Putin extends his rule after a predetermined vote
President Vladimir Putin ran for another six-year term in a presidential race in which he faced no real competition. He is expected to hold a rally in Red Square to officially declare victory – and present the vote as public support for his invasion of Ukraine.
Here is the latest.
Some Russians quietly recorded their dissent yesterday. They turned the election into a sensational protest: Many formed long lines at polling stations to register their displeasure with Putin as he prepared to take on his fifth term as president.
Alexei Navalny, the opposition leader who died in prison last month, had urged his supporters to vote at noon local time. Lines quickly formed at polling stations in major cities, and several people in Moscow told The Times they had come to show their support for Navalny.
One woman, who gave her name as Dayana, 22, said she was excited to stand among other Putin critics and feel “that I am not alone, that there are many of us”.
But there was no sign that the protest would deter Putin, who has ruled Russia since 1999. He has extended his rule until 2030 and, if he serves to the end of his next term, will have the longest tenure of any Russian leader from Katerina. Excellent late 1700s.
A predetermined result: Even Putin’s spokesman said last year that the election was “not really democracy” but “expensive bureaucracy”. In the occupied territories of Ukraine, armed soldiers watched people vote for a president.
What’s next: Many fear that a new wave of mobilization may soon follow the election.
Updates from the war:
With limited aid, malnutrition remains in Gaza
A sea shipment of aid arrived off the coast of northern Gaza this weekend, the first to do so in nearly two decades, and another batch of aid is expected to depart from Cyprus soon.
But experts and aid groups said diversifying delivery methods had not alleviated hunger and widespread malnutrition. They said that the main method should be overland and that the best way to avoid starvation was a cease fire.
There could be some movement towards a ceasefire after Hamas softens its demand for a permanent ceasefire. The new proposal would allow the release of hostages in exchange for a gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops.
Risks: On Thursday, an attack near aid trucks in Gaza killed at least 20 people. Gaza officials accused Israel of a “targeted” attack. Israel blamed Palestinian militants. The UN human rights office has documented 10 attacks this month on Gazans waiting for aid.
USA: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to Senator Chuck Schumer’s criticism yesterday: “We are not a banana republic.”
Did Australia catch a Chinese spy?
In 2020, Di Sanh Duong became the first person charged under Australia’s foreign interference laws. Late last month, he was sentenced to nearly three years in prison, although he is expected to serve one year.
In the case, the government fought Duong, a suburban tombstone maker, over interpretations of two words (“we the Chinese”) and a $25,000 donation to a hospital that – prosecutors said – would have at some point become the basis for Proposition of China to a legislator. The question at stake: Was Duong a skilled operator for Beijing, or just a bragging dad?
In his only in-depth interview since his arrest, Duong — who is ethnically Chinese — told The Times that he was a scapegoat for geopolitical tensions, saying his prosecution was intended to send a message: “Don’t get too close to China. “
MORE TOP NEWS
An 82-year-old retired California teacher has found a new calling — offering free driving lessons to Afghan women. His waiting list is 50 deep and he sometimes teaches five classes in a row, some as long as two hours.
“Our lives have completely changed,” said one student after she and her sister passed the road tests.
Australia’s Letter: The country devotes considerable time and resources to feral cat management. Domestic ones are a trickier issue.
Principles of conversation
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Dangerous pet: Authorities seized a blind alligator from a New York man who had kept it for 34 years and allowed people to be in the pool with it.
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Caution: A potentially dangerous cat may be roaming Fukuyama, Japan. (He fell into a tank of chemicals.)
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Discover: A treasure hunter found a Viking sword on an English waterway. It is probably over 1,000 years old.
ARTS AND IDEAS
Phoebe Philo’s first interview
British designer Phoebe Philo, who has been called “the Chanel of her generation,” transformed both Chloé and Celine. He then left the industry almost seven years ago and pretty much dropped out of sight.
Late last year, Philo returned to launch a brand under her own name. The lofty expectations waned amid complaints about the prices, the vision and the impossible return policy. As she prepares for her second drop, she spoke with our chief fashion critic in her first official interview in a decade.
“There might have been an expectation that I could have provided everything to everyone at once,” Philo said. “And that’s just not possible. It takes time and effort to do most meaningful things. Someone has to stand for something.”
