International
Navalny’s Moscow Funeral Takes Place Under Shadow Of Repression
The funeral of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is scheduled to be held in Moscow on Friday, with mourners braving the risk of arrest to come and pay their respects.
The ceremony will take place two weeks after Navalny died in an Arctic prison, amid pressures denounced by his team who accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin of murdering his top critic.
Putin, who famously never said Navalny’s name in public, has not commented on the death, which sparked outrage among Western leaders and the Russian opposition.
The religious service will be held at the Mother of God Quench My Sorrows church in Maryino at 2:00 pm (1100 GMT) on the outskirts of Moscow.
In line with Orthodox practices, the body of Navalny — who had embraced Christianity — will be displayed in an open casket.
Two hours later, the burial is set to take place at the Borisovo cemetery, a short walk from the banks of the river Moskva.
Details of the funeral and how many mourners will be allowed to attend are still unclear.
Authorities have not commented on how they will handle the event, which could turn into an embarrassing show of support for Navalny.
Around a dozen police officers already patrolled the cemetery on the eve of the burial, which supporters fear may be disturbed by the Kremlin.
Hopes for peaceful ceremony
They have reasons for concern: 400 mourners have been detained at memorials for Navalny since his death, rights organisation OVD-Info said.
The dissident’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, feared the funeral could be disrupted by further arrests.
“I’m not sure yet whether it will be peaceful or whether the police will arrest those who have come to say goodbye to my husband,” Navalnaya told the European Parliament.
She has directly blamed Putin for his death.
Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, has criticised statements by Navalny’s wife and Western leaders blaming the Russian leader for the death as “vulgar”.
Navalny had shot to prominence through his anti-corruption campaigning, exposing what he said was rampant graft at the top of Putin’s administration.
He was arrested in January 2021 when he returned to Russia after being treated in Germany for a poisoning attack.
“Alexei was tortured for three years,” Navalnaya told lawmakers in Brussels.
“He was starved in a tiny stone cell, cut off from the outside world and denied visits, phone calls, and then even letters.”
“And then they killed him. Even after that, they abused his body,” she said.
‘Chance to say goodbye’
His body was held for eight days, which his team believed to be a bid to cover up responsibility for his death.
Navalny’s family and his team have also accused authorities of trying to prevent him from having a dignified public burial due to fears it could turn into a flashpoint for dissent.
The team alleged local investigators had threatened to bury him on the prison grounds if his mother did not agree to a “secret” funeral.
Once the body was released, allies struggled to find a funeral place that would agree to hold the ceremony.
And on Thursday they said hearse drivers were refusing to take the body from the morgue.
“What a disgrace. Now the hearse drivers refuse to take Alexei from the morgue,” said Ivan Zhdanov, an exiled ally who managed Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation.
Navalny’s spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said funeral directors had received threatening calls from “unknown people” warning them not to transport Navalny’s body anywhere.
And a civil ceremony allowing the general public to pay their respects to the body — common in Russia — has not been allowed.
Navalnaya said the family “did not want a special treatment — just to give people the chance to say goodbye”.
She has vowed to continue his life’s work.
“The most important thing we can do for Alexei and for ourselves is to continue to fight more desperately, more fiercely than before,” she said.
AFP
International
Trump kicks off his ‘Board of Peace,’ as war clouds loom on Iran
Trump, who has sharply curtailed foreign aid, said that the United States would contribute $10 billion to the initiative whose goals include rebuilding Gaza, which was reduced to rubble by two years of war between Hamas and Israel.
Image credit : AFP
President Donald Trump on Thursday promised $10 billion for a new “Board of Peace,” an amorphous new institution focused first on Gaza that is being launched just as he threatens Iran with war.
While US warplanes and aircraft carriers headed toward Iran on his orders, Trump welcomed some two dozen allies from around the world to the gleaming Washington building of the former US Institute of Peace, which has been gutted and renamed after the 79-year-old Republican.
Trump, who has sharply curtailed foreign aid, said that the United States would contribute $10 billion to the initiative whose goals include rebuilding Gaza, which was reduced to rubble by two years of war between Hamas and Israel.
“Together we can achieve the dream of bringing lasting harmony to a region tortured by centuries of war, suffering,” said the realtor-turned-president, who has previously spoken improbably of building tourist resorts in Gaza.
Trump did not explain exactly where the money would go and his “Board of Peace” has drawn wide criticism for its opaque nature.
Trump will wield veto power over the “Board of Peace” and can remain its head even after leaving office, while countries that want to stay on permanently rather than enjoy a two-year stint will need to pay $1 billion.
In a rambling speech in which he denounced domestic opponents, highlighted stock market gains and hailed his prowess in endorsing foreign leaders during elections, Trump said he wanted to pursue more peace deals.
Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, the youngest son of the late former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, has been arrested following a shooting incident at his residence in the upscale Hyde Park suburb.
According to reports from South African media outlets including eNCA and IOL, as well as Gauteng police investigations, an employee—described variably as a security guard or gardener—was shot during an apparent dispute at the property.
The victim is in critical condition and receiving medical treatment.Police responded to the scene, where Mugabe was reportedly taken into custody in connection with the shooting.
Some unconfirmed social media accounts and early reports mentioned police negotiators attending amid claims the suspect had barricaded himself, but he was subsequently arrested.
This marks the latest in a series of legal troubles for Bellarmine Chatunga Mugabe, who has previously faced charges related to assault in Zimbabwe, including incidents involving security personnel and law enforcement.
The investigation by the South African Police Service (SAPS) is ongoing, with more details expected as the case develops. Authorities have not yet released an official statement on charges or motives.
The incident has drawn significant attention online and in regional media, given the family’s prominent political legacy.
A powerful explosion devastated the Abundant Life Fellowship Church in this rural community on Tuesday morning, February 17, 2026, leaving five people—including the church’s pastor and four firefighters—critically injured, authorities said.
The blast occurred around 10:25–10:30 a.m. at the church located on State Route 12 in the Town of Boonville, Oneida County, approximately 50 miles northeast of Syracuse. Emergency responders were initially dispatched after reports of a strong gas odor inside the building.
According to New York State Police, a preliminary investigation indicates that four individuals were in the church basement when the furnace activated, triggering the explosion.
A fifth person a firefighter was on the first floor attempting to ventilate the structure and was thrown against a wall by the force of the blast.
The injured have been identified as:
– Brandon Pitts, 43, pastor of Abundant Life Fellowship Church
– David Pritchard Jr., 60, Boonville Fire Chief
– Allan Austin, 67, Boonville Fire Department firefighter
– Nicholas Amicucci, 43, Boonville Fire Department firefighter
– Richard Czajka, 71, Boonville Fire Department firefighter
All five victims were transported to regional hospitals, including Upstate University Hospital and Wynn Hospital, where they remain in critical but stable condition.
The explosion caused catastrophic damage to the church building, which officials now consider “destroyed.”
Thick black smoke billowed from the site following the blast.
State police emphasized that there is no indication of criminal activity at this time, and the incident appears to stem from a propane or gas-related issue in the heating system.
The investigation is ongoing.Community members and first responder agencies have expressed support for the injured and their families as recovery efforts continue.
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