and stay out! plus with unlimited data, you can stream and scroll more than ever. and we'll ensure that you get the most wifi coverage throughout your home. this is xfi complete. simple, easy, awesome. get the security, unlimited daa and wifi coverage you need. plus, xfi customers can add xfi complete for $11 a month. click, call or visit a store today. we're there, live, with the latest. and growing concerns. will the united states postal service be able to handle all the mail-in ballots, come november? we talk to the president of the american postal workers union. and welcome to our viewers, here, in the united states and all around the world. i am michael holmes and this is cnn "newsroom."

tonight, the united states is edging closer to a stark, new measure of its failure to control the pandemic. it is about to be the first and only country with 5 million recorded cases. so far, more than 162,000 people in the country have died. health experts say the trump administration isn't doing nearly enough to stem the crisis. there is, still, no coherent, federal strategy. not really a strategy, at all. there is, though, much mixed messaging and a demonization of science. though, medical experts and researchers say if americans don't wear masks or socially distance, tens of thousands more people are going to be dead by the end of the year. well, president trump, meanwhile, trying to take coronavirus relief for americans into his own hands.

on saturday, signing four executive actions, after congress couldn't work out a stimulus deal. but some critics say his orders don't go far enough. cnn's kristen holmes explains. >> president trump signing four executive actions today, after those coronavirus stimulus talks stalled. and i want to go through them because they're a bit complicated. and there is a bit of nuance. first, he talked about deferring student loan debt. that is a simple, straightforward memoranda that he signed today. the other ones, a little more complicated. one is a payroll tax holiday. why is this complicated? well, one, companies are going to have to sign off on this and there is no indication that they will or they've worked with these companies, the white house, to get this done. but the other big problem here is that people will, eventually, have to pay that back. that means that people are facing an enormous amount of back taxes. now, president trump said that if he was elected, he would

dissolve these extra taxes. but that would, again, mean that there is a potential for this huge amount of money to be hanging on americans, after november. the third one i want to talk t about was eviction. now, this was not a straight executive order on eviction moratorium, as we believed it was going to be. instead, it's a little more nuanced. president trump, in this order, calls on agencies, like the health and human services department, to consider whether it was necessary to temporarily halt evictions. so, clearly, there is going to have to be some process there and it means that that will lapse. last, is the enhanced unemployment benefit. and we have a graphic here to kind of break down exactly what president trump is doing. americans who are unemployed were getting this extra $600 of federal assistance. that ended when those coronavirus stimulus talks stalled. now, president trump is citing a

memoranda for $400 but it's not quite $400. as you can see here, the federal government is only offering to pay $300. president trump is asking the states to pay the other 25%, which is $100. when asked about whether or not these governors would be able to pay this, here's what president trump said. >> if they don't, they don't. that's going to be their problem. i don't think their people will be too happy. they have the money. so i don't think their people will be too happy. but if they don't, they don't. but again, the states have the money. it's sitting there. >> right. so, unclear here whether or not it's actually going to be $400. meaning, that it could have been cut in half from that 600 to now 300. the democrats have already put out a statement. democratic leadership speaker pelosi, as well, as senator minority leader chuck schumer slamming these executive actions, calling them narrow and weak. and saying this. that today's meager announcements by the president show president trump, still,

does not comprehend the seriousness or the urgency of the health and economic crisis facing working families. so clearly, here, already slamming. but the big question is when are these actually going to take place? as i said, some of these require extra legwork. talking to companies. figuring out the back taxes, as well as considering whether or not eviction or temporary eviction is necessary. so it's unclear when these benefits will actually get into the hands of the americans, who really need them during this pivotal point. kristen holmes, cnn, bridgewater, new jersey. >> democratic presidential candidate, joe biden, also, responding to mr. trump's executive actions. in a statement, released on saturday, biden called the orders half-baked measures. he went on to say the actions are not real solutions, but a cynical employ to deflect responsibility. biden said a real leader would work with congress to deliver relief to americans.

