BJP chief JP Nadda resigns as Rajya Sabha MP from Himachal Pradesh after election from Gujarat
“Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda, an elected member of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), representing the State of Himachal Pradesh, resigned his seat in the Rajya Sabha and his resignation has been accepted by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha w.e.f 4th March, 2024,” a Rajya Sabha parliamentary bulletin read.
Grassley demands answers from DHS on ‘alarmingly low’ DNA testing for illegal immigrants
FIRST ON FOX: Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is calling for answers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on new data he says shows an “alarmingly low” percentage of DNA samples of illegal immigrants being received by the FBI. Grassley, in a letter to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) acting Commissioner Troy Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, cites whistleblower data his office has received related to CBP DNA collection practices of immigrants arriving at the northern and southern borders. “Those disclosures show that in the first three quarters of FY23, FBI received an alarmingly low percentage of DNA samples,” he wrote. HOUSE REPUBLICANS SEEK ANSWERS ON DNA TESTING BACKLOG OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS The statistics he cites show that in Q1 of FY23, there were 865,333 migrant encounters, and 347,231 DNA samples were received by the FBI — about 40% In Q2, just 31.21% were received by the FBI and in Q3 that number was 37%. He said he had previously requested FY 23 data but had not received it. “Given the record number of illegal crossings, CBP encounters, and ICE detainees with prior criminal records, CBP and DHS’s continued failure to collect DNA on illegal immigrants is deeply concerning,” he said. “This failure weakens our justice system and empowers criminals to illegally cross our border, jeopardizing American lives.” MAYORKAS TELLS BORDER PATROL AGENTS THAT ‘ABOVE 85%’ OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS RELEASED INTO US: SOURCES Grassley has previously noted that the Justice Dept. removed exemptions from the 2005 DNA Fingerprint Act in 2020, broadening the number who can be fingerprinted. There are still exemptions for under 14-year-olds and those who already have a DNA profile, according to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. However, the government has also been dealing with a shortage of test kits, and Republicans recently highlighted a reported 15-month backlog on DNA testing. Grassley cites a number of reports that show examples of crimes illegal immigrants have been connected to via DNA matches, including unsolved cases, even with what he called “insufficient” DNA efforts by federal authorities. In his letter, Grassley asks for a range of information, but he specifically asks whether Jose Antonio Ibarra — who was recently charged in the murder of Georgia student Laken Riley and who has since been confirmed to be an illegal immigrant released into the U.S. last year — was ever subject to a DNA sample. 7.2M ENTERED US UNDER BIDEN ADMIN, AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN POPULATION OF 36 STATES He also requests data for Q4 and for FY 24 so far, as well as additional plans to implement the DNA Fingerprint Act. Fox reached out to CBP and DHS. The letter comes as illegal immigration is set to be a top 2024 issue. President Biden and former President Donald Trump both visited the southern border in Texas last week as polling shows it is a top concern for voters. CBP sources tell Fox News that there have been more than 21,000 migrant encounters in the past 72 hours, with Tucson Sector being the busiest with more than 5,400. It’s in line with traditional surges as numbers increase as the Spring arrives, but the numbers suggest it is going to be a significant surge. Fox News’ Griff Jenkins contributed to this report.
Trump says Supreme Court ruling in Colorado case is ‘unifying and inspirational’
EXCLUSIVE: Former President Trump told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that the Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling Monday is “both unifying and inspirational,” while stressing the importance of the high court’s pending decision in the issue of presidential immunity. The Supreme Court sided unanimously with the 2024 GOP frontrunner in his challenge to Colorado’s attempt to kick him off the 2024 primary ballot. The high court ruled in favor of Trump’s arguments in the case, which will impact the status of efforts in several other states to remove the likely GOP nominee from their respective ballots. SUPREME COURT TO HEAR TRUMP BALLOT REMOVAL CASE OUT OF COLORADO The court considered for the first time the meaning and reach of Article 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars former officeholders who “engaged in insurrection” from holding public office again. Challenges have been filed to remove Trump from the 2024 ballot in over 30 states. “A great win for America. Very, very important!” Trump told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview Monday morning. “Equally important for our country will be the decision that they will soon make on immunity for a president — without which, the presidency would be relegated to nothing more than a ceremonial position, which is far from what the founders intended,” Trump told Fox News Digital. “No president would be able to properly and effectively function without complete and total immunity.” He added, “Our country would be put at great risk.” SUPREME COURT DECISION ON CASE BARRING TRUMP FROM COLORADO’S 2024 BALLOT COULD ARRIVE AS EARLY AS MONDAY The Supreme Court last week agreed to review whether Trump has immunity from prosecution in special counsel Jack Smith’s election interference case. The justices moved to fast-track the appeal, and will hear oral arguments beginning April 22, with a ruling on the merits expected by late June. Trump’s trial stemming from Smith’s investigation has been put on hold pending resolution of the matter. The decision will also impact Smith’s classified records case against the president. That trial has not yet been scheduled. As for Monday’s decision, Trump described it as a “big win for America.” “Today’s decision, especially the fact that it was unanimous, 9-0, is both unifying and inspirational for the people of the United States of America,” he told Fox News Digital. In its unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court concluded that “states may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office.” “But States have no power under the Constitution to enforce Section 3 with respect to federal offices, especially the Presidency,” the Supreme Court wrote.
