More than 1,400 protesters were arrested in Russia on Wednesday as supporters of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny took part in rallies in dozens of cities across the country. The protesters called for the Kremlin critic's freedom as concerns endure over his deteriorating health after three weeks on a hunger strike. Many of those arrested on Wednesday were seized before the protests had even got underway , including two of Navalny's most prominent associates in Moscow. A woman defies a police officer during a protest in Ulan-Ude, the regional capital of Buryatia, near the Russia-Mongolia border Protests coincide with Putin address The protests took place on the same day that President Vladimir Putin delivered his annual state-of-the-nation address , warning the West not to cross Russia's "red lines" while again making no mention of Navalny nor his plight. In the capital, Navalny spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh and Lyubov Sobol, a top associate of the Kremlin … [Read more...] about Hundreds arrested in protests for hunger-striking Navalny
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Russia deploys ‘decoy army’ of inflatable tanks, missiles & fighter jets to ‘trick the West’ amid Ukraine tensions
RUSSIA deployed a "decoy army" of inflatable tanks, missiles and fighter jets to "trick the West" amid Ukraine tensions. The superpower's blow-up army was used for nation-wide military exercises. Putin's decoys, which can inflate within minutes, were seen in woods close to the capital city Moscow this week. The army said: “The inflatable equipment is nearly identical to the original thanks to the use of special materials. "It also has the same radiation background so that an enemy does not notice the deception.” Rusbal, the company behind the blow-up forces, said the cost of fooling the enemy is a fraction of buying the real weaponry. Among the armoury is what looks like a MiG-31 and Su-27 fighters under the cover of an anti-aircraft missile system at a mock covert airfield in the forest. A report on the Russian Defence Ministry's TV channel Zvezda said: “Tanks, aviation and air defence systems were moved to Moscow region so that ‘an enemy’ had a chance not only … [Read more...] about Russia deploys ‘decoy army’ of inflatable tanks, missiles & fighter jets to ‘trick the West’ amid Ukraine tensions
Couple who bought dream home told to pay £88,000 to stop garden falling into stream
A couple have been forced to pull their property from the market after discovering their garden is collapsing into in a stream. Paul Minchella, 57, and his wife Dawn have been hit with an £88,000 bill on their home which is now unsellable due to structural faults – and the insurance risks associated with it. The pair bought the new build in Longwood, Huddersfield, for £173,000 in April 2007. Now, 14 years, later, they say it has turned into a nightmare after being quoted a fortune to fix structural problems in the outdoor area. The couple said they discovered the fault after surveyors visited their home in September 2019 regarding their house sale. They then discovered their garden was gradually falling into a stream. Paul Minchella told Yorkshire Live : "At the end of October 2019, we noticed that all of a sudden, the gabions had come away from the fence by quite a significant amount and the garden had collapsed. We had to take our house off the market because of this. … [Read more...] about Couple who bought dream home told to pay £88,000 to stop garden falling into stream