call it pandemic fatigue, or simply not caring. but, in some places where coronavirus is raging, massive groups of people are getting too close for comfort. here is a look at some of them. >> crowded streets. packed bars. it's the weekend in rio de janeiro and people are partying like there is no pandemic. there are few masks, no social distancing, even though the country's death toll from the coronavirus is around 100,000. i know that i am not doing the best thing in being here, one student says. but at least i'm using a face mask. those people are drinking, having a good time. they don't know where their cup came from. but rio isn't the only place where people are out and about without taking proper precautions. in northwest england, filling

the promenade and the beaches with people trying to escape the summer heat, even though cases are on the rise across the uk. paris is taking measures to crack down on scenes like this. as of monday, masks will be required by everyone over 11 years of age, in busy, outdoor areas. reaction, so far, mixed. i find it unnecessary when there aren't many people, one resident says. but when there are more people, it is good that people wear masks. vietnam is testing and testing, again, to contain an outbreak that began in the city of da nang. officials say thousands of people who recently returned from the resort town will get more accurate swab tests, instead of the ones they initially took. they say large-scale testing and strict community guidelines helped keep infections low, once before. we got through the last time,

one person says, as long as all of us comply with these policies, we will get through this together. following the rules, heeding the science. right now, they could be the best options to beat back the coronavirus. and joining me now is dr. dale fisher. he is the chair of the world health organization's global outbreak lit response network and professional at the national university of singapore. appreciate your time, doctor. let's talk about global concerns. what areas are you most worried about, at the moment, in a global sense? >> thanks, michael. the -- there's turmoil in every country, really. it's -- we could go through every region and every country. there's, obviously, many countries with fragile health systems and -- and -- and vulnerable economies. but we, also, know some of the wealthiest countries have managed the outbreak quite poorly.

really, whether you're in africa, south america, the middle east, there's -- there's plenty of issues. europe's trying to live with the virus, and -- and -- and i find that pleasing. opening up their borders and trying to have a new normal. but i do worry that they might have gone a bit fast. >> yeah. sorry. sorry. i didn't mean to interrupt. little bit of a delay there. i did want to ask how well-positioned the w.h.o. is to assist in a global sense? and i guess, you know, how has the u.s. criticism and, in fact, the u.s. withdrawal from the organization, hindered how it's been able to operate? >> sure. just to make it clear, i don't work for the w.h.o. i chair oits networks. the w.h.o. is obviously the premiere global body. it doesn't have any sovereign rights, in any country. so it can't go in and actually

do the work. it can assist, when called on. but some of its global responsibilities include analyzing the data, quite critically. and that's what many people have found difficult, because they can't make announcement unless -- unless they are very confident with the -- with the science. they drive a lot of research. they drive a lot of the guidance. they can provide logistic support with -- with supplies. they've got a lot of online trainings. they're driving contact tracing, collaborative works, vaccine distribution collaborative works. so they're very much the global body and that's why they're so important. it's obviously very disappointing of the decision by the u.s. government but we would all hope that, eventually, there'll be a change in attitude there. because, obviously, we've got to be in this together. >> and -- and to that point, has there been enough global cooperation? i guess, it's natural, in many

ways, for countries to, you know, want to focus on their own people. turn inward, at a time like this. but it is a global issue. is there enough of an attitude of we're in this together? >> i think it -- it varies. but people, i think, just need to go back, and any fracturing in society doesn't -- doesn't help anyone, whether you're fracturing within your country or between countries, or even within your family or neighborhood. it really -- everyone benefits, if we all work together to -- to work on the science. to work on the sharing of the resources. lifting of export restrictions would be helpful. some of the travel guidances, to allow emergency-medical teams in more easily to help countries. there is so much more that could be done with global cooperation. and i think, as you said, that initial response is to look after your own borders. but -- but we need to grow out of that, to get the best out of this, i think. >> yeah, absolutely. i mean, i wonder if you're worried that, you know, there

could be what some are calling vaccine nationalism. that, you know, a workable vaccine, wherever it comes from, becomes a tool of geopolitical influence, rather than a solution for all to share. >> yeah. it -- it concerns me, too, michael. certainly, w.h.o. is working with garvey and seppi and some other groups to do multinational fundraising. so hopefully, that won't happen where the richest just take it all. and hopefully, a sense of humanity will come over those countries as well. that this is not -- not a behavi behavior that's going to service your country well, in the long run. >> yeah. you don't want to be cynical, do you? yeah. let's hope so. dr. dale fisher, appreciate it. let's keep fingers crossed that, that does, indeed, happen. thanks, doc. all right. we're going to take a quick break. when we come back, crisis after

crisis has been heaped upon lebanon, after tuesday's catastrophic explosion, anger spilling into the streets. ahead, we'll have more from a country on the brink. we'll also have a live report from our own arwa damon, who has ties to lebanon. used to live there for many years. is it too late for the country to be saved? we'll discuss. looks like they picked the wrong getaway driver. they're going to be paying for this for a long time. they will, but with accident forgiveness allstate won't raise your rates just because of an accident, even if it's your fault. cut! sonny. was that good? line! the desert never lies. isn't that what i said? no you were talking about allstate and insurance. i just... when i... let's try again. everybody back to one. accident forgiveness from allstate. click or call for a quote today.

