7.7.2023

Prigozhin Returns to Russia

Supporters of the private Russian mercenary Wagner Group are calling for a mass gathering Saturday in St. Petersburg, Russia, where groups plan to hand out Wagner-branded merchandise. The private mercenary group announced the effort on its social media channel yesterday to roughly 250,000 followers as reports surfaced of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin's return to Russia. 

The latest development comes less than two weeks after Prigozhin and members of the Wagner Group were exiled to neighboring Belarus after a short-lived mutiny against Russia's defense ministry (see timeline). A brokered deal allowed Wagner mercenaries to relocate to Belarus to avoid joining the Russian military as part of Moscow's plan to dismantle private mercenary groups. 

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said yesterday Prigozhin was no longer inside Belarus territory, while posts on Russian social media have reported sightings of the Wagner leader. It's unclear if Prigozhin will attend the mass Wagner gathering Saturday. 

See the latest updates on Russia's war against Ukraine here.

Elton's Swan Song

Legendary singer and musician Sir Elton John is scheduled to perform the last concert of his farewell tour tomorrow evening, taking the stage in the Swedish capital of Stockholm. The 76-year-old Brit has said he wants to spend more time with his husband and children. 

Dubbed "Farewell Yellow Brick Road"—an homage to his similarly named 1973 album—the global series has become the all-time highest-grossing concert tour, bringing in close to $925M. John, who has grossed just under $2B on tour during his six-decade career, also holds the solo artist record for most tickets sold, at more than 20 million (the current tour has surpassed 5.7 million across more than 330 shows). His swan song began in 2018 but was paused during the pandemic. 

Among his personal and professional accolades, John was knighted by Queen Elizabeth, had seven consecutive albums reach No. 1 on music charts, and won five Grammys. See his career in photos here.

Plot Twist in Houston

A 25-year-old Houston man who was found after allegedly having been missing for eight years was, in fact, living at home with his mother, police confirmed yesterday. The case, which remained open as a missing person investigation, initially made national headlines last week when Rudy Farias was found unresponsive outside a local church, reportedly with a number of bruises and cuts. 

Farias was initially reported missing in 2015 after walking his dogs. Officials have now confirmed he actually returned home the following day, ultimately assuming fake names and his mother insisting he was her nephew. Reports also suggest the family was not particularly discreet—Farias is said to have often appeared in public using an alternate identity. 

Adding to the confusion, police provided no details on motives for the deception, and prosecutors have thus far declined to bring charges against Farias' mother for filing a false police report, saying only more information would be released when possible. 

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