q jonesy government demonstrations are still being held in about the russian capital after last week's contested presidential election which saw a longtime president alexander lukashenko secure a 6th term in office. this person has been in power for 26 years he's treated with you steve doesn't want to make. me more prone to rallies they've also taken to the streets today in support of the beleaguered president. i support alexander lukashenko i wasn't forced to come here this is my personal choice. and it is stories that shaped the week russia begins mass production of its new code banksy and claiming it's a world 1st but many scientists around the globe express alarm fearing huge corners have been cut.

very welcome you're watching the weekly with all the latest headlines and a roundup of the week's top stories thanks for joining us. now we can offer the hugely contested presidential election by the roots is still seeing massive demonstrations throughout the country both pro and anti-government rallies have taken to the streets today in some cases gathering just meters apart as opposition protestors are holding a march for freedom through the campus all minsk they're demanding the long time president alexander lukashenko resigns fighting concerns he's clinging to power by force and ignoring the voice of the people some of the marches are being held throughout the country. this person has been in power for 26 years he's clung to eat with his teeth and doesn't want to let go and when we are against violence we're defending our boate we're doing the best for the future of our

contrary i want my children not to live in a country which has violence where there's no voice and no freedom of speech he said i can't agree with what's happening in the country one person is trying to hold on to power by force i'm trying to show everyone that i'm against it and that's why i'm here. at the same time demonstrators in support of the president have taken to the streets of minsk to voice their opinions to several 1000 people from all over the country gathered on dependent square in the capital to show their support for the president the pro-government demonstrators voiced fears about the security of the country saying it's all too familiar to what happened in ukraine in 2014 go him self also made to the parents of the demonstrations thanking the people for their support. was really just because it was. it was.

like yes i support alexander lukashenko i wasn't forced to come here this is my personal choice. i've heard so many threats but they won't break me i bought the still shirt with my own money no one paid me. i support discipline what's happening now reminds me of ukraine in 2014 everything started in exactly the same way the young people with flowers now just don't understand what was happening here in 1900 s. perhaps they want to return to 117 when people toppled the russian empire in a similar way and civil war here but we want peace. process is also being held outside the by the russian embassy in moscow has been going on every day this week for my own culture of reports from the russian capital. this is the 8th day where we're covering the protests here outside the embassy a bill or is let me just to give you a hint self what's going on this is

a live picture you can see people lining up with the white ribbon the flowers with the red and white flags once again this has been happening here for 8 days straight on saturday with so all the largest turnout here as the line of protesters extended beyond the blog over the last few days with talk to people from all walks of life but this particular protests are caught my attention issues it's a big chance there is no relief here waiting for something to happen being anxious there's nobody looks haitian there is no sense there's various pieces had to it feels like there is a trick but you do not know when it will play out today is my wedding anniversary i wanted to you know i.d.c. events because in our personal life it's turning point 3 cents in for motorists this is the moment at least you ok tonight he's in the resources for me uniting the students in suppost to new life peaceful demonstrations continue in minsk as well

where our earlier least 65000 people came out in support of alexander lukashenko now those numbers are according to the interior ministry hours later and and see look at shango rally began that building up with our correspondent in minsk reporting that there are over 100000 people the most recent reports indicate that the city's independence square is filled to near capacity similar scenes have been recorded in other places in belarus as well as pro and anti look at shankar rallies unfolded meanwhile nato is calling on men silat all the peaceful protests to continue and said that they're going to as ation is following the events in bella ruse very closely the statement came when right out. sir look at shank award to his supporters that's a nato forces building up their army near the below russian border

lithuania's foreign minister was quick to denounce this say that statement saying that it is indeed a lie however president bashar assad exotica shanker still announced military drills near the country's western borders. well for more on baseless cross live to journalist brian mcdonald now a brian thank you for joining us on the program that we're prone to their rallies today in minsk and the president himself appeared defiant as ever can you survive this crisis i'm sorry i lost sound on the question. am i was just saying how we still produce the rallies in minkes timmins today and the president himself a pay is defined as that what you think you can survive a crisis. i think well i mean it's still 5050 as to whether he's going to survive or not everything's up in the air it depends on what the elites bandon him so abandon him sorry so far there's been no elites there's been

a couple of ambassadors who've expressed sympathy with the protesters but there's been nobody from you know the security services or the establishment itself has come out so far inside the opposition publicly at least on till that happens he's probably safe and off and as for the rally of course everything could change by the hour at the moment so i say that now it could be another story in a few hours time as for the marchers today i mean look he had a rally he has supporters certainly still but it's not 80 percent i mean let's be honest. the opposition rally was far larger than is 3 or 4 times larger it seems at least so look you know his support base it's one thing is important to remember is that there is he's he's raising his supporters 3 percent or 2 percent like the opposition are saying i mean there's still a solid probably 2030 even 40 percent of that probably would vote for him in a fair election but it's certainly not you know 80 percent i mean like you saw today like the size of the protests and brought no one minsk i mean you know you

