As Russia remains silent following the reported death of Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, Independent readers will have the chance to ask questions on what we know so far, what this means for the Wagner group and the war with Ukraine more generally during an ‘Ask Me Anything’ on Thursday 24 August. Tim White, who tweets under the handle @TWMCLtd, is a documentary maker specialising in Ukraine and eastern Europe and will be on hand to answer any questions you may have in the aftermath of this breaking story. To take part in the AMA, post your questions in the comments below. There are many unknowns following Prigozhin’s death. However, we do know the Wagner chief is reported to be among 10 people killed in a plane crash, with footage showing the flaming wreckage after a private jet came down near Moscow on Wednesday evening. The plane carrying three pilots and seven passengers was travelling from Moscow to St Petersburg, according to officials cited by Russia’s state news agency Tass. Prigozhin was on the passenger list for the plane, Russia’s civil aviation authority said. Prigozhin’s fate has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he mounted a short-lived mutiny against Russia’s military leadership in late June. Russian president Vladimir Putin addressed a meeting of the BRIC countries on Thursday morning but neither he nor any other Kremlin officials have commented publicly on the plane crash. Tim said readers might have questions including: “Is there any possibility that Prigozhin (and his sidekick Utkin) are still alive? Some hardline Russians are trying to blame Ukraine - is this at all possible? Is it risky for Putin if he has killed Prigozhin? Could Wagner, other regular army members and even the public rise up against the Kremlin? Can Wagner survive? What about the contracts in Africa?” To take part in the ‘Ask Me Anything’, post your questions in the comments below. On Thursday July 24, Tim will join the conversation between 5pm and 6pm to answer as many questions as he can. Register to submit your question in the comments box under this article. If you’re not already a member, click “sign up” in the comments section to leave your question. Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary

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The prime suspect in the Madeleine McCann case has claimed he became the focus of the investigation after a former friend alleged he made a chilling comment about the case, according to reports. German prisoner Christian Brueckner was first named in connection with the unsolved mystery in the summer of 2020, and officially named as a suspect last year. His yellow and white VW T3 Westfalia campervan was reportedly identified as having been near to the Praia da Luz resort in Portugal where the young girl went missing on May 3, 2007. Three-year-old Madeleine disappeared from the bed of her holiday apartment while her parents and family friends dined 180 feet away. The Metropolitan Police took over the investigation, Operation Grange, in 2011 but they hit dead ends. There has not been another significant suspect in the case since 2007 until Brueckner. Brueckner is in prison in Germany for the rape of a woman in Praia da Luz in 2005, and is suspected of further rapes and child sexual abuse committed in the area between 2000 and 2017. During his time in prison, he is said to have written several letters in a bid to clear his name and complain about his treatment in prison. According to a letter seen by the Daily Mail, Brueckner claimed he became a key suspect after his former friend told police he said “yes, she did not scream” when talking about the case around one year after Madeleine disappeared. According to the newspaper, Brueckner said the claim is "not even worthy of comment.” He said he was then hunted by police after his friend made the allegation to police. The Daily Mail said Brueckner refers to a statement made to the police by Helge Busching - who reportedly contacted police in 2017 saying he had information on the case. He wrote: “The following sentences from the ‘witness’ Helge B in 2017 were responsible for all the public hunting and hatred against me by the German authorities.” Then Brueckner relates an alleged conversation at a festival in Spain in 2008, one year after Madeleine disappeared. He quotes Busching as having said: “(Seyferth another witness) was also there as well and Michael (Tatschl another witness), Manfred, Christian and I then started talking about Portugal. "It was then Christian made a comment about the missing girl. Christian asked me if I was still going to Portugal, I replied; ‘I’m no longer going to Portugal because there are too many problems there, Portugal has too many police for me on account of the missing child. "It is indeed strange that she disappeared without a trace. Christian replied:’’Yes, she did not scream.’’ Brueckner’s lawyer Friedrich Fulschertold the newspaper: “It remains to be seen whether this conversation took place at all as we have other witnesses who said it didn’t.” Brueckner claims that the last time he had a conversation with Busching was in 2007 about a drug deal between them. Busching was arrested in 2017 while trying to smuggle migrants from Greece to Italy. It is claimed that he gave the statement to the police after his arrest. Read More What happened to Madeleine McCann? Sixteen years and countless heartbreaks as Madeleine McCann’s family wait for answers Madeleine McCann evidence will be hard to find after 16 years, expert warns Madeleine McCann case: Timeline of the missing child’s disappearance Sixteen years and countless heartbreaks: Where are Madeleine McCann’s family now? Who is Christian Brueckner? Madeleine McCann suspect and the accusations against him

