Ed Warner: Is China about to bring Russia and its athletes in from the sporting cold? March 30, 2023 The war in Ukraine doesn’t look like ending any time soon. Just as Russia is recalibrating its geopolitical and industrial relations, so the prospect of a conflict stretching years into the future will necessitate a realignment of its place in the sporting world. Asia’s warmth towards the Kremlin points a way back into the international [...]
Losing Bakhmut will let Putin ‘sell this victory to the West, to his society, to China, to Iran’ – Zelensky March 29, 2023 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned defeat in the battle for Bakhmut would enable Russia to start building international support for a deal that would require his nation to make unacceptable compromises. And he has invited Chinese President Xi Jinping, long aligned to Russia, to visit. Mr Zelensky said if the eastern city of Bakhmut [...]
Lloyd’s of London’s war underwriters prepare to pay out over ships stuck in Ukrainian waters March 28, 2023 Lloyd’s of London’s war underwriters have begun setting aside cash reserves as they prepare to pay out on a flurry of claims from the owners of ships stuck in Ukraine’s territorial waters. The insurance market is readying itself for a new wave of claims from shipowners that have now become viable following the anniversary of [...]
Allowing athletes from Russia back into sport ‘works’ despite Ukraine war, says Olympic chief Bach March 28, 2023 The president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach today doubled down on plans for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be allowed back into competitions, adding that his plans “work” despite the war in Ukraine. The German spoke at the IOC’s executive meeting. There was, however, no decision on whether Russians and Belarusians would [...]
Chelsea puts £121m loss down to sanctions imposed on ex owner Roman Abramovich March 27, 2023 Chelsea say Government sanctions imposed on former owner Roman Abramovich were a factor in the club posting losses of £121million in 2021-22. Russian billionaire Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK Government in March last year as it sought to freeze the assets of individuals it believed had connections to the country’s president, Vladimir Putin, following [...]
Ukraine war ‘second front’ as Putin moves to store nukes in Belarus March 27, 2023 The world should prepare for a “second front” to open up in the Ukraine war as Vladimir Putin moves to store nuclear weapons in Belarus. Russia’s president claimed he agreed with Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko to station tactical nuclear warheads on its territory. Ukraine has accused the Kremlin of “nuclear blackmail” and demanded an emergency [...]
Russian artist to project ‘human blood’ sculpture onto St Paul’s in protest of Prince Harry’s kill claims March 26, 2023 A Russian artist says he will project a sculpture filled with human blood onto the facade of St Paul’s to protest Prince Harry’s comments about killing Afghan soldiers. Conceptual artist Andrei Molodkin says he will fill an acrylic royal coat of arms with 1,250ml of human blood donated by Afghan refugees and project the image [...]
Russia’s ex PM and President Medvedev threatens to nuke Germany over Putin arrest warrant March 24, 2023 The former President and prime minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev appears to have threatened Germany with a nuclear attack this morning. The controversial politician made the claim on Twitter in response to the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, for war crimes. This comes after Germany, which was one [...]
Putin the boot in: Vladimir takes swipe at Britain over Russian sport ban lobbying March 23, 2023 Vladimir Putin has accused Russia’s critics including the UK of “using sports for unseemly purposes”. Putin said calls, led by Britain, for Russian athletes to remain banned from international sport were politically motivated. “Western countries are trying to use sports for unseemly purposes as a tool of pressure,” the Russian president told news agency TASS. [...]
Ukraine claims attack on Russian cruise missiles in occupied Crimea March 21, 2023 Ukraine’s military intelligence agency reported what appeared to be a brazen attack on Russian cruise missiles being transported by train in the occupied Crimean Peninsula. The region’s Russian-appointed governor reported an incident in the area of the same Crimean town, Dzhankoi in the northern part of the peninsula, though he did not mention cruise missiles [...]