Ex-Putin aide falls sick in Italy as investigators wear 'chemical protection suits'

Steven Seagal has been seen visiting a Russian prison camp in Ukraine, days after an explosion killed 50 prisoners.The actor, who is a vocal supporter of President Vladimir Putin, was photographed this week looking through the bars of the Russian-controlled camp at the prisoners inside.On 29 July, the prison – which is based in Olenivka in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine – was the site of an explosion that killed 50.As reported by the Mail Online, Ukraine’s military claimed Russia had ‘deliberately planned’ the transfer of some prisoners to new premises before the explosion.They suggested it was evidence of the ‘planned nature of this crime and its commission by the, Russian side.’However Russia claims Ukraine ordered the attack to stop prisoners from giving information to their captors.Seagal has a special relationship with Russia and often praises its leader, who this year ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine which has devastated the country.In 2016, the Under Siege actor was made a special envoy of Russia and given an exceptional passport to the country.Seagal had hailed Putin as ‘one of the greatest world leaders, if not the greatest world leader, alive today,’ and called his annexation of Crimea ‘reasonable’.Following the comments and special treatment from Russia, Seagal was banned from entering Ukraine for five years from 2017.Now however, the actor has been seen in the eastern region of the country as he checked out the damage done to the prison.The actor was pictured staring at the prisoners, his hands gripping the bars of the cage.He was later pictured standing inside the prison, seemingly musing over the massive damage done by the explosion, and sitting on a bench examining shrapnel.To view this

prisons to recruit 1,000 convicts to his bloodthirsty Wagner mercenary group to help with the war in Ukraine, claims a Russian opposition website. Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin gained the strange nickname after he was pictured serving Vladimir Putin dinner in a chef's uniform, according to Independent.ie.

Vladimir Putin's closest aides has warned him that the West is seeking to “destroy Russia ”. The worrying message came from former-president Dmitry Medvedev, and was part of a rant about using nuclear weapons in Ukraine.He is now the deputy head of the Russian security council.

Russia has fired several military commanders due to the “poor performance” during the invasion of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence claims.

Ukrainian forces to use inflatable dummy tanks to lure Vladimir Putin’s forces into an ambush.The T-72 decoys are covered with camouflage nets to look real and left in an open area to ensure Russian forces see them.Then President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s troops wait to draw their prey into what the SAS call the “kill grid”.READ MORE: Putin may beg Kim Jong-un for support as 100,000 soldiers set to help Russian war effortA senior military source said: “This is a classic tactic, a come-on, which allows you to lure your enemy to a position where you attack from a position of strength.“This is an ideal deception move as well. You make the enemy think you have armour in that area and change his plans.”Meanwhile, The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) raised grave concerns on Saturday (July 6) about the shelling the previous day at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, saying the action showed the risk of a nuclear disaster.Both sides accused each other of engaging in "nuclear terrorism".

Prince Charles' charity received a whopping £300k donation from an "unsavoury character" and it's emerged that a Russian oligarch forked out the sum as part of a £3million pledge.The Prince’s Foundation was the beneficiary of the sum from a charity run by Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor in 2020, despite the fertiliser billionaire being named on a "Putin list" released by the US Treasury two years earlier. The sum was paid before the war in Ukraine.

Uri Geller has issued a warning to Russian president Vladimir Putin, saying he will use ‘every last molecule of my Mind Power’ to prevent him from launching a nuclear attack.The spoon-bender and TV personality waded into international politics on Tuesday with a video he posted to Twitter, highlighting a letter he said he had sent to the Russian powers that be.Published with the caption ‘Read my warning which I sent to the Kremlin’, the 75-year-old stood in front of a screen showing Putin and a nuclear mushroom cloud.Discussing international nuclear powers, the illusionist, who bought a Scottish island where he believes witch bones are buried, shared his worry that Scotland was at risk, due to its naval bases.‘This is serious stuff and I have a warning for you, Putin,’ he added.Geller then approached the camera to loom closely into the lens, continuing: ‘I urge you all to read my warning, all of you, and I’m serious about it.

Vladimir Putin's former aide has been pictured in hospital partially paralysed and unable to close his eyes amid rumours of a possible poisoning. Anatoly Chubais, 67, was once the Kremlin's chief-of-staff and Russia's deputy prime minister.

Scots band The Ronains received a death threat from Russia after their new single artwork for Lunatics featured an image of Vladimir Putin.

