Tuesday Briefing: Aleksei Navalny’s widow keeps fighting

The spate of femicide cases in Africa and unexpected film award categories

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story February 20, 2024 By Daniel E. Slotnik Good morning. We're covering Aleksei Navalny's widow continuing his fight, and the spate of femicide cases in Africa. Plus: Unexpected film award categories. Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny. via Alexei Navalny YouTube channel Navalny's widow pledged to keep fighting Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny, vowed to continue his fight against President Vladimir Putin's autocratic rule. Navalny, who died at a penal colony on Friday, spent years denouncing Putin and the corruption he saw within his government. Before yesterday Navalnaya had largely shunned the spotlight, but she said she had to fill the void that Navalny's death left in the opposition movement. "I am going to continue the work of Aleksei Navalny and continue to fight for our country," Navalnaya said on her husband's YouTube channel, adding, "I ask you to share my rage — to share my rage, anger and hatred of those who have dared to kill our future." The dangers Navalnaya faces in trying to unite the fractured pro-democracy movement against Putin are significant. The government in 2021 declared her husband's foundation an extremist organization and disbanded it, sending the group's main investigators into exile. If Navalnaya returns to Russia, she could be arrested because of her association with the group. Navalny's final months: Navalny's letters show that his mind stayed active, even as brutal prison conditions wore down his body. A mother holding a photo of her 24-year-old daughter, who was killed in Kenya. Natalia Jidovanu for The New York Times African activists demand solutions for femicide A recent spate of gruesome killings of women across several African countries has set off a wave of protests and precipitated calls for governments to take decisive action against gender-based violence. In January, 31 women in Kenya were brutally killed, activists and police officials said. In Somalia, a man was accused this month of killing his pregnant wife by setting her on fire. A feminist scholar popularized the term femicide to describe the killing of women or girls based on their gender. According to a U.N. report, the killings are often carried out by male partners or close family members. An estimated 20,000 gender-related killings of women were recorded in Africa in 2022, the highest amount in the world, according to the U.N. Experts believe the true figures are likely higher. Critics say that many African leaders, as well as the police, ignore or downplay the problem or even blame victims. Officials patrolling in Papua New Guinea after an outburst of gun violence. Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Gunfight killed 26 in Papua New Guinea More than two dozen people were killed in a gunfight on Sunday in the remote highlands of Papua New Guinea, where violence between more than a dozen tribal groups has been escalating. Police said as many as 17 tribes were involved in the clashes, and only men are believed to have been killed. The issues in the highlands date back many years and often relate to longstanding grievances over land or politics. At least 150 people were killed in clashes in 2023, and the death toll has been rising in recent years as tribespeople have moved from using traditional weapons to high-powered firearms. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE LATEST NEWS Katrin Streicher for The New York Times Some Germans are fighting Tesla's plans to expand in a town near Berlin, but three teenagers say they welcome the economic development and the jobs it would bring. A Haitian judge has indicted 51 people for their roles in the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. His wife, Martine Moïse, was accused of being an accomplice. Capital One announced yesterday that it would acquire Discover Financial Services, which would merge two of the largest credit card companies in the U.S. E.U. regulators opened an investigation into TikTok over potential breaches of rules meant to protect children. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said she would run for a second term. Middle East The Israeli government is considering restricting access to the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which could lead to unrest. The crew of a cargo ship in the Red Sea was forced to evacuate after it was attacked by the Houthi militia in Yemen. The attack appeared to be the Houthis' most successful so far. Taliban officials boycotted a U.N. conference in Qatar this week, refusing to discuss the humanitarian crises facing Afghanistan and human rights issues. Bold Fashion Choices Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Donald Trump's gilded Never Surrender sneakers are a road map to Trump's "value system and electoral strategy in sartorial form," our chief fashion critic writes. An Australian equestrian and Olympic medalist was temporarily barred from competition after wearing a G-string costume to a competition. He is now allowed to compete after Australia rose to his defense. A Morning Read Steve Holroyd/Alamy Researchers have named about 2.3 million species, but there are millions, even billions, left to be discovered. The task is made more complicated because researchers disagree on what makes a distinct species. The debate is more than an academic pastime. The current extinction crisis makes developing a quick and accurate taxonomy an urgent matter. SPORTS NEWS World Cup 2026: Details on tickets are thin, but this is what we know so far. Inside the crisis at Bayern Munich: The German giant is stuck in a "horror film." How good is Manchester United? Why United is a deeply confusing soccer team. ARTS AND IDEAS Roger Kisby for The New York Times The award for best backting goes to … It's movie awards season, and after "Oppenheimer" dominated the BAFTAs over the weekend, you might need something to tide you over until the Oscars on March 10. Wesley Morris, our critic at large, is happy to oblige, with awards for categories that the Academy has yet to recognize. Best Acting Above the Nose: Paul Giamatti, "The Holdovers." Giamatti plays a fallen prep-school teacher full of embitterment and tweedy hauteur. You can measure the emotional magnitude of his character's righteousness by the creases, lines and squiggles that striate his forehead. Best Nervous Breakdown: Margot Robbie, "Barbie." When the forces of sexism land on Barbie, Robbie's face crumbles beneath the weight of epiphany. Best Backting: Franz Rogowski, "Passages." When it comes to communication, we are a face species, but the back talks, too. Great backting tends to emphasize failure, rue, humiliation, secrecy. In "Passages," Rogowski's back achieves most of that, plus a powerful dose of guilt. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Matt Taylor-Gross for The New York Times Cook: This roasted cauliflower and arugula salad works as a substantial side dish or a light main course. Watch: Mad scientists and paranoid androids come to the fore in these five streaming sci-fi movies. Rest: How poor sleep affects mental health, and what to do about it. Read: EC Comics, which specialized in tales of horror and crime before it shut down in the 1950s, is making a comeback. Enjoy: These free video games. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. Thank you for spending part of your morning with us, and see you tomorrow. — Dan You can reach Dan and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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