"Don't Worry About Me": Putin Critic Navalny's Last Weeks In An Arctic Jail

Alexei Navalny, Russia's most prominent opposition leader, spent his final weeks in a penal colony above the Arctic Circle.

His 19-year prison sentence was widely condemned by rights groups and in the West as punishment for daring to cross President Vladimir Putin.

Through messages passed through his lawyers, he posted regularly on social media in a characteristically optimistic and light-hearted tone.

Here is what Navalny's final weeks looked like, in his own words:

'Ho-ho-ho' 

On December 26, Navalny posted his first message from his new Arctic prison colony, having disappeared for weeks after being moved from his former prison closer to Moscow.

The icy IK-3 prison colony in the Siberian region of Yamal-Nenets, some 2,000 kilometres (1,200 miles) from his native Moscow, would be where he spent his final few weeks.

"I am your new grandfather Frost," Navalny said, in his usual tongue-in-cheek manner.

"I have a tulup, an ushanka and I will have valenki soon," he said, referring to traditional furry Russian winter coats, hats and boots.

"I now live above the Arctic Circle ... But I don't say 'ho-ho-ho, I say 'oh-oh-oh' when I look out the window, where first there is night, then evening, then night again."

Navalny said he was tired from the 20-day journey from his previous prison in the central Vladimir region, close to Moscow.

"Don't worry about me, everything is well. I am so happy that I finally got here."

'Thinking about Leonardo DiCaprio' 

A few weeks later, after a spell in quarantine, Navalny shared more details about his conditions in the new Arctic prison.

"The idea that Putin was pleased (enough) that he had put me in a barracks in the Far North that they would stop throwing me in solitary confinement was ... naive," the 47-year-old said.

Prison authorities told him: "'Convict Navalny refused to introduce himself in the correct way'. Seven days in solitary confinement."

Navalny spent more than 300 days in solitary confinement -- or a "punishment cell" as his colleagues called it, based on its name in Russian -- during his three years in prison.

He was ordered there on 27 occasions, often for minor infringements of prison protocol.

Allowed out for a daily walk in the pitch black of at 6:30 a.m., Navalny said: "I promised myself I would go out in any weather."

His cell was "11 steps from wall to wall".

"It has never been colder than minus 32 (Celsius). Even in such a temperature you can walk more than half an hour -- only if you have the time to grow back a nose, ears and fingers," he said in a January 9 post.

"Today I was walking, freezing and thinking about Leonardo DiCaprio and his trick with a dead horse in The Revenant," he said, referring to a scene in which his character crawls into an animal carcass to keep warm.

"I don't think it would work here. A dead horse would freeze to death within 15 minutes."

'I'm Russian' 

Navalny also regularly ridiculed prison routines.

On January 22, he said the prison wardens at IK-3 would wake everybody up at 5 a.m. to play the Russian national anthem.

"And right after that -- the second most important song in the country: Shaman's 'Ya Russky,'" he said.

The song -- which means "I'm Russian" -- has become an unofficial anthem for President Vladimir Putin.

"Imagine the scene. Yamal-Nenets region. Polar night. In a penal colony of convicts, prisoner Navalny serving 19 years -- who the Kremlin's propaganda for years has scolded for taking part in Russian marches -- is exercising to 'Ya Russky'".

'Send me money' 

In a court hearing on 15 February -- a day before his death -- Navalny was filmed joking with the judge over a stream of fines he had been issued.

"Your honour, I will send you my personal account number so that you, with your huge salary as a federal judge, can send me money," he said, laughing.

"I am running out of cash, and thanks to your decisions, it will run out even faster. So send it!"

'I love you' 

Navalny's last post, published on Valentine's Day, was dedicated to his wife, Yulia.

"Baby, you and I have everything, just like in the song: cities, airfield lights, blue snowstorms and thousands of kilometres between us," he said, quoting a popular Soviet-era tune.

"But I feel that you are near me every second, and I love you more and more."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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US Woman Slips Past Airport Security, Boards Flight Without A Ticket

A woman in the United States sneaked past a Nashville airport security checkpoint and boarded an American Airlines flight heading for Los Angeles without a boarding pass or identification earlier this month. The flyer hopped a barrier in an unmanned area of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening line at Nashville International Airport, where passengers are required to show their identification, as per a report in the New York Post.