Trump scores slew of Republican presidential nomination victories ahead of Super Tuesday
In the race to lock up the Republican presidential nomination, former President Trump is padding his lead. Trump, who is the commanding frontrunner for the 2024 GOP nomination as he bids a third straight time for the White House, swept three contests on Saturday. While his last remaining rival for the nomination, former U.N. ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, scored her first primary victory on Sunday, Trump enjoys a 244 to 43 lead in delegates. Trump is likely to expand his delegate lead on Monday night, when North Dakota holds GOP caucuses on the eve of Super Tuesday. That is when more than 850 delegates are at stake as 15 states hold Republican nominating contests, and the scant public opinion polling in those states indicates Trump is the favorite. TRUMP SWEEPS SATURDAY’S GOP PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATING CONTESTS “Over the weekend we won Missouri, Idaho, and Michigan – BIG NUMBERS,” Trump touted on his Truth Social network on Sunday night. The former president kicked off the weekend by capturing all 39 delegates up for grabs at the Michigan GOP’s party convention, which was held in Grand Rapids. Trump had previously won most of the 16 delegates awarded in Michigan’s statewide primary on Feb. 27. HALEY BRINGS TRUMP’S PRIMARY WINNING STREAK TO AN END A few hours later, the former president was victorious in the Missouri caucuses, and he closed out Saturday evening by scoring a win in the Idaho caucuses. “We’ve been launching like a rocket to the Republican nomination. We just got numbers today that were unbelievable,” Trump touted Saturday night at a rally in Richmond, Virginia — which is one of the Super Tuesday states — as he pointed to his ballot box victories in Michigan, Missouri and Idaho. Haley, who remains in the GOP nomination race at least through Super Tuesday, despite the extremely long odds she faces, on Sunday enjoyed victory for the first time in the 2024 race, as she topped Trump by roughly 30 points in Washington D.C.’s Republican primary. She captured 19 delegates and made history as the first woman to win a GOP presidential primary or caucus. “Republicans closest to Washington’s dysfunction know that Donald Trump has brought nothing but chaos and division for the past 8 years. It’s time to start winning again and move our nation forward!,” Haley wrote on social media Sunday night. Haley has no public events or election night gatherings scheduled for Super Tuesday evening and remains mum on any plans going forward. She reiterated in an interview on Saturday with Fox News’ Bill Melugin that “we’re going to go as long as we’re competitive,” but she did not specifically define what competitive means. Trump in a video to supporters emphasized the importance of Super Tuesday. “It’s big stuff, and it’s the single most important primary day of the year,” he said in a video posted to social media. “If every single conservative, Republican, and Trump supporter in these states shows up on Super Tuesday, we will be very close to finished with this primary contest.” Aiming to completely pivot to the all-but-certain general election rematch with President Biden — who defeated Trump four years ago to win the White House — the former president stressed that big wins on Super Tuesday will allow him “to focus all of our energy, time, and resources, on defeating crooked Joe Biden.” “We want to send a signal that we’re coming on like a freight train,” he emphasized. “Do not be complacent. Please go and vote.” While Trump scored a slew of ballot box victories this past weekend, he also made peace with the Club for Growth, a politically influential and fiscally conservative group that is funded by some of the top donors on the right. TRUMP MAKES PEACE WITH INFLUENTIAL CONSERVATIVE GROUP TO BRING BITTER FEUD TO AN END The Club for Growth and its president, David McIntosh, have had an up and down relationship with Trump. They opposed him as he ran for the White House in 2016 before embracing him as an ally. In the 2022 cycle, Trump and the Club teamed up in some high-profile GOP primaries but clashed over combustible Senate nomination battles in Alabama, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The bitter feud continued to play out last year in the Republican presidential nomination race, as the Club spent over $7 million on an anti-Trump group that unsuccessfully tried to take down the former president in the early primary states. However, McIntosh and Trump reconciled in recent weeks, and Trump spoke Friday evening at the Club’s annual donor retreat, which was once again held at The Breakers, an exclusive beachfront resort in the upper crust seaside community of Palm Beach, Florida. “We had an argument about a couple of people that you know well, and that broke us up for about a year,” Trump said at the Club gathering, according to a source in the room at the private event. However, Trump emphasized that “now we’re back in love, we’re deeply in love.” McIntosh told Fox News Digital that “it’s time for Republicans to unite and put our differences aside.” He added that “President Trump always says, ‘When Trump and the Club for Growth are together, we always win.’ And together we are going to win back the White House and more this November.” Fox News’ Remy Numa contributed to this report Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Supreme Court rules unanimously for Trump in Colorado ballot disqualification dispute
The U.S. Supreme Court sided unanimously with former President Trump in his challenge to the state of Colorado’s attempt to kick him off the 2024 primary ballot. All nine justices ruled in favor of Trump in the case, which will impact the status of efforts in several other states to remove the likely GOP nominee from their respective ballots. The court considered for the first time the meaning and reach of Article 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars former officeholders who “engaged in insurrection” from holding public office again. Challenges have been filed to remove Trump from the 2024 ballot in over 30 states. “We conclude that States may disqualify persons holding or attempting to hold state office. But States have no power under the Constitution to enforce Section 3 with respect to federal offices, especially the Presidency,” the Court wrote. READ THE RULING BELOW. APP USERS: CLICK HERE. TRUMP REACTS TO SUPREME COURT ORAL ARGUMENTS: ‘GOOD NEWS IS WE’RE LEADING VIRTUALLY EVERY POLL’ Colorado’s Secretary of State Jena Griswold issued a statement Monday on the opinion saying, “The United States Supreme Court has ruled that states do not have the authority to enforce Section 3 of the 14th Amendment for federal candidates.” “In accordance with this decision, Donald Trump is an eligible candidate on Colorado’s 2024 Presidential Primary,” she said. Trump reacted to the ruling in a post on Truth Social saying, “BIG WIN FOR AMERICA!!!” The state of Colorado had argued that because they determined Trump’s behavior related to 2020 election interference – culminating with the Jan. 6 Capitol riots – amounted to an “insurrection,” he should be removed from the state’s ballot. In more than two hours of spirited, often tense arguments last month, the nine justices asked tough questions of both sides about whether the president or a presidential candidate is exempt from the constitutional provision adopted after the Civil War. Justice Brett Kavanaugh spoke for colleagues when saying they were confronting “difficult questions.” “When you look at Section 3, the term insurrection jumps out,” Kavanaugh said. “And the questions are, what does that mean? How do you define it? Who decides? Who decides whether someone engaged in it?” Kavanaugh noted the courts looked at these questions in an 1869 decision, known as “Griffin’s case,” which found that an act of Congress was necessary to enforce the 14th Amendment’s ban on insurrectionists holding federal office. SUPREME COURT TO HEAR TRUMP BALLOT REMOVAL CASE OUT OF COLORADO “These are difficult questions, and you look right at Section 5 of the 14th Amendment … and that tells you Congress has the primary role here,” Kavanaugh said. “I think what’s different is the processes, the definition, who decides questions really jump out at you when you look at Section 3.” Chief Justice John Roberts questioned Colorado’s attorney Jason Murray about the “consequences” of the state’s position. TRUMP HOLDS LARGE LEAD OVER HALEY 4 DAYS FROM SOUTH CAROLINA GOP PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY “What do you do with consequences of your position? There will be disqualification proceedings on the other side, and some will succeed in very quick order, I would expect that a goodly number of states will say whoever the Democrat is, you’re off the ballot,” he said. “It would then come down to a small number of states deciding the election. That’s a pretty severe consequence.” Justice Samuel Alito pressed Murray to “grapple” with “what some people have seen as the consequences of the argument that you’re advancing, which is that there will be conflicts in decisions among the states.” “The different states will disqualify different candidates. But I’m not getting a whole lot of help from you about how this would not be an unmanageable situation,” Alito said.
