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A behind-closed-doors “farewell ceremony” has been held for the Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin – a funeral avoided by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Secrecy had surrounded the funeral arrangements for Prigozhin, killed in a plane crash on 23 August, two months to the day after staging a 24-hour mutiny that was the biggest challenge to Mr Putin’s authority since he rose to power in 1999. The low-key ceremony stands in stark contrast to Prigozhin’s aggressive self-promotion, with videos from Ukraine having become a regular fixture of his months-long feud with Moscow’s military command over the invasion Mr Putin started. That ended with his forces marching on Moscow, only stopping 125 miles from the capital when a deal was struck with the Kremlin. “The farewell to Yevgeny Viktorovich took place in a closed format. Those who wish to say goodbye may visit Porokhovskoye cemetery,” his press service said in a short post on Telegram, accompanied by a photo of Prigozhin. But the seemingly private ceremony suits the Kremlin and Mr Putin, with Prigozhin having gone from years-long ally of the Russian president to being branded a “traitor” over his armed uprising. It meant that the event could not be turned into a large-scale show of support for the Wagner chief, who as well as collecting enemies had gained admiration among some of Moscow’s elite for throwing his troops into some of the bloodiest battles of Mr Putin’s war. That included around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, control of which has gained symbolic significance for both Kyiv and Moscow. Wagner forces were at the vanguard of that fight and helped Russian forces take it – although fierce battles continue around the suburbs of the ruined city. Hence why Mr Putin and the Kremlin have to walk a fine line in not denigrating Prigozhin, despite few observers believing the Russian president would let the embarrassment of the Wagner mutiny stand without retribution. Comments from Mr Putin have reflected that stance. He noted last week that Wagner leaders “made a significant contribution” to the fighting in Ukraine and described Prigozhin as a “talented businessman” and “a man of difficult fate” who had “made serious mistakes in life”. Pictures published on social media showed Prigozhin’s dark granite tombstone surrounded by a sea of flowers, mostly red roses, in the cemetery on the northeast edge of his hometown. Other makeshift memorials have appeared in recent days in both Moscow and St Petersburg. Sergei Markov, a pro-Kremlin political analyst, noted that Prigozhin has become a legendary figure for his supporters who are increasingly critical of the authorities. “Prigozhin’s funeral raises an issue of communication between the bureaucratic Russian government system that doesn’t have much political potential and the politically active patriotic segment of the Russian public,” Mr Markov said. Russia‘s top criminal investigation agency, the Investigative Committee, officially confirmed Prigozhin’s death on Sunday, but it has not given a cause for the crash. A number of leaders in the West, and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky, have suggested that nothing of this magnitude could occur in Russia without Mr Putin’s knowledge. The Kremlin has claimed that such accusations are an “absolute lie”. The Kremlin had confirmed earlier on Tuesday that Mr Putin would not attend Prigozhin’s funeral. Also on Tuesday, prominent Russian nationalist Igor Girkin failed in an appeal against his pre-trial detention on charges of inciting extremism, a Moscow court said. Mr Girkin, also known as Strelkov, has fiercely criticised the way that Russia has conducted the war in Ukraine and his arrest was seen as an extension of a crackdown on dissent by Putin. The Embraer Legacy 600 private jet on which Prigozhin was travelling to St Petersburg from Moscow crashed north of Moscow with the loss of all 10 people on board, including top Wagner bosses Dmitry Utkin and Valery Chekalov, and a crew of three. Earlier on Tuesday, Mr Chekalov, the head of Wagner logistics, was buried at another St Petersburg cemetery. His family was joined by dozens of people, including Wagner mercenaries and employees from Prigozhin’s business empire. On the battlefield in Ukraine, a military spokesperson said Kyiv’s forces were advancing against Russian forces in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia after recapturing Robotyne, the latest of a cluster of villages it says it has taken back in recent weeks. Kyiv also said its troops had had some “success” in the direction of the village of Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia region, but gave no details. Ukrainian deputy defence minister Hanna Maliar said fighting was heavy in the country but that Ukrainian forces were making progress around Bakhmut, while Russian shelling killed a 45-year-old man and wounded at least one other person in the northeastern Ukrainian town of Kupiansk. Russia also said it had downed two drones over the Black Sea it said were launched by Ukraine. Reuters and Associated Press contributed to this report Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary White House says Kremlin has ‘long history’ of killing opponents The key to Ukraine punching through Russia’s defences | Askold Krushelnycky Russian hard-line nationalist ordered to stay in prison after accusing Putin of weakness

