Ukraine - players.bio

Controversy and confusion in Bahrain as Mercedes Formula 1 team introduce new sidepod design

The first racing controversy of the new Formula 1 season is here after the Mercedes team managed to shrink their sidepods to a remarkable degree. The sidepods on cars contain radiators, pipes, and provide an inlet for cooling air.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich among seven oligarchs in new UK sanctions

LONDON: Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich was on Thursday hit with an assets freeze and travel ban as part of new UK government sanctions targeting seven Russian oligarchs.Among others sanctioned are leading industrialist Oleg Deripaska, Rosneft chief executive Igor Sechin and the head of Gazprom Alexei Miller, the government announced.Speculation has swirled for weeks about whether Abramovich would be included on the targeted action against Russian billionaires perceived to be close to the Kremlin.Abramovich announced last week that he was selling Chelsea, after buying the English Premier League side in 2003, and bankrolled its successes at domestic and European level.The UK government estimated his net worth at $12.2 billion (£9.4 billion), but said it was mitigating the effect of the sanctions on Chelsea by allowing the club to continue to operate.A special license “authorizes a number of football-related activities,” the government said in a statement.“This includes permissions for the club to continue playing matches and other football-related activity which will in turn protect the Premier League, the wider football pyramid, loyal fans and other clubs,” it added.Deripaska is Abramovich’s one-time business partner, while officials described Sechin as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “right-hand man.”The four others — Miller, VTB bank chairman Andrey Kostin, Transneft president Nikolai Tokarev and Bank Rossiya chairman Dmitri Lebedev — are part of his inner circle,Collectively, the seven have a net worth of about £15 billion, the statement read.Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the sanctions “the latest step in the UK’s unwavering support for the Ukrainian people.”Foreign Secretary Liz Truss added:

Russians turn to VPNs to stay connected as online censorship tightens over Ukraine war

Almost two weeks into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities have already banned over 200 websites, 300 foreign companies have pulled out of the country and fears are growing that the government may move towards disconnecting Russia from the global internet.