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Ten bodies have been recovered from the site of a Russian plane crash, state media has said, with a number of high-profile members of the Wagner mercenary group reportedly on board.

Seven passengers and three crew were on board the Embraer aircraft, and all were killed, Russian authorities said – although Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death has yet to be officially confirmed.

The plane was heading from Moscow to St Petersburg before it came down came down near the village of Kuzhenkino Tver.

Sky News looks at who was on the plane’s manifest, released by Russia’s civilian aviation regulator:

Yevgeny Prigozhin

Prigozhin

Born in 1961 in the city of Leningrad – now St Petersburg, Prigozhin had a difficult start in life, losing his father at a young age.

He turned to crime in his teenage years, initially theft, but quickly escalating into more serious crimes. He was jailed for 12 years, aged 20, in 1981 after being convicted of robbery and fraud.

Prigozhin was pardoned in 1988 and released in 1990 when he began selling hot dogs at a flea market in Leningrad with his mother and stepfather.

Prigozhin later founded, or became involved in, many new businesses, and in the 2000s, he grew closer to Putin.

He even earned himself the nickname “Putin’s chef” on account of his Kremlin-linked catering business. His companies won lucrative government contracts, including providing school lunches, and in Moscow alone, his company Concord won millions of dollars in deals.

Read more: From hot dog seller to ‘Putin’s butcher’

Prigozhin’s Wagner Group was heavily involved in the capture of Bakhmut, one of the bloodiest battles in the Ukraine war. According to US figures, around 20,000 Russian troops were killed in the fighting, with around half thought to be from the Wagner Group.

Dmitry Utkin

Dmitry Utkin. Pic: Grey Zone/Telegram
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Pic: Grey Zone/Telegram

Utkin – a former Russian soldier reportedly adorned with Nazi tattoos – has been described as Prigozhin’s right-hand man and allegedly played a key role in the founding of the Wagner Group.

He is said to have a fascination with the third Reich, naming the group after Adolph Hitler’s favourite composer.

Previously, Utkin was a lieutenant colonel in the GRU military intelligence service and was deployed twice to Chechnya.

The 53-year-old has also been accused of involvement in numerous war crimes, including in Homs, Syria, where he reportedly gave the order to beat a deserter to death and demanded the act be filmed.

Sergei Propustin

Little is known about the 44 year old, except he was a Wagner fighter.

Sergei Propustin
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Sergei Propustin

Yevgeny Makaryan

Makaryan was a fighter in the Wagner Group and was presumed to be Prigozhin’s bodyguard. He was included on the controversial Ukrainian Myrotvorets (“Peacemaker”) website, which keeps a list of alleged “enemies of Ukraine”.

He was a junior lieutenant in the police and fought in Syria, surviving a clash with American planes while out there.

He remained a commander in the group, though little is known about his exact role.

Alexander Totmin

Alexander Totmin

The Wagner fighter is presumed to be one of Prigozhin’s bodyguards.

Valery Chekalov

Valery Chekalov

The 47 year old was originally from Vladivostok but had lived in St Petersburg since 2008.

Chekalov was reportedly Prigozhin’s deputy, responsible for all the logistics of the Wagner Group.

A longtime employee of Concord holding – another Prigozhin company – he was in charge of managing mercenaries, securing weapons, and running the oil, gas and mineral businesses in Syria and Africa, said Lou Osborn, author of a forthcoming book on the mercenaries and an investigator with All Eyes on Wagner, a project focusing on the group.

He was targeted by US sanctions last month for having “acted on behalf of Prigozhin” and facilitating shipments of munitions to Russia.

Nikolai Matuseyev

Matuseyev was a presumed Wagner Group fighter.

Kristina Raspopova

Kristina Raspopova

Raspopova was a flight attendant.

The 39-year-old air stewardess was the only woman to be killed.

She was reportedly the sister of Yevgeny Raspopov, a deputy prosecutor in the Chelyabinsk region.

One of the last images she shared on social media was her eating breakfast, waiting for the doomed flight, with her cabin bag next to her.

Alexei Levshin

The 51-year-old pilot is survived by his wife and two children.

Rustam Karimov

Rustam Karimov

Karimov was the co-pilot of the plane. According to Russian media reports he was 29 years old and from Perm.

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Sealed with a kiss: Same sex couples in Thailand celebrate equal marriage rights

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Sealed with a kiss: Same sex couples in Thailand celebrate equal marriage rights

Hundreds of same-sex couples have been tying the knot in Thailand today as it becomes by far the largest nation in Asia to allow equal marriage and the first in South East Asia.

A mass LGBTQ wedding at a shopping mall in Bangkok saw hundreds of marriage registrations as the law came into effect. It marked the culmination of years of campaigning and thwarted attempts to pass equal marriage laws.

