Spanish police seize 25 tonnes of endangered eels destined for smuggling. The Spanish Guardia Civil posted a video on Twitter/X with footage of the find. The bust was part of anti-smuggling operation “ASKEZ IV-LAKE”, a Guardia Civil project in cooperation with Europol as well as different European and American partners. ”Thirty suspects have been arrrested in Spain, seizing 18 tons of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) which would have an estimated value of €20 million in the black market,” the post read.

Salvador Rios was discovered dead at a family member's home after a social media post allegedly launched a vicious homophobic attack against him

Paul McCartney says artificial intelligence has been used to extract John Lennon’s voice from an old demo to create “the last Beatles record," decades after the band broke up

The 25-year-old son of Yevgeny Prigozhin is set to take over from his father and become the next boss of the Wagner group. Pavel Prigozhin appears to be inheriting the vast majority of his father’s riches – including the mercenary group, properties, and about £100 million – according to a photograph posted on social media of what seems to be Prigozhin’s will. He is now negotiating with the Russian national guard, Rosgvardia, over having the mercenary organisation rejoin combat in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War said. It wrote in a report on Russia on Sunday: “A prominent Wagner-affiliated Telegram channel announced on October 1 that Yevgeny Prigozhin’s 25-year-old son Pavel Prigozhin has taken over ‘command’ of the Wagner Group, and that Pavel Prigozhin is negotiating with Rosgvardia about having the Wagner Group rejoin combat operations in Ukraine.” Once a businessman with a catering empire friendly with Vladimir Putin – Yevgeny Prigozhin was even given the nickname “Putin’s chef” – Prigozhin accumulated vast wealth before going on to found the Kremlin-allied Wagner Group, which backed up Russia’s war in Ukraine. However, in August, two months after the 62-year-old led his private militia in a failed rebellion against his country’s military leadership, he died in a plane crash just outside Moscow. The cause of the incident is still yet to be established. Now, a document shared on a Telegram channel, which has not been independently verified, suggests Prigozhin had a will that was notarised on 2 March and bequeathed most of his inheritance to his son. According to The Times, it reads: “All my property . . . as well as property that may be acquired by me in the future I bequeath to Pavel Evgenyevich Prigozhin.” Alongside the Wagner Group, Pavel is set to inherit around £100 million, a three-storey house in St Petersburg, nine joint stock companies and shares in Concord, and the catering empire, according to the document. The 25-year-old already “plays various roles in Prigozhin’s business enterprises” that benefit from “his favoured status within Russia’s elite”, the Financial Times reported the US said last year. Among these is a Russian company called Lakhta Plaza, which, according to corporate filings, Pavel has controlled. Lakhta Plaza was sanctioned by the US in March 2022 and has shared an auditor and telephone number with other Russian companies that the US and EU for being fronts for Wagner. Pavel has also fought with Wagner in Syria, according to his father’s social media posts, and was awarded the group’s “black cross”, which is its own recognition for military service. There are hopes among loyalists that Pavel will continue the legacy of his father if he takes command of the mercenary group, according to a New York Times investigation this month. The 25-year-old already controls multiple companies and luxury real estate complexes in St Petersburg, according to the US Treasury in March. He has also been sanctioned by a number of countries, including Canada, the US and the UK. If Pavel dies, the inheritance is due to go to Prigozhin’s widow, Lyubov, Pavel’s two sisters and the Wagner chief’s grandson, according to the document – with the paper indicating that the grandson is Pavel’s child, although this has not been independently verified. In the meantime, Pavel is said to have to provide for the family, including his grandmother Violetta, under the terms of the will. Pavel reportedly said last month that he accepted the will and its “parameters” – although the Russian security services-linked Telegram channel VChK-OGPU has suggested it is already being contested amid a conflict that has erupted within the family. On Sunday, Pavel and Violetta laid flowers at Prigozhin’s grave in the former imperial capital of St Petersburg together. The pair were among dozens of mourners hailing the mutinous mercenary chief as a patriotic hero of Russia who had spoken truth to power. Supporters waved the black flags of Wagner which sport a skull and the motto "Blood, Honour, Motherland, Courage". The Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation has suggested Prigozhin’s wealth could come to as much as two trillion roubles, although his official wealth has been estimated at 14.6 billion. Despite years of Western sanctions, a Financial Times investigation found Prigozhin generated revenues of more than a quarter of a billion dollars from his global natural resources empire in the four years before Russia invaded Ukraine. Since its formation, Wagner has been accused of committing human rights abuses in Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Mali, Mozambique and most recently Ukraine. Read More Ukraine-Russia war – live: Children injured in Kherson shelling as Prigozhin son tipped to be next Wagner boss Putin orders former Wagner commander to take charge of 'volunteer units' in Ukraine Putin recruits former Wagner commander ‘Grey Hair’ Troshev to oversee Ukraine mercenaries 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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Formula One boss Mohammed Ben Sulayem has defended historic sexist remarks on his personal website in which he allegedly said he does “not like women who think they are smarter than men” – and revealed that he was subjected to a racist slur as he campaigned