World champion judo competitor Nemanja Majdov was suspended for five months by an international governing body for making the sign of the cross before a match at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.Majdov is a devout Christian who makes no apologies about his faith and apparently violated the International Judo Federation's rules when he crossed himself on July 31, 2024, at the Paris games. A video posted to X showed the 28-year-old walking while in prayer in a packed arena.'The Lord has given me everything, both for me personally and for my career.'The IJF clarified its suspension in a statement posted on its website:Majdov "was charged for, 'Having shown a clear religious sign when entering the field of play and having refused to bow to his opponent at the end of the contest,' which is a violation of the IJF Code of Ethics," the organization wrote."The athlete was warned by letter in April 2018 and again in February 2022, about behaviour that was contrary to the IJF [Sport and Organisation Rules]," the statement added.Majdov made a lengthy statement regarding the incident on his Instagram page, where he often posts content related to his faith."15 days ago I received a decision that I was suspended for 5 months by the World Judo Federation (IJF) for violating their religious codes. More precisely, because of baptism when entering a match at the Olympic Games.""I was banned from participating in all tournaments, camps and preparations," Majdov continued.The judo practitioner then explained that not only did he "not want to apologize for the baptism" but that he will never apologize."The Lord has given me everything, both for me personally and for my career, and he is number 1 for me and I am proud of that. And that will not change under any circumstances. Glory to Him and thanks for everything," he added.The IJF stated that its rules are meant to "protect the ethical values and moral principles" of the sport while ensuring competitions are "dedicated exclusively for judo and where only the judo specific signs and rules are on display, equally for all." Photo by Kiyoshi Ota/Getty ImagesAt the same time, the organization said it "respects and appreciates" all cultures, nationalities, religions, and orientations. Using language typically associated with diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, the IJF claimed it has a duty to all of its "stakeholders" to make sure they feel "respected and accepted" at all events.Majdov was the 2017 world champion, the 2023 European champion, and has a total of five gold medals at international tournaments.He said his latest suspension was "nothing new" for him but rather a "new page" in his career and life. "I'm sorry that such a beautiful and difficult sport like judo has fallen to such things," he told his fans."God gave me a great career. ... We will rest [during the suspension], and then we will return with the help of our Lord Jesus Christ to a new beginning and new victories."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The Democrats have spent years regurgitating the claim that former President Donald Trump is a “threat to democracy.” And oddly enough, after years of filling the minds of American citizens with their rhetoric, Trump has literally come under fire after facing two assassination attempts in the past few months. “When you rile up your base for so long, saying that democracy is the most important thing and that President Trump is the existential threat to it, it’s how you get crazy people,” co-host of Steve Bannon’s “War Room” Natalie Winters tells Liz Wheeler of “The Liz Wheeler Show.” “You’re dealing with deranged people who are looking for a sense of purpose, and Kamala Harris [and the Democrats] with their rhetoric, they easily give it to them,” she continues. However, Winters doesn’t exactly believe the Democrats are wrong to say Trump is a “threat to democracy.” “In some ways, they are right. I just think that they misappropriate the word democracy. I always say, first of all, obviously, we’re not a democracy. We’re a constitutional republic,” Winters explains. “Trump was the aberration. Trump was the shock to the system,” she continues. “I think if you look at democracy through the lens of sort of a feigned selection of candidates.” “If you look at democracy the way that they describe it, in that sense, they are correct that President Trump is a threat to that form of democracy,” she continues, adding, “but I think the real error is that democracy doesn’t work for anyone except the elite, except the ruling class.” Want more from Liz Wheeler?To enjoy more of Liz’s based commentary, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

The Arizona Supreme Court unanimously decided to allow residents who were allowed to vote based on a decades-old government error to vote in the November election despite not confirming their citizenship status. 'They have NOT provided documented proof of citizenship.' The court said it wanted to avoid disenfranchising a large number of voters who have citizenship but did not certify it because of the government error. As previously reported by Blaze News, the complicated election laws in Arizona set up the conditions whereby voters who had not certified their citizenship were assumed to be citizens based on their having a driver's license before 1996 and receiving a replacement license after 2004. "All of these people have attested under penalty of law that they are U.S. citizens. And, in all likelihood, they almost all [are] U.S. Citizens," said Maricopa County recorder Stephen Richer, a Republican, in a lengthy statement on X Tuesday. "But they have NOT provided documented proof of citizenship."Richer opined that those voters should not be allowed to vote in the local elections unless they confirmed their citizenship status as per state law but said that Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes disagreed. The two asked the state supreme court to decide the issue. "AZ Supreme Court ruled for defendant (Fontes). The 100k registrants will continue to vote a full ballot this election. Thank God," Richer responded. "Thank you Arizona Supreme Court for your extremely quick and professional review of this matter," he added before thanking Fontes. "Good to work with you on this one. Thank you," Fontes responded. Fontes had said that the affected voters leaned Republican and were likely between the ages of 45 and 65 years old. If the court had sided with Richer, the voters in question would have been allowed to vote only in the federal elections unless they took additional steps before November to certify their citizenship to vote in state and local elections in Arizona. The Arizona Republican Party praised the ruling to keep the voters from being disenfranchised. "We're very grateful to the state Supreme Court for protecting the voices of almost 98,000 voters who were in danger of being disenfranchised in this election," said Gina Swoboda, the state party chair in a statement on social media. "I think that, in and of itself, speaks to all of us recognizing that the weight and the responsibility of making sure that the franchise is provided to all voters outweighs any particular political interest."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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A new bill would prohibit the use of federal funds to the Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-Okla., seeks to stop aid going to Afghanistan that ends up in the hands of the Taliban.