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Putin rails against Ukraine as attacks mar Russian presidential election

Russians begin voting in a three-day election that is almost certain to hand the president six more years. Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of trying to disrupt his country’s presidential election by shelling Russian territory and using 2,500 soldiers to try to pierce Russia’s borders, promising to punish Kyiv for its actions. Polls opened across 11 time zones in Russia on Friday to begin three days of voting with Putin almost certain to secure his fifth term since winning his first election in 2000 with dissent in the country almost completely stifled. The shadow of the Ukraine war fell across the election with what Putin said was repeated shelling of western Russia and an attempt by Ukrainian proxies to cross into Russian territory in two Russian regions. “These enemy strikes will not remain unpunished,” a visibly angry Putin said at a meeting of Russia’s Security Council, which includes military and spy chiefs as well as the most powerful civilian state officials. Putin said there had been four attacks on the Belgorod region and one on the Kursk region – both on the border with Ukraine – by about 2,500 Ukrainian proxies. He said they had 35 tanks and 40 armoured vehicles and 60 percent of the fighters were killed. Ukrainian officials said earlier on Friday that armed Russian groups based in Ukraine that are opposed to the Kremlin carried out the attacks in Belgorod and Kursk. The first day of the election was also marred by disruptions that included dye being poured into ballot boxes, a Molotov cocktail thrown at a polling station in Putin’s hometown and reported cyberattacks. At least nine people were arrested for acts of vandalism at polling stations. There were two incidents in Moscow, where one woman filled a ballot box with ink and another woman at a different voting station set a booth on fire. Several people poured green liquid into ballot boxes, an apparent nod to the late opposition leader Alexey Navalny, who in 2017 was attacked by an assailant splashing green disinfectant in his face. Russia’s electoral commission chief, Ella Pamfilova, said those who committed the acts of vandalism face up to five years in prison and suggested they had been paid by people seeking to disrupt the vote. The other candidates running are from Kremlin-friendly parties: Nikolai Kharitonov of the Communist Party, Leonid Slutsky of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party and Vladislav Davankov of the New People Party. Opposition politician Boris Nadezhdin tried to run against Putin on an antiwar ticket but was barred from standing after the Central Election Commission said irregularities were found in his list of supporters’ signatures. Other possible opposition candidates who could have run against Putin have either died or been jailed or live abroad. Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari, reporting from Moscow, said every person she spoke to at the voting station she visited said they were backing Putin. “They say that he is the man for the country, they trust him and they have known him for many, many years. They believe in his policies both domestically and foreign,” she said. “What is clear is that Putin will again continue his reign in power and tighten his grip.” Annexed regions People in the Russia-annexed regions of Ukraine – Crimea, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Kherson – also took part in the presidential election. In the eastern region of Donetsk, armed soldiers in full combat gear accompanied election officials as they set up mobile voting stations on small tables in the streets. Ukraine has condemned the election being held in the annexed territories. In December, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement calling on the international community to “impose sanctions on those involved in their organisation and conduct”. “Any election in Russia has nothing to do with democracy. They serve only as a tool to keep the Russian regime in power,” the ministry said. Olga Tokariuk, a Chatham House OSUN Academy Fellow in the Ukraine Forum, also said Ukrainians are not taking the election “seriously”. “Real change in Russia will not come automatically with the removal of Putin from power; it is only possible if Russia gives up on its imperialist ambitions and stops waging wars of conquest – which is not on the horizon,” Tokariuk told Al Jazeera. Adblock test (Why?)

First Friday prayers of Ramadan in Al-Aqsa

NewsFeed Despite Israeli authorities blocking thousands of Palestinians from reaching the Al-Aqsa Mosque for first Friday prayers of Ramadan, around 80,000 worshippers are reported to have made it to the holy site. Published On 15 Mar 202415 Mar 2024 Adblock test (Why?)

