Death of a rebel

The reported death of Yevgeny Prigozhin sends a clear message that Putin is in charge [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( From the moment Yevgeny Prigozhin announced his plan to march with his mercenaries on Moscow to protest Russia’s failures in its war against Ukraine, he was probably living on borrowed time. Two months later, his private jet spiraled out of the sky near Moscow and crashed in flames. Also on board was the Wagner Group’s second in command — and self-proclaimed founder — Dmitry Utkin. Key Reading: [Putin Regains His Power With Russian Elite After Prigozhin Crash]( [Prigozhin, Wagner Mercenary Chief, Is Presumed Dead]( [Putin Appears Virtually at BRICS Following Prigozhin Jet Crash]( [Russian General Missing Since Wagner Mutiny Is Removed From Post]( Read our rolling coverage of the war in Ukraine [here](. In some ways, the news was startling. In others, it was utterly unsurprising. Notably, Russian general Sergei Surovikin was recently removed from his post. He had been linked to the Wagner chief and the failed mutiny. Russian President Vladimir Putin has long shown a ruthlessness in punishing those who betray him, be it sending goons to assassinate opponents and alleged traitors, stripping tycoons of their empires or condemnig political rivals to prison. The message is loud and and clear, and aimed very much at a domestic audience. Putin, who is paving the way for another term in 2024 elections, is still in charge. And there will be no great indulgence of opposition to him or his war. Importantly for the Russian president, there are no overt signs right now of broad dissent among the general public. Putin addressed a BRICS summit in South Africa by video without mentioning Prigozhin. There are some unknowns for Putin, however. We don’t know if authorities can or will mop up the remnants of Wagner’s forces in Russia. Do those forces try and regroup (some of them at least have been fiercely loyal to Prigozhin), or do they vanish like the mercenary ghosts they are? And are there any elites — be it in business or the military — willing to stick their neck out to take Putin on in his next term? All coups need a champion. Putin may have staved off, for now, another one emerging. — [Rosalind Mathieson]( The crash site near the village of Kuzhenkino. Source: AP Photo Check out today’s special early [Washington Edition](, in which Joshua Green assesses the debate last night among the candidates for the Republican presidential nomination. And if you are enjoying this newsletter, sign up [here](. Global Headlines Republican candidates battled each other over the economy in their first debate of the 2024 race, waging attacks on President Joe Biden’s policies while seeking to gain ground on the absent GOP frontrunner Donald Trump. Each of the eight contenders on stage in Milwaukee sought to [break from the crowded field]( and present themselves as someone who could beat Biden in a general election, with many praising Trump but saying he couldn’t retake the White House. Rudy Giuliani surrendered to Georgia authorities to be booked on charges that he conspired to keep Trump in office after he lost the 2020 election. The former New York mayor, who represented Trump in failed legal challenges to the result of the election, agreed to post a $150,000 bond in the case brought by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis after he, Trump and 17 others [were indicted]( last week for violating state racketeering laws. - Trump’s former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows can’t [avoid being arrested]( in the Georgia case if he fails to turn himself in by midday tomorrow, a federal judge ruled. Shootings in Canada are soaring as American gun manufacturers push to export the weapons into private hands around the world. The number of semiautomatic pistols and assault rifles coming from the US to Canada each year has skyrocketed from just 6,205 in 2003 to more than 66,000 in 2022. Over the same two decades, the country’s annual rate of shootings per capita — incidents referred to as “discharge firearm with intent” — [surged almost sevenfold](. Best of Bloomberg Opinion - [Swiping Right on Republican Presidential Debate: Opinion Wrap]( - [A Shot at the Moon, Now India Needs Moonshots: Andy Mukherjee]( - [Amid Russia’s Turmoil, Are Sanctions Really Helping?: Editorial]( Major emerging market nations invited top oil exporter Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Argentina, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates to join the BRICS bloc in a push to [expand its global influence](. Leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa agreed to expand the group from Jan. 1 at a summit being held this week in Johannesburg, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said, for its first expansion since 2010. Spain’s self-exiled leader of Catalan separatists has suddenly found himself back with a starring role in the country’s latest political drama. Carles Puigdemont fled in 2017 to escape arrest after spearheading a botched attempt to unilaterally declare independence for Catalonia. Following an inconclusive Spanish election in late July, the former journalist and the party he leads [hold the key]( to who will get to form the next government. Explainers You Can Use - [Republicans Brawl as DeSantis Dodges Blows: Debate Key Takeaways]( - [India and China Are Now the Only Nations With Rovers on the Moon]( - [Pret A Manger Boss Bets Return-to-Office Mandates Will Struggle]( Thailand’s Srettha Thavisin may soon find that winning the prime minister’s job was easier than running a coalition government made up of 11 parties previously seen as sworn enemies. After three months of post-election haggling, the mix of populist and conservative parties is [likely to be shaky]( since it was born out of a deal that centered around the return after 15 years of exile of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra. Tune in to Bloomberg TV’s Balance of Power at 5pm to 6pm ET weekdays with Washington correspondents [Annmarie Hordern]( and [Joe Mathieu](. You can watch and listen on Bloomberg channels and online [here](. News to Note - North Korea again [failed]( to put a spy satellite into orbit when its rocket suffered trouble soon after launch. - China suspended all [seafood]( imports from Japan after Tokyo began releasing treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear site into the Pacific Ocean. - The Biden administration is in talks with Venezuela to explore a temporary lifting of crippling economic sanctions in exchange for President Nicolas Maduro [allowing fair elections]( next year, sources say. - Australia faces economic [losses]( of as much as $274 billion in reduced productivity unless extreme climate change is addressed, a government report found. - Argentina's economic activity [contracted]( for a fourth straight month in June, signaling impending recession amid the political uncertainty of an election year. And finally ... A wildfire in the national park north of Greece’s capital roared back overnight, covering much of Athens with smoke, and could get worse as wind speeds are expected to pick up. Authorities are fighting 55 blazes, including one in the northeastern region of Evros that [killed 18 migrants]( as it swept through a forest. This summer has seen extreme temperatures, violent storms, flooding and wildfires across Europe and North America. Fire approaches the village of Avantas, northeast of Alexandroupolis, Greece, on Monday. Photographer: Konstantinos Tsakalidis/Bloomberg More from Bloomberg - [Washington Edition]( for exclusive coverage on how the worlds of money and politics intersect in the US capital - [Economics Daily]( for what the changing landscape means for policy makers, investors and you - [Supply Lines]( for daily insights into supply chains and globe trade - [Bw Daily]( for unique perspectives, original reporting and insightful analysis from Businessweek’s renowned journalists - [Green Daily]( for the latest in climate news, zero-emission tech and green finance Explore more newsletters at [Bloomberg.com](. Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Want to sponsor this newsletter? [Get in touch here](. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Balance of Power newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. [Unsubscribe]( [Bloomberg.com]( [Contact Us]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10022 [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( [Ad Choices](