Vilnius, Lithuania – Leonid Volkov, the former chief of staff to Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, is accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of orchestrating a violent assault that targeted him outside his home in exile. The attack left Volkov with a broken arm and facial and leg injuries after being attacked with tear gas and a meat hammer. The attack, believed to have been organized in Moscow, was aimed at thwarting Volkov’s efforts to disrupt the upcoming presidential election in Russia.
In response, Putin has issued a stark warning that Russia is prepared to use nuclear weapons if its sovereignty or independence is threatened. This assertion comes just days before an election in which Putin is expected to secure another long term in office.
In Canada, the Auditor-General’s office has terminated two employees for failing to disclose their contracts with the federal government, with a third case under investigation. The firing came after concerns were raised by Public Services and Procurement Canada regarding a contractor’s security status.
Concerns over government spending and management decisions related to the ArriveCan app have been heightened on Parliament Hill following a report by Auditor-General Karen Hogan. The report raised questions about the government’s interactions with GCStrategies, a company that has received millions of dollars in federal contracts since 2015.
Meanwhile, Israel has announced plans to relocate a significant portion of displaced Palestinians in the Gaza Strip’s town of Rafah to “humanitarian islands” as part of an anticipated offensive in the region. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sees the offensive as essential to Israel’s goal of dismantling Hamas following a deadly attack by militants.
Additionally, a United Nations investigation has found that an Israeli tank killed Reuters reporter Issam Abdallah in Lebanon last year in a violation of international law. The incident involved the firing of two rounds at a group of journalists, resulting in Abdallah’s death.
On the markets, strength in the energy sector has contributed to an increase in Canada’s main stock index, while U.S. stock markets showed mixed results. The Canadian dollar saw a slight increase compared to the previous day, and commodities like crude oil and gold also saw fluctuations in their prices.
In other news, a federal budget two weeks after the fiscal year begins has raised questions about government spending, while the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that could force TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance to divest its American assets or face a ban.