Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Norway Arrests Man Suspected of Spying for Russia
Norway’s intelligence service said Monday its agents had arrested a Norwegian man suspected of passing sensitive information to Russia. “The man is formally suspected of providing information to a foreign country that could damage fundamental national interests,” the PST intelligence agency wrote on Twitter. A PST official later confirmed the country in question was Russia.…
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Mexican President Says Will Get Russian Vaccine if Effective
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Monday that he would be among the first to receive a Russian coronavirus vaccine if it is shown to be effective. Russia’s announcement last week that it was the first in the world to approve a coronavirus vaccine was met with caution from Western scientists who said it…
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Meet the Rescued Animals at Moscow’s Wildlife Rehabilitation Shelter
In a large park about two hours outside Moscow, hundreds of wild animals and birds live, rest and play — but this is no zoo. Covering four hectares of land, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center rehabilitates rescued animals in a calm, quiet environment with the goal of releasing them back into the wild or bringing them…
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Rosneft Holds Second Hydrogeology Research to Practice Conference
Rosneft has held the 2nd research to practice conference on water supply issues (hydrogeology) in Izhevsk.
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Belarus Workers Chant ‘Leave’ at Lukashenko as Anger Mounts Over Vote
Workers at a state-run factory confronted Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko with chants of “Leave!” on Monday as pressure built on the strongman to step down over a disputed election. Employees at several factories and state television walked off the job after a historic protest on Sunday brought tens of thousands to the streets. In footage…
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Russia Outlaws Children’s Criminal Underground Movement
Russia has blacklisted a popular informal movement that pushes youngsters into the criminal underground as an extremist organization, Interfax reported Monday. AUE (“Arestantsky. Uklad. Edin,” or “Prison. Order. Universal”) is based on prison culture and consists mostly of children and teenagers ruled indirectly by adult criminals. Authorities warn that AUE “poses a real threat to…
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Russia Summons Netherlands Diplomat Over Spying Accusations
Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Monday said it had summoned the Dutch charge d’affaires in Moscow to protest over what it said was spying on Russia’s military attache in the Netherlands. Russia “strongly protested” to the Dutch diplomat after the discovery of “spy equipment” in the official car of the Russian military attache in the Netherlands,…
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Belarus: a Week of Post-Electoral Turmoil
A crushing re-election victory for Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko in disputed polls followed by anti-government protests seeking to oust him, here is a recap of a week of drama in the ex-Soviet country. Vote sparks violence On Aug. 9, 2020, Lukashenko, 65, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since 1994, runs for a…
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Mining at ‘Sacred’ Russian Hill Halted After Protests, Clashes
The head of a central Russian region has suspended all works at a limestone production site on a “sacred” natural landmark after violent clashes broke out between environmental activists and security personnel over the weekend. Protests broke out at Kushtau hill in the republic of Bashkortostan earlier in August when the Bashkir Soda Company (BSK)…
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Kazakhstan: Troubled Nazarbayev Grandson Dies Aged 29
Aisultan Nazarbayev, a grandson of Kazakhstan’s former president, has died in London after years of battling drug addiction. The 29-year-old’s struggle to regain mental health had played out in acutely public fashion in recent years as he repeatedly took to social media to level increasingly outrageous allegations against his own family and other elite figures.…
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On and Off the Trans-Siberian Train: The Coin Collector
Vitaly, 42 years old I was born and live in Reutov, Moscow region. I collect coins. At five I found my first coin while playing in a sandbox in kindergarten. I remember seeing it for the first time: five zlotis with a hole inside, in a doughnut shape. Somebody must have worn it on a…
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Belarus State TV Workers Join Anti-Lukashenko Strike
Belarusian state television and radio workers walked off the job Monday, becoming the latest public employees to support the opposition in calling for new elections after last week’s official results showed a landslide victory for strongman President Alexander Lukashenko. The unprecedented show of resistance comes after several state television presenters resigned last week in protest…
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Russia Approaches 930K Coronavirus Cases
