Timur Ivanov, Russian Deputy Defence Minister, was arrested on April 23 in the case of bribery. He will remain in custody before June 2024. A Moscow court sent Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov to a pre-trial detention centre. He was arrested for two months, until June 23. Ivanov was charged under Part 6 of Art. 290 of the Criminal Code (receiving a bribe on an especially large scale). According to investigators, Ivanov entered into a "criminal conspiracy with third parties to commit a crime and received a large bribe in the form of property services provided during contracting and subcontracting works for the needs of the Defence Ministry.”

Russia's gold reserves reached a new record in August as they amounted to $188.8 billion. Their share in international assets exceeded 30 percent for the first time in almost 25 years, the Central Bank of Russia said. As of September 1, 2024, Russia's international reserves grew to $613.7 billion, up from $602.05 billion as of August 1. In August, Russia increased its gold investments by 5.1 percent, bringing them to a record $188.8 billion. The previous record was set a month earlier at $179.5 billion.

El Departamento de Seguros de Texas (TDI, por su nombre y siglas en inglés) anunció a Dan Paschal como el Comisionado Adjunto de la recién creada división de Relaciones Externas. Esta división incluirá Comunicaciones (actualmente Asuntos Públicos) y Relaciones Gubernamentales (actualmente Asuntos de la Agencia).

The case was led by Texas Department of Insurance investigators and prosecutors working with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.

Erica De La Cruz is now Deputy Commissioner of Claims and Customer Service. The new program area includes Claims Services, Self Insurance Regulation, and the Subsequent Injury Fund.

Registration is open for DWC’s free and updated lunchtime webinar series, including our eight-part boot camp training for those new to workers’ compensation.

The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) announces its chief deputy commissioner and new leadership for its Administrative Operations, Life and Health, and General Counsel divisions.

El Departamento de Seguros de Texas (Texas Department of Insurance - TDI, por su nombre y siglas en inglés) anuncia el nuevo comisionado jefe adjunto y nuevos líderes para las divisiones de Operaciones Administrativas, Seguros de Vida y de Salud, y las Divisiones del Concejo General.

Si su casa sufrió daños por el severo estado del tiempo que impactó el sureste de Texas esta semana, contacte a su compañía de seguros para presentar una reclamación lo antes posible.

A Texas public insurance adjuster accused of stealing more than $268,000 in insurance claims from multiple victims has been indicted by a grand jury in Kimble County.

Un ajustador de seguros público de Texas acusado de robar más de $268,000 en reclamaciones de seguros a múltiples víctimas ha sido acusado por un gran jurado del condado Kimble.

Business owners have many decisions to make, including whether to provide workers’ compensation coverage to their employees. Texas is the only state that gives private-sector employers that choice.

Following an investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO), a Jasper County grand jury indicted a fire safety equipment installer on two counts of tampering with a government document.

Tras una investigación de la Oficina del jefe estatal de bomberos (State Fire Marshal’s Office, SFMO, por su nombre y siglas en inglés), un gran jurado del condado Jasper acusó a un instalador de equipos de seguridad contra incendios de dos cargos de manipulación de un documento gubernamental.

Former NFL player James Adkisson pleaded guilty to submitting more than $33,000 in fraudulent health reimbursement claims after an investigation by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) Fraud Unit.

Texas Workers' Compensation Commissioner Jeff Nelson has announced the appointment of Dan LaBruyere as DWC's new Deputy Commissioner for Compliance and Investigations, which includes Audits and Investigations, Enforcement, the Fraud Unit, and the Fraud Prosecution Unit.

Barry Jay Glenn, the founder and CEO of Houston-based Salvasen Health, surrendered to authorities in Harris County Tuesday. Glenn is facing charges of unauthorized insurance for collecting premiums and selling health plans without a license or authorization from the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI).

