well-known exchange in the world. Investors can trade a variety of different cryptocurrencies but fees are high and all values are denominated in USD.
• eToro: Offers commission-free crypto trades with the added bonus of social and copy trading.

Overall Swyftx Conclusion

Swyftx is definitely the standout choice for Australian investor who are looking for an intuitive and cost-effective platform. Swyftx’s range of features, low fees (just 0.6% on all transactions) and user-friendly design makes it possible for beginners and advanced traders alike to navigate the platform with ease.

Swyftx complies with the highest levels of financial regulations and is registered with AUSTRAC, who work to actively prevent financial crimes, scamming and any other unsavoury business from occurring on the platform. 

The post Swyftx Review 2022: Great For Australian Investors appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The sixth-generation Ford Mustang has a mixed reputation in Australia. Most Aussies love it thanks to its masculine good looks, snarling V8 power and on-track successes as Ford’s current Supercars competitor. Others see it as emblematic of the demise of local Australian car manufacturing, or as an uncouth, overhyped ‘Yank tank’.

Even more controversial is the Ford Mustang High Performance 2.3L, which is what the Blue Oval calls the turbocharged four-cylinder version of their popular pony car. A Mustang without a V8 is considered sacrilegious by many revheads – how can you have a muscle car without a big donk? It’s not a real Mustang, etcetera etcetera.

Convertibles also have a mixed reputation Down Under. Anyone who’s ever driven one knows that nothing quite compares to the joys of driving with the top down in the middle of summer. Yet, at the same time, convertibles are often seen by blokes as ‘chick’s cars’ or something that only wankers drive… Because enjoying the sun is apparently feminine or self-indulgent?

Mix these three concepts together – Mustang, convertible, four-cylinder – and you might have the most divisive car in Australia. Which is exactly why I wanted to drive one.

My take? Not only is the Ford Mustang High Performance 2.3L Convertible very much a real Mustang, but it might actually be the pick of the litter. Add a convertible top into the equation, and you might just have, pound for pound, one of the most fun cars on the market.

First, let’s crunch some numbers. The Ford Mustang High Performance is powered by the high-output turbocharged 2.3L inline-4 engine from the highly acclaimed Ford Focus RS, just mounted in a longitudinal configuration and slightly detuned. It’s good for 236kW, 448Nm of torque and does 0-100km/h in 5.5 seconds, with convertibles going around 0.2sec slower than the hardtop.

That’s perhaps not as impressive as the Mustang GT and its 5.0L V8, which makes 336kW/556Nm and 0-100 in 4.3secs… But when you consider that the 2.3L is $12,700 cheaper than the V8 ($14,235 if you’re comparing convertible specs), you’re getting a lot of performance; a lot of car for the money.

RELATED: Audi’s New Electric Sports Car Leaves Australian Luxury Buyers With Quite The Predicament

Because that’s what you have to keep in mind: the Mustang 2.3L, especially in convertible form, isn’t competing with the GT or other muscle cars. It’s competing with other style-oriented, luxury/performance cars like the Audi TT, BMW Z4, MINI John Cooper Works and lower specs of the Porsche 718. And against that competition, it weighs up very well. It’s cheaper, faster, and just as good looking.

Sure, it’s more expensive than the Abarth 595C, Mazda MX-5 or the Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86 twins (the latter of which I’ll point out don’t come with drop-tops), but we’d argue that it more than makes up for it in the looks stakes. Especially in the ‘Yellow Peel’ our press car arrived in.

Seriously, I’ve never had more people ask me about the car I’m driving – friends, family, passers-by – and I’ve driven exotics worth hundreds of thousands of dollars more than the Mustang 2.3L. And that’s the point. The Mustang 2.3L, especially in convertible form, is one of the most fun cars you can drive for the money.

It doesn’t just look good, either. The engine might not sound as meaty as a V8 but it still sounds pretty good – turbo flutters hold their own pleasures, too. The 2.3L also has a slightly different, stiffer suspension tune than the V8, so it handles rather well, especially in Sport+ mode. It’s also plenty fast, especially from 0-50km/h.

The convertible top is easy to use, deploys quickly and really takes the car to the next level. The American movies are right: there’s something special about driving a drop-top Mustang in summer (even during a La Niña summer). I reckon the 2.3L even looks better than the V8, thanks to its unique asymmetrical grille design with its offset, retro-style tribar pony badge. Having people look at you whilst you drive by is addicting.

