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Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was on board a plane that crashed north of Moscow killing all 10 passengers on board, Russia’s Civil Aviation Authority has said.

There has been no comment from the Kremlin or Russia’s defence ministry as Prigozhin’s death is yet to be officially confirmed.

The crash comes two months after the Wagner mercenary boss led a short-lived munity against Russia’s military top brass.

Prigozhin was described at the time by Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “traitor”.

The mercenary boss used to be Mr Putin’s chef and was formerly a close confidant of the Russian leader.

Mr Putin has spoken publicly for the first time since the crash after delivering a speech at the BRICS summit – but he did not mention Prigozhin.

The fact the Wagner boss’s death has not been confirmed and an absence of verifiable facts has led to speculation following the crash.

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‘Plane brought down by bomb in a wine crate’

Many observers, and some of the Wagner boss’s supporters, have said the Russian state is responsible.

It is suggested Mr Putin may have wanted to down the plane in revenge for the mutiny.

One rumour circulating is that the plane was downed by a bomb in a crate of wine that was gifted to the passengers on the flight.

The claim is unverified.

Former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele told Sky News: “Certainly it’s an inside job, the suggestion is that it’s a bomb in a wine crate.

“That’s a kind of ironic end for Putin’s former caterer.”

A body bag is carried away from the scene of the crash. Pic: AP
Image:
A body bag is carried away from the scene of the crash. Pic: AP

Some observers believe Moscow may have brought down the plane with surface-to-air missiles.

Others have pointed the finger at Ukraine which is marking its Independence Day today.

The Wagner group’s fighters have been the most effective for Russia in its war on Ukraine.

Rosaviatsia, Russia’s aviation agency, published the names of all 10 people on board the downed plane.

This included Prigozhin and his deputy Dmitry Utkin who helped found the Wagner mercenary group.

The Investigative Committee of Russia has said it is looking into the crash which happened while the plane was travelling from Moscow to St Petersburg.

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Yevgeny Prigozhin says his mercenaries are active in Africa
Image:
Yevgeny Prigozhin in Africa where his Wagner mercenaries have been operating

The committee has confirmed in a statement that 10 people were killed and a criminal case has been opened – but there was no mention of Prigozhin.

A Reuters reporter at the crash site has seen men carrying black body bags away from the scene on a stretcher.

Part of the plane’s tail and other fragments lay on the ground near a wooded area where forensic investigators had erected a tent.

Grey Zone, a Telegram channel linked to Wagner, has pronounced their leader dead.

The group also hailed Prigozhin as a hero and a patriot who had died at the hands of unidentified people it called “traitors to Russia”.

Read more:
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What we know about the crash

Emergency specialists carry a body bag near wreckages of the private jet linked to Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin at the crash site in the Tver region, Russia
Image:
Emergency specialists carry a body bag near wreckages of the jet

Mourners left flowers and lit candles near Wagner’s offices in St Petersburg early on Thursday.

Some unnamed sources told Russian media they believed the plane had been shot down by one or more surface-to-air missiles.

Whoever or whatever was behind the crash, Prigozhin’s death would rid Mr Putin of someone who had mounted the most serious challenge to the Russian leader’s authority since he came to power in 1999.

Others who have opposed Mr Putin or his interests have also died under unclear circumstances or come close to death, including outspoken political leaders and journalists.

A wreckage of the private jet linked to Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is seen near the crash site in the Tver region, Russia, August 24, 2023. REUTERS/Marina Lystseva
Image:
Wreckage from the private jet which crashed north of Moscow

The Kremlin has always denied any state involvement in such incidents.

Abbas Gallyamov, a former Putin speech writer turned critic whom the Russian authorities have branded a “foreign agent”, suggested, without evidence, that the Russian leader, who is expected to run for another term in office next year, was behind the crash and had strengthened his authority in the process.

“The establishment is now convinced that it will not be possible to oppose Putin,” Gallyamov wrote on Telegram. “Putin
is strong enough and capable of revenge.”

