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A30 world news
Dialuna 21 September 2020

Abbey service, flypast mark 80 years since Battle of Britain

day to mark the 80th anniver- coronavirus pandemic. battle every year since 1944.
sary of the Battle of Britain, "Once again, there have been On the coronavirus front,
a major air campaign against sacrifices made, often quiet, Britain has the worst death
Nazi Germany during World often humble, unnoticed by toll in Europe with over
War II. many," he said. "Although 41,800 confirmed virus
British Prime Minister Bo- starkly different events, each deaths, according to a tally by
ris Johnson led the service, of them has two things that Johns Hopkins University.
which was attended by under are so important for our hu- Johnson's Conservative gov-
100 guests — a much smaller manity — service and value." ernment has been criticized
audience compared to the The Battle of Britain in 1940 for its often-confusing han-
2,000 people usually invited saw 630 Royal Air Force dling of the outbreak.
to the annual event — to al- fighters repel some 1,120 An official survey estimated
low for social distancing. Luftwaffe aircraft sent to at- that new infections and hos-
In a speech, Air Vice Marshal tack London, and led to Hit- pital admissions are doubling
John Ellis honored public ler postponing his plans to every seven to eight days now
health workers in their fight invade Britain. in the U.K. and the govern-
"against an invisible army" Westminster Abbey has held ment is widely expected to
as he compared the Battle a service to remember the announce more restrictions
(AP) — Military jets flew memorial service was held at of Britain with the country's 1,497 pilots and crew killed shortly to fight the renewed
over central London and a Westminster Abbey on Sun- current battle against the or mortally wounded in the spread of the virus.

March of 100,000 marks week 7 of Belarus protests

(AP) — Tens of thousands office; opponents and some tion, the Sunday gatherings
of Belarusians calling for the poll workers say the results in Minsk have been by far the
authoritarian president to were manipulated. largest, attracting crowds of
resign marched through the Lukashenko, who has re- as many as 200,000 people.
capital Sunday as the coun- pressed opposition and inde- "Every Sunday, you are show-
try's wave of protests entered pendent news media during ing yourselves and the world
its seventh week. 26 years in power, has reject- that the Belarusian people are
Hundreds of soldiers blocked ed suggestions of dialogue the power," Sviatlana Tsikha-
off the center of Minsk, de- with the protesters. Many nouskaya, who was Lukash-
ploying water cannons and members of the Coordina- enko's main election oppo-
armored personnel carriers tion Council that was formed nent, said in a video message
and erecting barbed wire bar- by the opposition to push for from Lithuania, where she is
riers. Protests also took place a transition of power have in exile.
in several other cities, includ- been arrested or have fled the The marchers also carried
ing Brest and Grodno. country. portraits of Maria Kolseniko-
The crowd in Minsk includ- The Minsk demonstrators va, a top opposition figure
ed about 100,000 people, said carried the red-and-white who has been jailed for two cross the border. Also Sunday, Interior Minis-
Ales Bialiatski, head of the flags that were independent weeks and is facing charges In a statement relayed by try spokeswoman Olga Che-
Viasna human rights orga- Belarus' national standard be- of undermining state security her lawyer on Sunday, Kol- modanova said an investiga-
nization. He said dozens of fore being replaced in 1995, that could bring a five-year senikova urged protesters to tion has been opened into the
demonstrators were arrested early in Lukashenko's tenure. prison term. Kolesnikova has continue. release by hackers of the per-
in Minsk and Grodno. Some bore placards depicting said security forces drove her "Freedom is worth fighting sonal information of more
Protests began Aug. 9 after an Lukashenko as a mustachioed to the border with Ukraine for. Do not be afraid to be than 1,000 employees of the
election that official results cockroach. to try to make her leave the free," she said. "I do not re- ministry, which runs the po-
say gave President Alexander Although protests have taken country, but that she tore up gret anything and would do lice forces.
Lukashenko a sixth term in place daily since the elec- her passport so she couldn't the same again."

Thousands march in Berlin in support of refugees in Greece

(AP) — Thousands of people ment do more to help mi- homeless since fires ravaged The crowd marched through Germany's government said
marched in Berlin on Sunday grants stuck in Greece, many the country's largest refugee the capital to the landmark last week it would take in
demanding that the govern- of whom have been made camp. Victory Column carrying 1,553 migrants — 408 fami-
signs with slogans like "we lies with children — from
have space" and "Seehofer, be various Greek islands who
a Christian" — a reference to already have been granted
Interior Minister Horst See- protected status in Greece.
hofer. The move came on top of a
A little girl held a sign say- decision to take in up to 150
ing "let the people in" while unaccompanied children as
a woman waved a placard part of a European effort.
saying "People are suffering, The weekend demonstrators
Fortress Europe looks on — demanded that Germany do
and cuddles up to the right." more, and that the govern-
More than 12,000 migrants ment not block independent
and refugees fled the fires, state or municipal efforts to
which the Greek government take in refugees themselves.
says were deliberately set by About 3,000 people had reg-
a small group of Afghan mi- istered to take part in the
grants to protest a virus lock- march, but police told the
down at the Moria camp. dpa news agency the crowd
Thousands have slept out- numbered in the "mid four-
doors on a nearby roadside in digit range."
the nights since the blazes.