to become FIA president. In a PA news agency interview, the 62-year-old Emirati – elected to the biggest job in motor sport in December 2021 – vehemently denied claims of misogyny and said he had been the target of an “inhuman” smear campaign. Ben Sulayem also compared Lewis Hamilton’s contentious championship defeat in 2021 to England’s 1966 World Cup final win against West Germany, following Sir Geoff Hurst’s controversial ‘offside’ goal, while reiterating his belief that Michael Masi – the man accused of denying Hamilton a record eighth world title – could return to the sport. In January, Ben Sulayem was quoted on an archived version of his old website saying that he does “not like women who think they are smarter than men, for they are not in truth”. At the time, the FIA said the comments, which date back to 2001, “do not reflect the president’s beliefs”. But personally addressing the remarks for the first time, Ben Sulayem told PA: “What did I say, if I said it? Let’s assume it was (me). I tell you exactly what it said. It says: ‘I hate when women think they are smarter than us’. But they hate when men think they are smarter than them. “Did I say we are smarter? No. Did I say they are less smarter? No. For God’s sake, if that is the only thing they have against me, please be my guest, you can do worse than that. “People can go back and see what has been said, and if I have said anything against women. In 117 years of the FIA, I am the only president who brought in a female CEO (Natalie Robyn). “I made the commission for EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion), and I brought a woman in (adviser, Tanya Kutsenko). “There is disrespect to women if you say we have to have 30 per cent (female staff). You bring them in on merit and credibility. And that is why they are there. “Look at Bernie Ecclestone’s wife. (Fabiana Ecclestone, Vice-President for Sport in South America). She is one of the most active. They said that I brought her in because of the support from Bernie. But Bernie doesn’t have any connection with any votes. He has no power over them.” Ben Sulayem took the unprecedented decision to relinquish the day-to-day running of F1 in February after he clashed with the sport’s American owners Liberty Media over the introduction of an 11th team and questioned the valuation of the sport. A month later his son, Saif, died in a road traffic accident in Dubai. In April, further allegations emerged after the Daily Telegraph reported that Shaila-Ann Rao – the FIA’s former interim secretary general for motorsport – wrote a letter to the governing body accusing Ben Sulayem of sexist behaviour. “When we opened a position as CEO, Shaila-Ann wanted to be the CEO,” continues Ben Sulayem. “I could not get involved. I said, ‘Shaila, you are good, go through with the process’. We had 150 applications, and everybody went through that process.” Ben Sulayem then reaches for his phone to reveal a WhatsApp message he claims to be from Rao thanking him for hosting her at the Italian Grand Prix earlier this season. He adds: “I don’t want to do any comment. But that is from September. Sexism, please! Do they have anything else? Why don’t they come and confront me?” Ben Sulayem continues: “The attack on me earlier this year was inhuman, with the tragedy that I had. I would love that if I did these things that I was accused of, you sit with me, challenge me and confront me. But don’t fabricate and throw things at me, and then when I tell you to prove it, you run away and don’t come back. That is not the way.” Asked if he was being targeted, the former rally driver, who is midway through a four-year term, replies: “Yes. Because I am doing the right thing. “Imagine in my campaign, in Europe, that someone said to me: ‘Don’t ever think we will accept our president of the FIA to be an Arab Muslim with the name of Mohammed’. “I laughed because I knew how to beat him – by winning. But my Christian team were so upset with him. I said, ‘no, leave it, please, this is something I expect from them’. But can we go back to work? And work for the passion that we love, which is motorsport, and improve it?” Ben Sulayem succeeded Jean Todt five days after Hamilton was sensationally denied a record eighth world title at the 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi. Race referee Masi’s failure to imply the correct rules left Hamilton at the mercy of Max Verstappen. The Dutchman took the championship in the desert before quickly racking up another two titles in his all-conquering Red Bull. Hamilton has not won a race since. A subsequent FIA investigation blamed “human error” before Masi was removed from his post. However, the governing body stopped short of a public apology to Hamilton. “I always apologise, but I cannot apologise for something which was done before my time,” said Ben Sulayem. “OK, I will do the apology, but I will bring Michael Masi again. Do you think that is right? “The poor guy is a person who has been attacked and abused. Michael Masi went through hell. Hell! And if I see there is an opportunity that the FIA needs, and Michael Masi is the right person, I will bring him. “I even had people threatening me to kill me because I had the power to change it (the result). But I said to them: ‘Sorry, the World Cup of 1966, England against Germany, was that correct? Did they change it? No.’ Did they give it to Germany? Nein.” Read More How Max Verstappen compares to Formula One greats after record-breaking season Lewis Hamilton cannot wait for season to end after qualifying 11th in Abu Dhabi George Russell fastest as rookies handed chance in first Abu Dhabi practice Class action lawsuit filed over farcical start to Las Vegas Grand Prix F1 fans spark chaos with brawl at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix IndyCar champion admits breaching McLaren contract in £18m lawsuit over F1 seat

A panel of federal judges on Monday began a review Alabama’s redrawn congressional map which opponents argue blatantly defies the court’s mandate to create a second district where Black voters have an opportunity to influence the outcome of an election

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