Yevgeny Prigozhin and Vladimir Putin in 2011. Pic: AP
Image:
Yevgeny Prigozhin and Vladimir Putin in 2011. Pic: AP

The plane that crashed, a Brazilian Embraer Legacy 600 model, has only recorded one accident in over 20 years of service, according to website International Aviation HQ, and it was not due to mechanical failure.

Embraer said it has complied with international sanctions imposed on Russia and had not provided maintenance for the
aircraft since 2019.

The plane showed no sign of a problem until a precipitous drop in its final 30 seconds, according to flight-tracking data.

Prigozhin was last seen in a video on Monday that appeared to have been shot in Africa, where he spoke about making the continent “free”.

The Wagner Group boss released footage of himself speaking while wearing camouflage and holding a rifle.

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Women’s Euros: Extreme heat warnings in place as tournament kicks off

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Women's Euros: Extreme heat warnings in place as tournament kicks off

The Women’s Euros begin in Switzerland today – with extreme heat warnings in place.

Security measures have had to be relaxed by UEFA for the opening matches so fans can bring in water bottles.

Temperatures could be about 30C (86F) when the Swiss hosts open their campaign against Norway in Basel this evening.

Players have already seen the impact of heatwaves this summer at the men’s Club World Cup in the US.

Players take a drink during a training session of Spain soccer team at the Euro 2025, in Lausanne, Switzerland Tuesday, July 1, 2025 Pic: AP
Image:
The Spain squad pauses for refreshments during a training session. Pic: AP

It is raising new concerns in the global players’ union about whether the stars of the sport are being protected in hot and humid conditions.

FIFPRO has asked FIFA to allow cooling breaks every 15 minutes rather than just in the 30th minute of each half.

There’s also a request for half-time to be extended from 15 to 20 minutes to help lower the core temperature of players.

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FIFPRO’s medical director, Dr Vincent Gouttebarge, said: “There are some very challenging weather conditions that we anticipated a couple of weeks ago already, that was already communicated to FIFA.

“And I think the past few weeks were confirmation of all worries that the heat conditions will play a negative role for the performance and the health of the players.”

Football has seemed focused on players and fans baking in the Middle East – but scorching summers in Europe and the US are becoming increasingly problematic for sport.

Chloe Kelly celebrates with Beth Mead, right, after scoring her side's sixth goal at Wembley Stadium, in London, Friday, May 30, 2025. AP
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England are the tournament’s defending champions. Pic: AP

While climate change is a factor, the issue is not new and at the 1994 World Cup, players were steaming as temperatures rose in the US.

There is now more awareness of the need for mitigation measures among players and their international union.

FIFPRO feels football officials weren’t responsive when it asked for kick-off times to be moved from the fierce afternoon heat in the US for the first 32-team Club World Cup.

FIFA has to balance the needs of fans and broadcasters with welfare, with no desire to load all the matches in the same evening time slots.

Electric storms have also seen six games stopped, including a two-hour pause during a Chelsea game at the weekend.

This is the dress rehearsal for the World Cup next summer, which is mostly in the US.

Players are also feeling the heat at the Club World Cup in the US. Pic: AP
Image:
Players are also feeling the heat at the Club World Cup. Pic: AP

The use of more indoor, air conditioned stadiums should help.

There is no prospect of moving the World Cup to winter, as Qatar had to do in 2022.

And looking further ahead to this time in 2030, there will be World Cup matches in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. The temperatures this week have been hitting 40C (104F) in some host cities.

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FIFA said in a statement to Sky News: “Heat conditions are a serious topic that affect football globally.

“At the FCWC some significant and progressive measures are being taken to protect the players from the heat. For instance, cooling breaks were implemented in 31 out of 54 matches so far.

“Discussions on how to deal with heat conditions need to take place collectively and FIFA stands ready to facilitate this dialogue, including through the Task Force on Player Welfare, and to receive constructive input from all stakeholders on how to further enhance heat management.

