Authorities in Moscow have banned billboards containing QR codes after allies of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny used the matrix barcodes to conceal their newly launched anti-Putin campaign ahead of the 2024 presidential election.  Navalny on Thursday urged supporters to vote for any candidate besides Vladimir Putin during the race, which is scheduled to take place on March 15-17. On Friday, the 71-year-old Putin officially announced his bid to run for a fifth term.