Year: 2020

Russia has confirmed 942,106 cases of coronavirus and 16,099 deaths. Aug. 20: 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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

European leaders urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to push for dialogue in neighbouring Belarus on Tuesday, as opposition supporters protested President Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed election win for a 10th day. Thousands of demonstrators gathered on Independence Square in central Minsk on Tuesday evening waving the red-and-white flags of the opposition and calling on Lukashenko to…

Belarus’s largest protest rally in recent history was held on Aug. 16 as tens of thousands of Belarusians rallied in the capital city of Minsk. Protests against the country’s disputed presidential election and a bloody crackdown on the opposition have taken place every day since the Aug. 9 vote.

Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday accused the opposition of attempting to seize power in the wake of mass protests against disputed presidential elections in which he claimed victory and a sixth term. During a meeting of his security council, Lukashenko said the opposition’s creation of a Coordination Council was “an attempt to seize power,”…

The Council of Europe’s anti-corruption council on Tuesday urged Russia to boost efforts against graft among members of its parliament, judges and prosecutors. The European rights watchdog’s GRECO anti-corruption body said there had been some progress, but “work is still needed.” “The transparency of the legislative process still needs strengthening, with public consultations on bills becoming the…

A Russian major general was killed and two servicemen wounded when an improvised explosive device went off near a Russian convoy in eastern Syria on Tuesday, news agencies quoted the defense ministry as saying. The ministry said the device went off while the convoy was returning from a humanitarian operation near the city of Deir…

Belarusian state-owned news agency Belta has circulated a video on social media slamming protests against President Alexander Lukashenko that uses a 2019 photograph from Spain to depict violence. The minute-long video set to sinister music calls protesters “bought-out and sold-out scum” and “animals,” and includes an image of demonstrators walking in front of street fires…

Protesters rallied outside a prison in Minsk on Tuesday where the husband of Belarus’s main opposition figure is being held, as protests against disputed presidential elections entered their 10th day. Several hundred people gathered outside the walls of the detention center to mark the 42nd birthday of Sergei Tikhanovsky, a popular blogger who was imprisoned…

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has handed out medals to more than 300 members of the security forces for “impeccable service” days after a violent crackdown on post-election protesters. Up to 7,000 people have been detained, hundreds injured and two have died in the days of protests against the Aug. 9 election results which showed an…

During his weekly YouTube talk show Thursday, Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny summed up how Russia’s opposition feels about the protests that are raging on either end of the post-Soviet space with one of the internet’s most popular memes: the distracted boyfriend.  In the version of the meme the de facto Russian opposition leader shared, the…

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…

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak has tested positive for coronavirus, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Tuesday. Novak is at least the fifth Russian cabinet member to contract Covid-19 since the outbreak hit the country in March. He had been set to accompany Mishustin on a working trip to Russia’s Far East this week when he…

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.…

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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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)…

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.…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.” …

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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…

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…