Belarus

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he had secured a pledge from Russia to provide comprehensive assistance if needed to ensure the security of his country in a phone call with President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 15.   

Turkey has completed discussions with 92 countries for resumption of flights, the country's transportation and infrastructure minister said on Aug. 14.  

Turkey continues to operate scheduled and non-scheduled flights with 48 countries as of Aug. 13, Adil Karaismailoğlu said in a press release.

Sunday's presidential election giving Lukashenko a sixth term in office was, like all but one since 1994, deemed by the EU to have been neither free nor fair. Despite a strong challenge from former teacher Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, the autocratic president implausibly won 80% of the vote.

Protesters formed human chains and marched through the streets of Belarus carrying flowers on Aug. 12 in anger at a crackdown by strongman President Alexander Lukashenko that has prompted the European Union to consider new sanctions against Minsk.    

It is the second day in a row that people have demonstrated, angry at the results of Sunday's presidential vote. Security services claim to have foiled an attempt to assassinate the president's main election rival.

He will request a meeting because of the situation in the eastern Mediterranean, Belarus and Lebanon.
"We will discuss urgent matters and resolving the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, the presidential elections in Belarus and the development of the situation in Lebanon," Borrell wrote on his Twitter.

About 500 people, mostly young people, gathered in Minsk, according to a TAS S correspondent, without permission.
Belarus held presidential elections on August 9, and according to preliminary results, President Alexander Lukashenko received 80.08 percent of support.
Following the announcement of the results, protests broke out in Minsk and several other cities.

This year's EUROPAfest festival will take place between July 16 - 25 in Bucharest, Sibiu and Sinaia, producer of international music events jmEvents announced in a release on Wednesday. "We are optimistic, and even if it will be an atypical edition, the music events will be at the same quality standards the public has already become accustomed to.

Turkey plans to resume international flights to 40 countries gradually as of June 10, the transport and infrastructure minister said on June 4. 

The international flights from Turkey will carry passengers firstly to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Qatar, and Greece, Adil Karaismailoğlu said in a statement.

European countries must prepare for a deadly second wave of coronavirus infections as the pandemic is not over, said a top World Health Organization official in Europe. In an exclusive interview with the Daily Telegraph, Dr.