Ex-Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg to plead guilty in Manhattan court
Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg will appear in Manhattan Criminal Court on Monday to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge, Fox News has learned. Weisselberg surrendered himself to authorities early Monday morning, and he is expected to appear in court later in the day. Manhattan courts have yet to confirm the charge against Weisselberg to the public. Weisselberg is among several top executives at the Trump organization who were barred last month from operating their business in New York for a range of two to three years. That ruling came from Judge Aurthur Engoron, who also banned Trump and his children from operating the business. A New York Appeals Court allowed Trump and his sons to maintain control of the company temporarily while they attempt to appeal Engoron’s decision. TRUMP VISITS MANHATTAN COURT TO BLAST NYAG CASE, PRAISES APPELLATE RULING IN HIS FAVOR Engoron also “permanently” barred defendants Weisselberg and former corporate controller Jeffrey McConney from “serving in the financial control function of any New York corporation or similar business entity registered and/or licensed in New York State” and as a director of any New York corporation or other legal entity in New York for three years. JUDGE IMPOSES PARTIAL GAG ORDER IN TRUMP ORG TRIAL, BLOCKING PARTIES FROM VERBAL ATTACKS AGAINST COURT STAFF Trump dismissed the trial as a “witch hunt” throughout the process, accusing both Engoron and New York Attorney General Letitia James of serving as political operatives for Democrats. Trump’s legal team also repeatedly blasted the lack of a jury in the trial. “There was never an option to choose a jury trial,” a Trump spokesperson told Fox News Digital last month. “It is unfortunate that a jury won’t be able to hear how absurd the merits of this case are and conclude no wrongdoing ever happened.” Trump and his family denied any wrongdoing, with the former president saying his assets had been undervalued. Trump’s legal team insisted that his financial statements had disclaimers, and made it clear to banks that they should conduct their own assessments. Weisselberg previously was sentenced to five months in prison early last year after he pleaded guilty to tax crimes. Fox News’ Maria Paronich and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
Top Dem lawyer says DC primary is big red flag for Trump’s legal team
Top Democratic lawyer Marc Elias says former President Trump’s performance in the Washington, D.C., GOP primary should be a major red flag for his legal team. Elias made the comment Sunday night after former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley defeated Trump in a primary for the first time. While Trump’s campaign was largely unconcerned with the defeat, Elias pointed to a reason that it could spell disaster for Trump’s legal battles. “In a city of 700,000, Donald Trump got 676 votes in the GOP primary. A tough jury pool…,” Elias hinted. Trump has complained for the better part of a year that he will struggle to get a “fair trial” in Washington due to the jury pool being biased against him. TRUMP TRIAL DELAYED IN CASE STEMMING FROM SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH’S JAN. 6 INVESTIGATION Elias is representative of Democrats who want Trump to face trial in D.C. as quickly as possible, and he pointed to the near-zero support for Trump in the capital’s primary as key evidence that they should keep pushing. “There is no reason Trump can’t stand trial in September. There is no reason Trump can’t stand trial in October. There is no reason Trump can’t be in trial on Election Day. There is no [constitutional] right to avoid trial because you are running for office,” Elias wrote on social media last week. Trump’s lawyers had initially tried to move the trial out of Washington last year, arguing just as Elias did that the jury pool in D.C. is tainted against Trump. BIDEN JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SAYS TRUMP CAN BE SUED BY POLICE, DEMOCRATS OVER JAN. 6 RIOT “NO WAY I CAN GET A FAIR TRIAL, OR EVEN CLOSE TO A FAIR TRIAL, IN WASHINGTON, D.C.,” Trump posted on Truth Social in August. “THERE ARE MANY REASONS FOR THIS, BUT JUST ONE IS THAT I AM CALLING FOR A FEDERAL TAKEOVER OF THIS FILTHY AND CRIME RIDDEN EMBARRASSMENT TO OUR NATION, WHERE MURDERS HAVE JUST SHATTERED THE ALL TIME RECORD, OTHER VIOLENT CRIMES HAVE NEVER SEEN WORSE, AND TOURISTS HAVE FLED. THE FEDERAL TAKEOVER IS VERY UNPOPULAR WITH POTENTIAL AREA JURORS, BUT NECESSARY FOR SAFETY, GREATNESS, & FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE!” The jury selection process for Trump’s D.C. trial appeared to begin in December. At least one D.C. resident shared photos with NBC News showing a notice to appear for a “pre-screening” questionnaire on Feb. 9. The photos went on to indicate that the jury was for a trial on March 4. While the notification did not name the trial, both of those dates lined up with the schedule for Trump’s court case prior to a February delay.
