International

Police detain dozens amid farewell to vavalny across Russia

Tension flared up once again in Port-au-Prince with shootouts erupting between the police and armed gangs, following a day of apparent calm in the Haitian capital after a violent previous day that saw at least five dead and scores injured.

According to the latest report from the Haitian Police Union, at least 56 individuals were detained in fourteen cities across the country during the farewell day for the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who was buried two weeks after his death in an Arctic prison.

According to OVD-Info, an organization advocating for the rights of detainees, the cities with the highest number of detentions were Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, and Moscow, with 14, 10, and 6 arrests respectively.

Police also conducted arrests in Voronezh, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Vladikavkaz, St. Petersburg, Ulan-Ude, and Sochi, among others.

Among those detained was the vice president of the Moscow branch of the opposition party Yabloko, Andrey Morev, who was arrested by police in the Moscow metro after the burial, according to OVD-Info.

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Morev, who was taken into custody along with a colleague at the Marino station near the cemetery, has not yet been charged, according to a statement he made to the Mozhem Obiasnit (We Can Explain) Telegram channel.

Two other individuals were arrested near the cemetery, according to journalist Alexander Plyuschev and the Avtozak Live Telegram channel, which reports on detentions.

One of them was reportedly detained after shouting, “Who killed Navalny?”

Multitudes gathered to bid farewell to Navalny, with lines extending for kilometers as people arrived with flowers in hand, chanting “Russia will be free,” “Russia without Putin,” “Navalny,” and “Liosha (a diminutive of Alexei), we are with you,” at the burial in the Borisovo cemetery in the Russian capital.

Yulia: Thank You for 26 Years of Absolute Happiness

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Yulia, who bid farewell to her husband on Friday with a message on social media due to her inability to attend the funeral, thanked him for their “26 years of absolute happiness” together.

“I don’t know how to live without you, but I will try to make you happy and proud of me up there,” wrote Navalnaya from exile.

Yulia expressed confidence that she would see her husband again “one day.”

Politicians and Diplomats Attend the Funeral

Among the personalities who attended the funeral were Yevgeny Roizman, former mayor of Yekaterinburg, as well as some foreign diplomats, including the ambassadors of the United States, Germany, and France.

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Boris Nadezhdin, a candidate for the Russian presidency recently banned by the Electoral Commission of the country, also attended the farewell ceremony.

“The people are afraid, but they want to overcome it,” said opposition politician Nadezhdin to EFE. He added that Navalny’s death is “a tragic event for millions of Russians who supported him.”

Stringent Security Measures

Navalny’s farewell took place under strict security measures and an unprecedented police deployment in the Marino neighborhood.

Both near the temple, where the funeral home was set up, and at the cemetery, metal barriers and a strong police presence were in place.

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In addition, multiple surveillance cameras and other devices that can be used as internet and mobile phone signal jammers were installed on the cemetery lampposts.

Navalny supporters waited patiently with flowers in hand for the arrival of the coffin, and when the politician’s body was brought into the church, they began to chant his name.

After the wake at the church, which lasted just over half an hour without most of the attendees being able to enter the temple, Navalny’s body was taken to the Borisovo cemetery for burial.

Borisovo: A Discreet and Ancient Cemetery

The Borisovo cemetery, where Navalny will be buried, covers an area of 4 hectares and is one of the oldest cemeteries in Moscow, with a history dating back to 1550.

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The cemetery is not home to many celebrities. Among the most famous graves are those of Soviet artist Yuri Sherstnev and scientist Gennady Arakelov.

The Troyekurovskoye cemetery in western Moscow was another location considered in the media to accommodate Navalny’s body. It is the final resting place of numerous Russian personalities, including military figures, artists, cosmonauts, and politicians, including Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov, who was assassinated in 2015.

Kremlin Warnings

The Kremlin warned today that those who participate in unauthorized demonstrations in honor of the deceased opposition leader will be punished.

“We want to remind you that there is a law that must be followed: any unauthorized gathering will constitute a violation of the law,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov at his daily press briefing.

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Peskov’s statement came in response to a question about the intention of Navalny’s followers to organize events in his memory across the country and abroad.

The Kremlin spokesperson also declined to comment on Navalny’s figure as a politician or to send a message to the opposition leader’s family, something that journalists asked about during the press conference.

Navalny’s team published a list of cities worldwide where ceremonies for the Russian politician were scheduled to take place.

“We call on you to place flowers at memorials (for Navalny) worldwide,” said a message from Navalny’s team, accompanied by a list of cities participating in the farewell ceremonies, including Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia, among others.

Navalny’s associates and supporters, awarded the 2021 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Conscience by the European Parliament, directly accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering what they consider the “assassination” of the opposition leader.

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International

U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute

The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.

The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.

The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.

“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

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International

Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.

“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.

Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.

According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.

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International

Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power

Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.

The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.

Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.

Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.

The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.

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Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.

Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.

In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.