RELATED: The 12 Best Convertibles To Buy In Australia In 2022

Is it a perfect car? No. The quality of American-made cars has made leaps and bounds in recent years but some of the plastics in the interior are a bit on the cheap side… And for most muscle car stalwarts, the V8’s auditory and performance qualities will be more than enough to justify dropping another five figures for the Mustang GT.

But for those with an open mind, a keen eye for value, and who love feeling the wind in their hair, the Ford Mustang High Performance 2.3L Convertible is a bloody fun car. Check out its full specs at pricing at Ford Australia’s online showroom here.

• I Drove Porsche’s Insane New Electric Car. It Blew My Mind
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The post Ford Mustang High-Performance Convertible Review appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Anyone who’s been in Brisbane or Sydney over the last couple of weeks will know the weather has been absolutely atrocious. There has been an unprecedented amount of torrential rain; so much so, that I’m personally starting to feel like I moved to England.

That being said, there are some pleasurable moments that are made extra sweet by rain. For example, the experience of snuggling up on your couch with a good book and a hot cup of tea is somehow magically improved when there are raindrops falling outside. And getting food delivered is ten times better when the weather outside is frightful…

But we never really spare a thought for the poor person who’s had to brave that frightful weather to bring us our meal. Well, we do; we feel extremely sorry for the poor bastard, just not sorry enough to not order any food at all.

However, by ordering food and choosing to get it delivered in wet weather is actually contributing to delivery drivers’ (or riders for those really unfortunate people stuck on bicycles) risking their safety and potentially, their lives. Transport for NSW states that “travelling on wet or icy roads increases the risk of a crash” and that in wet weather, drivers should “​​avoid any unnecessary travel.”

Sure, you could argue that the drivers themselves are choosing to take that risk but that’s because they obviously need the money and most of these food delivery services, like Uber Eats, Deliveroo and Menulog, don’t pay very well and don’t stop taking orders in adverse weather conditions. So morally, it should fall on us to either not order delivery at all when it’s raining cats and dogs… Or to tip our delivery drivers big. But which option is the right one?

Of course, this topic has been discussed in the AITA (Am I The Asshole?) section of Reddit and most of the comments – which seem to have been written by delivery drivers – make the same point: it’s okay to order food during bad weather as delivery drivers are willing to endure it to earn money; however, you should give them a good tip, as it’s not a pleasant task.

One Reddit user commented, “Anyone who’s out delivering in bad weather is electing to do so. Good tips make it worth the effort.” while another wrote, “I intentionally deliver in bad weather in hopes for higher tips. It’s crazy to see how many people still don’t tip [though].”

One Reddit user even admitted they’re happy to risk driving in bad weather and potentially crash as long as they get a good tip: “I would absolutely risk an accident for a $20 tip lol not even being sarcastic.”

While tipping is not customary in Australia, the people of Reddit have spoken… Make sure if you get food delivered during stormy weather, give your delivery driver some extra cash to say thanks. It’s the least you can do considering you were too lazy or weren’t willing to risk your safety to go and get food. Bon appétit.

• The ‘Absurd’ Number Of Calories Deliveroo Couriers Burn In A Day
• Due To The Heavy Rain You Should Avoid Beaches In Sydney & Brisbane Right Now

The post Is This The One Week Of The Year You Should Tip Like An American? appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Australia has been added to a large list of countries The Kremlin has deemed as having been “unfriendly” in response to Putin’s attack on Ukraine.

The list of nations which Moscow has approved as countries who have been “unfriendly” to Russia include: Australia, UK, EU countries, Iceland, Canada, Liechtenstein, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Korea, San Marino, Singapore, USA, Taiwan, Ukraine, Montenegro, Switzerland and Japan.

This is according to a tweet from Russian outlet Ria translated by CNN journalist Brianna Golodryga.

The Kremlin has approved a list of countries who have been “unfriendly” to Russia. They include:

Australia, UK, EU countries, Iceland, Canada, Liechtenstein, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Korea, San Marino, Singapore, USA, Taiwan, Ukraine, Montenegro, Switzerland, Japan https://t.co/YQi2SPyYJb

— Bianna Golodryga (@biannagolodryga) March 7, 2022

The Daily Mail reports: “All corporate deals with companies and individuals from the so-called ‘unfriendly countries’ now have to be approved by a government commission.”

Many countries on the list have issued sanctions against Russia that have contributed to tanking the Ruble.

