to bring. documentary and life. protesters clashed with police in baton rouge after state exit polls predict a victory for president alexander look in sunday's election. time about this and this is obviously a lie from doha also coming up anti-government protests continue for a 2nd day in beirut 2 ministers resign amid growing public anger after tuesday's devastating blast. the number of confirmed covered 19 cases in the u.s. reaches 5000000 with numbers and still rising in almost 20 states. and paving the

way for peace talks in afghanistan the president agrees to set free 400 taliban prisoners. protests have erupted in cities across bella russa's president aleksander local shankar claims another win to lengthen his quarter century in power but testers have set up barricades in the capital minsk while riot police have responded with stun grenades a police van drove a crowd of protesters and ambulances have been called in for the injured protesters as an internet blackout of belarus is so step vast and is joining us on the phone step i know you were out on the streets when the protests began just talk us through what you've seen. yes well that it's now well 2 o'clock in the morning here in minsk and still the city is filled with with anger and frustration just only 2

hours after the polls closed the * sense of people took to the streets going to a central square where they were gathering to protest against what they call again fraudulent elections when they tried to write their police was already blocking the road detaining people so the people were sort of trying to get together but they were all separated by police then there was a clash police were firing stun grenades into the crowd one police truck ran into protesters and took one protester with them so i'm feelin this we're taking away the injured people and around the city the police have been blocking off roads trying to stop people from gathering and at the moment people are still driving around in their cars honking their horns showing their protest signs raising their their fists so that's still happening in the deep in the night here it's been and

also what we're hearing in other cities around the roots is there any indications that this may eventually die down or do is the feeling that these protests are going to continue. what i'm hearing is these scenes have not been witnessed before in minsk there were protests against elections fraudulent elections in 2010 but those protests were much smaller they also face the crackdown by police than by the people were detained and injured but the masses have grown to withstand these masses also of thousands of people on the streets angry has never been seen before him in so the production is not going to go away as probably president because shankar is wishing it's going to go away people 5 really beyond fear they are telling me and they're so tied up and and tired of the situation that they are not

going to give up anytime soon mr is there any indication that the security forces are going to attempt to try to control this with a greater strength that they already have i know that you've mentioned that they've been trying to cut off many of the protesters and one kind of corral them in but is there a sense that they're running out of patience and they might start becoming even more strong that's a very good question and the key question here is of course where the security forces are going to stand the protesters and also the opposition as he's trying to persuade the military and police to join their side and leave look at shanker but others are saying that his power base especially within the military is still very strong but of course the military is going to watch this and if they're going to see more and more people going onto the streets protesting what people say is very much an observer election result look at shanghai's claiming more than 80 percent

of the vote so they're going to watch how people are going to respond in the days ahead starbucks and reporting to a live from minsk in belarus step thanks very much indeed. or despite the opposition's allegations of fraud the electoral commission says results so far show a looker sankoh winning with 81 percent of the vote as mentioned a start was with the main opposition candidate as she cast her ballot. cheers for start line up the kind of guy who went into hiding on the eve of the election because she feared arrest that was after 8 members of her team including her campaign manager were reportedly detained at 1st a reluctant presidential candidate she has grown into the biggest hope many belorussians have for change then are you worried about your safety. everybody. will be kind of guy at election rallies attracted the largest crowds valorous i seen in decades with 2 other women on her site the wife and complain manager of 2

other jailed opposition figures she can paint across the country on the eve of the election one of them fled abroad and the other. was briefly detained she's undeterred i have great hopes all dreams are. today tomorrow or day after tomorrow this is the beginning of the end it's a beginning of a new life she came out of hiding to cast her vote the main opposition candidates but. it's what's going to rest on election day an election that has been dominated by accusations of fraud and the rest. after casting his vote president alexander lukashenko called the opposition we just. brought you in the us if you're going to go against our country or even in the smallest way tries to plunge the country into chaos and stabilize it you will receive an immediate response from me. for decades