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…
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Belarus Vote Challenger Tikhanovskaya Says Ready to Be ‘National Leader’
The main challenger in Belarus’s disputed presidential election said Monday that she was ready to take over the country’s leadership after a wave of protests against President Alexander Lukashenko. “I did not want to be a politician. But fate decreed that I’d find myself on the frontline of a confrontation against arbitrary rule and injustice,” Svetlana…
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Belarus Protesters Hold ‘Historic’ Rally as Lukashenko Vows to Stay
Tens of thousands of Belarusian opposition supporters gathered for the largest protest rally in recent history in Minsk on Sunday as President Alexander Lukashenko rejected calls to step down in a defiant speech. Crowds of protesters marched through the streets to the central Independence Square, with an AFP journalist estimating the turnout at more than…
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Lukashenko Urges Supporters to Defend Belarus Independence
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Sunday spoke in front of a crowd of supporters at a rally in central Minsk asking them to defend the country and its independence. As mass protests continued against his rule, Lukashenko spoke on the capital’s Independence Square, telling supporters: “I called you here not to defend me… but for…
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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Aug. 16
Russia has confirmed 922,853 cases of coronavirus and 15,685 deaths. Aug. 16: What you need to know today Vietnam’s health ministry is looking to buy a bulk order of Russia’s coronavirus vaccine, state media said on Friday, despite global skepticism over its effectiveness and safety. Russia said Saturday that it has produced the first batch of its coronavirus…
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Russia’s Official Coronavirus Cases Rise by Less Than 5K
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…
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Belarus Leader Says Putin Offers Help as Pressure Builds
Vladimir Putin has offered to help ensure Belarus’s security, according to its president Alexander Lukashenko, as pressure builds on the strongman leader and opposition protesters prepare for a show of force Sunday. Thousands demonstrated in the capital Minsk Saturday after main election challenger Svetlana Tikhanovskaya asked supporters to rally over the weekend and keep alive…
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Belarus Strongman Says Putin Ready to ‘Help Ensure Security’
President Alexander Lukashenko said Saturday that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin has offered full assistance to ensure security in Belarus as thousands held peaceful protests against his rule. “To talk about the military element, we have an agreement with Russia as part of the union state and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). Such situations…
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Kremlin Predicts Swift Resolution of Belarus Unrest
The Kremlin said Saturday that President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko agreed in a phone call that the “problems” in Belarus would be swiftly resolved. The phone call came after Belarus leader who claims to have won a disputed presidential election on Sunday said he needed to contact Moscow over growing protests…
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Russia Produces First Batch of Virus Vaccine: Ministry
Russia said Saturday that it has produced the first batch of its coronavirus vaccine, after President Vladimir Putin announced it had been first in the world to approve a vaccine. Putin’s announcement on Tuesday about the vaccine was met with caution from scientists and the World Health Organization who said it still needed a rigorous…
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Belarus Leader Reaches Out to Russia as Pressure Grows
The opposition in Belarus kept up the pressure on President Alexander Lukashenko with a fresh demonstration in Minsk on Saturday, as the strongman reached out to Russia in an apparent plea for help. Some 5,000 opposition supporters gathered near a metro station in the capital where a demonstrator died during this week’s police crackdown on…
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Draniki: Out of the Belarusian Frying Pan
Belarus is almost never in the news, let alone above the fold, but this week, Russia’s near neighbor gave the coronavirus a run for its money in front-page column inches as frustrated voters took to the streets to protest fraudulent election results. With the country’s internet blocked and very few foreign correspondents accredited, grainy footage…
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Belarus Hands 32 Detained ‘Mercenaries’ Over to Russia
Russia on Friday announced the safe return of 32 of its citizens after Belarus detained them saying they were mercenaries sent to destabilize the country ahead of Sunday’s presidential election. Russia’s Prosecutor-General’s Office said in a statement that “32 Russian citizens who were earlier detained in Belarus crossed the border and are now in Russia.” …
