Dennis Rodman planning trip to Russia to help release Brittney Griner

Famed actors Ben Stiller and Sean Penn have been permanently banned from entering Russia, according to an announcement from the country's foreign ministry Monday. Stiller and Penn were named on a list of 25 “high-ranking officials, representatives of the business and expert communities, as well as cultural figures” that can no longer legally enter the country. Both Stiller and Penn have been active in their support for Ukraine amid Russia's invasion of the Eastern European country. The actors have visited the country, met with leaders and been vocal in their support for Ukraine and opposition of Russia's attacks. A post shared by Sean Penn (@seanpenn)This year, Penn traveled to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky while filming a  documentary.

This Morning has been criticised as “dystopian” for offering to pay viewers’ energy bills in a segment. The show, with Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, offers viewers the chance to win cash prizes such as £1,000 or £3,000 with the presenters spinning a wheel of prizes in the show’s popular ‘Spin to Win’ segment.

Vladimir Putin demands absolute fealty to the Russian state, and woe to anyone who defies him.

Dennis Rodman isn’t a judge, but he uses all his power and influence to get Brittney Griner out of a Russian jail. In a recent interview, the former basketball player said he’s planning to go to Russia; however, he never explained how he would make it happen. The 61-years-old icon also revealed that he is approved to fly to Russia and negotiate the release.

British soldiers have been told they must be ready for a war against Russia by a senior military officer. Warrant Officer Paul Carney has urged troops to inform their loved ones of potential deployment as the Russian invasion of Ukraine rages on.

Dennis Rodman is going to take his shot at freeing Brittney Griner.The NBA legend recently revealed his plans to travel to Russian in an effort to seek release for Griner, who was sentenced to nine years in prison for alleged drug possession charges.«I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl,» Rodman, 61, told NBC News over the weekend. «I'm trying to go this week.»Rodman added, «I know Putin too well.»Despite Rodman's confidence — and his past independent unsanctioned diplomatic visits with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un — the US State Department and White House officials are strongly against the idea.An unnamed senior Biden administration official told NBC News that Rodman's visit is more likely to complicate and already tenuous situation, explaining, «It’s public information that the administration has made a significant offer to the Russians and anything other than negotiating further through the established channel is likely to complicate and hinder release efforts.»However, Rodman does not need permission from the United States to travel to Russia.

“I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl,” Rodman told NBC News this weekend, not saying exactly who he got permission from. “I’m trying to go this week.”Rodman, who won five NBA titles with Michael Jordan during the ’90s while building an image as the NBA’s party-loving bad boy, has become known in the past decade for rubbing elbows with political figures that have tense relationships with the U.S.

Brittney Griner's legal team has appealed against the American basketball star's guilty verdict and nine-year prison sentence on drug smuggling charges in Russia, the lawyers said on Monday.Griner was arrested for carrying vape cartridges containing with marijuana in a Moscow airport in February amid soaring tension between Washington and Moscow, and just before Russian leader Vladimir Putin launched his ongoing assault on Ukraine.The athlete was on her way to Yekaterinburg, in western Russia, to play for a local team during the WNBA's off-season.Griner pleaded guilty to the charge but sought leniency, saying that she packed the cartridges inadvertently and marijuana was prescribed to her by a doctor in the U.S. to help her cope with pain from injuries sustained during her basketball career. In early August, a court in the Moscow region found her guilty.Before her trial began in July, the State Department designated her as being «wrongfully detained,» moving her case under the supervision of its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs — effectively the U.S.

Brittney Griner‘s defense team has officially filed an appeal of her conviction.