“In all of this, the protection of players must be at the centre.”

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Trump’s USAID cuts could lead to 14 million deaths, report warns

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Trump's USAID cuts could lead to 14 million deaths, report warns

Around 14 million people could die across the world over the next five years because of cuts to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), researchers have warned.

Children under five are expected to make up around a third (4.5 million) of the mortalities, according to a study published in The Lancet medical journal.

Estimates showed that “unless the abrupt funding cuts announced and implemented in the first half of 2025 are reversed, a staggering number of avoidable deaths could occur by 2030”.

“Beyond causing millions of avoidable deaths – particularly among the most vulnerable – these cuts risk reversing decades of progress in health and socioeconomic development in LMICs [low and middle-income countries],” the report said.

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USAID programmes have prevented the deaths of more than 91 million people, around a third of them among children, the study suggests.

The agency’s work has been linked to a 65% fall in deaths from HIV/AIDS, or 25.5 million people.

Eight million deaths from malaria, more than half the total, around 11 million from diarrheal diseases and nearly five million from tuberculosis (TB), have also been prevented.

USAID has been vital in improving global health, “especially in LMICs, particularly African nations,” according to the report.

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Established in 1961, the agency was tasked with providing humanitarian assistance and helping economic growth in developing countries, especially those deemed strategic to Washington.

But the Trump administration has made little secret of its antipathy towards the agency, which became an early victim of cuts carried out by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) – formerly led by Elon Musk – in what the US government said was part of a broader plan to remove wasteful spending.

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What is USAID?

In March, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said more than 80% of USAID schemes had been closed following a six-week review, leaving around 1,000 active.

The US is the world’s largest humanitarian aid donor, providing around $61bn (£44bn) in foreign assistance last year, according to government data, or at least 38% of the total, and USAID is the world’s leading donor for humanitarian and development aid, the report said.

Between 2017 and 2020, the agency responded to more than 240 natural disasters and crises worldwide – and in 2016 it sent food assistance to more than 53 million people across 47 countries.

The study assessed all-age and all-cause mortality rates in 133 countries and territories, including all those classified as low and middle-income, supported by USAID from 2001 to 2021.

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Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra suspended amid outrage over leaked phone call

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Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra suspended amid outrage over leaked phone call

Thailand’s prime minister has been suspended after a leaked phone call with a senior Cambodian politician caused outrage.

An ethics investigation into Paetongtarn Shinawatra is under way and she could end up being dismissed.

The country’s constitutional court took up a petition from 36 senators, who claimed dishonesty and a breach of ethical standards, and voted 7 to 2 to suspend her.

Protesters gathered in Bangkok at the weekend. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Protesters gathered in Bangkok at the weekend. Pic: Reuters

The prime minister’s call with Cambodia’s former leader, Hun Sen, sparked public protests after she tried to appease him and criticised a Thai army commander – a taboo move in a country where the military is extremely influential.

Ms Shinawatra was trying to defuse mounting tensions at the border – which in May resulted in the death of one Cambodian soldier.

Thousands of conservative, nationalist protesters held a demo in Bangkok on Saturday to urge her to step down.

Her party is clinging on to power after another group withdrew from their alliance a few weeks ago over the phone call. Calls for a no-confidence vote are likely.

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Deputy prime minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit will take over temporarily while the court looks into the case.

The 38-year-old prime minister – Thailand‘s youngest ever leader – has 15 days to respond to the probe. She has apologised and said her approach in the call was a negotiating tactic.

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The popularity of her government has slumped recently, with an opinion poll showing an approval rating of 9.2%, down from 30.9% in March.

Ms Shinawatra comes from a wealthy dynasty synonymous with Thai politics.

Her father Thaksin Shinawatra – a former Manchester City owner – and aunt Yingluck Shinawatra served as prime minister before her – in the early to mid 2000s – and their time in office also ended ignominiously amid corruption charges and military coups.

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