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Russian President, Vladimir Putin Now Wears ‘Bulletproof Vests’ Amid Assassination Fears

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Russian president, Vladimir Putin is reportedly now using bulletproof vests for many of his public appearances amid fears he could face an assassination bid linked to his war in Ukraine or from Islamic terrorists.

Two Russian officials plus a source close to the Kremlin told The Moscow Times that the country’s special services ‘have ramped up the already strict security measures surrounding President Vladimir Putin to an unprecedented degree’.

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The Kremlin is on ‘heightened alert over its invasion of Ukraine – but is also said to be ‘rattled’ by recent attacks on high-ranking politicians in Europe and Asia.

A Russian source told the news outlet: ‘The Kremlin takes Vladimir Putin’s security very seriously. He is protected by a whole army of visible and invisible guards.’

READ ALSO: Russia Passes Decree To Allow Seizure Of US Assets

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The report claimed that the 71-year-old has been wearing body armour at outdoor events ‘since at least 2023’.

The report went on: ‘He has been doing so on the strong recommendation of the Presidential Security Service (SBP), a unit within the Federal Guard Service (FSO) that protects the president.’

Sources confirmed he wore the body armour beneath his jacket during a major appearance on May 9 on Red Square when he presided over the annual Victory Day military parade commemorating the Soviet victory over the Nazis in World War II, stated the report.

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This is an event when his security is highly visible, and snipers are present on rooftops around the square.

READ ALSO: PSG Refuse To Pay Kylian Mbappe £70m Debt After Transfer To Real Madrid

Footage of him walking with ex-defence minister Sergei Shoigu appeared to show how he was made uncomfortable by the alleged body armour.

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‘This year on May 9, the chief [Putin] was clearly wearing concealed body armour during the parade. And that precaution, I think, is necessary,’ said one official.

‘God protects the cautious,’ said a second.

The news outlet quoted Jade Miller, described as an independent British hostile environment and high-risk security consultant, who examined in detail footage of Putin at the Victory Day parade and concluded that he was indeed wearing a bulletproof vest.

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‘Putin appears to be walking in a rather rigid manner and there are no natural creases appearing at the back of his overcoat when walking and shaking military personnel hands,’ said Miller.

READ ALSO: Father Punches Comedian On Stage Over ‘Sexualized’ Joke About His Baby[VIDEO]

His upper body frame ‘looks unnatural and his shoulders appear rather wide & square, showing no shape of the back and shoulder blades’.

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At one point ‘a part of his overcoat appears to get caught under what could potentially be a ballistic vest’.

The day was unusually cold for the time of year, and many attendees had donned extra clothing.

But Putin ‘appears to lift and adjust his shoulders in a way that shows discomfort from how a ballistic vest is designed to sit on the shoulders or collarbone,’ she concluded.

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The weight of such body armour may cause discomfort and irritation when worn for a prolonged time.

The British expert concluded Putin kept his overcoat fastened up high and was ‘seen checking that it is closed, as though he is trying to ensure no one can see an undergarment’.

She concluded: ‘In my professional opinion, Putin is wearing some form of ballistic protection during his time attending the parade’.

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Syrian Ex-leader Assad Faces War Crime Charges For Killing Journalists

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French judicial authorities have issued arrest warrants for ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and six other top former officials over the bombardment of a rebel-held city in 2012 that killed two journalists, lawyers said Tuesday.

Marie Colvin, 56, an American working for The Sunday Times of Britain, and French photographer Remi Ochlik, 28, were killed on February 22, 2012, by the explosion in the eastern city of Homs, which is being investigated by the French judiciary as a potential crime against humanity as well as a war crime.

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British photographer Paul Conroy, French reporter Edith Bouvier, and Syrian translator Wael Omar were wounded in the attack on the informal press centre where they had been working.