Porsch Apiwatsayree and Arm Panatkool have been together for 17 years, but first got engaged 11 years ago.

“Personally, I think it marks the beginning of equality in Thailand and it also, in a way, inspired people to see that love is normal,”Porsch said, holding his hand on his heart. “Every love is the same, every love is the same inside.”

Couples wait for their marriage certificates. Pic: AP
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Couples wait for their marriage certificates. Pic: AP

Thailand’s same-sex marriage bill was passed in an historic parliamentary vote last June, making Thailand the third country in Asia to do so after Taiwan and Nepal.

Thailand ranks highly on global assessments of LGBTQ legal conditions and public attitudes. It’s very different from many of its neighbours where most nations oppose gay rights. Opinion polls have also shown overwhelming public support for equal marriage.

But the kingdom remains a conservative Buddhist society with a largely patriarchal family structure.

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Pisit Sirihirunchai, left, and Chanatip Sirihirunchai show their marriage certificates. Pic AP
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Pisit Sirihirunchai, left, and Chanatip Sirihirunchai show their marriage certificates. Pic AP

‘Love is just love’

Porsch and Arm still believe it has some way to go to ensure tolerance translates to full acceptance.

“We have to wait and see because even the law has approved that love is the same. We need more and more acceptance,” Porsch said.

Porsch Apiwatsayree and Arm Panatkool were joined at the ceremony by their families and friends
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The couple were joined at the ceremony by their families and friends

His own wedding to Arm was celebrated in the grounds of a luxurious new shopping centre. The families of both grooms played a huge part in the ceremony, lining up to face each other in a humorous and moving Thai custom of call and response between each party.

“What I feel now is the closeness between people and families,” said Porsch.

“Love is just love,” Arm added, with a beaming smile.

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Footage shows Palestinian family in car under attack during Israeli army raid in occupied West Bank

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Footage shows Palestinian family in car under attack during Israeli army raid in occupied West Bank

A series of videos show the moment a car carrying a family in the occupied West Bank came under attack during an Israeli raid into the city of Jenin yesterday.

At least seven gunshots are heard as the passengers including children scream before the footage filmed from inside the Kia vehicle shows the car crashing on the side of the road.

Wadah Soubeh, who was inside the car, said his 43-year-old cousin who was driving, Ahmed al Shayeb, was killed in the attack.

The dashboard seen in the footage filmed inside the car shows that it was taken at 1.10pm local time on Tuesday.

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A family was driving in Jenin in the West Bank when their car was attacked.

Israel launched a major military operation into Jenin on Tuesday and said its forces had “initiated a counterterrorism operation” in the area.

Sky News geolocated another video filmed after the attack that shows the abandoned vehicle on the same road around 600m northwest of the Jenin refugee camp.

An Israeli military vehicle can be seen in the background – less than 100m from the car. It’s unclear whether that vehicle was involved and how long after the attack this particular video was filmed.

Mr Soubeh said the family left Jenin at the start of the raid and were “heavily shot at”.

“When we turned right on the road to Burqin, we drove another 30 or 40 metres. Ahmed al Shayeb said ‘oh God’. After he said ‘oh God’, he stopped breathing,” he added.

A funeral was held on Wednesday for Mr al Shayeb, who owned a mobile phone shop in Jenin.

Sky News asked the IDF whether its forces were involved and why it had a vehicle in the area at the time and received the following response: “The IDF arrests individuals wanted for suspected terrorist activities, incitement of terrorism, and terrorists who have carried out or are planning to carry out attacks.

“Additionally, security forces are deployed in the area to ensure the safety of the region and its residents, as well as the security of the State of Israel and its citizens.

“The IDF operates wherever necessary, especially in areas with a high levels of terrorism, such as Jenin. The IDF follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate harm to uninvolved individuals.

“In cases where uninvolved individuals are harmed, the events are investigated and handled accordingly.

“The case mentioned is under review.”

Mourners cry at Ahmad Nimer Al-Shaib's funeral. Pic: AP
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Mourners cry at Mr al Shayeb’s funeral. Pic: AP

The Palestinian Red Crescent said it is “deeply concerned” about the wellbeing of civilians in Jenin city and refugee camp.

At least nine Palestinians were killed on Tuesday, including a 16-year-old, and 40 were wounded, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

The move into Jenin, where the Israeli army has carried out multiple raids and large-scale incursions over recent years, comes just days after the Gaza ceasefire started.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said hundreds of Palestinians were trapped in Jenin Government Hospital and were unable to leave for hours. Videos filmed by the hospital shows bulldozers outside the hospital.

