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Spread of the virus. 13 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Lithuania per day. The circumstances of the infections of nine people are known and four are unclear. Several new cases are associated with chimneys at the National Theater of Opera and Ballet and the Kaunas Philharmonic. Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis, who returned to work after the holidays, said that in managing the second wave of coronavirus, the Government does not plan to slow down the entire economy or individual sectors, but will instead focus on the proper use of protection measures.
Travel from Poland. The requirement to isolate people from Poland for two weeks entered into force. Lithuanian Railways suspended train travel on the Kaunas-Bialystok-Kaunas route. In addition to Poland, the list of countries from which self-isolation is mandatory upon return also includes the Netherlands, Iceland, Cyprus and Turkey.
Tensions in Belarus. The Belarusian authorities have announced that President Alexander Lukashenko has won 80 percent of the vote. votes and is re-elected for another term. Opposition candidate Svetlana Tichanovskaya refused to acknowledge the results, declared herself the winner of the election and called on Lukashenko to hand over power. Belarusian officials say they have arrested 3,000. people for participating in unauthorized protests. Authorities say 50 civilians and 39 militia officers were injured in clashes in the capital, Minsk. Lukashenko said that the opposition protesters were “sheep” controlled by Russia, Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom. The opposition calls protests again on Monday night, promising to demand the release of political prisoners and to hold new fair elections.
Lithuanian reaction. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda declared that citizens’ rights, freedom of expression and freedom of expression were not respected in the elections. He called on the Belarusian authorities to release all peaceful protesters, journalists and representatives of civil society detained during the elections. Prime Minister Saul Skvernel has called on the Belarusian authorities to refrain from using force against its citizens. Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius said the presidential elections in Belarus were not fair and civil society had shown it was ready for change. The opposition conservatives and the Social Democrats have called for European Union sanctions against the Belarusian authorities responsible for the crackdown. A demonstration in support of the Belarusian opposition will be held under the government in Vilnius on Monday night.
International reaction. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping congratulated Lukashenko on his re-election. The European Commission condemned the disproportionate use of force against the protesters and called on the Belarusian authorities to accurately count the votes. The German government has stated that it has “serious doubts” about the conduct of the elections. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called on Belarus to hold an extraordinary EU summit and called for “solidarity in support of Belarusian aspirations for freedom.” Mr. Nausėda expressed his support for this initiative.
Free-lancers. When the Employment Service began accepting applications for self-employment aid in the event of a change in activity, a total of 4 million were allocated for this purpose. The amount of 1 million euros was “snatched” in a record time of 25 minutes. The Office reported that around 760 applications were received during this period for 5.09 million. euros. According to the head of the service Inga Balnanosienė, the recipients of the requests were very active and well prepared. People who switch economies can expect a profit of up to € 6,980.
Price pendulum. In Lithuania, 0.3 percent was recorded in July. monthly deflation. The fall was mainly due to lower prices for electricity, clothing and footwear, vegetables, heating and natural gas.
Repression in Hong Kong. Hong Kong police arrested media mogul Jimmy Lai and searched the publisher’s offices under a new national security law imposed by the Chinese authorities. Mr. Lai runs the popular tabloid Apple Daily and is an active supporter of democracy in Hong Kong and criticizes China’s authoritarian government. He was accused of “learning with foreign forces.” The arrest further raised concerns about press freedom in the former British colony, which was returned to China in 1997.
Paris. In the tourist areas of the French capital, Paris, the requirement to wear masks outdoors has come into force. To slow the spread of the coronavirus, everyone will need to wear them, except for children under the age of ten.
Chaos in Lebanon. The devastating explosion, with the resignation of four ministers and the continuation of the demonstrations of the indignant populations, put the Lebanese government on the brink of collapse. The explosion on August 4 killed more than 100 people. Critics of the government say the disaster was caused by government negligence.
Negotiations in Afghanistan. The Taliban have said they are ready to begin peace talks with the Afghan government a week after completing a highly contested prisoner swap. Talks between the Afghan authorities and the Taliban are expected to end a nearly two-decade war that has killed tens of thousands of people.
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