Barry Jay Glenn, fundador y director ejecutivo de Salvasen Health, radicada en Houston, se entregó el martes a las autoridades del condado Harris. Glenn se enfrenta a cargos de seguro no autorizado por cobrar primas y vender planes de salud sin licencia, ni la autorización del Departamento de Seguros de Texas (Texas Department of Insurance, TDI, por su nombre y siglas en inglés).

El Departamento de Seguros de Texas (Texas Department of Insurance, TDI, por su nombre y siglas en inglés) tiene consejos para ayudarle a reconocer y evitar las estafas comunes de contratistas.

Scam artists often follow a large storm or disaster. The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) has tips to help recognize and avoid common contracting scams.

The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) recognized Tyler Beverages with the Lone Star Safety Program Award on July 19, 2024, for its exemplary workplace health and safety programs and low rates of work-related injuries and illnesses.

A Luling individual is facing three criminal felony charges after a State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) investigation of a fire at a local business led to the discovery of contraband on the scene.

Un individuo de Luling se enfrenta a tres cargos de delito grave después de que una investigación de la Oficina del Jefe Estatal de Bomberos (State Fire Marshal’s Office, SFMO, por su nombre y siglas en inglés) sobre un incendio en un negocio local llevó al descubrimiento de contrabando.

In Zheleznogorsk, the Kursk region of Russia, fragments of an unmanned aerial vehicle crashed and exploded on a busy ringway. The incident was captured on video. The footage that was posted on Gaza Telegram channel shows the drone debris falling just several meters from passing cars and exploding, sending smaller debris flying around. It appears that the drivers of the cars that were traveling on the road during the moment of the incident did not panic and continued driving.

Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov said that unmanned aerial vehicles attacked the territory of the Russian University of Special Forces named after V. V. Putin (RUS) in the city of Gudermes. The attack took place on the morning of Tuesday, October 29. Kadyrov did not specify the number of drones involved. According to the Chechen President, the roof of the empty building caught fire as a result of the attack. No casualties were reported, the fire was quickly extinguished. The activities of the university have not been suspended, all services are operating as usual, Kadyrov said.

A woman trapped in her flooded home in Utiel, Valencia, was rescued with her dog. The video of her salvation shows the professionalism of Spanish rescuers. At least 51 people were killed in Spain's autonomous community of Valencia due to heavy rains and floodwaters, the Single Operations Coordination Centre (Cecopi) said. Rescuers found the lifeless bodies of five people in the town of Torrent: a couple, two children and a baby. Four bodies were found in Paiport: two men, a woman and a child. Victims were also reported in Chiva, Cheste, Alfafar and Alcudia.

Russia's fibre optic controlled Knyaz Vandal (Prince Vandal) drone struck a column of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the Kursk region of Russia. The attack was captured on video. The recording shows the drone flying at high speed over an asphalt road. It slows down and descends slightly when approaching an intersection. Several Ukrainian vehicles with ammunition can be seen driving in its direction. Knyaz Vandal flies up to one of the vehicles and crashes into it to explode.  Fiber optic controlled UAVs are a revolutionary weapon. According to military analyst and co-founder of Vatfor information and analytical project, Sergey Poletayev, drones controlled via fibre optic appeared as part of the scientific and technological revolution. The invention of such drones can be compared to the advent of artillery.

The Russian Army is conducting the most powerful offensive since the beginning of the military conflict in Ukraine, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi said in his Telegram channel following a meeting with the Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Republic Karel Řehka. "I informed my Czech colleagues about the situation on the front line, which remains difficult. Active military actions, which continue in certain areas, require constant replenishment of resources of Ukrainian units,” he wrote. Syrskyi also said that he considers the Czech Republic a loyal ally of Ukraine. According to him, the republic initiated, among other things, the creation of a coalition to develop the capabilities of Ukrainian military equipment.