he's enjoyed solid support in the former soviet country lately he's faced criticism for downplaying the covert 19 crisis and worsening economy he's attracted voters by accusing the opposition of planning to create chaos. criminalists of us to i want to vote for peace and the wellbeing of belarus and every family here and have no crazy crowds in the city. as rallies have been prohibited in the past week supporters of the kind of scalia found creative ways to protest against us rule but even that led to more arrests more than 800 people have been detained during this heated campaign stop fastened al-jazeera minsk. tensions are boiling over for a 2nd day in lebanon after the massive explosion that tore through the capital beirut there were more clashes near parliament after protesters gathered demanding an end to rampant corruption riot police fired tear gas while demonstrators hold rocks and shot far works into the air 158 people died in tuesday's blast and 21 are

still missing the army says there's little hope of finding any more survivors the protesters say they want a complete overhaul of the political system to government ministers have responded to the widespread anger by resigning the environment minister damiano as qatar has confirmed that he's out following the information minister. this is the point of no return people are starving the economy has deteriorated the economic crisis is heightening our families children friends have just been left behind fear and disappointments lives within them in this fateful moments we cannot just sit behind we have to stand in dignity together as a nation i feel that i need to send an apology to the lebanese people because we failed to achieve their ambitions due to the difficulties. also on sunday french president emmanuel mccrone led

a video conference of international donors to get aid to lebanon as quickly as possible world power supplies to help the recovery but they're demanding transparency over how the money is used by alan smith reports here there are all the skills the talent and the enthusiasm this is this this is the nasa. that has been issued yesterday but these people will not be able to rebuild beirut on their own we have an engineering team i did not think working in sync together we sense scouts leaders from theories and their job is to basically go and examine a building and say hey this structure is no longer safe. they're doing all this because the government isn't. food is given out to people who never have to ask for handouts in their life. volunteers are given a safety briefing before heading out with a cleanup team there are hundreds of these camps across beirut hastily set up in

the shadows of the buildings ripped open by chews days explosion of 2700 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in the pool. for international donors one of the hardest questions is how do they get aid to people who won't skim off the top when they have to deal with a political elite that's been doing exactly that for decades. the lebanese authorities now have to put in place the political and economic reforms which are being called for by the lebanese people it's the only thing which will allow the international community to act efficiently side by side with lebanon in its reconstruction. it could cost up to $15000000000.00 to rebuild beirut says the city's governor its residents want to make sure that money goes where it should the government of lebanon is a criminal government this is a criminal state these are warlords these are people who were. responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people in the lebanese civil war and we're expecting that a few extra bodies is going to make the thing that's not going to happen on monday

lebanon's prime minister will ask his cabinet to agree to early elections they'd be held within 2 months and lebanon's electoral system candidates must stand according to their religious sect it makes it very difficult for nonaffiliated individuals or groups to emerge and that is what these people will tell you is constantly frustrating that calls for radical political change. al-jazeera beirut. they visual number of corona virus infections across the u.s. has now passed 5000000 but there's concern the actual figures could be much higher health officials are urging the use of face masks and social distancing but this was the scene in south dakota this weekend around 400000 people gathered for a 10 day motorcycle rally in the city of sturgis as of this week 40 percent of us in factions are in 5 states florida california texas new york and georgia mike

hanna has more from washington d.c. . well at the moment it's mainly in the midwest of the united states at least 14 states are showing increasing rates of infection california is particularly hard hit and compounding the problem in california is the fact that the system of testing has basically broken down the data flow to central agencies to be able to track the pace of the infection of the corona virus has actually not working at the moment so this is a major issue because of the infection rates are continuing to rise in california but health officials are just unable to actually track the path of the virus because of this delay one bright spot is new york state which has now recorded the lowest rate of infection in a single day since the beginning of the pandemic it's down well below one percent now but generally across the united states there is still an uptick in the rates of

infection in many areas now some are arguing that because the spiking really takes place mainly in the outdoors then chances of infection drop a little however officials also point out that the real danger is the day when people gather in bars or around campfires that there could well be a spread of the infection but this is what has been happening in a number of states and it accounts for the fact that the rates of infection are increasing in number of states opened up too early and number of states do not imports of mask mandate a number of states have dropped mitigating measures completely and as a result you're seeing this ticking in the rates of infection still ahead an al-jazeera risk of further damage is not a show's bartels an ecological and economic emergency after an oil spill from the ground and ship. around in sync with social distancing the opera company that's found a way to keep performing during covert 19.