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Russia’s Official Coronavirus Cases Continue to Slow
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…
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EU Approves Belarus Sanctions
European Union ministers agreed Friday to draw up a list of targets in Belarus for a new round of sanctions in response to strongman Alexander Lukashenko’s post-election crackdown. At a videoconference hosted by Brussels’ diplomatic chief Josep Borrell, the foreign ministers also agreed to take up the stand-off between Greece and Turkey at their next…
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Belarus Factory Workers Hold Mass Walkouts to Back Opposition
Crowds of workers walked off the job on Friday at several factories in Belarus’s capital Minsk in support of the opposition calling for leader Alexander Lukashenko to step down. Hundreds of workers marched from the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ) and the Minsk Tractor Works (MTZ) after the opposition called for strikes against Lukashenko’s disputed claim…
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‘Torture Chamber’: Jailed Belarusians Reveal Prison Abuse
Graphic content Emerging from a jail in Minsk with other Belarusians detained in a post-election crackdown, 27-year-old math teacher Yana Bobrovskaya said she never expected to make it out alive. “We thought we would be buried in here,” she said Friday, weeping as she recounted her experience to AFP. “They can do anything while you…
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Belarus Sees Walkouts, Protest Calls After ‘Bloody’ Vote Crackdown
The main challenger in Belarus’s disputed presidential election called for mass weekend rallies and workers were walking off the job on Friday as defiance mounted against strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko. In a video address to supporters, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya accused Lukashenko’s regime of a “bloody massacre” in a crackdown on post-election protests, as people detained during…
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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Aug. 14
Russia has confirmed 912,823 cases of coronavirus and 15,498 deaths. Aug. 13: What you need to know today Vietnam’s health ministry is looking to buy a bulk order of Russia’s coronavirus vaccine, state media said on Friday, despite global skepticism over its effectiveness and safety. More than half of Russian doctors aren’t ready to get the country’s highly touted…
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1 in 2 Russian Doctors Distrust New Coronavirus Vaccine – Poll
More than half of Russian doctors aren’t ready to get the country’s highly touted coronavirus vaccine, according to an online survey of more than 3,000 healthcare professionals obtained by the RBC news website Friday. President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that the newly approved Sputnik V inoculation conferred “sustainable immunity” to volunteers including one of his…
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Russian Media Responds to Belarus Protest Crackdown
Tens of thousands of peaceful demonstrators in Belarus have gathered in recent days to protest President Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed victory and the violent police crackdown that followed. Belarusians formed human chains in cities including Minsk, many wearing white and holding flowers, to protest against police brutality during the four nights of unrest after Sunday’s vote.…
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Belarus Vote Challenger Calls for ‘Peaceful’ Protests in All Cities
The main challenger in Belarus’s disputed presidential election called Friday for mass weekend rallies across the country in support of her claim to have defeated strongman Alexander Lukashenko. “Belarusians will never want to live with the previous government again. The majority do not believe in his victory,” Svetlana Tikhanovskaya said in a video address. “I…
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Rosneft Launches Studies of Red-Listed Arctic Animals
Specialists from Arctic Research Centre LLC, an enterprise of Rosneft Oil Company’s corporate research and development complex, jointly with the Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Marine Research Centre of the Moscow State University have arranged a large-scale expedition to study the red-listed Atlantic walrus and polar…
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Belarusian Artist Embroiders Her Country’s Historic Protests
Rufina Bazlova is a Belarusian artist who has lived in the Czech Republic for 12 years. She is an illustrator and theater scenographer who has responded to events in her homeland through the medium of embroidery. She said that the embroidery is a kind of “code” for the country’s history, with red as the symbol…
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Russia’s Coronavirus Cases Surpass 910K
The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and Sverdlovsk in the Urals. 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…
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Belarus: Symbols of the Opposition
