
Yevgeny Prigozhin’s first video message since failed Wagner mutiny may have been his last
The first video message Yevgeny Prigozhin shared since the end of his failed mutiny against Vladimir Putin, may have ended up being his last – with reports that he was on the passenger list of a jet that crashed about 60 miles from Moscow, apparently killing all on board. In the video, Mr Prigozhin was seen toting an assault rifle and wearing military fatigues, with his comments suggesting the clip was shot in an unnamed African country. The Wagner boss said during the clip that he is recruiting “strongmen” and said the group will “fulfil the tasks that were set” by the Russian government. The video was shared on Telegram channels affiliated with the Wagner group, as Mr Prigozhin said the mercenary group was “making Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa even more free”. “The temperature is +50 (122 degrees Fahrenheit) – everything as we like. The Wagner PMC [private military company] makes Russia even greater on all continents, and Africa – more free. Justice and happiness – for the African people, we’re making life a nightmare for Isis and al-Qaeda and other bandits,” he said in the video. In the background of the video, pickup trucks and other people dressed in fatigues could be seen. A telephone number was displayed as well for those who wanted to join the group. The Independent could not verify the date and exact location of the video. According to the Russian social media channels affiliated with the mercenary leader, the Wagner leader is recruiting fighters to work in the continent. He is inviting investors from Russia to put money in the Central African Republic through Russian House, a cultural centre in the African nation’s capital, they suggested. Mr Prigozhin was last seen in a video in July shot in Belarus shortly after his attempt to stir mutiny against the Kremlin failed, sparking speculation that he was taking refuge in the Russian ally nation as part of a deal to broker peace. He was later photographed on the sidelines of a Russia-Africa summit in the Russian city of St Petersburg. There is no official announcement of his current whereabouts. But one of the most prominent sites is the Central African Republic, where Wagner’s troops for hire have been active and accused of committing gross human rights abuses. Until June this year, the Wagner leader and his mercenary fighters, comprising mostly prison convicts, spent months fiercely fighting Ukrainian soldiers in the eastern region, mostly Bakhmut. Mr Prigozhin staunchly criticised Russia’s military performance and the top brass of the Russian defence ministry before he called for an armed uprising on 23 June to oust the defence minister and marched from Ukraine toward Moscow with his mercenaries. The hours-long mutiny ended after a deal was brokered by Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, following which Mr Prigozhin agreed to end his rebellion in exchange for amnesty for him and his fighters and permission to relocate to Belarus. Before moving to Belarus, Wagner handed over its weapons to the Russian military, part of efforts by Russian authorities to defuse the threat posed by the mercenaries. Read More ‘Wagner is victim of its own brand name’: How much of a threat does mercenary group pose in Belarus? Wagner mercenaries issue a chilling message on Poland’s doorstep: ‘We are here’ Belarus begins military drills near its border with Poland and Lithuania as tensions heighten Wagner tracker: Charting Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mercenary group through the Ukraine war Drones, military confusion and cracks in Putin’s authority: Ukraine’s push to sow discord in Russia’s ranks
2023-08-24 03:56

SpaceX working with Cloudflare to speed up Starlink service- The Information
(Reuters) -Elon Musk-owned SpaceX is working with Cloudflare to boost the performance of its satellite internet service Starlink, the Information
2023-08-24 03:49

The first 2024 Republican presidential debate is set to kick off in Milwaukee. Follow live updates
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s interview with Donald Trump will air at 8:55 p.m. Eastern time, just minutes before the first Republican presidential debate begins
2023-08-24 03:23

Giuliani surrenders in Trump election subversion case, $150,000 bond set
By Jack Queen ATLANTA (Reuters) -Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Rudolph Giuliani on Wednesday surrendered at a jail in Georgia's
2023-08-24 03:19