hello fires continue to spark off and burn in the heart to draw a west of the us but over the plains you've got big storms and they're drifting towards the midwest once again or down towards the ohio valley the eastern seaboard is dry when it was is slightly less humid as well there are a few shout about being around georgia and to the south but this is actually a fairly typical summery picture with the heat maybe a bit higher than you might expect a cli in canada but there's no evidence of particular shout down in new mexico or where you might like in the 4 corners where we did see a new week of some proper wet weather possibly because all the action is just off the coast of mexico itself with the leader form as

a tropical storm and disappearing into the open water now that was formed from a bunch of big thunderstorms which are dying down in mexico with the emphasis now coming back to wet weather in nicaragua or honduras or costa rica which is not unusual and we have seen that before in south america the picture of real wintry weather is as where it's been for the last month south of the river plate coming in from the western pacific you've got snow from the andes rain at lower levels in chile in particular and that becomes quite explicitly widespread during monday. a story of financial scandal with billions lost in the united arab emirates i've never seen a story like this where 2 companies somewhat on his plate involving the same group of people have failed at the same time but where the money go is the $1000000.00 question al-jazeera world investigates the dramatic story of the rise and fall of

an indian cycle b r shetty and the missing millions on al-jazeera. you're watching all just here a reminder of our top stories this hour protests have erupted in cities across bellows as president alexander lukashenko looks set to claim yet another election victory electoral commission says he's so far gained 81 percent of the vote with the main opposition candidate scotland attack on a sky on just 8 percent. protestors in lebanon have gathered near the country's parliament for a 2nd night as i grows over tuesday's course explosion tear gas was fired to

disperse the demonstrators who confirming the rocks basic government corruption is to blame and they're demanding a political overhaul. the number of corona virus infections in the u.s. has now passed 5000000 health officials are urging the use of face masks and social distancing but in south dakota this weekend around 400000 people gathered for the 10 day motorcycle rally. ok more now on our top story the election in bellows president alexander lukashenko is huge victories in the past have led to accusations of fraud that seems that pattern is being repeated this time around the central election commission has been forced to explain this video that shows a woman climbing down the ladder from a polling station carrying a full plastic bag the ladder is being held by a policeman and a 2nd bag is lowered out of the window by a colleague officials say she was locked in a room and she had to escape through the window but provided no explanation for the

bags. at a freshman's a senior fellow at the atlantic council he's joining us live by skype from washington d.c. and we appreciate your time so thank you very much indeed it seems as though it's not so much the allegations of fraud that are significant in this but the public response to the result we have so far from this election how do you think that alexandre look has shanghai is going to handle these protests but what we see right now rob is not encouraging so you know what we have to go by are really videos that are posted on social media but it seems like there are quite large protests happening all across bellary so it's quite substantial protests in minsk in particular and a frightening response coming from the belarusian authorities we have reports of tear gas and stun grenades and i think we all have to keep a close eye on this because belarusian people want is just to have a say in electing their own leaders and deciding the fate of their own country and this is a very very tenuous situation and we really need to keep

a close eye on it and make sure that there's no violence against these protesters i was talking to our correspondents who has been live for us in misca minsk as the election process has been going forward she was saying but they position have been trying to encourage the security forces on the military to actually join their ranks what do you think the likelihood is of that happening given the strength of feeling in minsk in bellow's i should say now compared to previous elections. well rob it's very difficult to get really a finger on the pulse of what the population in belarus thinks because you know public opinion polling has been banned in the country for some time however some of the most credible reports suggest it looks like a support the country may be well below 10 percent so i think there is a real shot that some some security officials they will not be willing to fire on protesters if that's something that lucas shank that warders them to do and we all have to really hope and pray that he doesn't but even some potentially even go over

to the side of the protesters you know i think what's really important there rob is what what is the response out of the e.u. and russia going to be because you know there are obviously frightening echoes that we see of the 2014 protests in the my done that led to russian intervention so i think you know there are a lot of different different factors at play here and it's a real tenuous live situation to keep track of you know look because relations with russia have being fraying he is going to need friends in the west and that is a move that he has made in the past how do you think this situation is going to cause him problems if he's trying to make friends with the west. i think it's going to cause real problems as it should and i think you know the west needs to have a unified response to this and i think the ideal response that we should all hope for from both the e.u. and the united states is one that couples carrots and sticks and i think you know clearly this election was rigged and there is no possible way that has