A football player was killed when a flash of lightning struck him during a match between Juventud Bellavista and Familia Chocca in Peru. The incident occurred when the players were leaving the field due to bad weather. Thirty-nine-year-old defender Hugo de la Cruz Mesa died on the spot. Four other players were hospitalized, one of them remains in serious condition, Peruvian agency Andina said.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Dostoyevsky of 20th century, dies of heart failureAlexander Solzhenitsyn died in Moscow at age 89. President Dmitry Medvedev presented his condolences to writer’s wife and sons. Stepan Solzhenitsyn told The Associated Press his father died late Sunday of heart failure, but declined further comment. Solzhenitsyn's unflinching accounts of torment and survival in the Soviet Union's labor camps riveted his countrymen, whose secret history he exposed. They earned him 20 years of bitter exile, but international renown. And they inspired millions, perhaps, with the knowledge that one person's courage and integrity could, in the end, defeat the totalitarian machinery of an empire.

Billions of citizens from more than 130 countries are expected to turn off their lights on Saturday for the Earth Hour 2011, the event organizer told Australia's media on Thursday. The Earth Hour event, organized by environment group World Wildlife Fund (WWF), was first started in Sydney of Australia in 2007 with 2.2 million Australians taking part to turn off their lights in aid of the environment. By 2009, up to 1 billion citizens across the world had taken part. According to Earth Hour spokesman Winston Su, this year, 133 countries had signed up for the event, with 13 of them taking part for the first time, Xinhua informs. "Earth Hour is a chance for people and communities across the globe to join together with the common purpose of a sustainable future for our planet," said Andy Ridley, cofounder and executive director of Earth Hour. "This year Earth Hour asks people to commit to the event, big or small, for the coming year, taking Earth Hour beyond the hour."

Elvira Nabiullina approved as Chairperson of Russian Bank The economist, Elvira Sakiphzadovna Nabiullina, has been approved by the Russian State Duma as Chairperson of the Russian Bank and will take office on the 24th of June 2013. She was born in Ufa, Bashkortostan, on the 29th of October 1963, of Tatar descent.  After graduating from the Lomonosov State University in Moscow, she gained a PhD in Economics, in 1990. Stations of her career were the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the Russian Ministry for Economic Development and Trade, and Sberbank. In 2008, Elvira Nabiullina was appointed as Minister for Economic Development and Trade. When Vladimir Putin was re-elected for his third term as President of the Russian Federation, in 2012, she joined his advisory committee as presidential aide.

Source: Mil.ru To mark the Day of Airborne Forces, which Russia is celebrating on August 2, the Russian Defence Ministry published unique documents on its official website about the establishment of Airborne Forces.The documents date back to the Great Patriotic War. One of them is titled the "Main Directorate of Airborne Troops of the Red Army." The document had been drafted literally a few days before the beginning of the war in 1941. Another document determines the combat composition of airborne units that started fighting against fascist invaders in September of 1941. The publication also includes the combat characteristics of the commander of the 49th Guards Rifle Division, Colonel Margelov, who subsequently became the legendary commander of the Airborne Forces.The main symbol of Russia's Airborne Forces - the blue beret - was approved in 1969 by Marshal of the Soviet Union Andrei Grechko.

The State Historical Museum and the Russian Historical Society announced the all-Russian campaign to raise funds to restore the monument to Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky. The iconic monument, commonly known as Monument to Minin and Pozharsky, stands in front of the St. Bazil's Cathedral on Moscow's Red Square. The monument was the first sculptural piece that was erected in Moscow on Red Square 200 years ago in honour of the victory of the Russian militia over foreign interventionists in 1612.On February 20, 1818 in a solemn atmosphere, Emperor Alexander I and members of the imperial family unveiled the Monument to Minin and Pozharsky on Red Square. In the summer of 1931, the monument became a hindrance to demonstrations and parades, so it was moved from its historical site, from opposite the Upper trading rows, to the facade of the Intercession Cathedral. During this movement, the structure of the monument was damaged.In late 2016, the maintenance of the monument was delivered to the State Historical Museum. Experts examined the monument and came to conclusion that it required serious restoration is required. The works were preliminary evaluated at 46 million rubles.Within a year, the sculptural group will be dismantled from the pedestal on Red Square to be  transported to workshops, where the sculptures and the bas-reliefs of the monument will be restored.