"TSA is reviewing the circumstances of this matter, but can confirm that the traveler in question was physically screened, along with their carry-on items, without incident at the Nashville International Airport security checkpoint on February 7th before boarding the flight. TSA and its airline partners are cooperating with the ongoing law enforcement investigation," the agency told USA TODAY.  

American Airlines acknowledged the incident, stating that it was detected somewhere along the approximately five-hour journey. "On Feb. 7, American Airlines flight 1393 was met by law enforcement upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Safety and security are our highest priorities, and we are assisting law enforcement in the investigation," a spokesperson informed the New York Post.

The woman was detained and interrogated by the FBI. She hasn't been charged as of yet. The agency stated that the inquiry is still underway.

However, this is not the first time such an incident has taken place. A Russian man who flew to the US without a visa, passport, or ticket was found guilty in a US federal court of being a stowaway on an aircraft. Sergey Ochigava, 46, was convicted by a jury in a California court on Friday.

According to court documents, Mr Ochigava, a Russian-Israeli dual national, departed Copenhagen on a Scandinavian Airlines flight and landed at Los Angeles International Airport on November 4, 2023. He had no passport or visa, and officials also couldn't find him on the passenger list for any flights. He was subsequently arrested and has been in custody since November. 

According to the flight crew, most of them noticed Mr Ochigava on the flight, saying that he wandered around the plane and kept changing his seat. He allegedly asked for two meals during each meal service, and at one point attempted to eat the chocolate that belonged to members of the cabin crew.

When officials searched his bag, they found what appeared to be Russian and Israeli identification cards, but no passport. The suspect, in an interview, told an FBI agent that he was confused, had not slept for three days, and couldn't remember how he boarded a plane without a ticket, boarding pass, or passport.

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Teacher Never Spoke Against Gods, Protest Stage Managed: Karnataka School

The headmistress of St Gerosa English higher primary school in the city on Thursday said the recent incident in which a teacher was accused of making anti-Hindu remarks appears to be stage-managed, and revealed that she was pressured by BJP MLA Vedavyas Kamath to remove the teacher from the job.

The incident seems intended to tarnish the image of school which has been imparting quality education with minimum fees in the past 60 years, she added.

In a press statement, School Headmistress Sister Anitha clarified that Sr Prabha, the teacher who was removed from her post following allegations of hurting Hindu sentiments, was only explaining a poem by Rabindranath Tagore in the classroom.

"The teacher had not spoken anything against gods, but explained to the students the meaning of the poem 'Work is Worship' by Tagore," she said, quoting the full text of the poem in her statement.

The teacher had explained the meaning of the poem which says that temples, churches, and mosques are only buildings and god dwells in human hearts, she further clarified.

The headmistress said four persons had approached her on February 10 with a complaint that Sr Prabha had made some derogatory statements against the Hindu religion, and she had assured them that an inquiry would be held.

As alleged by the anonymous woman in a voice message that has gone viral and reiterated by BJP leaders, Sr Prabha did not make any derogatory remarks against Hinduism or any other religion or the Prime Minister, while explaining the poem, Sr Anitha explained.

She said the school management had approached the district administration stating that the viral audio message was far from the truth and had sought an inquiry into the matter. They also sought protection, fearing untoward incidents.

A complaint was also lodged with the police to take action in the instance of the woman's audio being propagated and thus being made viral, Sr Anitha said.

On February 12, officials from the education department, a subject expert from the block education office and a coordinator from the office of the Deputy Director of Public Instruction visited the school and the incident was explained to them.

Later, local MLA Vedavyas Kamath arrived at the school with a group of Hindu activists who shouted slogans against the school. The management recognised him as the MLA and invited him inside the school, but he refused and continued the protest. They instigated students to shout slogans against their own school, Sr Anitha alleged.

She said Kamath wanted her to dismiss the teacher or else face an intensified agitation, to which she replied that she cannot act without an inquiry.

"But the mob led by the MLA pressured me to remove the teacher with immediate effect. With no other go and to maintain law and order, and to disperse the mob that was swelling, I was forced to issue a statement removing Sr Prabha from the job," the headmistress said.

She said Sr Prabha has a total teaching experience of 16 years including five years in Gerosa School. "There has been no complaint against her so far. The critical point of the episode which needs to be probed is whether the lady who spoke about the school in the viral audio is actually the parent of a Gerosa student," she pointed out.

