
Wagner chief Prigozhin is in Russia, says Belarus President Lukashenko
Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin is in Russia, the Belarusian president has said – despite an agreement with the Kremlin he would move to Belarus in the wake of a short-lived rebellion against Moscow last month. The statements from President Alexander Lukashenko raise fresh questions about the deal the end what was an extraordinary challenge to the rule of Russian President Vladimir Putin. "As for Prigozhin, he's in St Petersburg. He is not on the territory of Belarus," Mr Lukashenko – who helped broker the deal to end the Wagner march on Moscow – said. He added that that "as far as I know" the rest of the Wagner fighters were still at their bases. That could mean eastern Ukraine, where Mr Prigozhin's forces have been involved ins some of the fiercest fighting that has followed Moscow's invasion of the country, or a Wagner training base in Russia's Krasnodar region. Mr Lukashenko said that an offer to Wagner to station some of its forces in Belarus still stands but that, at least for now, "the issue of their relocation has not been resolved". Having said last week that Mr Prigozhin was in Belarus, on Thursday he told reporters that the Wagner chief was in St Petersburg, where he has a home and offices, and that he could also travel to Moscow if he wishes. Part of the deal between Mr Prigozhin and the Kremlin was that all charges against him would be dropped. The Belarusian president suggested that Mr Prigozhin has been given back the cash and weapons that were confiscated by Russian authorities. Reports in local St Petersburg media on Wednesday had also suggested that Mr Prigozhin was in the city to collect the arsenal. A business jet linked to Mr Prigozhin left St Petersburg for Moscow on Wednesday and headed to southern Russia on Thursday, according to flight tracking data, but it was not clear if he had been on board. It was later tracked flying north again. Mr Lukashenko said that that he had spoken to Mr Prigozhin by phone on Wednesday and that he and his Wagner forces intended to continue to work for Russia. The details around Mr Prigozhin's deal with the Kremlin are still murky and the Wagner's movements may be linked to him being allowed to tie up his affairs. But it seems extraordinary that Mr Putin would allow Mr Prigozhin to move with impunity, given the cracks in the Russian president's authority Mr Prigozhin's munity appeared to expose. The latest developments may suggest that the threat posed by Mr Prigozhin has not yet been fully defused and that the Kremlin is treading carefully until it can figure out what to do with troops who may still be loyal to him. But the current situation does not exactly project the strongman image that Mr Putin has built his rule upon. The Kremlin sought to act nonchalantly when asked about Mr Prigozhin's movements on Thursday. "No, we do not follow his movements, we have neither the ability nor the desire to do so," Mr Putin's spokesman – Dmitri Peskov – said. But a better view of the probable thoughts of those inside the Kremlin was provided by state media and pro-Krelim sources. Online newspapers Fontanka and Izvestia posted videos and photos of Mr Prigozhin's opulent mansion that showed stacks of cash and gold bullion. The Rossiya 1 television channel also aided footage from what it said was a raid by Russian security services on the St Petersburg mansion, while hosts called for Mr Prigozhin to face "accountability" for what was a treacherous act. All this plays into the idea that while Mr Prigozhin has postured as an enemy of corrupt elites, he owes his wealth to Mr Putin. Russian media also published a collection of selfies that showed him posing in various wigs, fake beards and foreign uniforms, seemingly another attempt to embarrass. Mr Lukashenko said that he would discuss the situation in an upcoming meeting with Mr Putin. Mr Lukashenko said Mr Prigozhin had his liberty but that journalists were naive if they thought Russian security services were not keeping a very close eye on him. However, the Belarusian leader shrugged off suggestions that Mr Putin might order Mr Prigozhin killed, saying: "If you think that Putin is so vicious and vindictive to finish him off, no, it's not going to happen." The Belarusian leader said he doesn't think the mercenaries' presence in his country would lead to its destabilisation and said any Wagner troops there would be required to sign a contract with Belarusian authorities that would outline conditions and limitations of their actions. Belarusian political analyst Valery Karbalevich told the Associated Press, however, that Mr Lukashenko could feel uneasy about Wagner's presence on his turf. "If this structure rebelled against its master once, it can do it again and again and march on Minsk instead of marching on Moscow," Mr Karbalevich said. Asked about the deployment of Russia's tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, Mr Lukashenko claimed they are intended to deter any aggression against the country. "Don't touch us, and we will never use these deadly weapons," he said. In Ukraine, Russia fired cruise missiles at the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, killing at least five people in an apartment building. Ukrainian officials said it was the heaviest attack on civilian areas of the city since Moscow's forces invaded the country last year. Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky was in Bulgaria yesterday as part of a tour to drum up support from allies ahead of a Nato summit next week. Mr Zelensky then travelled to Prague to meet with Czech officials on Thursday night. In Washington, the administration of Joe Biden has decided to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine and is expected to announce on Friday that the Pentagon will send thousands as part of the latest military aid package for the war effort against Russia. The controversial weapons drop dozens of bomblets that human rights groups say endanger civilians as they release over a wide area, and they can continue to pose a deadly risk long after fighting has stopped. Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary Wagner chief Prigozhin is in Russia, president of Belarus says Son of jailed Belarusian presidential hopeful handed 8-year sentence Belarus opposition leader says anonymous note alleges that her husband died in prison
1970-01-01 08:00