While Australia hasn’t been seizing Russian Oligarchs’ superyachts like France, Germany and Italy have, Australia has placed travel bans and financial sanctions on Putin and his henchmen.

All-time low for #Rubles: 123 to $1.#RussianUkrainianWar pic.twitter.com/fMRPjmGfqK

— Nomad Capitalist (@nomadcapitalist) March 5, 2022

Australia has also sent military materials to help Ukraine. 

Business Insider reports that the list follows a presidential decree allowing the Russian government, companies and citizens to “temporarily pay foreign currency debts owed to overseas creditors from ‘unfriendly countries’ in roubles.”

Putin invaded Ukraine last month in an act of aggression that has united much of the world (and a fair bit of Russia) against him.

• ‘Russia Internet Shutdown 2022’: Everything We Know So Far
• Vladimir Putin’s $140 Million Superyacht Move Might Be Scarier Than The Russian Army

The post Australia Is Now On Russia’s List Of ‘Unfriendly’ Countries appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

There was a brief period where 3D films were all the rage and while, thankfully, that trend has died down, some moviegoers in the US – in Austin, Texas to be exact – got to experience the latest DC Comics film adaptation, The Batman in 4D…

According to CBS Austin, a real live bat was released in the theatre during a screening of The Batman, although it wasn’t planned by the cinema; it was apparently a prank. The bat started flying around during the film and once staff members realised, they paused the film and called animal control.

The cinema in question, The Moviehouse & Eatery in north-west Austin, released a statement saying they believed the whole thing was a prank but couldn’t identify who had released the bat and that the local animal control “have been overseeing the situation to ensure guest, associate and animal safety.” The statement also announced that the cinema would increase security “to ensure a prank like this does not again occur.”

Obviously, people who attended the screening got their phones out and took some great footage of the bat flapping about (instead of paying attention to Rob Pattinson’s take on Batman) which you can watch below:

After cinema staff members attempted – but failed – to get the bat out of the theatre, moviegoers were offered a full refund; however, most decided to stay and watch The Batman to the end. Perhaps the live bat added a certain ambience that enhanced the film.

As for the person or rather, the joker, (sorry that pun had to be made) who released the bat, they’re probably disappointed that everyone reacted so well to the prank as it denied them the chance to say “why so serious?”

Directed by Matt Reeves, The Batman was released in cinemas just last week and will hopefully be bat-free; although no guarantees. If you’re thinking of checking out The Batman make sure you read our review first, which you can do here.

• Tom Holland Bartended At A London Bar. He Was Quickly Fired
• All Batman Films Ranked & Where To Watch Them

The post Some ‘Joker’ Just Released A Live Bat During The Batman Screening appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

News just broke that Italy has joined Germany and France’s crusade against superyachts, with Russian billionaire businessman Alexey Alexandrovits Mordaschov’s €65m “Lady M Yacht” being seized in Imperia (Liguria) – a crescent-shaped region in northern Italy – over the weekend in compliance with the recent EU sanctions.

Previous to this, The Dilbar, a 512-foot, $600 million yacht owned by sanctioned Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, being kept in Germany, had work being done on it halted in the wake of the sanctions, and French authorities seized a massive yacht they say is linked to Igor Sechin, a Russian billionaire who previously served as Russia’s deputy Prime Minister (and who is apparently known in Russian business circles as “Darth Vader”), and who is CEO of state oil company Rosneft.

In light of all these seizures (and amidst the rumours that The Flying Fox belongs to Jeff Bezos, when it really doesn’t), we thought we’d come up with a list of which superyachts belong to which Russian billionaire. Get ready to feast your eyes.

Quite the fleet nowhttps://t.co/XnQAwLODzJ

— Joanna Pegum #StandWithUkraine. Wear a Mask (@londoner_007) March 5, 2022

Lady M Yacht

Owned By: Alexey Alexandrovits Mordaschov

Price: $96 million AUD, or $75 million AUD (depending on which source you believe)

Russian billionaire Alexey Alexandrovits Mordaschov owns the “Lady M Yacht” which was recently reportedly seized in Northern Italy. A 56 year old Russian billionaire businessman, Mordaschov is Russia’s richest man (even, apparantly, richer than Putin) and he has investments ranging from London-listed travel giant Tui to the ‘personal bank’ of senior Russian officials (according to The Guardian). He is also the main shareholder and chairman of Severstal, Russia’s biggest steel and mining company.