A furious George Russell lashed out at Lewis Hamilton following a dramatic crash with his Mercedes team-mate at the very first corner of Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix. Max Verstappen, crowned champion of the world for a third time following Saturday’s sprint, started his title parade by racing to his 14th win from the 17 rounds so far. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri followed up his victory in Saturday’s 19-lap dash by taking second place while his McLaren team-mate Lando Norris completed the podium. But Verstappen’s emphatic win and McLaren’s continued resurgence played second fiddle to Hamilton’s crash with Russell which left the seven-time world champion in the gravel. Russell fought back from last to fourth. Hamilton, third on the grid, attempted to drive round the outside of Russell, one starting place higher, and pole-sitter Verstappen in a gung-ho bid for glory. But Hamilton tagged the front-left of Russell’s machine. An out-of-control Hamilton was sent into the gravel with the right-rear wheel of his Mercedes flying off into the air. Russell was sent spinning round before limping back to the pits for a new front wing. Out came the safety car and the inquest started. “F****** hell,” yelled Russell, 25. “Come on! What the hell! I have got damage.” Referencing their ding-dong battle at the last round in Japan, Russell added: “Guys, come on, f***! Two races in a row.” Sitting in the sandtrap, Hamilton, 38, pointed the finger at his younger team-mate. “Yeah, I got taken out by my team-mate,” he said. Back on track and sitting at the rear of the field, Russell returned to the intercom. “Sorry guys, I wasn’t even looking,” he added. “I was focused ahead and he came from nowhere. “I am lost for words. Honestly. I have just seen the replays on the TV screen. I couldn’t do anything. Totally sandwiched.” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff is absent from this race – his second in a row – as he recovers from knee surgery. But the Austrian came on the intercom in a move to calm Russell down. The relationship is not broken. I don’t have any problems with George. We have a great relationship and we always talk about things Lewis Hamilton “George, let’s race now and get the best out of it,” he said. Forty minutes after the accident, Hamilton, 38, accepted blame for the coming together. “In the heat of the moment, it was frustrating because I felt this tap from the rear but I don’t think George had anywhere to go,” said the seven-time world champion using a towel to mop the sweat from his brow. “It was an unfortunate scenario and I am happy to take responsibility because that is my role. I need to go back and look at it, but I don’t feel like it was George’s fault. “Before the race, we knew we were on different tyres so we wanted to work together. I had the soft tyre and everyone around me was on the medium and I needed to get by. I tried going round the outside of Max and it just didn’t work out. “It was not our plan to come together. It is just really gutting for the team. I feel just really sad for everybody for my part in it.” Hamilton wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the race, saying: “I’ve watched the replay and it was 100% my fault and I take full responsibility. Apologies to my team and to George.” He insisted his partnership with Russell had not been damaged by the collision. Mercedes announced at the end of August that Hamilton and Russell will continue alongside each other until at least the end of 2025. He continued: “The relationship is not broken. I don’t have any problems with George. We have a great relationship and we always talk about things. “This is just unfortunate and I am sure he was frustrated in the moment, as I was, but we will talk about it offline and move forwards.” Amid safety concerns about the Pirelli tyres, Sunday’s 57-lap race took place against the backdrop of a flurry of mandatory pit stops – with the drivers only able to do 18 laps on a single set of rubber. Yet, the disruption had little impact on Verstappen who sealed another comfortable win, taking the flag 4.8 seconds clear for the 49th win of his career. Charles Leclerc finished fifth for Ferrari ahead of the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso. Sergio Perez, whose crash in Saturday’s sprint officially handed Verstappen his third title, started from the pit lane and crossed the line ninth on yet another weekend to forget for the Mexican. Perez was also handed a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits, demoting him to 10th. Read More Lewis Hamilton crashes out after first-corner collision with George Russell In his own words: Christian Horner on world champion Max Verstappen Angry Lance Stroll shoves personal trainer and storms out of interview Max Verstappen fastest in Qatar practice as he closes in on world championship Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher

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Yes, ladies and gentlemen, let's chip away at the hockey iceberg and plunge into the depths of that magical moment that launches every puck-clashing, adrenaline