Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko warmly thanked the Russian channel RT (ex- Russia Today ) on Tuesday 1 September for its help. “Russian specialists” indeed came to replace employees of public television in Belarus, the day after their strike movement initiated on August 17
The state provides cover for state terror via a “state-private partnership,” in the sense that those who carry out these deeds may not formally be representatives of state structures but mercenaries. Those who order the hits are not people right at the top, but mid-level functionaries, carrying out their official duty in this rather “particular” way
A Nigerian biotechnologist claims to have an herbal treatment for COVID-19 that is “more potent” than a popular – but unproven similar tonic made in Madagascar. But medical authorities caution that plant-based medicines must be tested before use or else they can do more harm than good
The rights groups who wrote to the election commission represent many of the more than 740,000 Rohingya who fled to neighboring Bangladesh after the Myanmar military launched a brutal crackdown on Rohingya communities in northern Rakhine state three years ago, in the wake of attacks carried out by insurgents on police and army posts there
Masks, sanitizers, and the most shocking of all – no crowds. After almost six months of closure and strict lockdown, New York City museums are finally reopening. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA and Whitney Museum – among others – are welcoming visitors again, but with a few COVID-related restrictions in place
Refugees in Turkey seeking new lives by crossing the eastern Mediterranean to Greece are increasingly subject to being robbed, beaten or even abandoned at sea. Encouraged to make the trip by Turkey, refugees – many from Syria – report they are being expelled by Greek authorities after they reach Greek territory
Tanzania is heading toward October elections after five years under President John Magufuli. Magufuli has initiated major infrastructure projects and fought against official corruption. But critics call him “The Bulldozer” for ignoring criticism of the projects and cracking down on opponents and freedom of the press
Amid an escalation of tensions between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas government, Palestinians have launched hundreds of incendiary devices carried by balloons over the border into Israel. Now, Israel has developed a laser defense system – the first of its kind in the world – to shoot them down
Germany’s top diplomat urged China to allow a UN mission to investigate the internment camps holding Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) and called for the withdrawal of the national security law in Hong Kong that has led to the arrests of top pro-democracy figures, German media reported
A Tehran city council member says more than 10,000 people have died so far in the Iranian capital from COVID-19. That amounts to about half of some 21,000 deaths officially recorded nationally. Shopkeepers in the capital have revealed the impact it is having on their personal health and their businesses