The Lady M Yacht is 65 metres long, fits 12 guests in 6 cabins, 14 crew in 7 cabins, was built in 2013 by Palmer Johnson and was designed by Nuvolari Lenard. The Lady M Yacht has a top speed of 28 knots and a cruising speed of 16 knots. It has an annual running cost of $4-5 million USD ($5-6 million AUD). Lady M Yacht has a Norwegian-built Windy Dubois SR52 tender, called Little M, and naturally, a helipad.

Lady M Yacht was probably named after Mordaschov’s second wife. Media advisor to Italy’s Prime Minister, Ferdinando Giugliano, has said Lady M Yacht is 65 million euros ($96,369,809 AUD). Superyacht Fan however says its price is $55 million USD (37,103,056 euros), which equates to $75,019,285 AUD.

Lurssen Yacht Nord

Owned By: Alexey Alexandrovits Mordaschov

Price: US$ 500 million (according to Super Yacht Fan)

This bad boy, built in 2020 (and delivered in 2021) also belongs to Russia’s richest man – Alexey Alexandrovits Mordaschov. The 141.6-metre Nord was designed with the intent to “cause strong emotions in every observer” via its sheer size and stunning design (by Italian design studio Nuvolari-Lenard, who gave Nord a bow design never before seen on a yacht. The Nord has an exhaust after treatment system, which hugely reduces nitrogen (by 97%) and noise.

The Dilbar

Owned by: Kremlin-aligned Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov

Price: $648 million (reportedly)

The Dilbar, the world’s biggest yacht measured by interior volume, was launched in 2016 at an estimated US $648 million ($882,922,680 AUD). Five years later, its owner, Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, sent the vessel to a German shipyard for a retrofit reportedly costing another couple of hundred million dollars.

Forbes recently reported that the Dilbar had been seized in Germany, working off the information of three sources. They since issued a correction stating that the Ministry for Economy and Innovation in Hamburg says the authorities have not seized the Dilbar, but rather work on the ship has been halted.

“Three sources had told Forbes it had been seized, but a representative for Usmanov cited the statement from the ministry in Hamburg to confirm that it had not. In its statement, the ministry elaborated that the German federal customs agency is the ‘responsible enforcement authority’ and would have to issue an export waiver for the yacht to leave, and that ‘no yacht leaves port that is not allowed to do so.’”

The Dilbar is 156 metres long, houses 36 guests in 18 cabins (and 84 crew in 40 cabins), was built by Lurssen and was designed by Espen Oeino. The Dilbar has a top speed of 22.5 knots and an annual running cost of $50-80 million USD.

Amore Vero

Owned by: Igor Sechin

Price: $120 million USD

Built in 2013, with a length of 86 metres and the capacity to house 14 guests and 28 crew, Amore Vero was built by Oceanco and designed by Lobanov. It has a top speed of 18 knots and and annual running cost of $12 million.

According to the BBC, Amore Vero was seized by French authorities last Wednesday, when customs officers noticed that it was “taking steps to sail off urgently.”

“It arrived in in the Mediterranean port of La Ciotat in January and had been due to stay there while being repaired until 1 April,” the BBC reports.

“It has also been reported that yachts belonging to five other Russian billionaires were heading to the Maldives, regarded as a safe home because it does not have an extradition treaty with the US,” (BBC).

Lena

Owned by: Gennady Nikolayevich Timchenko

Price: €50 million euros ($74 million AUD)

Lena is owned by the founder of a Russia-based private investment group and close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Gennady Nikolayevich Timchenko. Media advisor to Italy’s Prime Minister, Ferdinando Giugliano, has said Lena was also recently frozen by authorities.

My Solaris

Owned by: Roman Abramovich

Price: £430 million ($770 million AUD)

The owner of Chelsea football club (Abramovich is now trying to sell his shares Chelsea FC) Roman Abramovich also owns a superyacht called My Solaris. My Solaris is 137 metres long.

My Solaris has a power and energy management system that is the most powerful of its kind ever installed on a yacht, according to Superyacht Times. Roman Abramovich also owns a superyacht called the Eclipse, worth $700 million USD ($955 million AUD), Superyacht Times reports. He is reportedly not been sanctioned as of yet in the US or UK (but is still selling Chelsea in case he is).

Nirvana

Owned by: Vladimir Potanin

Price: Unknown

Vladimir Potanin is one of the richest men in Russia. He owns the Nirvana, a superyacht that can fit 12 guests and 18 crew, superyachtfan.com states.

