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)

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Sunday, Aug. 16th, 2020

Antifa militants, far-right groups, and pro-Confederacy groups clash at Stone Mountain, near the city of Stone Mountain, Georgia. (The Daily Beast) (CBS News) 

Right-wing group members of the Proud Boys clash with counter-protesters in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with police carrying out several arrests. (AP)

Russia announces the production of the first batch of its Sputnik V vaccine. (Hindustan Times)

President Cyril Ramaphosa announces a plan to ease nearly all restrictions on the economy from Monday, August 17, including lifting a controversial ban on the sale of alcohol and tobacco that had been imposed since July, as infections “reaches the peak”. (BBC)

https://www.theweek.com/speedreads/930249/4-surprising-reasons-scientists-think-asymptomatic-coronavirus-cases-are-common

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 linked to clusters traced to several conservative churches in the Seoul Capital Area. (Reuters)

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)

Extreme heat, fires continue to plague California 

Searing heat and wildfires continued to plague California on Saturday, with the former prompting another round of rolling blackouts in parts of the state to help relieve the larger grid. The heat wave that is expected to affect most western states through next week is one of the most intense in years. Meanwhile, the explosive Loyalton Fire north of Lake Tahoe has burned through about 20,000 acres and is only 5 percent contained. On Saturday, it formed into a rare phenomenon known as a fire tornado, which the National Weather Service called “extremely dangerous fire behavior.” Mandatory evacuations are in place for three counties in the surrounding area as the blaze continues to burn. Source: Fox News

FDA authorizes potentially pandemic-changing saliva test  The Food and Drug Administration on Saturday issued an emergency use authorization for the SalivaDirect COVID-19 diagnostic test developed by the Yale School of Public Health in partnership with the National Basketball Association. The test processes saliva to rapidly determine whether a person has been infected with the coronavirus and does not require any type of swab or specific collection device. Andy Slavitt, a former acting administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under the Obama administration, said the test has a chance to become one of the first “major game changers in fighting the pandemic.” He praised the physical comfort level of the test, as well its affordability, turnaround time, and accuracy, noting that it could come in handy for schools, universities, and office buildings. Source: The Week

 

The End

Saturday,  Aug 15th, 2020

President Alexander Lukashenko issues an appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin as he considers the protests “not a threat to just Belarus anymore”. Statements by both sides contained a pointed reference to the Union State between the two countries. Meanwhile, opposition candidate leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is exiled in Lithuania, calls for more protests. (Reuters)

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen mandates the wearing of face masks on all public transport in the country, effective August 22, in an effort to control the spread of the virus. (AFP via Daily Sabah)

South Korea reports 166 new cases of COVID-19. From that number, 139 were traced to Seoul and Gyeonggi Province and a significant portion of them were linked to cluster infections involving churchgoers. It is the highest number of reported new cases since March 11. (Kyodo News)

After a spike in new cases, the government decides to tighten social distancing measures in Seoul and surrounding areas. Many measures that are to be implemented include restricting numbers of gatherings and sports events played behind closed doors. (Tempo)

Minister of State Owned Enterprises and chief of the COVID-19 recovery team, Erick Thohir, announces that the government would bar foreign visitors until the completion of a vaccine. Indonesian scientists are testing a COVID-19 vaccine with Sinovac Biotech, which Thohir says is likely to be completed next year. (Kyodo News)

Algeria begins to reopen their mosques, beaches, cafes, and parks five months after their lockdown. (ABC News)

The End