Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin was on the passenger list of a jet which crashed killing all on board, Russia’s civil aviation authority has said.
Earlier, Wagner-linked Telegram channel Grey Zone reported the Embraer aircraft was shot down by air defences in the Tver region, north of Moscow.
The private jet, which was flying from Moscow to St Petersburg, was carrying seven passengers and three crew.
Prigozhin led a failed mutiny against the Russian armed forces in June.
Grey Zone said local residents heard two bangs before the crash and saw two vapour trails.
Tass news agency said the plane, an Embraer Legacy belonging to Prigozhin, caught fire on hitting the ground.
The aircraft had been in the air for less than half an hour, it said.
An investigation has been launched into the crash and emergency services are searching the site.
Another news agency, Ria, said eight bodies had been recovered.
Grey Zone reports that a second business jet owned by Prigozhin landed safely in the Moscow region.
The 62-year-old mercenary boss headed the mutiny on 23-24 June, moving his troops from Ukraine, seizing the southern Russian city of Rostov on Don, and threatening to march on Moscow.
The move came after months of tension with Russian military commanders over the Ukraine conflict.
The stand-off was settled by a deal which allowed Wagner troops to move to Belarus or join the Russian army.
Prigozhin himself agreed to relocate to Belarus but has apparently been able to move freely, making public appearances in Russia.
But several Russia watchers have described him as a “dead man walking” since the mutiny.
President Putin’s initial reaction to his challenge to Russia’s defence establishment was vitriolic, calling it a betrayal and a stab in the back in a video message on 24 June.
The deal did not mean he was safe.
“Revenge,” commented CIA director William Burns, “is a dish Putin prefers served cold” – or words to that effect.
None of this, of course, is proof that Prigozhin and his entourage were deliberately targeted.
But given the circumstances any claims that his demise, if confirmed, was an accident will see a lot of eyebrows raised.
Charles Martinet, the voice behind Nintendo’s famous character Mario, is to step down from the role, the gaming giant has announced.
The actor has voiced the Italian plumber in the video games since 1996, starting with Super Mario 64.
However, he did not voice the titular character in this year’s movie. That honour went to Chris Pratt.
Nintendo announced the news on X, saying it had been an “honour” working with Martinet, 67.
Martinet will continue to work with Nintendo as a “Mario ambassador,” and he seemed pleased with his new role.
The latest game starring the heroic Italian, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, was announced earlier this year and the trailer prompted speculation from some fans that Martinet had been replaced.
Nintendo’s statement on Monday said that “he will be stepping back from recording character voices for our games, but he’ll continue to travel the world sharing the joy of Mario and interacting with you all!
“It has been an honour working with Charles to help being Mario to life for so many years and we want to thank and celebrate him. Please keep an eye out for a special video message from Shigeru Miyamoto (the creator of Mario) and Charles himself, which we will post at a future date.”
Box Office Hit
Martinet has voiced the character since 1996, featuring in multiple games such as the Mario Kart and Mario Party series.
Though Martinet has become synonymous with Mario, it was Hollywood A-lister Pratt who voiced the famous tradesmen in 2023’s hugely successful movie, with Martinet providing voices for Giuseppe and Mario’s dad instead.
In addition to Mario, Martinet also provided the voices for other characters in the Mario series, including Mario’s brother Luigi, rivals Wario and Waluigi, as well as the baby versions of the characters.
2023 has been a big year for the Mario series, with the Mario movie making over $1bn at the box office and further releases to come on the Switch, with Super Mario Bros. Wonder and a remake of Super Mario RPG set for release later this year.
A veteran stage actor, he was best known for the series This Is Us – his role as a long-lost father who finds redemption earned him two Emmy Awards.
Jones had a “long-standing pulmonary issue”, his manager told US outlets. He had a double lung transplant in 2020, according to media reports.
His “kindness and heart were felt by anyone who had the good fortune of knowing him”, his manager said.
Jones’s love for the stage “was present throughout his entire career, including his recent Tony-nominated and Drama Desk Award-winning performance for his role in Clyde’s on Broadway”, the statement added.
Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer, who played alongside Jones in the series Truth Be Told, was among the co-stars remembering the late actor.
She wrote on Instagram that she was “heartbroken” by the news.
“Ron was an incredibly talented actor and, most importantly, a wonderfully kind human being,” Spencer said. “Every day on set with Ron was a good day.”
Sterling K Brown – who played the son of Jones’s character William Hill in This Is US – paid his own tribute on Instagram.
“Life imitated art today, and one of the most wonderful people the world has ever seen is no longer with us,” he wrote.
Clarence Avant, whose talent as a manager, mentor and deal-maker earned him the nickname ‘The Godfather of Black Music’, has died aged 92.
A former head of Motown, he worked with everyone from Bill Withers to Michael Jackson and founded one of America’s first Black-owned radio stations.
Avant died at home in Los Angeles on Sunday, his family said in a statement.
It comes 20 months after his wife, Jacqueline, was shot and killed by an intruder in their Beverly Hills home.
“Clarence leaves behind a loving family and a sea of friends and associates that have changed the world and will continue to change the world for generations to come,” said the family.
“The joy of his legacy eases the sorrow of our loss.”
Avant’s list of accomplishments was long and varied. A former nightclub manager, his reputation as a tough negotiator attracted the attention of soul singer Little Willie John, who asked him to become his manager.
That brought him to the attention of entertainment industry veteran Joe Glaser, who managed the likes of Louis Armstrong and Barbra Streisand.
Glaser took Avant under his wing, handing him some clients – including Mission: Impossible composer Lalo Schifrin – and encouraging him how to close deals.
“Joe Glaser taught me [to] aim high,” he told Variety Magazine in 2016. “You can’t walk up the Empire State building – you’ll get tired, your knees might give out. But you can ride the elevator and walk down. You always aim up here, and walk down later if you have to.”
Before long, he’d negotiated a six-figure deal for jazz producer Creed Taylor at A&M Records, despite the fact he was already contracted to another label.
Avant went on to manage Sarah Vaughan, Freddie Hubbard and Kim Weston – who duetted with Marvin Gaye on It Takes Two.
He also founded two record labels, Sussex and Tabu, and used the former to launch the career of Bill Withers.
A former aircraft mechanic, Withers had been rejected by virtually every other record company in America – but Avant heard something in his laid-back, ruminative style and steered songs like Ain’t No Sunshine and Lean On Me to global success.
The executive also discovered and signed Sugarman singer Sixto Rodriguez, whose records flopped in the 1970s but became cult classics before his rediscovery through the Oscar-winning documentary Searching For Sugarman in 2012.
In the 1980s, Tabu Records scored hits with the S.O.S. Band, Cherrelle and Alexander O’Neal while launching the careers of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis as a songwriting team.
They would go on to score 16 US number-one singles, including Usher’s U Remind Me, George Michael’s Monkey and Janet Jackson tracks Together Again and That’s The Way Love Goes.
In 1989, Avant also represented songwriters LA Reid and Babyface as they launched LaFace Records – a joint venture with Arista Records that set stars like Toni Braxton, TLC, Outkast and Pink on the road to fame.
He was also the promoter of Michael Jackson’s “Bad tour” in 1987, which earned $125m/£99m ($336m/£266m in 2023 figures) worldwide.
Avant was named Motown chairman in 1993, overseeing a period of success for artists including Boyz II Men, Johnny Gill and Shanice.
Among his more colourful escapades, he sabotaged a TV programme that was planned as a rival to Soul Train; brokered peace amongst warring rights holders for an E.T. tie-in album; and arranged safe passage for P Diddy in the aftermath of the Notorious B.I.G.’s murder.
Outside of music, he helped American football player Jim Brown develop a career in acting and advised several US presidents, including Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.
“The guy’s a rock in every way,” Clinton once commented. “His advice, per word, is worth more than anyone I ever dealt with.”
Even so, many people found it hard to pinpoint exactly what Avant did.
“What he’s done is a very unusual story,” said Bill Withers. “He puts people together, and they do what they do. How do you put together a life from knowing people?”
He preferred to remain behind the scenes, remaining humble and hard-working despite his many accolades – including being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2021.