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welcome back. in beirut, hopes are fading of finding many more survivors, five days after a massive explosion in the city. 158 people confirmed dead, so far. 6,000 were hurt. meanwhile, thousands took to the streets of the lebanese capital on saturday. they are frustrated by what they call the negligence that allowed thousands of tons of explosive material to be stored at the port, for years. protestors fought with police. they, also, stormed the foreign ministry and other buildings. more than 200 people were hurt. and a member of the lebanese security forces, killed. now, the outrage has been bubbling up for months. cnn's ben wedeman has reported,

extensively, on lebanon through the years. he is based in our bureau there. he tells us the explosion was a last straw for a country on the edge. >> reporter: they carried a banner with the names of those killed in tuesday's massive blast. beirut's initial shock, now, white-hot fury. at a government, a political elite that, through incompetence and corruption, has pushed lebanon to the brink. in their demands, there is no subtlety. we want to take revenge on them, says this man. we want to hang them because they killed us. our blood is still boiling over the people killed in the blast. an atomic bomb that exploded at the heart of beirut. saturday, the explosion in beirut was one of rage. ordinary citizens have lost so much in the last few months.

they have little left to lose. they've seen the economy collapse, the local currency lose much of its value, hyperinflation, lengthy power cuts. and last tuesday, a catastrophic explosion that killed more than 150 people, wounded thousands, and made at least 300,000 homeless. and now, the politicians are being called to account. shame on them, says this protestor. they killed their people. they impoverished us. we've lost everything and, still, they cling to power. other protestors occupied a variety of ministries, including the foreign ministry, where they burned a portrait of the president. >> this day was declared the day of judgment. and in the dark are the leaders of lebanon, who have overseen

what is essentially the fall of the lebanese state. >> a straigate struggling to maintain control of a population in revolt. a state under siege, from its own people. ben wedeman, cnn, beirut. let's talk more about this with cnn senior international correspondent, arwa damon, joining us live from beirut. where you were based for a long time, too. broadly, for decades, there has been this sectarian system of p p patronage and corruption and self-dealing. could this tragedy be a catalyst? >> well, i think, on one level, there is a determination to try to utterly and completely revamp what has been the saddest -- for decades. but, michael, as you know very well, this is not something that is going to be happening

overnight. yes, right now, the prime minister has called for early elections. they are going to be looking at reforming, potentially, the electoral law. but you have to look at the very makeup of lebanese politics, that has been in existence, pretty much, since lebanon gained independence, decades ago. and if you just look at the building blocks of a government, people -- of course, there are, you know, elections, parliamentary elections, and others as well. but the actual building blocks of those who are in power, no matter what happens, it's not about merit. the presidency always goes to the christians. the premiership to the sunnis. speaker of parliament, to the shia. and so, it's so entrenched within the lebanese political spectrum. and it's also entrenched in politics. people tend to vote for whatever sect they are a part of. that is going to require, what

some would say is generational change. what's happening, whether it's the economic meltdown. whether it's the effect of this horrif horrific explosion that took place, this is not discriminating. and so, that, to a certain degree, may have -- and we are going to have to wait and see -- pushed the bulk of lebanese population pact thopast those engrained. but the country so many lebanese want it to become is not going to be without pain. >> yeah. that is great analysis. as always, i wanted to enter the personal for a minute. i mean, as i said, you lived in beirut for many years. your parents, i know, lived there. i had lunch with them a few years ago. what -- what is it like for you, personally, to see what is going on behind you? that beautiful port there, that is so destroyed now. what is it like for you to walk around this? >> you know, it's gutting, michael. it's soul-shredding.

