U.S. investors were big buyers of equity funds in the seven days through Nov. 15, spurred by expectations

Kourtney Kardarshian said, 'Praise be to God, walking out of the hospital with my baby boy in my tummy and safe was the truest blessing'

Jamaica's Shericka Jackson won the women's 100m at the Diamond League finals in Eugene, Oregon, in 10.70sec as world...

Filmmaker Jay Roach takes a detour from moviemaking in the desert with a new AppleTV+ series, “High Desert,” which is currently five episodes into its eight-episode run

It looks like something straight out of a René Magritte gallery, but a black and white photo showing lines of trees floating over a dirt track is no surrealist masterpiece. Indeed, it’s not an optical illusion at all, but evidence of a carefully constructed war tactic. The picture was taken in 1941 by a Finnish photographer called Osvald Hedenström, as his nation tried to shield itself from the might of neighbouring Stalinist Russia during World War II. A year earlier, Finland had reluctantly agreed to fight alongside Nazi Germany in a bid to protect itself from Soviet invasion, and Hedenström was fighting under German command when he found himself beneath the mysterious levitating pines. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter “The Finns didn’t have funds to buy artificial camouflage such as nets in vast quantities,” military historian Colonel Petteri Jouko told Atals Obscura, “So they used trees, leaves, and foliage to confuse the enemy.” Of course, camouflage is nothing new, and military fatigues are designed to mimic the colour and patterns of surrounding landscapes. But why are the trees suspended in thin air? And how on earth did they get them up there? According to Hedenström’s caption to the photo: “The Finns have camouflaged the road to Raate, about 10 km from Russia, with pines hanging in the air, because right on the border there is an observation tower erected by the Russians.” The trees were strategically placed to ensure that they wouldn’t block the road from a plane flying overhead, but could obscure the view from the nearby enemy tower. In fact, the pines were hung from wires which were connected to a series of poles (which, if you look carefully you can see), on the right-hand side of the road. Because of the angle of Hedenström’s snap, the cables on the first row of trees are hidden, which gives the impression that they’re being held up by sheer magic. The image is now part of the Finnish Defence Force’s photographic Archive, which contains some 160,000 photos captured between 1939 and 1945, when Finland fought two separate wars against the Soviet Union. It features other examples of clever concealment – thanks to Mother Nature – including a battleship which almost melts into surrounding forest land, and other examples of floating trees. In the end, Finland’s mastery of camouflage was among the key defences which helped it inflict humiliating losses on the Red Army and, ultimately, preserve its freedom. So, Vladimir Putin, take note: these guys know a thing or two about fighting off invasions. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Dee Alford scored on a 79-yard punt return, Breon Borders returned one of Atlanta’s three interceptions for a score and the Falcons defeated the Miami Dolphins 19-3 in the teams' preseason opener

Chris Rock and Diplo seemingly made a lucky escape from the Burning Man chaos that left tens of thousands of festivalgoers stranded. Heavy rain forced nearby roads to be closed, and those in attendance have been urged to conserve food and take shelter. "The Gate and airport in and out of Black Rock City remain closed," X/Twitter account Burning Man Traffic wrote. "Ingress and egress are halted until further notice. No driving is permitted except emergency vehicles. If you are in BRC, conserve food, water, and fuel, and shelter in a warm, safe space. More updates to come." In what some have jokingly called a "simulation glitch," Diplo took to Instagram to share a clip from the day. It showed him and Rock riding in the back of a pickup truck after walking six miles in the mud. Diplo wrote: "I legit walked the side of the road for hours with my thumb out cuz i have a show in dc tonight and didn't want to let yall down. Also shoutout to this guy for making the smart purchase of a truck not knowing it was for this exact moment (sic)". In the video, the 44-year-old joked that all Rock "could think about was a f***ing cold brew." Hundreds of fans flocked to the clip, with one writing: "Nobody gon believe em when he tells this story at the bar 'Yea Diplo AND Chris Rock surrrrre' (sic)". "Imagine picking up Diplo and Chris Rock just casually trekking through the desert lol," another added, while a third called their escape "absolutely wild and iconic at the same time." Meanwhile, a fourth joked: "I love that Rock is wearing the most non-Burning Man outfit ever. Legend." The comedian also updated fans on the grim Burning Man scenes via his Instagram Stories. In one, he explained that "because of the flooding, the port-o-potties reportedly can’t be emptied and because the gates are closed, people can’t get in to fill generators or deliver supplies." Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Nearly nine out of 10 parents believe their child is performing at grade level despite standardized tests showing far fewer students are on track

The Nationals and Cardinals game today, July 16, was impacted by inclement weather. Check here for weather updates on the Cardinals rain delay.Another day, another Cardinals rain delay to deal with as St. Louis tries to close out the series against the Nationals.Friday's game had to be ...

ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan was injured by a falling tree.

Some of the world’s biggest celebrations of LGBTQ+ pride are set to kick off Sunday

At least 16 people have been killed, including a child, after a Russian missile struck a market in a town in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk, officials said, in one of the worst attacks in months.