White bracelets, flowers, a punched fist and a Soviet-era song: all have become symbols of opposition to the re-election of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko to serve a sixth term. White The color white has become central in the protests sparked by Sunday’s vote, which have massed behind Lukashenko’s presidential challenger Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, a 37-year-old English teacher by…
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Tens of Thousands Rally in Belarus Against Post-Vote Crackdown
Tens of thousands of Belarusians staged a wave of peaceful protests on Thursday against President Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed re-election and an ensuing brutal police crackdown. In apparent concessions, Belarus announced the release of more than 1,000 detained protesters and the interior minister apologized to injured bystanders. European countries condemned the police violence, with the European…
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Spent Nuclear Fuel Removed From Abandoned Soviet-Era Ship in ‘Major Milestone’
An international cleanup effort has helped remove spent nuclear fuel from a service ship abandoned after an accident in northwestern Russia, the Norwegian environmental organization Bellona announced Wednesday. The Lepse served the Soviet Union’s nuclear icebreaker fleet from 1934 until the 1980s, when it encountered rough seas and spilled highly radioactive waste inside its cargo…
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Thousands Form Human Chains in Belarus After Post-Vote Crackdown
Thousands of protesters formed human chains in Belarus on Thursday in a growing wave of peaceful demonstrations over President Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed re-election and an ensuing brutal police crackdown. Russia claimed the protests were being orchestrated from abroad to destabilise its ex-Soviet neighbour while European countries condemned police violence and backed fresh sanctions against Lukashenko.…
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Workers at Major Belarus Plants Strike in Growing Protest Against Police Violence
Workers at two major automotive plants and several other companies in Belarus went on strike in protest against police violence following the country’s disputed election, local media reported Thursday. Thousands of Belarusians have taken to the streets in the five days since election officials declared strongman Alexander Lukashenko winner in Sunday’s polls. Authorities have detained…
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Masked Men Raid Uber and Yandex’s Belarus Offices Amid Election Protests
Armed and masked men raided the Belarus offices of Uber and Russian tech giant Yandex on Thursday as authorities continued to crack down on protesters disputing the country’s presidential election results. The black-clad men blocked entrances to Uber and Yandex’s office in Minsk with some employees still stuck inside, early reports said and Yandex confirmed.…
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MT’s Coronavirus Coverage Gets U.S. Journalism Nod
The Moscow Times’ coverage of Russia’s student recruitment to help battle the coronavirus following years of healthcare cuts has received an honorable mention from the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA). ASJA’s 2020 healthcare crisis coverage award went to the Center for Public Integrity’s investigation on healthcare policies on rationing ventilators in 25 U.S.…
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Russian Region Orders Mass Vaccination Against Bubonic Plague
The head of a remote Russian region on Thursday said that herders and other residents of two districts on the border with Mongolia should be vaccinated against bubonic plague. The order was issued after Mongolia’s health ministry said Wednesday that bubonic plague killed a man in the country’s west. It was the latest in a…
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Belarus Detains Hundreds More in Post-Election Crackdown
Police in Belarus said Thursday they had detained hundreds more protesters as demonstrations continued against strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed re-election. Four nights of unrest since Sunday’s vote have seen thousands arrested, dozens wounded and two people dead as police used stun grenades, tear gas, water cannon and, in at least one case, live fire…
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Russian YouTuber Arrested for Obtaining State Secrets
A Russian YouTuber famous for exploring abandoned sites was arrested and charged with obtaining state secrets last week, authorities and activists said Wednesday. Andrei Pyzh has uploaded hundreds of videos showing his visits to industrial sites and abandoned bunkers to his YouTube channel, which has about 800,000 subscribers. He faces up to eight years in jail…
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Duterte to Skip Philippine Trial of Russia Virus Vaccine
The Philippines will begin large-scale human testing of Russia’s coronavirus vaccine in October, but President Rodrigo Duterte will not receive the inoculation until regulators guarantee its safety, his spokesman said Thursday. Duterte had offered himself up as a guinea pig for the very first jab, expressing “huge trust” in the vaccine, despite growing skepticism about…
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Russia’s Coronavirus Cases Continue Rise Past 900K
