Monday, Aug. 17th, 2020

Russia says it is “ready to assist Belarus in accordance with a collective military pact if necessary” as opposition leader in-exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya calls for a massive march. (Reuters)

In a defiant speech, Alexander Lukashenko addresses supporters in Independence Square, Minsk, where he claims Belarus would “die as a state” if new elections were held, and accuses NATO of “massing on the border”. Opposition critics say most of those at the rally were coerced into attending and had been bussed in from other parts of the country. (Sky News)

The Belarusian Ambassador to Slovakia, Igor Leshchenya, defects to the opposition after posting a video declaring his support for the protests. (The Independent)

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak sign an agreement in Warsaw to redeploy about 1,000 U.S. troops from Germany to Poland so as to bring the total to 5,500. The agreement also includes a potential increase to 20,000 U.S. troops if Poland is under threat. (BBC)

The MSC Grandiosa disembarks from Genoa, Italy, on a seven-day cruise in the Mediterranean Sea, the first major cruise ship to sail in the Sea in almost five months because of the COVID-19 pandemic. (BBC)

The number of deaths from COVID-19 in India surpass 50,000. (Hindustan Times)

The number of daily new COVID-19 cases in South Korea tops 200 for the first time in five months, with 279 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. The cases are traced to several conservative churches in the Seoul Capital Area. (Reuters)

Hundreds of protesters at the Plaza de Colón in Madrid demand the government to rescind the compulsory wearing of face masks in public, which had been imposed following the resurgence of COVID-19 cases in July. Protesters claim that such restrictions are an attempt by the government to curtail people’s freedoms. (AFP via The Straits Times)

The End