“Clarence is our deal-making Renaissance man. Our pope. Our rebel. Our consigliere,” Epic Records’ CEO Sylvia Rhone told Billboard in 2006. “He’s been a great mentor… creating a world of opportunity for others to follow.”
“Everyone in this business has been by Clarence’s desk if they’re smart,” added his lifelong friend Quincy Jones. “He gets things done but doesn’t beat his chest or look for credit.”
Avant is survived by his daughter, Nicole Avant, a former US ambassador to the Bahamas and the wife of Netflix’s chief content officer Ted Sarandos; and his son, Alexander.
His wife Jacqueline was a prominent philanthropist who had dedicated her life to helping low-income neighbourhoods. She was killed in December 2021 by a man who had broken into the family home.
The intruder, Aariel Maynor, plead guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to 190 years life in prison.
Tributes to Clarence poured in after news of his death was confirmed on Monday.
Bill and Hillary Clinton, the former US president and secretary of state, said in a joint statement they were “saddened by the passing of our friend.”
“It was impossible to spend time with him and not come away feeling more positive and wanting to follow his example.”
Jay-Z’s company, Roc Nation, added: “Clarence Avant isn’t just the ‘Godfather Of Black Music’, he is our cultural Godfather.
“Throughout his life, he burst through doors and tore down ceilings, changing lives and providing opportunities for generations.
“A true pioneer, a mentor and a champion, Clarence Avant is and always will be a giant among us.”
Lionel Richie helped induct Avant to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2021/Getty
A retired American football star whose rags-to-riches tale was adapted into an Oscar-winning Hollywood film has alleged the story is built on lies.
In 2009 movie The Blind Side, Michael Oher, a foster child in Tennessee, is adopted by a wealthy white couple and blooms into a star college athlete.
In a court filing, Mr Oher, now 37, alleges he was never adopted and was instead tricked into a conservatorship.
He alleges Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy made millions of dollars from his name.
Representatives for the Tuohy family and foundation did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment.
But Sean Tuohy told the Daily Memphian website that he was shocked by Mr Oher’s allegations.
He denied the Tuohys had made any money from the movie, only a share of proceeds from a book by author Michael Lewis, on which the movie was based.
“We’re devastated,” Mr Tuohy told the outlet. “It’s upsetting to think we would make money off any of our children. But we’re going to love Michael at 37 just like we loved him at 16.”
Super Bowl’s Hollywood story
According to the 26-page petition filed on Monday in probate court in Shelby County, Tennessee, the Tuohys tricked Mr Oher into making them his conservators shortly after he turned 18.
Conservatorships are US court orders that appoint a parent or legal guardian to oversee the personal or financial affairs of someone incapable of fully managing their own affairs because of their age or disability.
The Tuohys took full control over Mr Oher’s “ability to negotiate for or enter any contract, despite the fact he was over 18 years of age and had no diagnosed physical or psychological disabilities”, he alleges.
Mr Oher had shown sporting potential from a young age. But having grown up in foster care and fallen behind in school, he was in need of support and often stayed overnight at classmates’ homes.
“Where other parents of Michael’s classmates saw Michael simply as a nice kid in need, [the Tuohys] saw something else: a gullible young man whose athletic talent could be exploited for their own benefit,” the document alleges.
The Tuohys allegedly told the teen they intended to legally adopt him and, soon after he had moved in with them in 2004, they presented him with what he believed to be adoption paperwork.
The couple lied that adopting someone over the age of 18 was called a conservatorship, the petition alleges.
“Michael Oher discovered this lie to his chagrin and embarrassment in February of 2023, when he learned that the Conservatorship to which he consented on the basis that doing so would make him a member of the Tuohy family, in fact provided him no familial relationship with the Tuohys,” the court filing alleges.
The Tuohys are further accused of using the conservatorship to enrich themselves at Mr Oher’s expense as he excelled on the gridiron, becoming a two-time All-American, an accolade for outstanding athletes, at the University of Mississippi.
As his life story was adapted into a book in 2006 and a movie in 2009, the co-conservators allegedly negotiated a contract that split profits and royalties between them and their two birth children, while leaving nothing to Mr Oher for a lucrative story “that would not have existed without him”.
