<p><strong>A meeting about a meeting with India's farmers:</strong> Leaders of farmers' unions in India are <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/india-farms-protests/indian-farmers-agree-to-meet-government-over-contentious-farm-laws-idUSKBN2900EK" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sitting down on Tuesday</a> with officials in a bid to organize yet another round of formal negotiations (the seventh, to be precise) with the government about new agriculture laws that farmers say pose a threat to their livelihoods. Mass protests and sit-ins<a href="https://www.gzeromedia.com/farm-to-negotiating-table-in-india" target="_self"> have been going on for weeks now</a>, led by farmers who worry that the laws — which permit farmers to sell their crops more freely — will put them at the mercy of large agriculture companies that can drive down prices and put them out of business. Talks have so far come to nothing: the government has signaled a willingness to revise the laws, but the farmers seek a complete repeal as a starting point for talks. With roughly 60 percent of India's population dependent on the agriculture sector for income, the issue has emerged as a huge political challenge for the otherwise popular government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. </p><strong>Two elections in Africa:</strong> The citizens of two long-troubled African nations — the Central African Republic (CAR) and Niger — went to the polls on Sunday in elections seen as a test for democracy amid widespread threats of violence. In the mineral-rich <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/27/central-african-republic-votes-under-threat-of-violence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">CAR</a>, incumbent President Faustin-Archange Touadéra's reelection bid has been overshadowed by the constitutional court's decision to ban his predecessor François Bozizé (ousted six years ago during the country's civil war) from running against him. Armed supporters of both Touadéra and Bozizé have threatened to march on the capital, Bangui, if their candidate doesn't win. Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/africa/20201227-niger-holds-historic-elections-despite-jihadist-violence" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Niger</a> is preparing for its first-ever peaceful transition of power. President Mahamadou Issoufou, who is voluntarily stepping down after two terms, is expected to be succeeded by his handpicked successor Mohamed Bazoum, although two former presidents are also looking to return to power. The wider problem in Niger is fresh attacks by jihadists, who have been wreaking havoc across the country and the entire <a href="https://www.gzeromedia.com/failing-the-sahel" target="_self">Sahel region</a> since 2015. We're watching to see if both elections are conducted smoothly, and if the peace holds after results are announced.
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