US pilots told a story about Soviet pilots of MiG aircraft that took off to intercept enemy aircraft at the height of the Cold War. Soviet pilots were making jokes during the operations, Theaviationgeekclub website wrote with reference to a collection of stories dedicated to the Douglas F3D Skyknight air missions. "The first time we were intercepted, they reported that we were taking pictures of them, as we were carrying 35 mm hand-held cameras. Normally, it would be on the pilot's side where the interceptors were, and the ECMO would lean across and snap some pictures of them. And the Russians would report, "They're taking pictures of us. What should we do?” One of the Russian controllers had a sense of humour and said "Smile”. Who would have thought the Russians had any sense of humour at all?" Skyknight pilot Chuck Houseman said. The book also said that US pilots, who were collecting reconnaissance data near the Soviet borders in the Far East, thought of Soviet pilots as friendly individuals compared to pilots from other communist countries. According to the author of the book and aviation expert Joe Copalman, the midair encounters had always been quiet as the United States had not violated state borders and performed its tasks within international space.

Kamila Valieva's doping test revealed the presence of three substances to improve the heart function, the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) said. According to The New York Times, these drugs can be aimed at increasing endurance, if used in combination. According to USADA's chief Travis Tygart, Kamila Valieva's doping test revealed the presence of trimetazidine, L-carnitine and hypoxen. Of these three drugs, it is only trimetazidine that is included in the list of drugs prohibited for athletes. "It's a trifecta of substances — two of which are allowed, and one that is not allowed. The benefits of such a combination "seem to be aimed at increasing endurance, reducing fatigue and promoting greater efficiency in using oxygen," Travis Tygart said.

Kamila Valieva, Russian figure skating phenomenon, failed her performance and was ranked fourth in the free skating program at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. When Kamila finished her performance, Tutberidze asked her why she stopped fighting during the performance. "Well, why did you let go of everything? Well, explain, you let go somewhere after the axel,” said the coach to her 15-year-old athlete.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has announced its stance  on the case of Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva. The text is available on the website of the agency. WADA believes that the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which allowed 15-year-old Valiyeva to participate in the individual tournament at the Beijing Olympics, was made contrary to the Code of the agency. This will have consequences and may lead to the recurrence of similar cases in the future, WADA said.  The WADA statement stressed out that CAS had rewritten the Code of the agency, when it decided to allow Valieva to participate in the individual tournament. 

Roman Abramovich, a Russian billionaire entrepreneur, bought Turkey's Goztepe football club (Göztepe S. K.), D-Smar Spor reported via Twitter. Abramovich, the owner of London's Chelsea and the Turkish side have agreed on the details of the deal. Göztepe's acquisition by Abramovich is to be officially announced on April 8. Reports about Roman Abramovich's interest in another football club first appeared on March 23. After 31 matches, Göztepe was ranked 18th in the Turkish Super League. The team faced the risk of leaving the elite division.

Andrei Rublev is one of the Russian tennis players banned from the Wimbledon tournament. He defeated world number one Novak Djokovic in the Serbia Open 2022 final in Belgrade today. Rublev, who is only eighth in the world rankings, beat his opponent 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 6-0.

Russian entrepreneur Roman Abramovich has closed the deal to sell London's Chelsea Football Club, RIA Novosti reports with reference to the British government. Chelsea, an English Premier League (EPL) club, owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, has been sold to American businessman Todd Boeli's consortium. It was earlier reported that the deal was evaluated at 5.33 billion dollars.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has launched a disciplinary investigation into the behavior of Turkish fans at the match of the second qualifying round of the Champions League between Fenerbahce (Turkey) and Dynamo (Kyiv). The football match, which took place on Wednesday in Istanbul, ended with a score of 2:1 in extra time in favor of the Ukrainian team. After the Ukrainian team scored the first goal, Turkish fans started chanting the name of Russian President Vladimir Putin. "In accordance with Article 31(4) of the Disciplinary Regulations, the UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector will conduct an investigation into the alleged misconduct of Fenerbahce fans during the Champions League second qualifying round second leg against Dynamo Kyiv," the statement said.

