Vladimir Putin has been ruling Russia for more than 25 years, always surrounded by a tight inner circle. Some long-time allies, like his St. Petersburg acquaintances Yuri Kovalchuk, often referred to as Putin’s “personal banker”, and billionaire Gennady Timchenko, have remained close.

Payman Maadi, also known as Peyman Moadi, is an Iranian-American actor, screenwriter, and director. He is best known for starring in the films A Separation and About Elly by Iranian Academy Award-winning director Asghar Farhadi, Last Knights and the independent drama film Camp X-Ray

A glamorous Egyptian TV presenter has been sentenced to death after being convicted of being involved in a massive drug trafficking ring.