3 times in 202250th anniversary year on. the book . the boy. this is g.w. new to live from berlin to lebanon's government under pressure to resign thousands of people have been taking to the streets near parliament calling on their leaders to step down protesters say it was negligence that led to tuesday's devastating explosion which killed more than $150.00 people and injured thousands more are also coming up on the shout out to the people of bella ruse

a go to the polls president alexander lukashenko has been in power since the 1990 s. but this time around he's facing a serious challenge from this moment. i'm claire richards and welcome to the show lebanon's capital beirut is facing a 2nd day of protests against the government following tuesday's devastating explosion that killed more than 150 people and injured thousands more protesters hurled rocks at security forces and blocking a road in your 11 on's parliament witnesses say hundreds of people are converging on a main square the same place at thousands where thousands protested on saturday they blame the political elite of for the country's economic and political blogs. for more on the situation in beirut to let's bring in our correspondent at basle radio basle good to see you again we saw how yesterday's protests resulted in more than

100 people being injured what's the situation like today by comparison. in fact we have the same. problem and. they have. to move the engines from the clashes taking place right now at least to. the. well we know that one of minister has now resigned and others may well follow on on at the cost of a political crisis. indeed today the minister also information that she announced that the nation's government. even though she announced 2 days ago

that she was going to cost the company on mind they do have and just international an investigation by the explosion that took place in the bedroom. but on less that is likely to get evidence for those who are. explosion on this possible for what happened for these catastrophic but we don't know why she resigned before one day of that cabinet meeting i'd like to call her i couldn't i called her advice that he told me that that she took a decision i should expect that but she refused as well to give me about the reasons why i should resign and few hours ago we had some but that the minister of economy asked me for the minister of environment resigned and he delivered his the nation paper to the prime minister. putin doesn't he think between the prime minister and some ministers about 8 or 9 ministers they agreed to hold everything

until tomorrow morning the cabinet committee will have an urgent meeting and it seems according to my info that it seems that the cabinet what they agreed to hold everything tomorrow morning the cabinet meeting will have an urgent meeting and it seems according to my in for that it seems that the cabinet when they resigned to morrow instead of you finding him is sort of a one bite off that i'm not a. complete ignition for the all government but to model up to this moment i can't say that that is huge pressure on the prime minister said i signed it yet. but by his. by by his. leaders and political allies. to say that it seems you must to stay they got a cabinet. his office because it is so it's almost impossible for you know to have another. government or to visit another prime minister since the political

situation and the moment it's very critical. that it's. the same it was. 15 years ago in 2005 off that the ice to see nation of the former prime minister rafiq how do you read and the world will be watching to see what takes place in tomorrow's meeting as i read in beirut to thank you for your reporting thank you well there it was an important issue today in an international donor teleconference a co-hosted by french president. and the united nations to drum up emergency aid for lebanon for more let's go to our brussels bureau and a d.-w. correspondent of band regard to 36 countries and international organizations participating a what appears to have come out of the conference the donor countries pledged to come up with major resources in the next days and weeks that they promised in the final statement the goes to raise 100000000 euros for disaster relief and

this goal is easily matched if you add up all the donations we lend to 200000000 euros the biggest a nation coming from the european union 63000000 euros so soon those move thursday to see who's not participating for example iran is not pledging anything over the iran is backing the major political force in lebanon the shiite militia fraction viewed as a terror organization by many europeans when how is this aid expected it to be distributed. but as i said it's designed to relieve is not meant to rebuild beirut it's now for shelter for buying weed for the next weeks to support medical stuff and this money should be channeled not through the government which is seen as corrupt and incompetent but through international relief organizations and also to

private channels it's should be swift and efficient said called the french president and this is why they should circumvent the government and the donors also asking for an independent investigation into the real causes of the blasts but there is of course a long history of competition for influence in lebanon are these international relief efforts about war than just money. is they also about influence and leverage in this power game if you wish on this playground lebanon lebanon has been play around for decades now. these fractures in the government and also in the populations you have christians you have sunni's you have shiites backed by regional powers like iran and saudi arabia and this policy drug is going on for decades now and the country votes because of that already bankrupt before the