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People can go years with no idea they have something wrong with their heart. Symptoms can be vague and subtle and many heart conditions are ‘hidden’ – meaning they’re not obvious from the outside. “Hidden heart conditions often go undiagnosed for too long, until something goes wrong or it’s too late,” says Sindy Jodar, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation (BHF). “That’s why it is important to never ignore the signs of heart disease and get yourself checked, just to be sure.” While some warning signs are easy to spot – such as severe chest pain and collapse – there are also many little indicators that something could be wrong with your heart or circulatory system. These won’t necessarily mean you have a heart problem, but it’s always best to have them investigated. From tiredness and nausea to fainting, here are some of the less obvious symptoms everyone needs to know about… 1. Feeling unusually tired Dr M Adil U Khan, a GP at Pall Mall Medical, says you should not “ignore or downplay unusual levels of tiredness”. While it’s normal to feel exhausted if you’ve been very busy or lacking sleep, he adds: “Feeling unusually tired, especially if it’s not related to exertion, should be investigated.” It could be due to something like anaemia, a virus, or even linked to mental health. It could also be related to your heart, so it is important to have it investigated. 2. Subtle discomfort “Look out for subtle discomfort in different areas of your body, including discomfort or pain in the jaw, neck, back, or stomach, which can be associated with a heart problem,” says Khan. If symptoms are out of the norm for you and aren’t going away, it’s always best to get them checked. 3. Unusual swelling Perhaps you have noticed your ankles look particularly puffy, or maybe it’s your general tummy area that’s constantly swollen for no apparent reason. “Unexplained swelling, known as oedema, in the legs, ankles or abdomen, may also be signs of heart failure,” explains Khan. 4. Vomiting and a choking sensation Sudden vomiting or a choking sensation in your throat is something to be wary of too. “While not every bout of nausea means there could be something serious happening, feeling sick combined with other aches and pains, such as severe chest pain, should ring an alarm bell,” says Jodar. Yes, it could be a stomach bug, but if you are having sudden spells of vomiting and nausea more regularly and you’re not sure why, don’t delay in get things checked out. 5. Fainting If you experience sudden fainting, this is a big indicator of something being awry. “If fainting or any other symptom becomes a problem, consult a healthcare provider and schedule an appointment with a doctor or cardiologist,” says Khan. “Discuss your symptoms, medical history and risk factors with them. “Your healthcare provider will assess your vital signs and perform a physical examination. Depending on your symptoms and risk factors, you may undergo diagnostic tests like ECGs, echocardiograms, stress tests, blood tests, or more specialised cardiac assessments,” he adds. 6. Shortness of breath Struggling to catch your breath is not a trivial matter. “Anyone experiencing shortness of breath during everyday activities or at rest should see their doctor,” says Khan. This is especially the case if it’s accompanied by chest pain – even if it doesn’t seem especially severe. Khan adds: “Mild chest discomfort should always be investigated, but some people mistake this for indigestion or muscular pain.” 7. Unusual sweating “Feeling hot, clammy and quite sweaty when you haven’t been doing strenuous exercise shouldn’t be ignored,” adds Jodar. “If this is combined with chest pains, it’s important you get yourself looked at.” 8. Heart rate irregularities Does your pulse sometimes feel jumpy or too fast? Get it checked with your doctor. Khan says: “Smartwatches and fitness trackers can provide valuable data about your heart rate and may detect irregularities to some extent. They can help track general trends in heart rate, especially during physical activity or rest. “However, they are not a substitute for medical-grade monitoring and evaluation… Any concerning symptoms should be evaluated by a healthcare professional for a comprehensive assessment and diagnosis,” Khan adds. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Breast Cancer Awareness Month: 9 brilliant beauty buys supporting good causes Smokers 2.6 times more likely to give birth prematurely Female students ‘more than twice as likely’ to be affected by poor mental health, research shows