and it's infuriating because, arguably, you know, no matter how you look at it, this did not need to happen. yes, we're still waiting to find out exactly what caused the initial fire and the initial explosion. that then, set off the ammonium nitrate. but, either way, that ammonium nitrate should not have been sitting there for six years. especially, given that multiple consecutive governments were warned of how dangerous it is to store potentially volatile compound, like ammonium nitrate, under these sorts of conditions. and you also have to keep in mind that, you know, when you drive around beirut right now, this isn't the beirut that it was, even when i was based here back in 2010. there is trash everywhere. inflation is -- i mean, michael, it's insane. let me put it to you this way. we went out to get food last night, to basically sort of a fast-food restaurant chain. three people.

the bill came back at $77, if you go by the official exchange rate of 1,500 lebanese lira to the dollar. now, you can get other fluctuating exchange rates. you can also get an exchange rate on the black market, that is about 7,000 lebanese lira to the dollar. but if you don't have dollars in hand, to change on the black market, you can no longer afford anything. before this explosion took place, international humanitarian organizations were estimating that about 70% of the lebanese population was going to need humanitarian aid. take that into consideration, also, when you now think about how many more people are going to be struggling to put food on the table. never mind, turning around and buying something like glass, to begin to rebuild their homes. >> yeah, absolutely. it is extraordinary. i have wanted to ask you, too, and i don't know if you have been able to look into it. i mean, the initial report was there could be as many as 300,000 people homeless because

of this. places unlivable. what sort of support network is there for them? where are they? >> a lot of them have moved in with -- with friends and family. there are a couple of sort of makeshift tents and centers that have been set up. but, yes, i mean, if you look at the destruction just, you know, across from the port area, where we are right now. i mean, you can't see a single, you know, window that is still standing. go a bit deeper into the streets, and you will see entire buildings that have collapsed on top of one another. and one thing, though, michael, that has been quite, sort of, inspirational, though, about all of this is how the lebanese have banded together. and actually, to a certain degree, broken through, you know, those sectarian divides i was talking about before. it doesn't matter what sect you are right now. there is an army of volunteers that is in the streets. carrying out cleanup. helping out the elderly. helping others salvage what they

can from their apartments and their homes. they're distributing food. they're distributing water. and it's there that you really see the very essence of what it is that lebanon should have been, and of what it is that lebanon could become. frankly, if the political elite and outside, meddling forces would just get out of the way. >> yeah. exactly. it's a wonderful city. wonderful people. yeah. atrociously led. and whether this will be that catalyst, we shall have to see. arwa damon, good to see you, my friend. take care. and if you would like to help the victims of tuesday's blast in beirut, we've made it pretty easy for you. just log on to our impact your world website. cnn.com/impact. again, that address, cnn.com/impact. a lot of organizations there that we have vetted and are reliable. and safe to use. the u.s. postal service

announcing a management hiring freeze. there's been a lot of shuffling of senior staff, a lot of cuts. just ahead, why democrats say all this could hamper the presidential election in november. plus, a young, stay-at-home mother poses a serious challenge to europe's longest-serving leader. sunday's presidential election in belarus. that's still to come, as well. this year, the alzheimer's association walk to end alzheimer's is everywhere. all of us are raising funds for one goal: a world without alzheimer's and all other dementia. because this disease isn't waiting, neither are you. go to alz dot org slash walk.

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few months to reach. mexico has the third-highest global death count. more than 52,000, and recorded more than 475,000 cases. and iraq's health ministry reporting more than 3,300 new cases on saturday, bringing that country's total to more than 147,000. well, with the u.s. about to hit 5 million coronavirus cases, more states want the option of mail-in ballots for the november election. but president trump. he doesn't like the idea. he continues to sow distrust in and make false claims about mail-in voting. and blames the democrats, in the process. here is part of what he said on saturday. >> they even want to force states to implement the controversial practice, known as ballot harvesting. very dangerous practice. meaning, they would allow democrat party operatives to deposit thousands and thousands of completed ballots, at the post office, without any

verification of who filled them out. including, a verification of signatures on the ballot. so, you're not even going to have a verified signature. anybody. i could sign it. you could sign it. anybody in this room could sign it. and that's going to count as a vote. how can you do a thing like this? so, this is what they're asking for. this is what nancy pelosi and crying chuck schumer are asking for. okay? it's ridiculous. >> joining me now is mark demenstein, he is the president of the american postal workers union. a union that represents some 200,000 postal service employees, and really appreciate your time on an important issue here, mark. i wanted to ask, you know, what are the real-world impacts of what the postmaster general has done? these cuts. how has it sort of manifested itself in the day-to-day operations? >> well, the real-world impacts are that he's put in some new