Vladimir Putin wants chidlren as young as seven-years-old to "learn patriotic values at school" to “strengthen the spiritual and moral foundations of Russian society”, while casting himself as a romantic hero that oversaw Russia's rebirth. Sergei Novikov, who heads up the Kremlin's social projects division, said the curriculum would be focused on societal values in line with Russia's national security strategy.Some schools will roll out the discussions as early as this month, while others will target September 5 as a start date.READ MORE: Scotland base 'prime target' for 'suicidal' Russian nuclear attack The courses will focus on denying claims of Russian brutality against countries like Ukraine and Belarus.

Vladimir Putin has issued a new threat to the West by announcing that a new fleet of hypersonic missiles will be added to the Russian navy's nuclear arsenal. Speaking to commemorate Russia's Navy Day in St Petersburg, Putin boasted about Russia's military might and touted the new missiles, which can travel at speeds of 7,000mph and carry a devastating nuclear payload. The embattled leader also praised 17th-century Russian Tsar, Peter the Great, crediting him for Russia's formidable military power at sea.READ MORE: True story of Brit 'arrested and thrown in gulag' by Russians at Soviet space stationWhile he did not directly mention his ongoing war with Ukraine, Putin revealed that he had signed a new navy doctrine which included the introduction of the hypersonic 'Zicron' missiles onto Russian warships."The delivery of these (missiles) to the Russian armed forces will start in the coming months," Putin said."The Admiral Gorshkov frigate will be the first to go on combat duty with these formidable weapons on board."The key thing here is the capability of the Russian navy...

President Vladimir Putin has issued a chilling threat as he claimed the Russian navy is set to receive 7,000mph nuclear missiles. Speaking on Russia’s Navy Day in the former imperial capital of St Petersburg, Putin praised Tsar Peter the Great for making Russia a great sea power.

Vladimir Putin is said to have a backup evacuation plan for Russian pals just in case the despot is defeated in his Ukrainian invasion.Dictator Putin is attempting to make preparations to flee Russia should his war in Ukraine fail, reports from inside the Kremlin claim.Reports of the potential evacuation plan for the Russian president come as he is "aware of the possibility of a sharp change of mood in the country."READ MORE: Growing fears Putin will use nukes as Russia war effort falters, Brit expert claimsA change in mood for Russian nationals could come soon as Ukrainian forces begin to re-capture Kherson while the Russian economy receives a further blow and shifts closer to crumbling.The General SVR Telegram channel recently reported the 69-year-old had suffered "severe nausea" overnight and that doctors had been by his bedside for three hours.A follow-up report has claimed that "Putin himself and his entourage are preparing plans for evacuation from Russia."Alleged evacuation plans would mean dictator Putin and his family were carried out of Russia and into Syria, the nearest friendly state, but would mean flying through the airspace of NATO member Turkey. Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad had been bailed out by Putin back in 2015, when Russian military personnel intervened in the Syrian civil war.

Fenerbahce banned from UEFA competition after a section of the club's supporters appeared to chant Russian war dog Vladimir Putin's name during a Champions League qualifier against Dynamo Kyiv.The disgraceful incident occurred during the second leg of the second qualifying round tie at the Ulker Stadium on Wednesday night. Large sections of Fenerbahce fans could be hearing chanting Putin's name after Ukrainian midfielder Vitaliy Buyalskyi put Dynamo 1-0 up on the night.Buyalskyi prodded home a cross at the near post before wheeling away and making an eagle gesture with hands, believed by some to be a nod to Fenerbahce's arch-rivals Besiktas.READ MORE: Win 2 tickets to watch England vs Germany in Nations League action at Wembley StadiumThat did not go down well with the home supporters, who proceeded to chant bloodthirsty scoundrel Putin's name as the two teams returned to line up for kick-off.

Well, The View has finally found its full-time replacement for Meghan McCain after nearly a year of rotating guest hosts.

Vladimir Putin because they fear further health scares. Rumours have been circulating about the Russian tyrant's health since he launched his invasion of Ukraine in February. There have been suggestions of cancer, Parkinson's disease or both, and intelligence sources have claimed he has undergone major surgery in recent months.

