Day: August 19, 2020
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EU Rejects Belarus Vote Result as Lukashenko Orders Clampdown
The European Union on Wednesday rejected the result of Belarus’s disputed presidential election as strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko ordered his security forces to prevent any further unrest. Following an emergency video conference on the elections, European Council chief Charles Michel said the EU would soon levy sanctions against a “substantial number” of people responsible for…
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Russia Slams ‘Foreign Meddling’ in Belarus, Rules Out Immediate Military Aid
The Kremlin said Wednesday that events in Belarus did not yet warrant Russia’s military involvement, while Russia’s foreign minister admitted shortcomings in the disputed presidential elections. Both, however, criticized alleged foreign interference in the post-Soviet country’s affairs following major protests against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s claim to victory on Aug. 9. A collective military pact…
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Norway Expels Russian Diplomat After Spying Arrest
Norway said Wednesday it had expelled a Russian diplomat, just days after arresting a Norwegian man suspected of passing sensitive information to Moscow. The country’s PST intelligence agency on Monday said the Norwegian man was “formally suspected of providing information to a foreign country,” which it later confirmed was Russia. “We have informed the Russian…
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Belarus Opposition Urges EU To Reject Vote as Leaders Hold Emergency Talks
The exiled head of Belarus’s opposition urged European leaders to reject President Alexander Lukashenko’s “fraudulent” re-election on Wednesday as the EU held an emergency summit on the country’s political crisis. The European Council convened to discuss the fallout from the vote that saw security services in ex-Soviet Belarus brutally disperse peaceful demonstrators demanding that their…
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Belarus Resumes Dispersing Protests as Lukashenko Decries ‘Gestapo’ Opposition
Belarusian authorities resumed breaking up protests and employees were denied entry into offices for joining the opposition in the second week of demonstrations against the country’s disputed election, Belarusian media reported Wednesday. Riot police dispersed a Minsk Tractor Works (MTZ) strike and a state-run media demonstration, according to the reports. Protesters were reportedly denied entry…
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Russian YouTuber Accused of Taking Moscow ‘Metro-2’ Secrets to Ukraine – Reports
A popular urban exploration YouTuber from Russia is suspected of sending secret information about the Moscow metro to Ukraine, the state-run TASS news agency reported weeks after his arrest. Russian-Ukrainian citizen Andrei Pyzh was arrested on Aug. 6 on charges of obtaining and spreading state secrets. Pyzh has uploaded hundreds of videos showing his explorations…
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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Aug. 19
Russia has confirmed 937,321 cases of coronavirus and 15,989 deaths. Aug. 19: What you need to know today Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak has the coronavirus, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said. He is at least the fifth Russian cabinet member to contract the virus. Russia said Saturday that it has produced the first batch of its coronavirus vaccine, after…
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Russia Approaches 940K Coronavirus Cases as Deaths Near 16K
The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russia’s fatality rate has remained low compared to other badly-hit countries, raising speculation that Moscow could be underreporting figures. Russian authorities began easing anti-virus measures in June ahead of a massive World War II military parade in Moscow and a nationwide vote on…