The Blind Side went on to amass more than $300m (KSh. 43.1B) at the global box office and millions more in home video sales.
According to the court filing, the Tuohys negotiated a contract of $225,000 in addition to 2.5% of the film’s net proceeds for themselves and their biological children, while Mr Oher “received nothing”.
It asks the court to terminate the conservatorship, bar the Tuohys from continuing to profit from Mr Oher’s name and likeness, and establish a full accounting of what he is fairly owed.
The lawsuit accuses the Tuohys of a “gross and appalling” breach of fiduciary duty.
The Blind Side‘s release coincided with Mr Oher’s start in the National Football League, where he played eight seasons, most prominently with the Baltimore Ravens.
The film earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture and won Sandra Bullock, in the role of Leigh Anne Tuohy, her only Academy Award.
Mr Oher has long resented how the movie portrays him as mentally slow, which he felt had affected his career.
The ex-NFL star said in a statement: “I am disheartened by the revelation shared in the lawsuit today.
“This is a difficult situation for my family and me. I want to ask everyone to please respect our privacy at this time. For now, I will let the lawsuit speak for itself and will offer no further comment.”
A mosque in the Nigerian city of Zaria has collapsed during prayers, killing at least seven people, officials say.
Hundreds of worshippers were in the building at the time on Friday.
An investigation is underway to ascertain the cause of the collapse. The emir of the area told local media a crack had been discovered in one of the walls on Thursday.
The mosque is thought to be more than a century old. Nigeria has a long history of buildings collapsing.
“Four bodies were found initially,” a council spokesman Abdullahi Kwarbai told Reuters news agency.
“Then three others were found after the rescue team searched the collapsed mosque,” Mr Kwarbai added.
A team of engineers had been organised to fix the crack in the building, the Emir, Mallam Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli, told Punch News.
Mali has indefinitely suspended the issuance of visas to French nationals at its embassy in Paris.
In a statement, it said the move was reciprocal after it “learnt with surprise” that France had classified Mali to be in a “red zone” due to supposed “strong regional tensions”.
France earlier this week suspended the issuance of visas and closed the visa centre at its embassy in Mali’s capital, Bamako.
The regional tensions reportedly come from Niger where the military overthrew the democratically elected government of President Mohamed Bazoum about two weeks ago.
The junta-led Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea governments have declared their support for the Niger coup and warned against any military intervention there.
Relations between Mali and France have been strained since Malian troops seized power in 2020 and 2021 military coups.
Last year, France withdrew its forces after the military junta leaders brought in mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner group.
Lawyers representing three of Lizzo’s former dancers have said they are reviewing new complaints against the singer.
Fresh allegations are reported to have been made by at least six people who said they had worked with Lizzo.
Employment lawyer Ron Zambrano said the allegations concern a “sexually charged environment” and failure to pay employees.
BBC News has contacted Lizzo’s representatives for a response.
The singer has described previous claims made against her as false and said she is “not the villain that people and the media have portrayed me to be”.
New allegations
According to NBC News, Mr Zambrano said his firm is vetting new allegations from at least six people who said they toured with Lizzo, whose real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson.
The individuals making the latest allegations are said to include some who said they worked on the singer’s Amazon Studios reality show, Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.
Mr Zambrano said that in reviewing the claims, he determined that some are potentially actionable but that others are not.
Last week, three former dancers who toured with Lizzo – Arianna Davis, Noelle Rodriguez and Crystal Williams – filed a lawsuit alleging sexual, religious and racial harassment, discrimination, assault and false imprisonment.
In response, Lizzo said: “Usually I choose not to respond to false allegations but these are as unbelievable as they sound, and too outrageous to not be addressed.”
“These sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behaviour on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional.”
“As an artist, I have always been very passionate about what I do. I take my music and my performances seriously because at the end of the day I only want to put out the best art that represents me and my fans.
“With passion comes hard work and high standards. Sometimes I have to make hard decisions but it’s never my intention to make anyone feel uncomfortable or like they aren’t valued as an important part of the team.”