According to Al Arabiya, frequent use of wireless headphones may lead to oncology. Prolonged use of Bluetooth headphones increases the risk of developing tumors in the body and may also contribute to miscarriages in women. In this regard, experts recommend limiting the use of wireless headphones while exercising, watching TV, and in other situations. However, it is worth noting that specialists also emphasized that smartphones and X-ray radiation can cause greater harm to the human body.

Former Real Madrid defender Marcelo, who now plays for Brazil's Fluminense, broke Argentinos Juniors defender's leg in a Copa Libertadores match in Buenos Aires. The defender, Luciano Sanchez, had his knee dislocated. The player will recover in about a year, Spanish sports website AS said. In the second half of the game, Marcelo, circling Sanchez, accidentally stepped on his leg when Sanchez threw it forward. Marcelo burst into tears because of the shocking incident and was sent off.

Jon Jones, US champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) responded to Russian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Islam Makhachev, who criticised promotion's ratings. "Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Criticism comes with territory. I want to encourage the young fighters to beat some of my records instead of using their lips. Now thats gangsta,” Jones wrote in a message posted on social media. Jones is the current UFC heavyweight champion. He tops the ranking of the promotion's best fighters regardless of weight categories (P4P). During his career, the fighter won 27 victories and suffered one loss. Another fight with his participation was declared invalid.

Russian federal TV channels may refuse to broadcast the 2018 Winter Olympics from South Korean Pyeongchang should the Russian delegation be suspended, the Vedomosti newspaper wrote. For the time being, Russia's three major TV channels - Channel One, Rossiya-1 (part of VGTRK) and Match TV (part of Gazprom Media) plan to broadcast Winter Olympics from South Korea. Yet, if the Russian national team is excluded from the Games, Channel One and Rossiya-1 will most likely refuse to broadcast the Olympics. Naturally, Russian people watch Olympic Games to support Russian athletes in the first place. If no Russian athletes take part in the Games, the audience of the major sports event of this winter will decease sharply, representatives of the above-mentioned channels say. It makes no sense for major channels to pay millions of dollars for the rights to broadcast the Games, if they make no money from advertising because of low ratings.

An anonymous assistant to President Putin has had a few meetings with winter sports coaches, during which he "in a mild form" recommended to refuse from participating in the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang. According to All Sports agency, an official from the Kremlin administration, whose name remains anonymous, specified that it would have to be the athletes themselves to make such a decision. The talks of the of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) commission with representatives of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) took place in Moscow this week. The meetings were devoted to the structure of the Russian delegation during the Games in South Korea. The next day it became known that a number of prominent Russian athletes with an unblemished reputation, including biathlete Anton Shipulin, skier Sergei Ustyugov and speed skater Victor An, as well as the leaders of hockey and speed skating teams were not invited to the competitions, even though those athletes were not listed either in Richard McLaren or Denis Oswald reports. On Tuesday, the press service of the Russian Ice Skating Federation said that the IOC did not allow Russian figure skaters Ksenia Stolbova and Ivan Bukin to participate in the 2018 Winter Games without explaining the reasons. Representatives for the Russian Ice Skating Federation expressed their indignation about the absurd decision and started to defend the honour and dignity of athletes in all possible ways.The Russian Olympic Committee prepares to give a hard estimate to IOC's actions and request appropriate explanations.Following those events, Russian politicians assumed that the IOC was pushing Russia to boycott the Winter Games 2018 and exit the Olympic movement."If no explanations follow, perhaps Russian athletes will have to revise their decision regarding the participation in the Olympics in Pyeongchang. They wanted to make us boycott the Games before, but as soon as they realised that we were not going to do it, they decided to suspend clean athletes with perfect reputations. This looks like political blackmail and creates conditions for unfair victories at the Olympics," chairman of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture Mikhail Degtyarev told Sport Express newspaper. On December 5, the IOC Executive Committee decided that only clean Russian athletes would be able to perform at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang under the Olympic flag. Two special committees of the IOC have reduced the list of 500 applicants to 389 names so far. The final structure of the Russian delegation will be announced on January 28. On December 6, President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would not boycott the Games. Pravda.Ru

