Chelsea owner, Abramovich granted Israeli citizenship

Russian billionaire and owner of Chelsea football club Roman Abramovich has been granted Israeli citizenship after he was unable to renew his visa to Britain.
Abramovich UK visa application had been taking longer than usual to process amid increasing tensions between London and Moscow. It has been reported that Mr Abramovich would have to explain the source of his wealth to receive a new British visa.

Mr Abramovich flew to Tel Aviv on Monday and obtained documents confirming his status as an Israeli citizen. An official at Nativ, a government department that deals with Jewish communities in the former Soviet Union, said Mr Abramovich had applied for an immigration visa at Israel's embassy in Moscow.

An Israeli passport will allow Mr Abramovich to enter Britain for up to six months, but he won't be able to work there without first receiving a work visa.