Ukraine's Zelenskiy arrives in Prague to rally support ahead of NATO summit
By Jason Hovet and Robert Muller PRAGUE (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy landed in the Czech capital Prague on Thursday
1970-01-01 08:00

‘The Lincoln Lawyer’ Season 2 Part 1 Review: Mickey Haller’s charm is a thing of the past
Micky Haller lands himself in troubled waters once again as he takes up high-profile case of murder of real estate developer named Mitchell Bondurant
1970-01-01 08:00

Wembymania selling out Las Vegas, as Spurs rookie 'can't wait' for Summer League debut
Victor Wembanyama’s debut at NBA Summer League is Friday night
1970-01-01 08:00

The Funniest Movie the Year You Were Born
Your parents were probably laughing at Eddie Murphy, Mel Brooks, or the guys from Monty Python.
1970-01-01 08:00

The Eagles announce 'final' tour dates after 52 years as a band
After more than 50 years The Eagles are heading on the road for what they say will be their "final" tour.
1970-01-01 08:00

France star footballer Mbappe visits father's native Cameroon
France's star footballer Kylian Mbappe arrived in Cameroon to an ecstatic welcome from fans Thursday for a visit that includes charity work with deaf children and...
1970-01-01 08:00

DeSantis defends anti-LGBTQ video shared by his campaign and calls it a 'fair game' attack on Trump
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is defending an anti-LGBTQ video his campaign shared online that attacks rival Donald Trump for his past support of gay and transgender people, despite some of his fellow Republicans calling it homophobic
1970-01-01 08:00

Ukraine spy chief says nuclear threat at Zaporizhzhia plant subsiding
KYIV Ukraine's military spy chief said on Thursday that the threat of a Russian attack on the vast
1970-01-01 08:00

RTÉ sport presenter returns car after five years
Marty Morrissey says he recognised the "error of judgement" following the recent controversy at RTÉ.
1970-01-01 08:00

Daniel Radcliffe says seeing girlfriend Erin Darke become a mother is ‘most incredible thing’
Daniel Radcliffe has spoken out about the joys of raising his son with his longtime girlfriend, Erin Darke. Radcliffe, 33, opened up about becoming a father during a recent interview withE! News. His comments came days after he spoke about parenting for the first time, with the actor confirming that he welcomed a “little boy” with Darke in April. Speaking to E! News, the Harry Potter star noted that while he’s enjoyed his time with his son so far, he’s also loved seeing his partner become a parent. “It’s a crazy thing, but it’s also really beautiful, watching my girlfriend become a mum,” he said. [It’s] really the most incredible, beautiful thing to be witness to. So, it’s great.” He poked fun at how grown-up his son is, as he joked that the baby is “fully talking at three-months-old”, and is “very advanced”. The actor then clarified that his child has reached a different milestone, adding: “He’s smiling and that’s all I need. That’s awesome. Some people have to wait a lot longer for that so I’m really happy with that.” During an interview withEntertainment Tonight on 3 July, Radcliffe first revealed that he and Darke were parents to a son, who they welcomed earlier this year. He also acknowledged that he’s been taking some time off from work to focus on his family “It’s great. It’s crazy and intense,” he said about becoming a first time dad. But he’s wonderful and Erin is amazing - it’s a real privilege also to have this time with him. I was always going to take some time off, which not everyone is able to do, and so I’m able to kind of just be here with him a lot, which is lovely.” The Kill Your Darlings star noted that as his child gets older, he will probably be more considerate about how many acting projects he takes on. “It hasn’t really yet affected things, but I really like spending time with him, and I think I’m gonna miss him when I go back to work later in the year,” he said. “So, I will definitely be I think a bit more selective - not more selective, I’ve always been selective, but I think I’ll probably work a little bit less for the next few years.” However, according to Radcliffe, he doesn’t plan to leave acting anytime soon. “I’ll never be stopping. I don’t think that’s good for me either,” he added. In an interview with Newsweek, Radcliffe also opened up about starting a family while working in Hollywood. More specifically, he explained how his own experience with childhood stardom will influence how he parents his children one day. “I want my kids, if and when they exist... I would love them to be around film sets,” he said. “A dream would be for them to come onto a film set and be like ‘God, you know, I’d love to be in the art department. I’d love to be something in the crew.’ Some part of this, but not from that.” The Weird: The Al Yankovic Story star added that even though he enjoys acting himself, he “wouldn’t want fame for [his] kid”. “I think if you can get a situation where you’re on film sets without necessarily [thinking] oh, this is gonna be a big deal in your life, that’s great,” he said. “Film sets are wonderful places. I think a lot of the time it can be wonderful for kids. But it’s really the fame side of it that should be avoided at all costs.” While he recently opened up about fatherhood, Radcliffe has not yet revealed what the name of his new baby is. This doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise, since he and Darke, who’ve been dating since 2012, kept the news of their pregnancy relatively private. Read More Daniel Radcliffe gives frank answer to possibility of joining Harry Potter series Daniel Radcliffe opens up about fatherhood for the first time Daniel Radcliffe shares feelings about new actor playing Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe opens up about fatherhood for the first time Fiona Phillips target of telephone scam following Alzheimer’s diagnosis Disability Pride Month: Motor neurone disease diagnosis spurred us on to get married
1970-01-01 08:00

Keke Palmer's partner slammed for shaming her outfit
The father of Keke Palmer's son is getting dragged on social media for recent comments he made regarding her clothing.
1970-01-01 08:00