Eurovision Song Contest on a tide of pro-Kyiv feeling as their warriors battle against Vladimir Putin’s invasion.Kalush Orchestra won the competition in Italy with their folk-rap combo song Stefania, with United Kingdom entrant Sam Ryder coming in second place.But while traditionally the winner hosts the next year’s competition, organisers the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has decided the event cannot be held in the war-torn country following Russia’s incursion.Instead, the UK will host the event in 2023 on behalf of Ukraine.It will be the ninth time Eurovision has taken place in the UK – more than any other country.Ukraine will still automatically qualify for the grand final alongside the so-called big five nations, the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, who get a free pass because of their financial contributions to the event.The Daily Star takes a look at when the UK has held the competition before, when it has previously won and which country has been victorious the most.An English location has been chosen seven times to host Eurovision, while the Scottish capital has also been used.London has hosted Eurovision a total of four times, in 1960, 1963, 1968 and 1977.Edinburgh organised it in 1972, Brighton in 1974 and Harrogate in 1982.The UK last hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998 in Birmingham following Katrina And The Waves’ victory in Dublin with Love Shine A Light the year before.The UK has won the Eurovision Song Contest five times and has come second 15 times.The first win was in 1967 with Sandie Shaw’s hit Puppet on a String, and the last was three decades later in 1997.Full list of UK Eurovision victors:Lula - Bomb-Bang-a-Bang, 1969Brotherhood of Man - Save Your Kisses For Me, 1976Bucks Fizz -

restaurant is to charge super-rich customers eye-watering fees of up to £80,000 for diners to eat pasta meals.Luxury eatery Core, which will open inside the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco next year, will boast a strict members-only policy designed to attract the very wealthiest residents of the California city.Crudo and pasta menus are to be crafted by Michele Brogioni, who has cooked for Barack Obama, Giorgio Armani — and even Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin.As well the super-expensive bites to eat, members of the private club will also be granted access to an extensive wine library and an antiaging salon offering a treatment worth $1,000 (£829).READ NEXT:Vegetable thief caught stealing handfuls of greenery from disabled man's garden Initiation fees will start at $15,000 (£12,000) and go up to a whopping $100,000 (£82,000), with a special discount reserved for "promising young innovators" who will pay just $10,000 (£8,200).But these will only cover the cost of membership and the price of the food, which will still come out of the customer's pocket.Bosses at Core hope the luxury offerings will entice the well-off members of the public to pay regular visits, and have even tipped their new venture to spark a “new renaissance of San Francisco” after a difficult few years for The Golden City.It will form part of the newly redeveloped Transamerica Pyramid, a 48-story futurist skyscraper originally dating from the 1960s.It is hoped its twenty-first century refurbishment will tempt back rich people to San Francisco following a mass exodus during the Coronavirus pandemic.Data from the Internal Revenue Service, the US equivalent of the HMRC, showed that the number of people listed on tax returns in the city dropped by 4.5%

Vladimir Putin’s health continues today after the Russian leader reportedly suffered a middle-of-the-night "health scare" early on Saturday (July 23).The Russian President complained of “severe nausea” and doctors rushed to his presidential quarters around 1am, it was alleged.The claim – which cannot be verified – comes from a Telegram channel that boasts it monitors Putin’s health, and asserts he has serious medical problems which have not been officially disclosed.READ MORE: Putin's sex-crazy mistress 'lifted his spirits' and may have influenced 'foreign policy'His condition improved after three hours but concerns over his condition mean that body doubles may be used this week, said the channel, General SVR.Kremlin insiders claim that Putin was previously replaced by a double for meetings with Iran’s leadership and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.The post on General SVR said: “Putin on the night of Friday July 22 to Saturday July 23 needed urgent medical care. At about 1am, the medical workers on duty at [his] residence were summoned to the president.“Putin complained of severe nausea.

Vladimir Putin's younger replacement could be even more brutal than he is, according to experts.Discussion over who could succeed the two-time Russian President has intensified in recent months amid speculation over the 69-year-old's health.Clips from earlier this year showed him resting his arms on a table and shaking as he speaks, which led to suggestions that Putin himself is aware of his deteriorating health and that this is one of the reasons for his brutal invasion of Ukraine.READ MORE: Vladimir Putin admits Ukraine sanctions are causing 'colossal problems' in RussiaMany who argue the leader's days are numbered also believe he is currently in the process of preparing the country for his chosen successor to ensure his legacy is continued. Kremlin insider Dmitry Kovalev is rumoured to be one leading candidate, with theories about him growing in popularity after he was witnessed speaking to Putin during the May 9 victory parade.Kovalev, 36, is said to share Putin's love of ice hockey and is employed in an important position in the Kremlin.Telegram channel Baza reported: "He is in charge of one of the departments of the Presidential Administration."There are a lot of hockey photos on Kovalev's page.

When hundreds of Russian bombs whistle overhead, Martha Aitken said it is only when they get really close that she flinches.