The highest number of new cases were in Moscow and Sverdlovsk in the Urals. 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…
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Coronavirus in Russia: The Latest News | Aug. 13
Russia has confirmed 907,758 cases of coronavirus and 15,384 deaths. Aug. 13: What you need to know today The Brazilian state of Parana signed a deal Wednesday to test and produce Russia’s new coronavirus vaccine, though officials stressed they would have to be sure of its safety and effectiveness first. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will be a guinea…
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Brazil State Signs Deal to Make Russian Vaccine
The Brazilian state of Parana signed a deal Wednesday to test and produce Russia’s new coronavirus vaccine, though officials stressed they would have to be sure of its safety and effectiveness first. The vaccine would have to receive Brazilian regulatory approval and complete Phase 3 clinical trials, or large-scale testing in humans, before being produced…
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Belarus Nobel-Winner Alexievich Urges Lukashenko to Go
Belarusian Nobel Prize-winning writer Svetlana Alexievich condemned police violence against protesters in her country and urged strongman Alexander Lukashenko to go peacefully in an interview published Wednesday. The 72-year-old author won the 2015 Nobel Literature Prize for her work chronicling the horrors of war and life under the repressive Soviet regime including the 1986 Chernobyl…
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Russian Violinist and Conductor Spivakov Rejects Lukashenko Award Over Belarus Crackdown
Renowned Russian conductor and violinist Vladimir Spivakov will return an award from Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko due to police violence against protesters in the days since Belarus’ presidential election. Spivakov, 75, condemned the police crackdown in neighboring Belarus in an open letter published by the independent Novaya Gazeta newspaper. More than 6,000 demonstrators have been…
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Jailed Belarus Protester Dies During Crackdown
Belarus on Wednesday confirmed the death of a jailed protester as demonstrators took to the streets for a fourth night of clashes with riot police over a disputed presidential election. Riot police have roughly detained thousands at street protests across the country after long-serving leader Alexander Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in Sunday’s poll. The…
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France ‘Very Worried’ Over Belarus Election Violence, Macron Tells Putin
France is very worried by the violence in Belarus after the weekend’s elections in the ex-Soviet state, French President Emmanuel Macron said in telephone talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Wednesday. Macron told Putin he is “very worried about the situation in Belarus and the violence that citizens have faced during the elections,”…
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Belarus: Days of Post-Election Turmoil
A crushing re-election victory for Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko followed by anti-government protests, violent police repression and the opposition challenger taking refuge in Lithuania — here is a recap of the dramatic events in the ex-Soviet country since Sunday. Vote sparks violence On Aug. 9, 2020, Lukashenko, 65, who has ruled Belarus with an iron…
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Hundreds Detained, Firearms Used in Third Night of Belarus Unrest
Police in Belarus said Wednesday they had detained hundreds and shot at protesters in a third night of violence over a disputed presidential election. Western governments have condemned the crackdown and the European Union said the bloc’s foreign ministers would discuss Belarus at an extraordinary meeting on Friday. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged…
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‘Angel Investor’ Detained in Belarus Election Unrest
A prominent IT investor has been detained under unclear circumstances amid a crackdown on post-election protests in Belarus this week, an international business club where he is a member announced Tuesday. Belarusian authorities said more than 6,000 people have been detained over three nights of protests after election officials declared strongman Alexander Lukashenko the winner of…
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Dozens of Journalists Attacked or Detained Amid Violent Belarus Crackdown
Scores of journalists have been assaulted or detained by security officers in Belarus while covering protests against the country’s contested election, the Belarusian Association of Journalists said Wednesday. The Belarusian interior ministry said more than 6,000 protesters have been detained during the three nights of post-election unrest and around 250 sought medical assistance. Here’s a…
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Ryazan Oil Refining Company Launches Construction of Crude Distillation Unit
Ryazan Oil Refining Company, an enterprise of the refining complex of Rosneft Oil Company, is implementing a project to upgrade the AVT-2 crude distillation unit as part of the production modernisation programme.
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