New policy could restrict ‘judge shopping’ throughout the entire country, US judicial officials reveal

Federal courts moved Tuesday to make it harder to file lawsuits in front of judges seen as friendly to a point of view, a practice known as judge shopping that gained national attention in a major abortion medication case. The new policy covers civil suits that would affect an entire state or the whole country. It would require a judge to be randomly assigned, even in areas where locally filed cases have gone before a single judge. Cases are already assigned at random under plans in most of the country’s 94 federal district courts, but some plans assign cases to judges in the smaller division where the case is filed. In divisions with only one judge, often in rural areas, that means private or state attorneys can essentially pick which judge will hear it. SENATE DEMS, REPUBLICANS CLASH OVER FEDERAL IVF PROTECTIONS: ‘THEY’RE COVERING THEIR A—S’ The practice has raised concerns from senators and the Biden administration, and its use in patent cases was highlighted by Chief Justice John Roberts in his 2021 report on the federal judiciary. Interest groups of all kinds have long attempted to file lawsuits before judges they see as friendly to their causes. But the practice got more attention after an unprecedented ruling halting approval of abortion medication. That case was filed in Amarillo, Texas, where it was all but certain to go before U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, an appointee of former President Donald Trump who is a former attorney for a religious liberty legal group with a long history pushing conservative causes. The Supreme Court put the abortion medication ruling on hold, and is hearing arguments on it later this month. SOTU GUEST CONCEIVED IN RAPE CHALLENGES BIDEN ON ABORTION: ‘I AM THAT ONE PERCENT’ The new policy announced by the U.S. Judicial Conference after its biennial meeting would not apply to cases seeking only local action. It was adopted not in response to any one case but rather a “plethora of national and statewide injunctions,” said Judge Jeff Sutton, chief judge of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals and chair of the Judicial Conference’s executive committee. “We get the idea of having local cases resolved locally, but when a case is a declaratory judgment action or national injunction, obviously the stakes of the case go beyond that small town,” he said.

DeSantis details alarming find aboard Haitian migrant boat seized off Florida coast

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Friday that state law enforcement had intercepted a vessel coming to the Florida coast carrying dozens of Haitian migrants, as well as firearms, drugs and night vision gear. “Our Florida Fish and Wildlife offices interdicted a vessel that had 25 illegal immigrants, potential illegal immigrants from Haiti in their boat. In their vessel they had firearms, they had drugs, they had night vision gear and were boating very recklessly, which would potentially endanger other folks,” DeSantis said, adding that the interdiction had occurred “recently” in the last few weeks. “That vessel was interdicted near the Sebastian Inlet and those illegal aliens were turned over to the Coast Guard for deportation,” he said. DESANTIS SENDS SOLDIERS, AIRCRAFT TO ‘PROTECT’ FLORIDA FROM ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS BOATS AMID HAITI UNREST DeSantis made the announcement at a press conference in which he also signed three pieces of legislation to deter illegal immigration into the Sunshine State. The Republican governor had earlier this week announced an increase of personnel and aircraft to the Florida coast in light of unrest in Haiti and the potential for an increase in migration via the sea from the conflict-hit country. The Caribbean nation has seen a significant escalation in violence as gangs have overrun the capital, burning police stations and attacking the main airport. Gangs have also raided some of the largest prisons, releasing thousands of inmates.  DHS WARNS HAITIAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRIVING BY BOAT FACE ‘IMMEDIATE REPATRIATION’  The deployment in Florida includes 48 additional National Guardsmen with four additional helicopters, 39 officers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, 30 additional Florida Highway Patrol officers with aircraft and drones, and 23 additional officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission with eight additional seacraft, according to DeSantis’ office. He stressed on Friday that this had been going on for a while, and this was an increase in enforcement and not a new operation. He said that from Jan 2023 last week, officials had assisted the Coast Guard with the interdiction of 670 vessels carrying over 13,500 illegal immigrants. “The message is the last thing you should want to do is get on a boat and think you’re going to come through from any of these islands to get to the state of Florida,” DeSantis said. “The most likely scenario is you’ll be stopped, and you will be returned to your country of origin.” HAITIAN PRIME MINISTER ARIEL HENRY TO RESIGN AMID LOW-SCALE CIVIL WAR, BOWING TO INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE  “It’s a hazardous journey, it’s not worth doing, and we have the resources to continue to keep the people of Florida safe.” On Tuesday, Rebecca Zimmerman, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs, told lawmakers that the Pentagon is “alert” to the possibility of a mass migration event, but it has also not yet seen large numbers. “I think you’re right that the driving conditions in Haiti could very well press more people,” she told Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. “We recently approved some additional assistance we could provide to the Coast Guard.” The Department of Homeland Security has also said it is monitoring the situation, but has stressed that migration flows in the Caribbean remain “low.” It also warned that those crossing face being turned back to their country of origin. “U.S. policy is to return noncitizens who do not have a fear of persecution or torture or a legal basis to enter the United States. Those interdicted at sea are subject to immediate repatriation pursuant to our longstanding policy and procedures. The United States returns or repatriates migrants interdicted at sea to The Bahamas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti,” a spokesperson said. On Friday, DeSantis also signed three pieces of legislation related to immigration. One increased the maximum sentence for people driving without a license. Another enhances penalties for crimes committed by illegal immigrants who return to the country after deportation, while the third bill states that no jurisdiction can recognize IDs that are distributed by other states to illegal immigrants. 

