Belarusians gather in Minsk in thousands for biggest protest yet
Alexander Lukashenko claims Vladimir Putin has offered him ‘comprehensive help’
Thousands of Belarusians have gathered in Minsk for what could be the biggest protest in the country’s history, as an extraordinary week of rising sentiment comes to a close.
Seven days after the country’s authoritarian ruler, Alexander Lukashenko, claimed to have secured 80% of the vote in a presidential election, his legitimacy is in tatters and his regime faces its biggest crisis since he came to power 26 years ago. The mood at Sunday’s rally was stoked further by egregious police violence against thousands of protesters earlier in the week.
The protest, set for 2pm local time on the capital’s Independence Avenue, came as the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, told Lukashenko in a phone call on Sunday that Moscow stood ready to provide help in accordance with a collective military pact if necessary.
Bolsonaro's VendettaAssault on the Rainforest Continues in the Shadow of the Pandemic
As the country suffers under the coronavirus pandemic, an unprecedented attack on the Amazon is taking place in Brazil. President Bolsonaro is actively promoting slash-and-burn agriculture that threatens to destroy the region and further harm the climate.
By Marian BlasbergIn a time when politicians are media-savvy role-players, it's not that often that you have the chance to peer behind the facades. The way they talk when they're among themselves, their hidden intentions - all that usually remains concealed. But a video recently emerged in Brazil that will take your breath away. The recording was made in April, showing a cabinet meeting. A judge released it because it documents President Jair Bolsonaro's attempt to protect his family from police investigations.
The footage, some two hours long, is shocking, and not just because of Bolsonaro's aggressive tone. More disgraceful is the ideological hysteria with which his then-education minister demanded the imprisonment of Brazil's supreme court justices, saying the "scoundrels" ought to be locked up. And the family minister's follow-up comment that critical governors were not to be forgotten. Or the silence of the generals who were sitting at the table.
Discos in Italy sow discord as partygoers dance, dance, dance
"Put your masks on!" repeats the DJ, shouting vainly into his microphone, but the dancers below, dripping in sweat, don't seem to care.
At the "Kiki" nightclub in Ostia, a popular seaside resort on the outskirts of Rome, the coronavirus threat seems both distant and yet very present.
During 50's night at this open-air disco on Ostia's beachfront, the rules are well known: a mask is mandatory, and dancing must be done at least one metre from a partner.
Boris Johnson may be taught a cruel lesson by coronavirus in bid to reopen schools
Updated 0405 GMT (1205 HKT) August 16, 2020
Schools or pubs? That's the choice some believe UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will face when English students return to their classrooms next month. The country has only recently been able to open establishments like pubs and restaurants, which suffered badly during lockdown.
Johnson's Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, said that England has "probably reached the limits" of how open it can be, given the number of coronavirus cases in the country.
China's fishing suspension near disputed islands in East China Sea ends
A Chinese-set suspension of fishing in the East China Sea ended Sunday, sparking concern that Beijing may send an inordinate number of government and fishing vessels into or near the disputed Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands.
Some foreign affairs experts, however, said tensions are unlikely to intensify in the waters this year, given that Chinese local authorities have instructed fishermen not to sail within 30 nautical miles, or 56 kilometers, of the uninhabited islets.
As the world's second-biggest economy has been lackluster against the backdrop of the new coronavirus outbreak and severe strains with the United States, China has apparently been willing to bolster cooperation with Japan, they said.
Democratic Lawmakers May Cut Recess Short To Deal With USPS Crisis: Reports
Time’s running out.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other Democratic leaders are considering cutting short their legislative recess to deal with growing concerns about the alarming developments at the U.S. Postal Service, sources told Politico and CNN.
The USPS appears to be dissolving in front of Americans’ eyes ahead of an expected groundswell of mail-in ballots as voters seek to avoid the COVID-19 contagion risk of in-person voting in the Nov. 3 elections.
The House may return to address the agency problems within the next two weeks, sources told Politico. The next votes for the chamber are scheduled for the week of Sept. 14.
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