What if it was WADA employees who opened sample bottles of Russian athletes and then arranged a major provocation against Russia in cooperation with the International Olympic Committee? This could be possible, taking into consideration the fact that the US Justice Department announced the beginning of investigation into cases of corruption inside the IOC immediately after Federal Security Bureau and Foreign Intelligence Service officers visited the United States. Representatives of the US Justice Department announced the beginning of investigation into corruption in such international sports organizations as the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Football Federation (FIFA), the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), and the National Olympic Committee of the United States, The New York Times newspaper wrote. Soon afterwards, the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne made a positive decision regarding 28 appeals from 39 Russian athletes, whom the IOC had suspended from from the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. It looks like the anti-doping campaign against Russia could be a major a political operation, the goal of which was to discredit Russia and its president in front of the whole world.

The opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang is to begin on Friday, February 9, at 14:00 MSK. One hundred and sixty-eight athletes from Russia will take part in the Games for sure, but their quantity may increase. The second hearing of the panel of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) was held on Feb. 8. For the time of the Olympics, judges stay in Pyeongchang. Today, they looked into the cases of 45 athletes and two coaches from Russia, who still have a chance to perform at the Games.They received such an opportunity after the first meeting, at which the CAS issued a decision that came contrary to the position of the IOC, but the decision was consistent with common sense. Having not heard any evidence to establish the guilt of several Russian athletes, the CAS sustained their appeals. Afterwards, the Russian athletes appealed against the non-admission to the Olympics.During the second hearing, CAS arbitrators considered the cases of 13 athletes and two coaches who had been acquitted. They also looked into the cases of 32 athletes who had never been suspected of violating anti-doping rules. None of them have received invitations from the IOC. They are stars of Russian sports - Anton Shipulin (biathlon), Victor An (speed skating) and Sergei Ustyugov (skier). Which abbreviation is worse: CAS, WADA, or IOC? Head coach of the Russian national luge team, Albert Demchenko, Tatyana Ivanova (sleigh) and Elena Nikitina (skeleton) had an opportunity to speak at the hearings. They told reporters later that they could not say anything about the hearings, and expressed a hope that common sense would prevail. According to Albert Demchenko, CAS arbitrators have listened to all arguments of the Russians.Earlier, skeletonist Elena Nikitina expressed the general idea of the outcast athletes. In an interview with R-Sport, she said that CAS made an independent and fair decision at first hearings contrary to that of the IOC, which gave the Russian athletes more confidence. The athlete also said that she would not mind moving into the Olympic Village even on the opening day of the Games.The head of the Russian Bobsleigh Federation, Sergei Parkhomenko, said that Russian bobsleighers would fly to South Korea as soon as they are allowed to do so. Nick Butler of Inside The Games shared insider information on Twitter. A reliable source, he wrote, informed him that the lawsuits from the Russian athletes would be sustained partially - some would be allowed to take part in the Games, but some others would not. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the IOC remain dissatisfied with the decision that CAS made during the first hearing. WADA officials said that the CAS verdict may cause anxiety and disappointment among athletes.However, it was only the Germans, who publicly supported the decision of the International Olympic Committee not to admit even acquitted Russian athletes. The head of the German delegation, Dirk Schimmelpfennig, told Munchner Merkur that the IOC rightly sticks to its original opinion, and this comes as "an important signal about the equality of all athletes - a signal about the ongoing struggle against doping."IOC President Thomas Bach stated that one needs to reform the CAS. All of a sudden, it turned out that the court in Lausanne makes the decisions that the IOC does not like, because the attacks against the Russian athletes were unfounded. Vice president of the Curling Federation of Russia, Andrei Sozin, said that the IOC behaves like a feudal lord who chooses whom of his slaves can be admitted to the Olympics. Yet, the Russians do not agree with that role that someone wants them to play. Evgeny ShurshakovPravda.Ru Read article on the Russian version of Pravda.Ru