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Narges Mohammadi, an activist serving a 10-year sentence in an Iranian prison, was awarded the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday “for her fight against the oppression of women.” The decision comes after more than a year of protests, spearheaded by women, after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in the custody of the country’s morality police. Unrest spread rapidly, with demands ranging from greater freedoms to an overthrow of the regime. Mohammedi is the 19th woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize and the second Iranian woman, after human rights activist Shirin Ebadi won the award in 2003. “She fights for women against systematic discrimination and oppression,” the head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Berit Reiss-Andersen, said at the announcement in Oslo. Mohammadi supports the struggle for women to live "full and dignified lives" and that she is a “freedom fighter,” Ms Reiss-Andersen said. Mohammadi, 51, has kept up her activism from inside Tehran’s Evin Prison where she is currently serving multiple sentences totalling more than a decade. An engineer by training, she has been imprisoned 13 times and convicted five times during her years of campaigning. Ms Reiss-Andersen began her announcement in Farsi, saying "woman, life, freedom" – one of the slogans of the protests. Images of Iranian women defiantly setting their headscarves on fire and chanting the phrase spread around the world. Mohammadi was behind bars as the protests grew nationwide, sparking one of the most-intense challenges ever to Iran's theocracy since its 1979 Islamic Revolution. More than 500 people were killed in a heavy security crackdown while more than 22,000 others have been arrested. But Mohammadi, 51, has kept up her activism and has remained a leading light for the protests. In a statement, Mohammadi said global support and recognition of her human rights advocacy makes her “more resolved, more responsible, more passionate and more hopeful.” “I also hope this recognition makes Iranians protesting for change stronger and more organised. Victory is near,” she said. Authorities arrested Mohammadi last November after she attended a memorial for a victim of 2019 protests that began over fuel prices but morphed into a broader show of dissent that was crushed by security forces in a bloody crackdown. Charges against her – which the international community have decried – include spreading propaganda against the state. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a British-Iranian national who spent time in Tehran's Evin jail with Ms Mohammadi until she was released in March 2022, said that her friend was “an inspiration”. "[The announcement] makes me cry. She did so much for all of us in Evin. Narges is an inspiration and a pillar to the women in the female ward in Evin for her fearless fight against violations of women's rights, the use of solitary confinement and execution in the judicial system in Iran,” she told the BBC. Ms Reiss-Andersen said the peace prize award also recognised the hundreds of thousands of people who have demonstrated against Iranian discrimination and oppression of women. "This prize is first and foremost a recognition of the very important work of a whole movement in Iran, with its undisputed leader, Narges Mohammadi," she said. "Only by embracing equal rights for all can the world achieve the fraternity between nations that [prize founder] Alfred Nobel sought to promote," she said. Mohammadi has a long history of imprisonment, harsh sentences and international calls for reviews of her case. She has been arrested around a dozen times and has faced serveral convictions by the Iranian state. "If the Iranian authorities make the right decision, they will release her so that she can be present to receive this honour, which is what we primarily hope for," Ms Reiss-Andersen said. There was no immediate official reaction from Tehran, which claims the protests against the state are Western-led subversion. But the semi-official news agency Fars said Mohammadi had “received her prize from Westerners.” Mohammadi's husband, Taghi Rahmani, applauded in his home in Paris as he watched the announcement on television. “This Nobel Prize will embolden Narges' fight for human rights, but more importantly, this is in fact a prize for the 'women, life and freedom' movement,” he said. Before being jailed, Mohammadi was vice president of the banned Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran. Ebadi founded the centre. Ebadi left Iran after the disputed re-election of then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009 that touched off unprecedented protests and harsh crackdowns by authorities. “I congratulate Narges Mohammadi and all Iranian women for this prize ... this prize will shed light on violation of women's rights in the Islamic Republic ... which unfortunately has proven that it cannot be reformed,” Ebadi said. According to the will of Alfred Nobel, the prize should be awarded to the person "who has done the most or best to advance fellowship among nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and the establishment and promotion of peace congresses". Previous winners of the prize – which can be awarded to individuals or organisations – include Nelson Mandela, Barack Obama, Mikhail Gorbachev, Aung San Suu Kyi and the United Nations. Last year’s prize was won by human rights activists from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, in what was seen as a strong rebuke to Vladimir Putin in the wake of his invasion of Ukraine. Unlike the other Nobel prizes, which are selected and announced in Stockholm, the peace prize is awarded in Oslo by the five-member Norwegian Nobel Committee. The prizes are handed out at ceremonies in December; they carry a cash award of 11 million Swedish kronor (about £820,000). Winners also receive an 18-carat gold medal and diploma. 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