a beyond 80 percent of the vote so i think the outcome we want to see now is you know some sort of a deal in which a level of aid because you know economic situation brother is right now it's quite dire is tied to a new free and fair election to happen 3 to 6 months down the road with international you know inspectors actually ensuring that that election takes place and i think if lucas shanker you know does crack down violently on protesters we need to see very strong sanctions imposed on him and you know just for context here at the west ease some sanctions on deliveries after the 2015 election when to release some political prisoners but this sanctions could come back into force and frankly be escalated substantially if the shank reacts with violence it's really good to get your thoughts on this edward freshman of the atlantic council we appreciate it thank you very much indeed my pleasure. afghanistan's president has agreed to release 400 taliban prisoners rush afghani made the decision on the recommendation of the loya jirga

a traditional assembly of tribal elders the release was a precondition from the taliban to agree to hold peace talks with the government or some advantage of it has more. for centuries of understands traditional grand assemblies known as is solved problems by consultation within $3000.00 elders and community leaders joint politicians to decide on the final stumbling block for the negotiations with the taliban with some reluctance president ghani has honored the agreement between the us government and the armed group decided 5000 prisoners must be released before intra of one dialogue can begin most inmates have been released the ago was called to decide about the final 400 prisoners have been government says these 400 are wanted for major crimes and some even face the death penalty they want to ensure that these men do not return to the battlefield the ben. grimm today i will sign the decree that i did not have the authority to sign before now i

will sign the decree to authorize the release of the 400 taliban prisoners based on the request of the loya jirga and they will be released. in a complex power sharing structure of the law is the chairman of the loya jirga as he leads the high council for national reconciliation. the declaration of the loya jirga has removed all of europe's tickles to start the interim afghan talks and we are on the cusp of starting the negotiation we do have respect for all your decisions and the afghan government will be committed to implementing all of them. despite temporary cease fires one in 3 and a half 1000 afghan security personnel have been killed since february when the deal was signed between. and the us government us troops are supposed to leave of want to stand by april 2021 and remain divided over the u.s. to draw. it would be better that the us does stay here that will also

help our security and reconstruction of our country. on. the withdrawal of foreign troops is good for us as they were against our culture and. it will definitely have a positive impact. for almost all of the security remains there for most concern but yeah no doubt arctic regarding the release of prisoners we need peace in afghanistan and we will need to pay a price for that therefore we are obliged to release the taliban prisoners. and say their rights and safety is non-negotiable regardless of who wields power there did it. i continued my university studies despite losing many of my classmates to suicide attacks we still have faith stands government will need to bring security in all the places where we do not have security at the moment. the us government has acknowledged the release of prisoners is unpopular but president danny's government to hold direct talks to facilitate

a peace agreement the release of prisoners is a 1st step for all of the factions to sit across the table but they remain multiple challenges and wide ranging differences to overcome for peace can be achieved. there. 8 people have been killed by a gunman in southern asia it happened while the group were on a tour in the west african giraffe reserve east of the town of call a defense minister says men on motorcycles shot at the group 6 of those killed were french aid workers france's president emmanuel mccall has denounced the attack as cowardly it's not yet known who was behind it a human rights inquiry in chad is accusing authorities of negligence over the suspicious deaths of 44 prisoners in april the government previously said they were suspected of boko haram fighters who poisoned themselves but the national human rights commission says there were civilians in an overcrowded cell who died from thirst and hunger in 46 degree heat i'm

a dangerous has more from neighboring nigeria. the commission's report disputed government claims that the victims were members of the full quote on the report insisted that these are farmers mostly who have been arrested after an operation by the child and forces in the lake chad region had ended during that operation chad and government claim that it killed more than $1000.00 book out on fighters and imprisoned many of them in charge in prisons the report said that the prisoners were allowed to suffocate deliberately in their cells and that despite calls for help prison officials did not let them out remember and on much an approach temperatures in the south and elected area can go beyond 40 degrees celsius and that's the condition these prisoners were in people living close to the prisons admitted that they heard the cries for help by these prisoners or overnight the government did not issue a formal statement but i just this ministry official said that they have noted the report by the commission now this is not the 1st time our security forces in the