policies, soon after he took office. he came from the outside. he doesn't really understand, yet, the inner workings of the post office. and he just, arbitrarily, has reduced the number of hours that employees can work. he's changed transportation routds. he's cut hours in retail units. he's pulled out sorting machines. and the result of all of these things, combined, is that mail is simply going to be slowed down. it's going to be delayed. that runs counter to everything the proud and dedicated postal workers stand for. we treat the mail, as if it's our own. that's certainly -- during this pandemic, where we have been frontline, essential workers, proudly connecting the people of the country and with the rest of the world in this challenging time. so we're getting reports -- we're getting reports from all over the country, michael, that mail's being slowed down and it's very problematic. >> and very problematic. a lot of people get their -- their prescriptions by mail. and their social security checks by mail.

it's -- it's a very important thing. and -- and you mentioned trump appointed. this is a former -- or a big donor to the trump campaign, who was given this job. he says, okay, he says these are efficiency measures. i mean, do you accept that explanation? or do you think, as critics do, that this is a deliberate effort to weaken the post office ahead of the election, and all of those mail-in ballots? >> we -- we -- we don't accept it. it's not called the united states postal business. and that's for a reason. it's called the united states postal service. we have an obligation, under the law, to serve everybody in this country, no matter who we are or where we live, in the most rural outpost to the densely populated inner cities. so it's not just a normal business where every letter, somebody has a make a profit on. somebody has to make money on. so we would much rather see the congress of the united states

provide covid financial relief. the covid pandemic. the economic impact of the pandemic is having a large, negative impact on the postal service. in the united states, the postal service runs at normal times, with no tax dollars. and, therefore, the revenue has to be enough to be able to carry out our mission. we sort and deliver mail to 160 million addresses, every day. so, what's happening is it certainly, objectively, is having an impact of weakening, undermining the postal service. because it is degrading service. >> carole maloney says these are the president's attempts to prevent millions of americans from having their votes counted. i want to ask if you agree with that, in a political sense. but as things stand right now, in light of the changes, do you believe that the u.s. postal service will be able to deal with the flood of mail-in

ballots that will be heading out in november? >> i think, generally, yes. but anything that slows down the mail, slows down everything we do. from the -- from the medicines you talked about, to the checks, to the retirement checks, to the financial transactions. and, yes, ballots. now, the postal service doesn't run elections. the states, throughout this country, do. the postal service has great capacity to handle influx of mail. it's -- it happens during all different seasons. it's really happened during this pandemic, where packages have gone up a lot while people were sheltered in place. but it -- but it is troubling whenever mail slows down. we've been -- we have been doing vote by mail, as postal workers in the postal service, for generations in this country. it's becoming more and more popular, with each election cycle. and clearly, in this election cycle, with this pandemic, the

postal service is the only way and mail-in voting is the only way that tens of millions of people will be able to safely cast a vote and have access to the ballot box. we work under the law that says prompt, reliable, and efficient services. prompt means quickly. and that includes ballots. >> well, there -- there is a lot of people who are very concerned that this trump-appointed postmaster general is slowing things down because there's going to be a lot of mail-in ballots over this election cycle. hopefully, it doesn't happen. hopefully, you get the support you need from congress. president of the american postal workers union, thanks so much. >> thank you very much for having me on. >> important issue. ukraine's president, asking his citizens to avoid interfering in other countries' elections, especially the united states election. volodymyr zelensky's statement coming after a intelligence official reported a ukrainian

lawmaker with kremlin links was trying to undermine joe biden's presidential campaign. the u.s. house impeached president trump in december, in part, for abuse of power, alleging he tried to pressure the ukrainian president into investigate joe biden. the epic and tragic explosion in beirut could be the last straw for many lebanese people. just ahead, i will talk to a middle east expert about how the blast could lead to real change in a nation that desperately needs it. we'll be right back. en? yes. neutrogena® ultra sheer. superior protection helps prevent early skin aging and skin cancer with a clean feel. it's the one. the best for your skin. ultra sheer. neutrogena®. iwe see you.. the best f♪r your skin. looking out...for all of us. and though you may have lost sight of your own well-being, aetna never did. we're always here to help you focus on your health. because it's always, time for care.

