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BREAKING Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin killed in plane crash outside of Moscow

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Ex-Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has been killed in a plane crash north of Moscow, Russian news agency TASS is reporting.

Prigozhin was on board a plane along with 9 other people, when it crashed while flying to St Petersberg.

An Embraer Legacy 600 Business Jet going by RA-02795 which is Registered to Leader of the Wagner PMC Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin has reportedly crashed in the Tver Region of Russia to the Northwest of Moscow resulting in the death of all who were onboard.

The Russian Air Force was the hardest hit during the Wagner Rebellion. 13-29 dead. A helicopter and a plane shot down.

Prigozhin’s death up in the air is a symmetrical bookend to the whole saga.

 

THIS IS PART OF THE REPORT FROM RUSSIA’S TASS NEWS AGENCY:

Outside the regional capital of Voronezh, halfway between Rostov-on-Don and Moscow, 109] Wagner troops were attacked by a helicopter. The Air Force suffered significant losses while confronting Wagner troops, with at least one.

helicopter and an II-22M airborne command-center plane shot down. According to the British Ministry of Defence, the loss of the II-22M was particularly significant, as it was one of only twelve aircraft of the type that had been key to the war effort against Ukraine.

Ukrainian forces had been unsuccessfully trying to shoot down an II-22M throughout the war. At least thirteen Russian military personnel were killed. 5 Janes inferred the number to potentially be as high as 29, based on an estimation of the number of personnel needed to operate all of the reportedly
destroyed equipment.

This story updates.

Russia had accused Prigozhin of mutiny

Russia accused mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin of armed mutiny on Friday after he alleged, without providing evidence, that the military leadership had killed a huge number of his fighters in an air strike and vowed to punish them.

The standoff, many of whose details remained unclear, looked like the biggest domestic crisis President Vladimir Putin has faced since he ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine – something he called a “special military operation” – in February last year.

As the standoff between Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner mercenary force, and the defence ministry appeared to come to a head, the ministry issued a statement saying Prigozhin’s accusations were “not true and are an informational provocation”.

Prigozhin said his actions were not a military coup. But in a frenzied series of audio messages, in which the sound of his voice sometimes varied and could not be independently verified, he appeared to suggest that 25,000 fighters were en route to oust the leaders of the defence establishment in Moscow.

He said: “Those who destroyed our lads, who destroyed the lives of many tens of thousands of Russian soldiers, will be punished. I ask that no one offer resistance …

“There are 25,000 of us and we are going to figure out why chaos is happening in the country,” he said, promising to tackle any checkpoints or air forces that got in Wagner’s way.

At about 2 a.m. on Saturday morning, Moscow time (2300 GMT), Prigozhin issued a new message saying his forces had crossed the border from Ukraine, and were in the southern Russian city of Rostov.

He said they were ready to “go all the way” against the top brass, and to destroy anyone who stood in their way.

At around the same time, the state news agency TASS quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying all Russia’s main security services were reporting to Putin “round the clock” on the fulfilment of his orders with respect to Prigozhin.

Security was being tightened in Moscow, TASS said, focusing on what it called the capital’s most important government sites and infrastructure.

Earlier on Friday, Prigozhin had appeared to cross a new line in his increasingly vitriolic feud with the ministry, saying that the Kremlin’s rationale for invading Ukraine was based on lies concocted by the army’s top brass.

The FSB domestic security service said it had opened a criminal case against him for calling for an armed mutiny, a crime punishable with a jail term of up to 20 years.

“Prigozhin’s statements are in fact calls for the start of an armed civil conflict on Russian territory and his actions are a ‘stab in the back’ of Russian servicemen fighting pro-fascist Ukrainian forces,” the FSB said.

“We urge the … fighters not to make irreparable mistakes, to stop any forcible actions against the Russian people, not to carry out the criminal and traitorous orders of Prigozhin, to take measures to detain him.”Army Lieutenant-General Vladimir Alekseyev issued a video appeal asking Prigozhin to reconsider his actions.

“Only the president has the right to appoint the top leadership of the armed forces, and you are trying to encroach on his authority,” he said.

Army General Sergei Surovikin, the deputy commander of Russian forces in Ukraine whom Prigozhin has praised in the past, in a separate video said that “the enemy is just waiting for our internal political situation to deteriorate”.

“Before it is too late … you must submit to the will and order of the people’s president of the Russian Federation. Stop the columns and return them to their permanent bases,” he said.

Prigozhin, whose men spearheaded the capture of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut last month, has for months been openly accusing Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Russia’s top general, Valery Gerasimov, of rank incompetence and of denying Wagner ammunition and support.

An unverified video posted on a Telegram channel close to Wagner showed the purported scene of an air strike against Wagner forces. It showed a forest where small fires were burning and trees appeared to have been broken by force. There appeared to be one body, but no more direct evidence of any attack.

It carried the caption: “A missile attack was launched on the camps of PMC (Private Military Company) Wagner. Many victims. According to eyewitnesses, the strike was delivered from the rear, that is, it was delivered by the military of the Russian Ministry of Defence.”