The headmistress said it appears that the protest was stage managed to tarnish the image of school, which has been imparting quality education with minimum fees. "We, being secular in our outlook always respect all students and do not discriminate anyone based on caste, creed or religion. Every year, we celebrate Deepavali, Christmas and Eid," she added. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Ranveer Singh To Start Shoot Of Shaktimaan After Wrapping Don 3: Report

Bollywood star Ranveer Singh, who will be playing the lead role in Don 3, has also been roped in to play Shaktimaan, reported Pinkvilla. According to the report, the Ram-Leela actor will play the titular role in the Basil Joseph directorial, which is said to go on floors in May of 2025. A source close to the actor told Pinkvilla, "Ranveer will undergo workshops to get into the part of Don. He considers this film as a big responsibility as he will be the third generation of Don after Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. Farhan is targeting to take Don 3 on floors from August/September 2024.”

“Right after Don 3, it's time for Shaktimaan. The film has been in the writing stage for over 3 years now and the team has finally cracked a script that's worthy of doing justice to the legacy of Shaktimaan. The film will be directed by Basil Joseph, with Sony Pictures India and Sajid Nadiadwala as the producers,” Pinkvilla quoted a source as saying.

Meanwhile, Bollywood superstar Ranveer Singh and adult film actor Johnny Sins recently featured in an advertisement of a men's health brand. The advert is a spoof on overtly dramatised style of Indian TV shows. Many celebs gave a shout out to the ad. Priyanka Chopra dropped a skull and a palms up emoji in the comments section. Bollywood actor Vijay Varma commented, "Jethji helping Johnny wasn't on my 2024 bingo card." Arjun Kapoor wrote, "Baba you are bold and beautiful for doing this."

Watch the ad here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh)

On the work front, Ranveer Singh was last seen in the Karan Johar directorial, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. The actor, who secured a nomination in the Best Actor category for the Karan Johar directorial in Filmfare this year, could not win the award.

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Cousins In Love Die By Suicide In UP, Cops Launch Probe

Two cousins in love allegedly killed themselves by consuming poison in the Charkhari area of Mahoba district adjacent to Banda on Wednesday, police said.

Charkhari area Deputy Superintendent of Police Harshita Gangwar identified the victims as Surendra, 22, and his 20-year-old female cousin, who lived in his neighbourhood.

Surendra consumed poison in a field, the woman at her home, she said.

The officer said that their family members rushed them both to a Community Health Center in Charkhari, where the doctor declared Surendra dead.

The woman was referred to the district hospital but she too died before she could reach there.

Investigation so far has revealed that the man and the woman were cousins. Both studied in the same college and had been seeing each other for a long time, the officer said.

The officer said their families did not know about the affair, and Surendra told his family about it while on the way to the hospital and also expressed his wish to marry his cousin.

It was Surendra who informed his family that the woman too had consumed poison, Gangwar said.

A probe has been ordered into the deaths and the bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination, she said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Domino's Japan Employee Picks Nose, Touches Pizza Dough, Company Reacts

A restaurant's reputation can be determined by a number of factors, one of which is the level of hygiene it maintains. In addition to protecting the health and safety of both employees and customers, restaurant hygiene is crucial in determining how a place is perceived. Everyone prefers a clean, hygienic restaurant that serves delicious meals and has a pleasant atmosphere. Amid this, a video of an employee at a Domino's restaurant in Japan has gone viral. In the short clip, one of its employees picks his nose and wipes his finger on the pizza dough.

Domino's took note of the same and apologised for the incident. They said that the video was filmed in the store after hours and that no pizza dough had been used. They added that all remaining dough had been disposed of. A part-time worker at a Domino's location in Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture, is said to have taken the footage at around 2 am on Monday, according to Japan Times. 

Domino's Japan has apologized after someone uploaded a video that appears to show one of its employees picking his nose whole kneading pizza dough. The branch in question (in Amagasaki) was swiftly closed and the people involved may face legal action.pic.twitter.com/oeiqmMp6fY

— Jeffrey J. Hall 🇯🇵🇺🇸 (@mrjeffu) February 12, 2024

The store in question stopped operations, according to the company, and the employee in the video will face consequences in line with employment laws. Domino's Japan also mentioned that legal action will be considered.