lead child region fighting book or arm have been accused of trumpeting on human rights or even extra judicial killings a lot of analysts believe that such actions by security forces could lead to none corporation and therefore making the fight against boko haram and other extremist groups in the region very difficult in canada the police and private security guards are reported to be giving increased protection to a former saudi intelligence agent sidles up they filed a u.s. lawsuit accusing saudi crown prince muhammad bin sultan of sending a hit squad to kill him 2 years ago canadian media say security services have learned of a new saudi threat on his life. to toronto in 2017. the world's biggest oil exporter has reported a 73 percent drop in 2nd quarter profits study out aamco says despite a partial recovery demand remains significantly down because of the coronavirus pandemic b.p. cut its dividend for the 1st time in a decade earlier this month royal dutch shell did the same in april for the 1st

time since the 2nd world war the operators of a japanese ship leaking tons of oil off the coast of militias have apologized and a vote to help clean up the spill has declared an environmental state of emergency but the prime minister saying cracks in the hollow of the vessel have grown and that could be a risk the boat could break in half what it was carrying $4000.00 tons of fuel when it ran aground last month 2 and a half 1000 tons remain on board experts say the slick will cause catastrophic damage to coral reefs greenpeace says buyers and sellers of the fuel on board the grounded ship should compensate those impacted by the oil spill the need to be read that for the community or the community being in even affected so those who are part of the transaction to shift this oil need to compensate the community and deal with the biodiversity damage and that really means that you're changing the

rules all transporting and. of using fossil fuels for the transaction whatever it was between the cargo ship company between the people where the seller than the buy you need to come into the for the held accountable with the fact that the. thing. the coronavirus pandemic has silenced many performers around the world but not one british opera company. opera house has launched open air concerts after being forced to cancel its usual performances keeping with the times both the audience and the cost a social distancing and performing a piece which is set in. paris. we've been having to figure out how to socially distance onstage and how to interact with each other. with all of that in

mind but instead of it being a burden it's turned out to be. really fun because we're all thinking of creative ways to make it through a scene where we're supposed to pass a prop to each other and we can't are someone supposed to have a fight but they can't touch each other. this is all just here are these are the top stories protests have erupted in cities across bellows as president alexander lukashenko to win yet another election victory the electoral commission says he so far gained 81 percent of the vote with the main opposition candidates for atlanta to kind of sky on just 8 percent and has more from minsk on the protesters who are still battling with police when they try to be a police force already blocking the road detaining people so the people were sort of tried to get together but they were all separated by police then there was

a clash police were firing as stun grenades into the crowd believed to our right. and one protester whipped them so it's we're taking away the injured people and around the city the police have been blocking off roads trying to stop people from gather rate. protesters in lebanon have gathered near the country's parliament for a 2nd night as anger grows over tuesday's port explosion tear gas was fired to disperse the demonstrators who have been hurling rocks they say government corruption is to blame and they're demanding a political overhaul the number of corona virus infections in the u.s. has now passed 5000000 health officials are urging the use of face masks and social distancing but in south dakota this weekend around 400000 people gathered for the 10 day motorcycle rally afghanistan's president has agreed to release 400 taliban

prisoners the release was a precondition from the taliban to agree to hold peace talks with the government 8 people have been killed by gunmen in southern asia that happened while the group were on a tour in the west african giraffe reserve east in the town of quote a new jersey defense minister says men on motorcycles shot at the group 6 of those killed were french aid workers france's president emanuel marlin denounced the attack as cowardly the world's biggest oil exporter has reported a 73 percent plunge in 2nd quarter profits saudi aramco says despite a partial recovery demand remains significantly down because of the coronavirus pandemic all major oil companies have suffered during worldwide lock downs and those are the headlines the news continues here on al-jazeera after a g.e. selects hunted goodbye for now. frank assessments.

of informed opinions. on the breakdown many. region are actually under a de facto state of imagine seeing critical debate after he does not have research enters the bill if you feel in-depth analysis of the day's global headlines inside story on al-jazeera.