The miracle did not happen. In the morning of February 9, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced that it was dismissing the appeals from 47 Russian athletes against the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The athletes were in a dispute regarding the decision of the IOC not to invite them to participate in the Games in Pyeongchang. The judges decided that there was nothing to abolish because the IOC did not apply sanctions against the Russians, but distributed gifts in the form of invitations instead. A nice game of words, behind which both the IOC and WADA with their dirty deeds could hide comfortably. The IOC firmly believed that only clean Russian athletes would be able to take part in the winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. However, we will see plenty of "unclean" athletes in South Korea, albeit from other countries. Suffice it to recall German biathlonist Denise Herrmann and Polish skier Poland Justyna Kowalczyk. Both of them had been caught in doping. Christopher Del Bosco of Canada will perform in ski-cross, even though his doping test showed traces of marijuana. The position of the IOC is two-faced and cynical, and its slogans about the purity of sports are needed for something else.Elite sports have been corrupt with doping for many years, and WADA would have been set up otherwise. Big sport events always mean big money involved. How easier is it for IOC and WADA officials to make champions of the people, who had their medals supported with a nice and special thank you from sponsors? Suspending competitors appears to be a great favour to do. Russia a convenient target for WADA and IOC Russia turned out to be a very convenient target. First off, Russian athletes would always win whole baskets of medals at all Olympic competitions. Secondly, Russia remains under the sanctions of Western countries, which means that no one will stand up for Russia, and we can see it with our own eyes. This is not conspiracy - this is plain business.Most importantly, one can never find the one who bears the blame. When WADA president Craig Reedie was asked whether he would like to leave his cozy office after CAS proved the innocence of the Russians, implying that WADA had soiled itself, Reedie simply said that WADA had nothing to do with it and shifted the blame for the IOC. Why is WADA so obsessed with Russian athletes only? Why not check athletes from other countries, the Norwegians, for example? Norwegians breaking doping rules The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK), announced without any hesitation that the national team of Norway took bags of different medications for asthma to South Korea. In particular, it goes about more than 6,000 doses! There are sick athletes in other teams, but the Swedes, the Finns and the Germans hope to get by with a considerably lower amount of doses. Interestingly, journalists of Swedish SVT television channel established that since 1992, Norwegian asthmatic athletes had won every seven out of ten Olympic medals since 1992. In Russia, children with asthma are not allowed to sports training on the level of youth sports schools. It is hard to make champions out of sick children, whose lives depend on medications. One may assume that Norway has a different approach to children's sports, implicating that the Norwegians are good at bypassing anti-doping rules.At the end of last summer, Norwegian TV channel T2 aired a report, in which former skiers of the national team said that doctors had over-medicalised them with asthma medications for prophylactic purposes. It is an open secret that regular intake of such drugs contributes to muscle growth. Famous skier Martin Sundby will apparently be the first one, who will need many doses of asthma drugs in Pyeongchang. The Olympic medalist was taking the medicine for anabolic and fat burning effects.It has been 1.5 years since January 2015 till the time when Sundby was "punished" for his rampant craving for drugs. Yet, Sundby was taking medications, collecting the money and winning the medals and that his is probably proud of. He had to return some afterwards, but the most ridiculous part of the whole story is that it took CAS a whole winter to study Sundby's addiction, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport eventually suspended the Norwegian skier for two summer (!) months. How absurd is that?