last stroke struck beirut on tuesday and this is also known opportunity for the international community maybe to overcome this old system that hasn't worked in lebanon so far right bench regard in brussels i thank you very much well the people of belarus are voting in one of the most closely contested presidential races in decades. president alexander lukashenko seen here casting his vote has held a power since the ninety's and is running for a 6th term he faces the toughest challenges so far to his authoritarian rule from a 37 year old english teacher who is the wife of a jailed presidential candidate. well ahead of the election international observers expressed concern after more than a 1000 people were detained. and we love we can we. they're not giving up. 3 women taking on veteran leader alexander

lukashenko. is the one on the ballot this weekend but maria and veronica's appollo her support behind her together they have been drawing tens of thousands belorussians desperate for something me. people have put all their hopes in me all their desires for change. they've joined forces are the candidates they were backing were forced out to carlos husband fled the country with their children. working for risk arrested on charges of bribery. husband was jailed and disqualified from running. she knew. my husband is in prison he lives in very cramped conditions and of course there's tremendous pressure on him. and this is the man determined to stop the opposition alexander lukashenko he's been in power for 26

years and he's made it clear he and the officials here back him aren't going anywhere. not give you up. we have found a way to bring these extremists to justice. system. has almost no chance of forcing out luka shanker but she and the other campaigners have still managed to help russians imagine their country without its long term leader. correspondent i'm only sure when who is monitoring the elections from moscow polling stations have now closed tell us about the atmosphere on election day. well what we've seen today and also in recent weeks in belo roots is really unprecedented. the opposition candidate has drawn some of the biggest crowds to her protests today there have been long lines outside of many polling

stations people have been posting videos of themselves on social networks kind of playing a soviet protest anthem called. change calling for change out side out of there their car windows they've been wearing white ribbons as a sign for the fact that they support the opposition a sign that they want change that they want to turn over a new leaf but today we've also seen signs of a crackdown there have been videos on social media of military vehicles parked outside of minsk kind of standing at the ready various internet platforms have been blocked journalists today have been arrested so the atmosphere has been tense today as well when how how to kind of managed to unite so many people behind her campaign . well she's a very unusual candidate 1st of all it's rare to see

a woman in belorussian politics at all and she has no political experience she's just standing in as it were for her husband of a popular blogger who was arrested and she's united the entire office behind her she's kind of standing in for her husband and also for 2 other opposition candidates who were not able to take part in this election one of them had to flee the country one of them was arrested on fraud charges she has been presenting herself as really a simple citizen of bella bruce as a mother and of someone as a muslim mother and as someone who's really just sick of what has been going on in the country who's sick of as she says being silent and who's sick of seeing the same man in power for 26 years and also i think observers say that many people are just sick of seeing lucas and go just like just like she says for such a long time. and thank you. let's go now to some

of the other stories making news around the world in afghanistan a grand assembly has approved the release of 400 taliban prisoners the decision was endorsed by president. he wants to pave the way for peace talks between the government and the insurgents and end the 19 year long war. well at least 10 coronavirus patients have died in a fire at a makeshift hospital in the southern indian state andhra pradesh officials are said the blaze in the multistory hotel building was caused by an electrical short circuit it's the 2nd fire at an indian coronavirus facility in this month. western europe is of baking in a heat wave which is a cool people have been flocking to the beaches this weekend but authorities are getting worried that they are sunbathing too close to each other and have warned about a potential uptick in corona virus cases as people a let down their guard. when temperatures are climbing past 35 degrees

celsius there's nothing like a quick dip in the sea to cool down. but this is what many beaches in western europe look like this weekend. britain's southern coast line was packed with visitors many had been forced to abandon holidays abroad because of covert 19 travel restrictions but it seems like the risk of getting infected also exists closer to home. we did arrive early enough so that we would get a decent space for us out as you can see how busy a spot we now happened that day sure and the ballet people just following the road saved from the top to ca my mission was just too busy it's the same story across other parts of europe to control visitor numbers the belgian coastal city of austin and introduced a reservation system for the busiest stretches of its beach. authorities in

germany warned that some beaches and lakes would have to close if there were too many people but how are they surviving the heat wave without a refreshing dip. it's a few drink shopping plates drink plenty stay in the shade normally i'm someone who loves the sun but that is a bit too much to feel. high temperatures are said to continue until the middle of next week these days it seems a trip to the local ice bender might be less of a risk than going to the beach. well that's your news update at this hour and by live for me in the team thanks very much for watching. as we. are. doing. this

very. our child had to use. lasers 1st to get the flame. flames that consumed forests and entire residential areas. rising temperatures for.