TOP NEWS

Putin's Russia
Russia stops exports of gasoline for six months

All Russian gasoline exports are stopped starting tomorrow to avoid gasoline shortages in the country and "maintain stability" in the market. This is stated by the government in a statement, according to AFP.

Al Jazeera writes that the ban may be an attempt to control fuel prices ahead of the presidential election on March 15.

Russian fuel exports are mainly going to Asia after the EU sharply reduced its imports from Russia since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and imposed sanctions on crude oil and oil products, according to a report by economic think tank Bruegel.

Russia is the world's second largest oil exporter, according to Reuters. The stop will last until August 31. 

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Navalny's death
Hearses refuse to drive Navalny's body after threats

No one dares to drive the Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny from the mortuary to the funeral tomorrow. It is the latest obstacle his family and associates have faced since his death two weeks ago, according to AFP.

"There is not a single hearse that can drive the body there. Anonymous people call around and threaten them not to take Aleksej's body anywhere," writes employee Kira Jarmysh on X.

Navalny's funeral service will be held on Friday at 2 p.m. at the Alleviate My Sorrows church in Moscow. The Reuters reporter on the ground reports on the heavy police presence and the riot fence that was erected around the church already on Thursday.

Lawyers have advised those who intend to go to avoid posters and printed t-shirts to reduce the risk of arrest, according to Reuters. A large number of people are expected to stop despite the risk of reprisals - demonstrating is in principle prohibited.

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Border policy in the United States
Judge blocks border law in Texas - victory for Biden

A federal judge on Thursday blocked a new law that would have given police in the state of Texas the right to arrest people suspected of entering the United States illegally, the AP reports.

This is considered a victory for the Democratic administration of Joe Biden, which is in several disputes with Republican Texas over how far the state can go to prevent people from crossing the border from Mexico. Biden and his likely Republican rival Donald Trump are currently visiting Texas' southern border to discuss immigration issues.

According to the judge, the state law conflicts with the Constitution and federal immigration law, writes The Hill. Human rights groups have sued the state, arguing that the law could lead to human rights violations and racial profiling.