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Russian mercenary group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who led mutiny against Putin, dies in plane crash

09:19 AM | 24 Aug, 2023
Yevgeny Prigozhin
Source: social media

MOSCOW – All ten people on board including Russian mercenary group Wagner’s chief Yevgeny Prigozhin were killed when a private jet crashed on Wednesday.

Moscow has started a high-level probe into the cause of the crash, amid heavy speculation about the shocking death of Prigozhin, who dared to stand against Russian President Putin.

As Wagner blamed Kremlin for the incident, international media reported that former close aide of Putin was on board the Embraer-135 (EBM-135BJ) aircraft, he was travelling with Dmitry Utkin, a right-hand of Prigozhin who managed group’s operations.

Initial reports suggest that the plane was moving from Moscow to St. Petersburg when the incident occurred near the village of Kuzhenkino in Tver.

To people’s surprise, the crashed jet has only recorded one accident in over 2 decades, and that was not related to mechanical failure.

Critics linked the plane crash with a failed mutiny, opining that crash was not a tragic accident, as Wagner's chief became powerful for Moscow and was extremely inconvenient.

Earlier, Prigozhin remained low-key since June but his video surfaced in recent times in which he appeared in Africa.

Who is Yevgeny Prigozhin?

Russian mercenary forces were behind the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as they played a crucial role in the battle for Bakhmut. Later, cracks widened between Russian armed forces and mercenary group and later deceased decided to pull his soldiers out of war-torn Ukraine and march on Moscow.

Prigozhin, 62, was a businessman who gained international attention primarily due to his association with the Internet Research Agency (IRA), a Russian organization that has been accused of conducting disinformation campaigns and spreading propaganda on social media platforms to influence political events in various countries, including the 2016 United States presidential election.

Prigozhin has been referred to as Putin's chef because his company, Concord Catering, has provided catering services for Russian President Vladimir Putin and other high-ranking officials. He has close ties to the Russian government and is believed to have significant influence within it.

In 2018, Prigozhin and his companies were indicted by the United States Department of Justice for allegedly funding the Internet Research Agency and other entities involved in efforts to interfere with the U.S. political system. The charges included conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, and aggravated identity theft.

In recent times, Prigozhin's activities and associations have sparked controversy and debate, and he and his businesses have been subject to various sanctions and legal actions in connection with their alleged involvement in disinformation campaigns and other activities.

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Pakistani rupee exchange rate to US dollar, Euro, Pound, Dirham, and Riyal - 10 Dec 2023

Pakistani rupee remains largely stable against the US dollar, and other currencies in the open market on Sunday.

Dollar Rate in Pakistan Today

On Sunday, the US dollar was being quoted at 283.4 for buying and 285.95 for selling.

Euro comes down to 307 for buying and 310 for selling. British Pound rate remains unchanged at 358.5 for buying, and 362 for selling.

UAE Dirham AED witnessed slight drop and new rate stands at 77.2 whereas the Saudi Riyal remained stable at 76.

Source: Forex Association of Pakistan. (last update 09:00 AM)

Currency Symbol Buying Selling
US Dollar ‎USD 283.4 285.95
Euro EUR 307 310
UK Pound Sterling GBP 358.5 362
U.A.E Dirham AED 77.2 78
Saudi Riyal SAR 76 76.8
Australian Dollar AUD 187.2 189
Bahrain Dinar BHD 755.82 763.82
Canadian Dollar CAD 209 211
China Yuan CNY 39.82 40.22
Danish Krone DKK 41.14 41.54
Hong Kong Dollar HKD 36.37 36.72
Indian Rupee INR 3.41 3.52
Japanese Yen JPY 1.39 1.45
Kuwaiti Dinar KWD 922.14 931.14
Malaysian Ringgit MYR 60.82 61.42
New Zealand Dollar NZD 175.33 177.33
Norwegians Krone NOK 26.12 26.42
Omani Riyal OMR 738.71 741.76
Qatari Riyal ‎QAR 78.07 78.77
Singapore Dollar SGD 211 213
Swedish Korona SEK 27.32 27.62
Swiss Franc CHF 324.5 327
Thai Bhat THB 8.08 8.23

Gold price drops in Pakistan; Check out today gold rates here

Gold prices decreased in local markets in line with the trend in the international market.

Gold Rates in Pakistan Today - 10 December 2023

On Sunday, the price of a single tola of 24-karat gold stands at Rs216,300, and 10 grams of 24k gold costs Rs185,450.

Single tola of 22 Karat Gold price costs Rs198,274, 21 karat rate per tola costs Rs189,263 and 18k gold rate is Rs162,225 for each tola.

In the global market, gold prices hovers around $2,004 per ounce, after drop of $23.35 on Sunday.

Today Gold Rate in Pakistan

City Gold Silver
Lahore PKR 216,300 PKR 2,486
Karachi PKR 216,300 PKR 2,486
Islamabad PKR 216,300 PKR 2,486
Peshawar PKR 216,300 PKR 2,486
Quetta PKR 216,300 PKR 2,486
Sialkot PKR 216,300 PKR 2,486
Attock PKR 216,300 PKR 2,486
Gujranwala PKR 216,300 PKR 2,486
Jehlum PKR 216,300 PKR 2,486
Multan PKR 216,300 PKR 2,486
Bahawalpur PKR 216,300 PKR 2,486
Gujrat PKR 216,300 PKR 2,486
Nawabshah PKR 216,300 PKR 2,486
Chakwal PKR 216,300 PKR 2,486
Hyderabad PKR 216,300 PKR 2,486
Nowshehra PKR 216,300 PKR 2,486
Sargodha PKR 216,300 PKR 2,486
Faisalabad PKR 216,300 PKR 2,486
Mirpur PKR 216,300 PKR 2,486

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