more on our top story now. lebanon's prime minister says he will introduce a bill calling for early elections. a response to the public anger over tuesday's massive explosion in beirut. demonstrators clashed with security forces on saturday. more than 230 people were hurt and a member of the lebanese security forces, killed. meanwhile, the search at the blast site, shifting from rescue

to recovery. 158 people confirmed dead. 6,000 injured. 28, unaccounted for. joining me now is kareem, he is professor of international politics at american university in beirut. i actually wanted to start with something you tweeted out on saturday. you said this. quote, today is about anger against a criminal state apparatus and expression of grief, after shock of the port blast and those who died needlessly. tomorrow needs to be about rebuilding a political strategy and unity so deaths not in vain. no to sectarian division and obvious traps being set. a powerful tweet. i mean, do you have confidence that this tragedy could lead to real, political change for the lebanese people? >> yeah, good morning. i think it has great potential. i think you saw, yesterday, and in previous weeks, that the mass

protests and anger against this kind of political system that we're talking about. and not just this government, but successive governments, over the past two or three decades, that have led to economic collapse, financial collapse. and now, just to sum it up, this massive blast, which really tore apart beirut. has put, you know, 300,000 people out of homes. has really devastated people. devastated us, in terms of the psyche. just psychologically. it is a massive blow to all of us. and people are building up. and as you mentioned, this expression of people to people has been an amazing outpour of support, of solidarity. of an ability to show that, you know, lebanese coming together, can do a huge amount. now, whether this can lead to political change is, of course, the big question. i think we need to move on from just calls of saying this is a terrible political system. these are criminals. these need to go. we don't, yet, have the ability. we have been protesting since last october. and it's -- you know, we've not been able to succeed in changing

very much. even now, even after this blast, there have been no government ministers that have resigned. so we -- we need to be more engaged and unify the political demands for all the protestors. it's still divided. there needs -- we need to move on from anger, to something where there is more unified platform that can engage and push forward a positive agenda. >> it -- it's the engrained nature of it all when it comes -- i mean, the interesting thing and that makes it so complex is there are 18 distinct religious groups in lebanon. each of them have competing agendas. and patronage as well. with that in mind, i mean, how do you change such a political culture or, you know, the patronage, lack of transparency, and assure that, months from now, it is not just busy as usual? >> well, i really want to say, firstly, that this question of having 18 or, you know, even more sectarian groups.

this is something which is very rich for us. this is a country and a region, as a whole, which has had a long history of coexistence. so, this is not a negative. this is a very positive thing to have so many different groups, so much coexistence, and people working together, on so many levels. this is how rich our country and our history and our culture is. it gets manipulated by those in power. it got manipulated, historically, and to this day. and it's not just the local elites, kind of getting together and dividing people. it's also has -- again, historically until now, through international support of various groups. so this coming together is extremely difficult, to try to undo, you know, in this time of financial collapse and economic collapse. it's -- it's really important to kind of make this point that these -- these -- the variety and diversities is a huge plus for us. and it's something that we need to rebuild, as -- as fundamentally part of lebanon, kind of going forward. but taking it away from those

politicians, internationally and locally, who would use it for their own benefit, for the patronage, for basically bleeding the country like parasites. and transform it into something more positive that we can build. >> i totally agree, having been there myself. you're absolutely right. the 18 different groups is a compliment when it comes to the people but not when it comes to the politics and the manipulation of it. i mean, the beauty of lebanon is its diversity. and how everyone gets along. and you got a church next to a move. and so on and so forth. 30 seconds, if you could. do you have any faith that the government could handle the donations coming from the international community? or should that be going to ngos and not government? >> frankly, like most people, i don't think we have faith in anything this government would do. again, not just this government but any government over the past years because previous governments are the ones that stole all this international money. and not just international money. our money. our taxpaying money. money that's supposed to have

gone to rebuilding the electricity sector, we have no electricity for most of the day. for telecoms, infrastructure, for the roads. all of this has been stolen for 20, 30 years. so why would this government be any different? there is a continuity in this kind of inability to handle and the kind of negligence. and you could even push it further and say kind of criminal conduct that, again, not this government but previous governments, over two or three decades have been engaged in. so i don't have much faith but i think we need to push forward. it needs to -- aid has to go to people. to civil society groups but on a big scale, the government has to be held to account for any money that comes in. for sure. >> professor, really appreciate your time and our thoughts are with the people of beirut there. thank you so much. >> thank you. >> great analysis there from the professor. still to come, here, on the program. election day in belarus. voters are going to the polls in the middle of a pandemic, of course. with a lot of anger at their longtime leader.