Harris approval rating worse than Biden, Trump: poll

In a presidential race boasting two historically unpopular candidates, President Biden’s running mate is somehow doing worse than both of them. Vice President Kamala Harris has not been able to win the approval of voters as the general election season ramps up, according to a new poll from USA TODAY and Suffolk University. The data from the national survey shows that approximately 52% of registered voters disapprove of her performance as vice president.  NEW POLL REVEALS AMERICANS TRUST DONALD TRUMP OVER BIDEN TO LEAD THE US AS PRESIDENT This compares to only 36% of respondents that believe she is handling the office well. Significantly, 10% of respondents remain undecided about their feelings toward her performance. Her failure to build a strong base of voter approval mirrors her running mate — Biden, in the same poll, boasted a similarly disappointing 41% approval rating. Approximately 55% of respondents told USA TODAY/Suffolk pollsters that they disapprove of the president’s job performance. Just under 3% remained undecided. FOX NEWS POLL: PENNSYLVANIA LOOKS HEADED FOR ANOTHER TIGHT RACE IN 2024 “Usually, it’s a secondary and muted discussion about vice presidents. This time, it’s going to be almost a parallel and loud discussion in comparison,” Suffolk University Political Research Center Director David Paleologos said in USA TODAY’s report. Trump received a 49% approval rating and a 47% disapproval rating — the only one of the three individuals to squeak by with a net approval. Similar to Biden, only 3% of individuals polled remain undecided on their evaluation of Trump as president. The USA TODAY/Suffolk poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters from Mar. 8 to Mar. 11. It has a +/-3.1% margin of error. Both Biden and Trump have secured enough delegates in their respective party primaries to become assumed nominees. Trump is expected to be officially nominated by the Republican Party in July, and Biden is similarly expected to become the Democratic nominee in August.

Is this a watershed moment for Jewish solidarity with Palestinians?

We look at whether there is a shift within the Jewish community against Israel’s actions and policies. Israel’s war on Gaza rages on, now in its sixth month, causing mass devastation and resulting in the deaths of more than 31,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. With mounting humanitarian crises, Jewish groups across the world have rallied in large numbers to denounce Israel’s actions and policies. This is not the first time Jewish communities have come together to criticise Israel. A growing number of progressive Jewish groups have been organising against Israel’s policies towards the Palestinians for years. This week on UpFront, Marc Lamont Hill talks to the founder of Rabbis for Ceasefire, Rabbi Alissa Wise, and the national spokesperson for IfNotNow, Eva Borgwardt, about the Jewish communities mobilising for Palestinian liberation. Adblock test (Why?)