Domino's Pizza said that it will ensure that "something like this never happens again." "We deeply apologize for making our valued customers uncomfortable," the restaurant chain added.

People on social media said that they were disappointed by the negligence and called for action to be taken against the outlet.

A few months ago, a photo allegedly clicked at a Domino's outlet in Bengaluru showing cleaning mops and brushes hanging just above trays of pizza dough in the kitchen went viral on the internet. Also, clothes, reportedly belonging to the employees, are seen hanging on the wall above the trays.

Responding to the tweet, Domino's said that the company has zero tolerance for violations of their operating standards and that the incident would be "thoroughly investigated".

"Domino's adheres to world-class protocols for ensuring the highest standards of hygiene and food safety. An incident involving one of our stores was recently brought to our notice. We want to assert that this is an isolated incident, and we have taken the strictest action against the restaurant in question. Please be informed that we have zero tolerance for violations of our high safety standards. Rest assured, we remain committed to doing everything necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of our customers," the company said in a statement.

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AAP Announces Goa, Gujarat Candidates, Sends A Message To Congress

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) stepped up pressure on its INDIA bloc partner Congress on Tuesday, announcing candidates from South Goa and two seats in Gujarat for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and complaining over delayed seat-sharing negotiations.

In a further attempt to corner the Congress, the AAP offered just one of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi to the grand old party while making its intentions clear that it would like to contest from the remaining six seats.

At a press conference following a Political Affairs Committee (PAC) meeting of the party, AAP general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak declared Venzy Viegas as the party candidate from South Goa and Chaitar Vasva and Umeshbhai Makwana from the Bharuch and Bhavnagar seats in Gujarat.

Mr Viegas, an AAP MLA, has been nominated from South Goa, a seat that was won by the Congress's Francisco Sardinha in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Mr Pathak said on the basis of its vote share in the last Assembly polls in Gujarat, the AAP has demanded eight Lok Sabha seats in the state for itself, leaving the remaining 18 of the 26 seats for the Congress.

Mr Pathak also said the AAP will contest all the 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab on its own. The discussions regarding Chandigarh, Haryana and other states should be held expeditiously, he demanded from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).

Claiming that the Congress insisted on contesting from Bharuch, Mr Pathak said winnability and not "parivarwad" (dynasty) should be the criterion to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the polls.

"The Congress leaders claimed the Bharuch seat for emotional reasons as it was represented by late Ahmad Patel in 1984. They said Patel's daughter will contest from this seat. We will have to get rid of parivarwad if we want to defeat the BJP," he said.

Detailing the progress of the AAP's talks with the Congress over seat sharing, Mr Pathak said two official meetings between the leaders of the two parties took place on January 8 and 12, which were inconclusive.

"No meeting took place with the Congress in the last one month, forcing us to hold this press conference," he said.

Nevertheless, the AAP leader asserted that his party stood firmly and honestly with the INDIA bloc and added that it expects that the opposition alliance will accept the candidates declared by the party.

The PAC meeting, chaired by AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, decided to announce candidates from South Goa and the two seats in Gujarat for the Lok Sabha polls that are likely to be held in April-May.

Last week, the Kejriwal-led party unilaterally announced its candidates from the Guwahati, Sonitpur and Dibrugarh Lok Sabha seats in Assam.

"We are committed to doing whatever it takes to make the INDI alliance successful. But the objective of the alliance is to contest elections, win elections and give a new option to the country," Mr Pathak said.

Asked about the AAP's move to announce its Lok Sabha candidates single-handedly despite being a constituent of the INDIA bloc, he said there is no clarity as to when the next meeting on seat sharing will be held.

"In such a situation, there is worry that it will be very difficult to win the election this way. This worry is the reason why I am sitting here today and I am sitting here with a heavy heart. There would have been no need to do this if we had talked," Mr Pathak said.

The hard talk by the AAP over its alliance with the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls puts another question mark on a possible seat-sharing arrangement between the two parties.

"We are not announcing candidates for Delhi today. I hope that the talks about Delhi will start soon and conclude very soon. Still, if there is no conclusion, we will announce the candidates from six seats in the next few days," Mr Pathak said.

He said the AAP is staking claim on Lok Sabha seats based on merit and the winnability factor as well as its performance in previous polls. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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