0830GMT//Putin test-fires another missile; death toll from Russian weapons factory blast rises; protest banned in Vladivostok

ANOTHER NEW WEAPON: Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia had test-fired a nuclear-powered underwater drone that can be fitted with a nuclear warhead. This was Russia's second nuclear weapons test since Sunday, when it launched the Burevestnik cruise missile. (COMMENT: Once again, Putin said that Russia's latest nuclear weapon "could not be stopped". He seems to enjoy Cold War-era sabre rattling. Donald Trump has responded by ordering the US to test its nuclear weapons for the first time in 30 years.)

AMMO FACTORY BLAST DEATH TOLL RISES: The death toll after a blast at an ammunition factory in Chelyabinsk in central Russia last week has now risen to 23. (COMMENT: Explosions have hit several Russian ammunition plants this year. This blast has been the deadliest. The authorities denied that it had been caused by a Ukrainian drone attack.)

PROTEST BANNED: The authorities in Vladivostok have refused permission for a second protest on Nov. 9 against a new tax due to be brought in on imported cars. Instead, a pro-Kremlin rally is planned. A first rally was approved on Oct. 11 and attracted around 500 people. Many people carried placards that were openly critical of the Kremlin. (COMMENT: It looks as if city officials in Vladivostok decided against repeating their experiment in democracy. Clearly, the first protest attracted too many people and too much anti-Kremlin sentiment. No doubt central government was not amused. It was an almost unheard of protest in Russia and revealed genuine frustrations.)

IMPORT COSTS RISE: Shipping cargo from China to Russia has become more expensive because of blockages on the Kazakhstan-Russia border. Extra border inspections have slowed down customs processing, according to cargo business owners. (COMMENT: Queues have been forming at the border for the past six weeks or so. It's unclear why the extra customs checks have been imposed. Some reports have said that it is to clamp down on "dual use" products, such as drones, from being imported into Russia.)