Russian attack on civilian sites in Ukraine’s Odesa kills 14, injures 46

Russia has stepped up its attacks on the southern port city in recent weeks with a series of deadly drone and missile strikes. A Russian missile attack has hit civilian infrastructure in Ukraine’s Black Sea port city of Odesa, killing at least 14 people and wounding 46, Ukrainian officials say. Russia has stepped up its strikes on Odesa in recent weeks, launching drones or missiles almost every day. “As a result of the Russian missile attack, 14 people were killed, including local residents, a medic and a rescuer,” Oleh Kiper, the regional governor, said on Telegram. The medic and rescuer were killed by a second missile after rushing to the scene to treat people hurt in Friday’s initial strike, Kiper added. Ten houses, a low-pressure gas pipeline and rescue vehicles were damaged, emergency services said. Rescuers battled to put out fires on the pipeline and in a house over a total area of about 120sq metres (144sq yards). Twelve people, including five children, were killed in a drone strike on a residential building in Odesa on March 2. On March 6, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was showing Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis the destruction caused by that attack when Russia struck the city again, killing at least five people. Rescuers work in a residential area of Odesa hit by a Russian missile [Stringer/Reuters] Odesa, one of Ukraine’s biggest ports, has long been a target of Russian attacks, especially after Moscow quit a United Nations-brokered deal that had allowed safe passage for Ukrainian grain shipments via the Black Sea. “The Russian terror in Odesa is a sign of the weakness of the enemy, which is fighting against Ukrainian civilians at a time when it cannot guarantee the safety of people on its own territory,” Ukrainian presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak wrote on Telegram. Ukraine has developed and used long-range drones to try to strike back at Russia, stepping up attacks on a string of oil refineries this week in the run-up to Russia’s three-day presidential election, which began on Friday. Moscow has repeatedly denied targeting civilians in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which it launched in February 2022. Adblock test (Why?)

‘We want Sonko’: Senegal opposition boosted after leaders freed before vote

The release of firebrand Sonko and his right-hand man Faye could help opposition chances in the March 24 election to replace outgoing President Macky Sall. Celebrations broke out among Senegal’s opposition supporters after two of their top leaders were freed from jail 10 days before the country’s delayed presidential election. Firebrand politician Ousmane Sonko and his close aide Bassirou Diomaye Faye were released late on Thursday in a move that could boost the opposition’s chance to win in the March 24 election and replace outgoing President Macky Sall. Sonko, the charismatic anti-establishment politician who has won over crowds of youngsters by promising to fight corruption, had been behind bars since July, serving a two-year sentence for corrupting the youth. He was barred from running for the presidential race due to a separate case involving defamation charges. His supporters maintain Sonko’s legal woes were an outcome of efforts to keep him away from competing in the elections. Excluded from the presidential race, Sonko urged his supporters to vote for Faye, a lesser-known politician and deputy of his now-dissolved PASTEF party. “Ousmane is Diomaye,” was the message his supporters spread from prison. Faye was also in jail but on administrative detention — a state of arrest that does not bar him from contesting in the election. “Sonko represents hope for the entire nation,” said Cheick Diara, a young Senegalese man cheering in the streets of Dakar on his release. “Look what is happening around the youth, they want change – we want Sonko in power,” he said. Bassirou Diomaye Faye was picked by Ousmane Sonko to replace him in the presidential race [Zohra Bensemra/Reuters] Faye’s mission is now to bank on Sonko’s popularity to win the country’s top job. Dressed in a sky-blue tunic and a white cap, he was welcomed as a hero by a crowd gathered in front of Cap-Manuel prison in the capital Dakar as the news of his release started circulating. “The way from prison to the presidential palace is now paved,” said human rights activist Alioune Tine, noting that their release will re-energise the opposition front. “President Sall thought he could neutralise their popularity by putting them in prison, but he understood that it wasn’t working – he was forced to release them,” added Tine, who held a key role in mediating between Sall and the opposition following Sall’s attempt to delay the vote, which was originally set for February but then postponed by the outgoing president. Faye’s programme includes the establishment of a new national currency and the renegotiation of the country’s mining and energy contracts between the government and private conglomerates. Central to his campaign is also a review of the relations with former colonial power France whose economic interests in the country are perceived by some in the opposition as a form of neo-colonialism. He has also promised to tackle youth unemployment: Three out of 10 Senegalese aged 18 to 35 are jobless. The crisis is further exacerbated by the speed at which the population is growing – it doubles every 25 years, according to Afro Barometer data. “This is a radical youth for a radical change who wants to see a new way of doing politics,” said Hawa Bo, associate director of the Open Society Foundation. “They want to break with clientelism, endemic corruption and lack of accountability,” she added. The anti-establishment presidential hopeful’s election could have significant implications for the region’s economy and the country’s plan to become an oil producer by the end of 2024. Senegal is the region’s number one recipient of foreign aid, including a $1.8bn loan from the International Monetary Fund. Supporters surround the car of Senegalese opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, who was released from prison along with the presidential candidate he is backing in the March 24 election, Bassirou Diomaye Faye [Zohra Bensemra/Reuters] Meanwhile, Sall’s governing Alliance of the Republic party has bet on Amadou Ba, a former prime minister. He ran the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning from 2013 to 2019 and was the country’s top diplomat between 2019 and 2020. His victory would mean policy continuity with the previous government, something that would likely reassure foreign investors. Western allies are also closely monitoring developments in Senegal after months of protests have rocked Senegal’s image as a rare bastion of stability in a region plagued by military coups. The latest round of demonstrations took place after Sall postponed the elections originally planned for February. The decision plunged Senegal into uncertainty with critics saying the move amounted to a constitutional coup for Sall to get a third mandate. Presidents in Senegal have a two-term limit. The Constitutional Court overruled the delay and elections were finally set for March 24. In an attempt to quell tensions, Sall passed a controversial amnesty law – under which Sonko and Faye were released on Thursday –  that critics have said is an attempt to make a clean exit from power and avoid being targeted once he is out of office. Sall’s second term was marked by restrictions on civil liberties, a ban on demonstrations and internet shutdowns. At least 40 people were killed and more than a thousand political opponents ended in jail since 2021, according to Human Rights Watch. Adblock test (Why?)