READ ALSO:France’s Top Court Annuls Arrest Warrant Against Syria’s Ex-president al-Assad

Assad escaped with his family to Russia after being ousted by Islamist rebels at the end of 2024, although his precise whereabouts have not been confirmed.

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Other than Assad, the warrants notably target his brother Maher al-Assad, who was the de facto head of the 4th Syrian armoured division at the time, intelligence chief Ali Mamlouk, and then-army chief of staff Ali Ayoub.

The issuing of the seven arrest warrants is a decisive step that paves the way for a trial in France for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Bashar al-Assad’s regime,” said Clemence Bectarte, lawyer for the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and Ochlik’s parents.

READ ALSO:US Embassy Warns Americans In Nigeria Of Looming Visa Overstay Penalties

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The FIDH said the journalists had clandestinely entered the besieged city to “document the crimes committed by Bashar al-Assad’s regime” and were victims of a “targeted bombing”.

The investigation clearly established that the attack on the informal press centre was part of the Syrian regime’s explicit intention to target foreign journalists to limit media coverage of its crimes and force them to leave the city and the country,” said Mazen Darwish, lawyer and director of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM).

Colvin was known for her fearless reporting and signature black eye patch, which she wore after losing sight in one eye in an explosion during Sri Lanka’s civil war. Her career was celebrated in a Golden Globe-nominated film, “A Private War”.

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Ghana’s President Sacks Chief Justice Over Corruption Allegations

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President John Dramani Mahama has dismissed the Chief Justice of Ghana following the outcome of a high-level investigation into allegations of falsifying judicial records and misusing public funds.

A five-member commission, chaired by a Supreme Court judge and set up by Mahama, concluded that the allegations against the country’s top judicial officer were substantiated and recommended her removal.

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After considering the petition and the evidence, the Committee found that the grounds of stated misbehaviour under Article 146(1) had been established and recommended her removal from office,” said the spokesperson to the President, Felix Ofosu, in a statement on Monday.

READ ALSO:Police Bust Lagos-Ghana Sex Trafficking Ring

President John Dramani Mahama has accordingly removed the Chief Justice from office with immediate effect.”

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The dismissal marks the first time a sitting Chief Justice in Ghana has been investigated and dismissed from office.

While Mahama, who took office in January, has repeatedly pledged to intensify the fight against corruption, it remains unclear whether the embattled Chief Justice, Gertrude Torkonoo, will face criminal prosecution.

 

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Danish Court Sentences Ex-minister To Prison For Child Abuse Material

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A former Danish government minister was jailed for four months on Monday for possession of thousands of images of child sexual abuse.

Henrik Sass Larsen, once a senior Social Democrat who served as industry minister, admitted to having more than 6,000 photographs and 2,000 videos on his computer depicting sexual abuse of children.

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He had denied the charges, saying he had the material because he was trying to find out who had abused him as a child.

Prosecutor Maria Cingari said she was “satisfied” with the verdict but added that it was sad that someone “who managed to make the most out of their life despite a bad start finds himself in such a situation.”

READ ALSO:JUST IN: Finnish Court Jails Simon Ekpa Six Years For Terrorism Offences

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You should never be in possession of child pornography, no matter the reason,” Cingari added.

During his trial, the 59-year-old told the court he had received a link in 2018 to a 50-year-old video showing him being sexually abused when he was three years old.

He testified that he received another video clip in 2020, in which a three-year-old girl was raped in his presence when he was around the same age.

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The two videos disappeared after he viewed them, he said.

READ ALSO:South African Court Affirms 18-year Jail Term For Nigerian Over Human Trafficking

He told the court he regretted not having contacted the police when he received the videos.

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Sass Larsen was also accused of being in possession of a child sex doll, but the court did not find him guilty on that charge.

His lawyer, Berit Ernst, told reporters that “we’ll see if it is a definitive end or if we will appeal.”

The scandal came to light last March and led to his expulsion from the Social Democratic Party.

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At the time, Social Democratic Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen expressed her shock over the case.

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