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world news Diabierna 17 September 2021

Macron, Merkel to meet in Paris on world’s crises, EU issues

(AP) — French President dential palace, the Elysee said. elections on Sept. 26. She has
Emmanuel Macron will announced she won’t seek a
meet with German Chan- The meeting comes af- fifth term.
cellor Angela Merkel in ter French authorities an-
Paris later Thursday to nounced overnight the death In Germany, the outgoing
discuss international cri- of the leader of the Islamic chancellor stays on until a
ses and European issues, State in the Greater Sahara, new coalition government
days before elections that killed in southern Mali in a is formed, which can take
will determine who suc- French-led operation with weeks or months.
ceeds her after 16 years in backup from U.S., EU, Ma-
office. lian and Nigerien military A French top official, speak-
forces. ing anonymously in accor-
Macron’s office said topics dance with the Elysee’s cus-
will include the diplomatic France has over 5,000 troops tomary practices, said Merkel
and humanitarian crisis in deployed in the broader Sa- will be back in Paris in the
Afghanistan, the situation in hel region to fight Islamic coming weeks for a “goodbye
Mali and European Union extremists. Germany has sev- visit.”
affairs. eral hundred soldiers taking different hypothesis for the
part in United Nations stabi- Macron met last week with The meetings, at the request future coalition government,
Macron and Merkel will lization and European Union two candidates to succeed her, of the two candidates, al- the official said.
make a joint statement be- training missions in Mali. Armin Laschet of Merkel’s lowed Macron to get “the
fore their one-to-one meet- Christian Democratic Union most precise information Macron didn’t meet with
ing, that will be followed by Merkel’s visit comes ahead and Olaf Scholz, running for possible” about the political Greens contender Annalena
a working dinner at the presi- of Germany’s parliamentary the Social Democrats. situation in Germany, and Baerbock.

Russia votes in parliament election without main opposition

(AP) — After a few weeks “There is very little intrigue over the new parliament, has threatened fines against rity and Cooperation in Eu-
of desultory campaign- in these elections … and in which will still be in place in Apple and Google to remove rope, whose election-mon-
ing but months of relent- fact they will not leave a spe- 2024, when Putin’s current the apps from their online itoring missions are widely
less official moves to shut cial trace in political history,” term expires and he must stores. The Foreign Ministry regarded as authoritative, will
down significant oppo- Andrei Kolesnikov, an ana- decide on running for reelec- last week summoned U.S. not send observers for the
sition, Russia is holding lyst at the Carnegie Moscow tion or choosing some other Ambassador John Sullivan to parliament vote, saying that
three days of voting this Center, told The Associated strategy to stay in power. protest election interference Russia imposed excessive re-
weekend in a parliamen- Press. by American “digital giants.” strictions.
tary election that is un- The other half of the seats
likely to change the coun- Putin, however, on Thursday are chosen in individual Blocking the website was the In addition to the Duma elec-
try’s political complexion. urged Russians to vote, saying constituencies, where inde- latest move to neutralize the tion, nine Russian regions
in a video message that “elec- pendent candidates or those Navalny operation, which will be choosing governors,
There’s no expectation that tion of (the Duma’s) new from small parties such as was Russia’s most visible and 39 regions will be choosing
United Russia, the party de- composition is undoubtedly the liberal Yabloko may have determined opposition orga- legislatures and voters in 11
voted to President Vladimir the most important event stronger chances. These seats nization, capable of calling cities will be choosing city
Putin, will lose its dominance in the life of our society and are also where the Navalny sizable protests throughout councils.
of the State Duma, the elect- country.” team’s Smart Voting strategy the country.
ed lower house of parliament. could make inroads. The Elections Commission
The main questions to be an- With 14 parties fielding can- Navalny himself was jailed ordered voting expanded to
swered are whether the party didates for half of the Duma’s The program sidesteps ide- in January upon returning to three days, concluding on
will retain its current two- 450 seats that are chosen by ology in order to undermine Russia from Germany where Sunday, to reduce crowding
thirds majority that allows it party list, the election has a United Russia, simply advis- he had been recuperating at the polls amid the corona-
to amend the constitution; veneer of being genuinely ing voters which candidate from nerve-agent poisoning; virus pandemic. Critics say
whether anemic turnout will competitive. But the three other than the ruling party’s he was subsequently sen- the decision raises the chance
dull the party’s prestige; and parties aside from United is the strongest in a single- tenced to 2½ years in prison. of ballot manipulation. Com-
whether imprisoned opposi- Russia that are expected to mandate race. A court later outlawed Na- mission head Ella Pamfilova
tion leader Alexei Navalny’s clear the 5% support neces- valny’s Foundation for Fight- rejects the accusation, saying
Smart Voting initiative proves sary to get a seat rarely chal- It’s essentially a defensive ing Corruption and a net- there will be “total video sur-
to be a viable strategy against lenge the Kremlin. strategy. work of his regional offices veillance” of polling places
it. as extremist organizations, and that ballots will be in se-
The Kremlin wants control “Voting to harm United Rus- a verdict that barred people cure containers.
sia is not a meaningful goal, associated with the groups
not a goal to choose another from seeking public office Other ethical concerns also
candidate whom you ideo- and exposed them to lengthy hover over the election. Ac-
logically support,” Kolesn- prison terms. cording to the state-funded
ikov said. But it showed po- pollster VTsIOM, more than
tency in its inaugural use in Russian authorities also one in 10 workers say they
2018 when opposition can- blocked some 50 websites have been given directives
didates won 20 of 45 seats run by his team or supporters by their bosses to vote. In St.
in the Moscow city council, for allegedly disseminating Petersburg, a candidate from
and a year later when United extremist propaganda. the Yabloko party named Bo-
Russia lost its majorities in ris Vishnevsky, who is run-
the councils of three large In August, Russia added the ning simultaneously for the
cities. independent vote-monitor- Duma and a regional legis-
ing group Golos to its list of lature, discovered that there
However, it’s unclear how foreign agents, a move that are two other men using
widely it will be used this does not block its work but that name opposing him in
year after authorities blocked strongly suggests it should be each race — one of whom is
access to its website. The regarded with suspicion. a member of United Russia,
service remains available according to the newspaper
through apps, but Russia The Organization for Secu- Novaya Gazeta.