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well, the polls are open in sunday's presidential election in belarus. for years the outcome of

presidential races there was never really in question. strongman alexander lukashenko has ruled for nearly three decades. this time it is a little different, though. he's been facing a tough challenge from a surprising rival. a young stay-at-home mother. but he's not going to just loosen his grip on power. salma abdul aziz is watching from london. unsurprisingly there has been a lot of controversy. you've had candidates and journalists detained. there were russian mercenaries detained. what is the level of confidence in this election being free and fair? >> reporter: well, michael, in short not very much confidence at all. analysts, observers will tell you the results of this election are a foregone conclusion. alexander lukashenko, who's ruled the country for 26 years, will get a sixth term in office. he has earned the nickname europe's last dictator for his iron-fisted rule of that country. but there are cracks beginning

to appear in the foundation. take a listen to our report. >> reporter: it's his biggest challenge yet. after 26 years in power alexander lukashenko's iron grip on the people of belarus appears to be waning. after slienko jailed or barred several of his main rivals from running thousands of protesters poured onto the streets of at least ten different tecities. and one unexpected challenger is promising to meet their demands. >> translator: people are tired. the people want change. how long can you rule the people against their will? >> reporter: 37-year-old svetlana tikhanovsky entered the race in place of her husband, sergei tikhanovsky, after he was arrested in may. the former teacher admits she's no politician, but her campaign has seen a surge in popularity. >> translator: now is the time when everyone must overcome their fear. do you think i'm not scared? i'm scared every day.

but i muster my courage, get over my fear, go to you and go for victory. >> reporter: nicknamed europe's last dictator, the incumbent has long drawn international criticism for using secret police to crush any dissent. now he faces mounting pressure. over the country's economic situation and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. his critics accuse him of recklessly denying the implications of the global health crisis. to disastrous effects. making this one of the country's most unpredictable elections in a generation. but with the country's history of what critics have deemed unfair elections and alleged vote rigging, it remains to be seen whether this year's vote can successfully bring about real change. now, polls have already opened in the country. they opened at 8:00 a.m. local time. they'll be open until 8:00 p.m. tonight. but there's already allegations of misconduct.

election monitors will tell you that country hasn't had free and fair elections in nearly a quarter century and we have heard from the local election commission that 41% of votes were already cast in early voting before today. now, critics of lukashenko will say those numbers are simply not accurate. they'll say they're overinflated. they will argue that he is already rigging this election. but this is less about who's going to win the battle, michael, and more about whether or not he's going to come out unscathed. >> yeah, exactly. you wouldn't want to be a political candidate in belarus. you might not be on the street for too long. just speak briefly to the relationship between lukashenko and vladimir putin. lukashenko said in an interview i think that they had certain tensions because we are strong personalities. and of course there are these reports of russian mercenaries being there. >> reporter: this is a key question, michael and it's at the heart of the controversy

against lukashenko, of the protests against him. and that's of course because russia is the country's main sponsor and ally. but in recent weeks, months, and years there has been a deterioration in that relationship as russia has seen -- has requested greater integration, deeper economic and political integration with belarus. lukashenko has been administrative to that. and then last month, just a few weeks ago, there was this announcement that 33 russian mercenaries were found and arrested. his critics say this is just political maneuvering, rhetoric in order to cover up the reality of the criticism against him. but again, this is adding to the deterioration of the relationship between russia, which is heavily important to the country, michael. >> mm. indeed. good to see you, salma. thanks for that. salma abdelaziz there. i'm michael holmes. kim broomhooper will be here with more "cnn newsroom" after the break. she's much better dressed.

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simply fed up. protesters demanding change in lebanon clash with security forces. angry over corruption, a failing economy and a devastating explosion. the u.s. nears 5 million coronavirus cases. some blame the u.s. president for his mixed messages while he tries to take pandemic relief into his own hands. and as brazil hits two coronavirus milestones, people are still packing the beaches. live from cnn world headquarters in atlanta welcome to you, our viewers here in the united states and around the world.