The Hair-Raising Truth of Prigozhin

Russia
The Bald Truth of Prigozhin

👨‍🍳 Putin’s chef seems to be cooking up some trouble, or is he? Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, has been exposed by a pro-Kremlin newspaper that published photos and video of his lavish St Petersburg home.

After his failed coup attempt, he abandoned his St. Petersburg mansion, a peculiar place boasting a private pool, a stuffed alligator, an array of weapons, and a controversial photograph supposedly depicting the severed heads of his enemies. But the most bizarre things found were his collection of wigs and beards, which he apparently used to disguise himself. Additionally, a huge sledgehammer was also discovered.

Belarusian President Lukashenko announced on Thursday that Prigozhin is currently in Russia. Yesterday, we reported that the Wagner boss retrieved his seized weapons in St. Petersburg, but he hasn’t been spotted since. Could he be roaming the Russian streets with these wigs on?

The pro-Kremlin newspaper claims to have “obtained” these images of him in disguise. But an image processing expert says they look suspiciously low-tech and could have been easily edited. If they are indeed fake, it is most likely the Kremlin's effort to humiliate Prigozhin. What do you think? 👇🏻

🌐 Opinion

Sweden
What It Takes to Put Out the Quran Flames

🔥Sweden is feeling the heat after a Quran-burning incident. The Swedish government is considering whether to extinguish the flames of controversy by making it illegal to set the Quran or other holy books on fire. This comes after an Iraqi immigrant to Sweden sparked outrage by burning the Koran outside a Stockholm mosque last week.

This incident has indeed complicated Sweden’s NATO bid by angering Turkish President Erdogan. Turkey’s foreign minister said that Swedish authorities’ failure to prevent Quran-burning protests in the country is raising security concerns. Also, as a Muslim nation, Turkey views Sweden’s lenience on the Quran-burning offensive. This is why Turkey has been holding off ratifying Sweden’s membership in the alliance.

So what else did Sweden do to appease Ankara? Sweden has lifted an arms embargo, jailed a PKK supporter ahead of the NATO talks on Thursday, and tolerated a Quran-burning protest. But Turkey is holding out for more concessions. Since NATO requires the unanimous approval of all existing members to expand, Turkey’s acceptance is of vital importance.

World
Top of the News World

🇨🇳 China’s top diplomat tells Japan and South Korea to cooperate with Beijing, rather than with Washington. Wang Yi threw some serious shade at his Asian neighbors, saying they can never become Westerners no matter how hard they try by dyeing their hair blonde or making their noses sharper.

🇺🇸 Janet Yellen landed in Beijing on Thursday for talks with Chinese officials, hoping to find some common ground amid rising tensions.

But it won’t be easy. The US and China have been at odds over trade, security, human rights, and territorial disputes. And things got even more heated after President Biden called Chinese leader Xi Jinping a dictator.

🚢 The US Navy foiled two Iranian attempts to snatch 2 oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil route. The Iranian navy fired shots at one of the tankers, but no one was hurt. Don’t be surprised about this though - this isn’t the first time Iran has harassed ships in the region.

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