Mourners carry the body of Ahmed al Shayeb after he was killed during an Israeli military operation in Jenin, on Wednesday. Pic: AP
Image:
Mourners carry the body of Ahmed al Shayeb after he was killed during an Israeli military operation in Jenin, on Wednesday. Pic: AP

The Israeli military said its forces were trying to detonate explosive devices planted by militants beneath the road outside the hospital in the city of Jenin, and had told patients and doctors not to exit the hospital during the detonations.

Dozens of military bulldozers have carved up tracts of roads in the city.

It was the third major incursion by the Israeli army in less than two years into Jenin, a major stronghold of militant groups including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which said its forces were fighting Israeli troops.

As the raid began, Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces pulled out after having conducted a weeks-long operation to try to reassert control over the refugee camp, dominated by Palestinian factions that are hostile to the PA, which exercises limited governance in parts of the West Bank.

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Mariann Edgar Budde: Who is the bishop Donald Trump called ‘nasty’?

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Mariann Edgar Budde: Who is the bishop Donald Trump called 'nasty'?

Donald Trump has hit out at the bishop of Washington after she lectured him on respecting immigrants and LGBT+ citizens during a televised church service.

The president remained straight-faced alongside his vice president JD Vance as bishop Mariann Edgar Budde addressed him at Tuesday’s interfaith prayer service at Washington National Cathedral, telling him to “have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now”.

Latest on Trump’s new presidency

The direct appeal to Mr Trump, which went on for around two minutes, has gone viral on social media and drawn criticism from Republicans, including a congressman who urged the president to deport the bishop.

But what exactly did Bishop Budde say and what has the president’s response been?

What did Bishop Budde say?

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Watch the moment Bishop Budde confronts Trump

She began: “Let me make one final plea, Mr President. Millions have put their trust in you.

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“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.

“There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in democratic, republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives.”

The bishop then highlighted the contributions of asylum seekers – a group Mr Trump has wasted no time in cracking down on.

She listed groups including “the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings” and those “who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals”.

“They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals,” she said. Mr Trump then looked down at the floor.

She continued: “I ask you to have mercy, Mr President, on those in our communities whose children fear that their parents will be taken away.

“And that you help those who are fleeing war and persecution in their own lands, to find compassion and welcome here.

“Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land.”

Her comments came after Mr Trump promised to carry out the biggest deportation in US history and his executive order stating the government will recognise only two sexes.

How did Donald Trump and other Republicans react?

Donald Trump speaks with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance.
Pic: Reuters
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Trump speaks to Vance during sermon. Pic: Reuters

The president remained stony-faced during the remarks, during which he sat alongside wife Melania in the front row, and next to Mr Vance and his wife Usha Vance.

He did at one point turn away and look over his shoulder before examining the booklet he was holding.

At another point in the sermon, Mr Trump turned towards his VP and the pair shared a wordless exchange of looks.

JD and Usha Vance
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JD Vance furrowed his brow as the bishop mentioned the LBGT+ community

Mr Vance raised his eyebrows at one stage and turned to share a look with his wife, whose gaze remained firmly forward.

He repeated the move after the bishop spoke about immigrants, and followed it up by whispering to Mrs Vance.

When Bishop Budde finished her sermon, Mr Trump leaned over to say something to Mr Vance, who shook his head in response.

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Asked what he thought of the sermon as he returned to the Oval Office, the president told reporters: “They could have done better.”

In a late-night post on his social media platform Truth Social, he called Bishop Budde a “radical left hardline Trump hater” and said she was “nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart”.

“She brought her church into the world of politics in a very ungracious way,” he said.

“Apart from her inappropriate statements, the service was a very boring and uninspiring one. She is not very good at her job. She and her church owe the public an apology.”

Republican congressman Mike Collins shared a video of the sermon on X and wrote: “The person giving this sermon should be added to the deportation list.”

Who is Mariann Edgar Budde?

She was elected as the ninth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington (EDW) in 2011, having served as rector of St John’s Episcopal Church in Minneapolis for 18 years.

She has had her sermons published in several books and journals, and has authored three of her own books about faith – most recently in 2023.

Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde.
Pic: Reuters
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The bishop during the service. Pic: Reuters

She has also been openly critical of Mr Trump before, having written an opinion piece for The New York Times in 2020, in which she condemned him for clearing Lafayette Square, near the White House, amid the George Floyd protests and then posing for photos on the grounds of nearby St John’s Church while holding a Bible.

She said she was “outraged” by the move and claimed he was using the Bible and the backdrop of the church, which belongs to her diocese, “for his political purposes”.

The EDW’s website describes her as “an advocate and organiser in support of justice concerns, including racial equity, gun violence prevention, immigration reform, the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ persons, and the care of creation”.

The bishop is married and has two children and grandchildren, the website adds.

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