Potanin also owns a yacht called Barbara. Potanin owns more than a third of Norilsk Nickel, a mining company, and has well as stakes in a pharmaceutical company and a ski resort.

Fortune reports: “On Wednesday [last week] he resigned as a trustee of the Guggenheim Museum in New York, according to the museum. Nirvana is apparently currently in the Maldives, a country that, probably not coincidentally doesn’t have an extradition treaty with the U.S.

Ocean Victory

Owned by: Viktor Rashnikov

Price: $300 million ($408 million AUD)

Russian minerals and metals magnate Viktor Rashnikov owns ‘Ocean Victory,‘ a superyacht with an outlandish six pools, an underwater observation room, an internal helicopter hangar, and a helideck. Old mate has a net worth of nearly $10 billion and is No. 195 on Forbes’ 2021 billionaires list.

Clio

Owned by: Oleg Deripaska

Price: $65 million USD ($88 million AUD)

Oleg Deripaska, who has a net worth of almost $3 billion, is the founder of the Russian aluminium group Rusal. He owns Clio, which has a crew of 21. It comes with a boat called Sputnik, with a crew of 26. According to Fortune, Deripaska has called for an end to the war in Ukraine. According to Reuters, Clio was docked in the Maldives as of last Thursday.

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The post Which Superyachts Belong To Which Russian Oligarchs? An Investigation appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Today is International Women’s Day (IWD); a day to globally celebrate the achievements – whether it be social, economic, cultural or political – of women. The day also raises awareness about women’s equality and encourages people to lobby for accelerated gender parity.

Sadly, I’ve already seen some insensitive comments on a Reddit thread that asked for people’s thoughts on IWD, all of which are eerily similar, made by users who seem not to understand what International Women’s Day is about.

One Reddit user wrote, “I have no problem with [IWD]. I just hope that in November the media will make just as big of a deal of International Men’s Day as they do about International Women’s Day. I highly doubt it though,” while another commented, “I have nothing against it I just don’t like the fact that International Men’s Day doesn’t get as much appreciation as Women’s Day.”

Let me put this simply: the reason International Women’s Day is celebrated ‘more’ than International Men’s Day (which is November 19) is because for literally hundreds and hundreds of years women have been treated unfairly. It’s like in Mario Kart; if you’re in first place, you do not need a blue shell (for non-gamers, this blue shell trips up whoever’s in first place for a bit) because, duh, you’re winning. But that blue shell gives other players who aren’t doing so well a chance to catch up.

Attention men: you’re in first place – and have been for quite some time – and IWD is like our blue shell. We need a chance to catch up because, unfortunately, in this day and age we are still facing inequality. For example, according to the Workplace Gender Equality Agency in 2020-2021 women in Australia earned, on average, $25.8K less than men. Yikes.

Other comments on the Reddit thread condemned feminism and one comment even claimed that International Women’s Day is “just used as [an] extra opportunity to demonise and attack men.”

First of all, ‘feminism’ or being a ‘feminist’ does not mean that women think they’re better than men and should be treated as such – it simply means that women want to be treated the same as men; we want equality. I just want to be paid the same amount of money as a man doing the same job and I don’t want to be sexually harassed every time I leave the house… going back to my Mario Kart analogy, women don’t want to beat men to the finish line; we want to tie in first place.

Second of all, International Women’s Day is NOT about ‘attacking’ men. Men do not need to be attacked nor would I condone someone attacking a man any day of the year. Today is simply about educating everyone – no matter their gender – that women do not yet have true equality in our society but that’s something we all should strive for; plus, we also celebrate how far women have come.

So, if you’re of the opinion that International Men’s Day should be celebrated as much as International Women’s Day, – or if you think that IWD is tokenistic – then perhaps, make sure you treat women fairly every single day and do as much as you can (discuss your salary, call out people when they make a sexist joke or comment etc.) to end the inequalities women still face. Once equality is achieved then I’ll happily celebrate International Men’s Day as much as I celebrate International Women’s Day.

However, if you’re of the opinion that there are more important things going on in the world right now (like one Reddit user commented that they’d rather use the day to bring awareness to “something that actually matters”), well, as a society we can bring awareness to several important issues all at once; because I’m sorry, equality for all does ‘actually’ matter.

Read Next

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The post Australian Men Need To Care More About International Women’s Day appeared first on DMARGE Australia.