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world news Diamars 24 November 2020

Belarus pensioners march demanding leader's resignation

(AP) — Hundreds of re- into a regular Monday rally, the banners carried by dem- Tsikhanouskaya. She and her them beaten since the elec-
tirees staged a protest in carrying red and white flags onstrators. At on point the supporters refused to rec- tion, human rights advocates
the Belarusian capital on that have become the main crowd ran into a police cor- ognize the result, saying the say.
Monday to demand the symbol of the country's pro- don and broke up into small- vote was riddled with fraud.
resignation of the coun- tests. They also held aloft er groups that went into dif- Belarus' Interior Ministry
try's authoritarian leader portraits of opposition sup- ferent directions. Authorities have cracked said Monday that 345 people
who won his sixth terms in porter Raman Bandarenka, down hard on the largely were detained during pro-
office in a disputed elec- who died earlier this month Mass protests gripped Be- peaceful demonstrations, the tests across the country a day
tion. after reportedly being beaten larus since official results largest of which attracted earlier. The Viasna human
by security forces. from the Aug. 9 presidential up to 200,000 people. Police rights center puts the num-
Over 2,000 pensioners were election gave President Al- used stun grenades, tear gas ber at 390.
estimated to have marched “Grandmothers and grand- exander Lukashenko a land- and truncheons to disperse According to Viasna, at least
down a central avenue in fathers heal poorly from slide victory over his widely the rallies. Thousands have one person was detained at
Minsk in what has turned new wounds,” read one of popular opponent Sviatlana been detained and many of Monday's protest.

Shops, gyms to reopen in England under new COVID-19 plan

(AP) — Haircuts, shop- over the Christmas period. The U.K. has had Europe’s
ping trips and visits to Johnson said people will deadliest COVID-19 out-
the pub will be back on be allowed “to see more of break, with more than 55,000
the agenda for millions their family and friends over deaths among people who
of people when a four- Christmas,” though he did tested positive.
week lockdown in Eng- not announce details.
land comes to an end next Johnson hailed Monday’s an-
week, British Prime Min- The new measures must be nouncement by AstraZeneca
ister Boris Johnson said approved by Parliament be- and Oxford University that
Monday. fore taking effect. The main the vaccine they are jointly
opposition Labour Party gave developing was up to 90%
Johnson confirmed to law- them a cautious welcome, effective in late-stage trials.
makers that on Dec. 2 the but Johnson faces opposi- Britain has ordered 100 mil-
government will lift the tion from some lawmakers in lion doses of the vaccine, one
stay-at-home instruction in- his own Conservative Party, of several in development
troduced early this month gains.” In the lower two tiers, indoor who argue that the economic around the world. If a vaccine
to curb a new surge in coro- and outdoor spectator sports damage from the restrictions is approved by regulators, the
navirus cases. Shops, gyms, He said England’s lockdown can resume with capacity is too severe. U.K. hopes to start using it
personal care businesses and will be replaced with regional limits. widely in the new year.
leisure facilities will be al- measures involving three The rules apply to England. Conservative legislator Mark
lowed to reopen, and collec- tiers of restrictions based on Scotland, Wales and North- Harper, one of the skeptics, In the meantime, Johnson
tive worship, weddings and the scale of the outbreak in ern Ireland all have their own said he needed to be reas- said the mass use of rapid-
outdoor sports can resume. different areas. The measures restrictions. sured that “each measure is turnaround coronavirus tests
Fans will also be allowed back have been toughened slightly going to save more lives than could help restore a sem-
into sports stadiums for the from a similar system that People will have to wait un- it costs." Retailers welcomed blance of normal life. He said
first time since March. was in place last month be- til up-do-date data is released the news that all shops would such tests would initially be
cause government scientific later in the week to learn be allowed to reopen, but used to allow nursing home
Johnson said “the scientific advisers say those measures what tier their local area will Emma McClarkin, chief ex- residents to be visited by
cavalry is now in sight,” and weren't enough to stop the be in, but the government ecutive of the British Beer loved ones as long as the visi-
breakthroughs in mass test- virus spreading. says most of the country is & Pub Association, said the tors have tested negative for
ing and vaccines should elim- likely to be in the two highest new restrictions “unfairly the virus.
inate the need for lockdowns In the top tier, pubs and res- levels. target pubs.”
by the spring. But first, he taurants will have to close ex- In common with other Eu- “People will once again be
said, “we must get through cept for takeout and delivery. In those areas, households ropean countries, authorities able to hug and hold hands
winter without the virus In other areas they will have will be barred from mixing in Britain introduced restric- with loved ones, instead of
spreading out of control and to close by 11 p.m. indoors, but the government tions on daily life to combat waving at them through a
squandering our hard-won is planning to ease the rules an autumn surge in cases. window,” he said.

Photojournalist detained at Poland’s latest abortion protest

(AP) — Police detained Women and many others of people taking part in the Soon after the protest began, One woman glued herself
several people, includ- have reacted with rage to a demonstrations. police arrived and forcibly to the gate of the Educa-
ing a photojournalist, as step which they believe de- On Monday, protesters removed people, including a tion Ministry and the police
women-led protests over prives them of a fundamen- blocked traffic in Warsaw photojournalist, Agata Grzy- worked for about an hour to
abortion rights flared up tal freedom. They have been while others gathered in bowska. unglue her and she was then
again on Monday in War- defying the risk of contagion front of the Education Min- taken away in an ambulance.
saw and elsewhere in Po- and a ban on gatherings dur- istry building in an expres- Officers dragged her away
land. ing the coronavirus pandemic sion of solidarity with teach- as other journalists called Warsaw police issued a state-
to join demonstrations have ers who have been threatened on them to stop, yelling that ment saying they issued a
The protests, organized by drawn hundreds of thou- with financial and disciplin- she was a journalist. A group message to protesters to be-
the group Women's Strike, sands of people across the na- ary reprisals by the education then gathered outside the po- have in a legal manner, but
have been occurring regu- tion of 38 million people. minister for supporting the lice station in central Warsaw that “in relation to people
larly ever since the country's women-led protests. where she was taken, protest- who disregarded orders, the
constitutional court issued The protests have also come ing there as they waited for officers used physical force.”
an Oct. 22 ruling that further to encompass other griev- Several people handcuffed her to be released. As mass protests have con-
tightens an abortion law that ances against both the influ- themselves to the ministry tinued, the government has
was already one of the most enctial Catholic church and gate and and a large ban- It was the first case of a re- so far not taken the legal step
restrictive in Europe. the conservative ruling par- ner was hung reading, “Free porter being detained during needed for the abortion rul-
ty, including the detentions abortion and free education.” the month of protests. ing to take effect.