Prigozhin has tried to exploit Wagner’s battlefield success, achieved at enormous human cost, to publicly berate Moscow with seeming impunity, while carefully avoiding criticism of Putin.

But on Friday he for the first time dismissed Putin’s core justifications for invading Ukraine on Feb. 24 last year, something for which many Russians have been fined or jailed.

“The war was needed … so that Shoigu could become a marshal … so that he could get a second ‘Hero’ [of Russia] medal,” Prigozhin said in a video clip. “The war wasn’t needed to demilitarise or denazify Ukraine.”

Marat Gabidullin, a former Wagner commander who moved to France when Russia invaded Ukraine, told Reuters that Wagner’s fighters were likely to stand with Prigozhin.

“We have looked down on the army for a long time … Of course they support him, he is their leader,” he said.

“They won’t hesitate (to fight the army), if anyone gets in their way.”

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Australia’s workforce revolution sets the stage for a four-day work week

Australia’s AI Workforce Revolution: Automation Paves the Way for a Four-Day Work Week and New Job Redesigns.

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Australia’s AI workforce revolution: automation paves the way for a four-day work week.

In Short

UiPath’s report highlights the rapid shift towards “agentic automation,” where AI makes autonomous decisions, encouraging businesses to reassess roles and harness automation for productivity. This evolution may enable a four-day work week and necessitates the retraining of staff while ensuring regulations are in place for trust and compliance with AI integration.

The trend towards work reallocation is rapidly advancing, with UiPath’s new report identifying significant shifts in AI and automation.

Key insights from the report suggest a move towards “agentic automation,” where AI begins to make autonomous decisions. Yelena GalstianHead of Solutions and Customer Advisory at UiPath shares her key insights.

Organisations are encouraged to reassess existing roles and identify areas where automation can enhance productivity.

A critical aspect will be the orchestration of collaboration between human employees, AI agents, and software robots to ensure effective teamwork.

Looking ahead, the motto for businesses is to “redesign and reassign” processes while considering how AI can handle repetitive tasks, allowing human employees to focus on more complex responsibilities.

As organisations embrace these changes, we could see a potential transition to a four-day work week, made feasible through increased efficiency and productivity from AI.

For further insights into the research and methodologies for implementing AI in business, interested parties can connect with the UiPath team through their website.

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Future of hospitality: AI, smart automation, and record-breaking 2025 travel growth

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As global tourism revenue surges, cutting-edge technology and automation are revolutionising the hospitality industry.

Global travel demand remains strong heading into 2025, with industry experts predicting record-breaking tourism revenue.

According to the World Travel & Tourism Council, global tourism revenue is set to hit $1.9 trillion this year.

With record-breaking growth projected for the travel industry, hospitality leaders are embracing AI, automation, and luxury innovations to enhance guest experiences.

As demand for international travel remains strong, hospitality businesses are adapting to evolving traveler expectations through technology and innovation.

One of the key trends shaping the industry is the rise of artificial intelligence and smart automation.

From AI-powered customer service to energy-efficient hotel management systems, technology is redefining guest experiences.

Luxury boutique hotels like London’s Eccleston Square Hotel are at the forefront of this transformation.

Known as one of the world’s most technologically advanced hotels, Eccleston Square has recently unveiled a major tech upgrade.

The hotel is now using Apple TVs from ROOMNET, an advanced automation system developed with Leading Edge Automation, and a cutting-edge building management system by HSYCO. These innovations enhance operational efficiency while maintaining a commitment to sustainability.

These enhancements work in sync with the hotel’s property management system, MEWS, to create a smarter, more sustainable hospitality experience.

As AI continues to reshape the hospitality landscape, Eccleston Square Hotel’s approach reflects the industry’s broader shift toward innovation, efficiency, and sustainability—paving the way for the future of luxury travel.

Olivia Byrne, Owner and Company Director Eccleston Square Hotel joins Veronica Dudo to discuss.

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Nightmare for Labour as Reform UK leads in poll

Reform UK surpasses Labour in polling for first time, with Brexit leader Nigel Farage gaining support amid Conservative decline.

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Reform UK surpasses Labour in polling for first time, with Brexit leader Nigel Farage gaining support amid Conservative decline.

In Short

Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, has overtaken Labour in a YouGov poll with 25% support, while Labour sits at 24% and the Conservatives at 21%. This shift indicates growing discontent with the government, particularly as Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch struggles to regain support.

The poll, conducted among 2,223 adults at the beginning of February, shows Reform UK at 25 percent support, a rise of two points from the previous poll.

Labour has declined by three points to 24 percent, while the Conservative Party has dropped to 21 percent.

While these results are notable, the next general election is not required until August 2029, and Reform’s lead falls within the poll’s margin of error. POLITICO’s Poll of Polls shows Labour and Reform both at 25 percent, with Conservatives at 22 percent.

This polling data is troubling for the government, particularly after Labour’s dominance in the last election, where they achieved a majority with 33.7 percent of the vote. Reform UK was in third place with 14.3 percent.

The findings also reflect poorly on Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who seeks to restore support following recent losses.

YouGov indicates that 24 percent of those who voted Conservative in July would now choose Reform, with 43 percent of Conservative voters in 2024 favouring a merger between the two parties.

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