Kansas authorities find ‘items of interest’ in new search of BTK killer’s former home
Authorities in Kansas say they have found “items of interest” in several cold case investigations during a search of “BTK killer” Dennis Rader’s former home. Osage County Sheriff Eddie Virden told Fox News that investigators had dug up Rader’s former property in Park City over two days this week after linking him to unsolved missing person cases. “Through the investigation, we developed information of some possible trophies of Dennis Rader’s, and we followed up on those leads and worked with Park City,” Mr Virden told the news site. He said officers “did a dig in the area, and we did recover some items of interest”. Rader is serving 10 consecutive life terms after his 2005 confession to the brutal murders of 10 women in the Wichita area between 1974 and 1991. Investigators have reportedly linked Rader to the unsolved disappearance of Cythia “Cyndi” Dawn Kinney, a 16-year-old cheerleader who disappeared from a laundromat in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, in 1976. Rader’s daughter Kerri Rawson said in a press release that she had been assisting law enforcement with an investigation into Kinney’s disappearance and several other unsolved murders. Ms Rawson said she had recently learned of Kinney’s cold case, and the separate unsolved murder of Shawna Garber, whose remains were found near Pineville, Missouri, in 1990. She said she contacted the law enforcement in Missouri and after being put in touch with the Osage County Sheriff’s Office she was flown to Kansas to work as a volunteer in both cases. As part of that work, she said she visited her father twice at the El Dorado Correctional Facility where he is incarcerated. “Beyond these two cases that have been released publicly, I’m not at liberty to discuss other possible missing persons and unsolved murder cases that are being actively investigated as possibly committed by my father, nor can I comment on my direct assistance in the investigations,” Ms Rawson said. “Multiple law enforcement agencies are seeking long-sought answers in decades-old missing persons and unsolved murder cases in the tri-state area of Kansa, Missouri and Oklahoma. And possibly locations that extend beyond the tri-state area,” she added. Ms Rawson also revealed that Rader had this year been offered immunity to confess to any violent crimes he may have committed between the early 1960s and his arrest in 2005. She called on local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to form a BTK killer special task force “to fund and power these vital ongoing tasks”. Read More BTK killer makes chilling comparisons between himself and Gilgo Beach murders suspect Rex Heuermann Bryan Kohberger defence hints at alibi in Idaho murders - but won’t reveal what it is as deadline passes Four students stabbed to death, a weeks-long manhunt but no motive: What we know about the Idaho murders
2023-08-24 02:26

Philadelphia police commissioner intends to fire officer involved in fatal shooting during a traffic stop
Philadelphia's police commissioner on Wednesday said she intends to fire the officer who fatally shot a 27-year-old man in an encounter in which video contradicted the initial account provided by police.
2023-08-24 02:25

Trump, Tucker Carlson and a shared hostility to Fox News
The former president and ex-Fox host make for strange bedfellows as they try to upstage TV debate.
2023-08-24 02:25

Four people arrested after twin babies kidnapped by hooded women from Michigan motel
Four people have been arrested in connection to the shocking kidnapping of twin babies from a Michigan motel which set off a statewide Amber Alert – but luckily ended in their safe return. The 14-day-old twins, Montana and Matthew Bridges, were reported missing by their mother on Sunday. The mother, whose name has not been released, told police she had left the babies with “friendly acquaintances” at the motel in Livonia and left for a period of time. But when she returned, she said the babies – and her friends – were gone. An Amber Alert was immediately issued with police stating they believed the babies, who were only wearing diapers, to be in danger and that they had been taken by two unidentified women. Police released images from surveillance footage of the suspected kidnappers wearing jackets with the hoods pulled over their heads. The mother told police she had met the acquaintances on Facebook and that they told her they would give her clothes and diapers for the babies. The babies were safely returned at about 9.30am Monday morning at the Detroit Police Department’s Ninth Precinct. They were unharmed. Detroit Police Chief James White said: “We have the best outcome possible. The two kids have been recovered.” On Tuesday, Livonia police announced the arrests of four people related to the kidnapping. Their identities have not been released. “The Livonia Police Department has made four arrests related to the kidnapping of Montana and Matthew Bridges, who were the subject of an Amber Alert on August 21, 2023,” the statement said. “This case will be submitted to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for review.” The investigation into the kidnapping is still ongoing with Livonia Police Captain Gregory Yon saying that a motive is not yet clear. Read More Michigan newborn twins found safe hours after hospital kidnapping by hooded women North Carolina woman arrested for faking her own murder
2023-08-24 01:53

Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin feared dead after Russia plane crash
The Russian private military company boss was on the passenger list of the jet which came down near Moscow.
2023-08-24 01:49

Workers in Disney World district criticize DeSantis appointees' decision to eliminate free passes
Employees of Walt Disney World’s governing district are criticizing new board members appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis for a decision to eliminate free passes and discounts to the theme park resort for 400 of its district workers
2023-08-24 01:23

Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin ‘dies in plane crash’
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is on the passenger list for a flight that has crashed near Moscow, killing 10 people. Ten people died after a private jet crashed in Russia’s Tver region north of Moscow, TASS news agency reported on Wednesday, citing the emergencies ministry. The Embraer aircraft, en route from Moscow to St Petersburg, was carrying seven passengers and three crew, TASS said. More follows on this breaking news story.... Read More Russia’s ‘General Armageddon’ fired – having not been seen since Wagner mutiny Russia's 'General Armageddon' reportedly dismissed after vanishing in wake of Wagner uprising Wagner chief Prigozhin reappears in first video after mutiny - and he’s recruiting
2023-08-24 01:22

‘Chinese spy’ targeted thousands over LinkedIn
The alleged spy used several names in attempt to entrap officials and extract state secrets
2023-08-24 01:21