‘Electoral bonds was world’s biggest extortion racket run by PM Modi’: Rahul Gandhi

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Gandhi, who is on the last leg of his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, also claimed that the funds obtained through the scheme were used to split parties like the Shiv Sena and NCP, and topple governments.

Republicans hammer Judge McAfee’s ruling in Fani Willis case, calling it ‘election interference’

Congressional Republicans criticized the latest ruling from Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, in which he refused to disqualify District Attorney Fani Willis, calling it “lawfare,” a term used to describe a governing party’s wielding the law as a strategic weapon – and alleging “election interference” against former President Trump.  “The Atlanta prosecution – like the others – is a political hatchet job aimed at salvaging Joe Biden’s campaign. This lawfare against President Trump is more appropriate in a banana republic than America,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said in a statement to Fox News Digital.  GEORGIA’S JUDGE MCAFEE SAYS HE WILL SOON RULE WHETHER DA FANI WILLIS IS DISQUALIFIED IN TRUMP CASE McAfee ruled on Friday that Willis must step back from the election interference case, or she would be required to fire special prosecutor Nathan Wade. The judge made clear that the defendants seeking to disqualify Willis “failed to meet their burden of proving that the district attorney acquired an actual conflict of interest in this case through her personal relationship and recurring travels with her lead prosecutor.” The judge said the record from the evidentiary hearing “highlights a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team.” This, said McAfee, has to be removed through one of those two options.  BIDEN-TRUMP SEQUEL UNDERWAY IN HISTORY-MAKING FIRST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION REMATCH SINCE 1956 Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., took to X to respond, writing, “Judge McAfee once worked for Fani Willis and donated to her campaign,” he noted. “I am not shocked that he didn’t disqualify her, but as an American, I am disappointed.” “Fani Willis is as crooked as they come! It is impossible for @realDonaldTrump to get a fair trial! Election interference!” he continued.  Last month, McAfee held a two-day evidentiary hearing for the co-defendants to make their case for Willis’s disqualification, stemming from her relationship with Wade and its alleged connection to his role in the case. During the hearing, both Wade and Willis were questioned over money spent during their relationship and the timeline.  LAWMAKERS BLAST BIDEN GAZA PORT PLAN AS POLITICAL MOVE TO WIN BACK PROGRESSIVES In a statement to Fox News Digital, Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said, “The American people are clear-eyed about what President Trump’s political opponents are attempting to do. They are using the justice system — timed to the election — for political purposes. Our nation deserves better.” Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, wrote on X, slamming McAfee as “another politically motivated judge.” CENTRIST GROUP NO LABELS SETS UP PANEL TO SELECT THIRD-PARTY PRESIDENTIAL TICKET “The corruption in Fulton County, Georgia is some of the worst in the nation,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. “It makes most of us in Georgia sick.” Fellow Georgia Rep. Mike Collins, R–Ga., also sounded off on the decision, writing, “Breaking: Fulton County Judge says Fani gets to stay on the case… As long as she fires her boyfriend who has already billed taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars.” “It’s totally fine. Nothing to see here,” he added.  Democratic lawmakers were silent on the court’s decision.