Freedom Caucus Chair leads resolution denouncing Israel ceasefire calls, demanding end to Gaza aid
FIRST ON FOX: A group of House Republicans is formally denouncing calls for a ceasefire in Gaza in a direct rebuke of the Biden administration’s increasingly critical stance on Israel’s war against Hamas. House Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good, R-Va., is introducing a resolution on Tuesday that, if passed, would rebuke U.S. officials demanding a ceasefire, as well as calls for an independent Palestinian state. It would also call on the U.S. to totally halt humanitarian aid and other funds flowing to Gaza “until an independent and comprehensive investigation is completed.” CRUZ DEMANDS DOJ LAUNCH CRIMINAL PROBE OF US NONPROFIT ALLEGEDLY HELPING TERRORISTS The legislation is being rolled out a day after Vice President Kamala Harris intensified the ceasefire rhetoric coming from the White House in a speech at the annual commemoration of the 1965 Bloody Sunday civil rights march in Selma, Ala. “Given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire for at least the next six weeks. This is what is currently on the table,” Harris said. President Joe Biden, meanwhile, has been pushing for a temporary pause in the fighting to be part of any deal struck between Israel and Hamas for the release of Israeli hostages being held in Gaza. US TAXPAYERS HAVE FUNDED UNRWA BILLIONS OF DOLLARS AMID CALLS FOR ITS SCRAPPING: ‘HORROR SHOW’ “Instead of unequivocally backing our most important ally in the Middle East, both President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have undermined Israel’s efforts to defend itself by repeatedly suggesting there should be a ceasefire in Gaza.,” Good told Fox News Digital on Monday morning. “The United States must continue to support Israel as they defend themselves from the Hamas terrorists who have brutally attacked their citizens, including women, children, and the elderly. In the absence of leadership from the White House, I am proud to be joined by my colleagues in the House who stand with Israel.” Good is joined by 18 co-sponsors, including House GOP Policy Committee Chairman Gary Palmer, R-Ala., Reps. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. Biden has been under growing pressure from the left to ramp up his criticism of Israel as the conflict continues to drive a wedge between the progressive and moderate wings of the Democratic Party. STATE DEPARTMENT IMPOSES FINANCIAL SANCTIONS ON ISRAELI NATIONALS FOR THREATENING PEACE IN WEST BANK Republicans, for the most part, have stood firmly behind Israel, citing its critical role as the U.S.’s firmest ally in the Middle East. They have also backed Israel’s mission to eradicate Hamas, arguing a ceasefire is untenable as long as the terror group exists. Israel’s bombardment and ground invasion in Gaza was spurred by an Oct. 7 surprise attack launched by Hamas militants who invaded the southern part of the country and killed more than 1,200 people – mainly civilians. Hundreds more were taken hostage into Gaza. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and fighters, has said that more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed so far in Israel’s responding military campaign. Palestinian officials have warned that the number of children who are dying due to being unable to access food or medical care is also expected to increase. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Can Yulia Navalnaya unite Russia’s opposition after Alexey Navalny’s death?
Two days before his death, Alexey Navalny penned a valentine dedicated to his wife and muse Yulia. “Baby, we’re like in the song [Hope] – between us, ‘There are cities, takeoff lights of airports, blue blizzards and thousands of kilometres,’” he wrote on February 14, St Valentine’s Day. “But I feel you near me every second, and I love you more and more,” he wrote next to a photo of him and Yulia Navalnaya, 47, a tall, blonde ex-bank teller he met in 1998 during a vacation in Turkey. Two days after what turned out to be his last social media post, Navalny, also 47, collapsed and died in what his widow and supporters believe was a Kremlin-orchestrated political murder. Navalnaya pledged to take over her husband’s role as head of the Fund to Fight Corruption, an organisation that once sprawled throughout Russia, released muckraking corruption exposes and organised huge rallies. The Kremlin banned it as “extremist”, disbanded it, persecuted dozens of its staffers – some were sentenced to up to nine years in jail – and forced many others out of Russia. Navalny’s death and President Vladimir Putin’s widely expected re-election in a March vote may signal an even tougher crackdown on any sign of dissent or criticism of the war in Ukraine. But opposition figures and analysts say that to become the undisputed head of Russian opposition in exile, Navalnaya would have to overcome deep disagreements among fractured and disunited groups that often criticised her husband. A person throws flowers towards the grave of Russian opposition politician Alexey Navalny while standing in front of a closed entrance to the Borisovskoye cemetery, in Moscow, Russia, March 3, 2024 [Reuters] Just hours after the news of her husband’s death reached her, Navalnaya spoke at a security conference in Germany’s Munich – and did not sound like a vulnerable grieving widow. Clad in a navy blue suit, with her hair pulled back and face convulsed with pain, she did not shed a tear – she sounded more like a Valkyrie pledging revenge. “I want Putin, his coterie, all of his friends [and] his government to know that they will bear responsibility for what they’ve done with our country, my family and husband. And this day will come soon,” Navalnaya said – and received a standing ovation. Three days later, she promised to “continue” Navalny’s work. “I urge you to share my fury. My fury, my anger, my hatred of those who dared to murder our future,” she said in a video that has been viewed more than five million times on YouTube. Her late husband’s associates are confident she can become his perfect successor, and that she would also help fill a gender gap in anti-Kremlin activism. “Will she have enough resources to continue? She’s got more strength than many of us. Will she be a successful politician? Russia has long needed a creative female image in politics, and there’s only going to be more demand for it,” said Aleksander Zykov, who headed a Fund to Fight Corruption branch in the western city of Kostroma before fleeing for the Netherlands. “That’s why yes, I believe in Yulia Navalnaya,” he told Al Jazeera. She has big shoes to fill and needs to walk a tightrope to unite people from other opposition groups that work in exile or clandestinely operate in Russia. Navalny’s work paved the way by organising some of the largest protest rallies in Russia’s post-Soviet history, creating an online “machine of truth” to file complaints about bureaucratic hurdles, potholed roads and leaking roofs, and creating an app to vote for anti-Kremlin politicians. “Navalny’s team created a wider opposition movement that wasn’t tied to the Fund to Fight Corruption or other groups,” said Sergey Biziyukin, an opposition activist who fled the western Russian city of Ryazan. “It was rather different from other parties, funds and organisations that made the opposition movement a noble, but hard-to-get-into crowd,” he told Al Jazeera. “If Navalnaya and her team can do the same, it will be beneficial,” he said. Alexey and Yulia got married in 2000, when Putin was first elected president. Pictured in 2019, Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, his wife Yulia, daughter Daria and son Zakhar pose for a picture outside a polling station during the Moscow city parliament election in Moscow, Russia [Tatyana Makeyeva/Reuters] Both joined Yabloko (apple in Russian), Russia’s oldest liberal democratic party that had a presence in the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament. But Navalnaya preferred to focus on their children, Daria and Zakhar, and barely took part in her husband’s work. Meanwhile, he was not happy about Yabloko’s complacency and cautiousness towards Putin’s increasingly hardline policies. In 2007, when Putin’s second term was coming to an end, Navalny was kicked out of Yabloko for taking part in the Russian March, an annual rally of far-right nationalists, monarchists and white supremacists. Navalny also co-founded the National Russian Liberation Movement, a nationalist group, with novelist Zakhar Prilepin who would later fight for Ukrainian separatists and co-chair a pro-Kremlin socialist party. Many Russian liberal democrats cannot forget and forgive Navalny’s nationalism and derogatory remarks about Muslims, whom he once called “cockroaches”. “When he told me that the future in Russia belongs only to the nationalist Russian political process, I said, ‘Okay, lad, we are not talking any more’,” Lev Ponomaryov, who heads the Moscow-based For Human Rights group and is blacklisted by the Kremlin as a “foreign agent”, told Al Jazeera in 2021. Navalny toned down his stance to focus on online and video reports exposing corruption in the Kremlin, but never denounced his nationalist statements. He started the Fund to Fight Corruption whose offices mushroomed throughout Russia. But Navalny’s supporters are often rigid in accepting other Kremlin critics’ opinions. The people Navalnaya will have to work with “are pretty authoritarian guys”, said Boris Bondarev, a veteran Russian diplomat to the United Nations office in Switzerland who quit after Moscow began the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. “They
Toronto man arrested for attacking pro-Palestinian protesters with nail gun
NewsFeed A man was arrested after using a nail gun to attack pro-Palestinian protesters in Canada. They were demonstrating against an Israeli real estate company event at a Toronto synagogue which only seemed open to Jews. Published On 4 Mar 20244 Mar 2024 Adblock test (Why?)