have you know it obviously the election result wasn't correct but if you are prepared to have a rerun of the election is the opposition was why did things go from here. but it's really it's very interesting because look there's 2 ways of looking at this 1st of all there is the internal situation which is you know very much between was going to say between the opposition but the opposition are basically all abroad except for one of them at the moment one of the 3 women who was involved to start i mean you know the others have gone abroad at the moment so i don't even know who he would negotiate with at this point you know some countries are trying to stick there or in most notably notably poland and lithuania who seem to be leading the e.u. charge but at the end of the day would you greatest respect to lithuania in terms of the e.u. i mean it's what it's less than one percent of the population of the bloc less than 0.5 percent i think it's basically to the e.u. it was a greatest respect what a big a oblast is to you know russia poland is

a more substantial player of course the 5th i think our 6th largest population the e.u. but on still you see the french or the german speaking or somebody senior in brussels being all the e.u. is not really involved at that point the americans are very quiet about it i mean some pale was in minsk himself very just here was a 1st visit for 20 years i understand you and other senior u.s. official but they have except for some comments from him pay 0 but election in the way it was conducted they've been less vocal than they normally are in these kind of situations historically as from moscow conflicting signals from moscow i mean. 2 phone calls which over the weekend but if you look at the kremlin readouts of those conversations it's very noncommittal i mean there's nothing about backing the personally it's more about expressing solidarity with the loose as a country with the people and then if you look at some of the things that other people in moscow or a saying like i mean all the members the elites here members of the duma which is

the parliament here in russia. you know there are a lot of them like we saw. yesterday a lot of them are actually ridiculing some of so. even from putin's own party you said that russia should not recognize the results of the election i mean that was last week and as i said like you know putin himself has made no comments in support of go sergey lavrov the foreign minister has said nothing you know the prime minister the nobody from the top so at the moment i think my question is that russia will stay out of it as long as the west stays out of it now obviously like i said the lithuanians and polish are involved but if the americans if the germans if the french make serious countries in the west get involved you know straw that breaks the camel's back but for the moment i think you know. i think the international image is not quite there at the moment all the change in the coming hours. that people have started drawing parallels with what happened in ukraine in the my town do you see similarities there's very few similarities between this and

what happened in ukraine for a start in ukraine it was basically almost entirely but you know politics what is happening in ukraine is that you. had won an election in $0.21 sorry nobody disputed. election i mean nobody did it all he was overthrown basically because there was a you know a power struggle between the west and russia to a degree i mean the west was dangling all kinds of carrots e.u. association agreements talk of joining nato eventually john mccain chris murphy i think his name is from connecticut and american senator turned up on the might that definite mccain that anyway you saw people like rather small sikorsky carol fields representing you getting involved 'd victoria nuland from the state department the american ambassador geoffrey pyatt was very prominent that's not there at the moment there aren't any foreigners standing on the square in minsk it's a different situation now this is more similar to what happened in armenia 2 years ago when an election what actually was an election dispute it was that the

president socks that had tried to move to become prime minister and people went out in the streets now i mean it is just as much a russian ally has been must go. the results the outcome of that revolution there was no you know intervention from moscow. things have been much calmer on the streets. today despite the pro 90 government rallies do you think things could get violent again don't you think we're seeing things die down but it's hard to know when i'm not on the ground i mean like everybody else i know i'm in russia like yourself i mean we're watching it on social media on television and reading you know online news sources it's hard to know unless you know there were definitely the violence is down and that's a good sign like i said if you notice that the problem is basically who is going to negotiate because like i said 2 of the 3 main opposition leaders at the moment are not in the country. has gone 1st to russia now apparently he's going to poland you

know like. some of the guys are in jail who tried to stand last month and that's the real problem is who is the. or is it or is it. but who is there to problems there's no real opposition leader for him to talk to and there's lots of people on the streets saying they want a rerun of the election but they don't have any real leadership and that plays into look at those hands at the moment prime journalist primadonna would tell us thank you for your time. other things appear common now in minsk the beginning of the week was marred with unrest which left a demonstrator dead video is now much reportedly showing the moment of the tragedy a warning you might find the footage disturbing and you can see a group of riot police who were just a few meters away from the alleged victim shortly after comes the apparent moment a protester was killed but there is interior ministry had previously claimed the victim or tried to throw an explosive device at officers but it went off in his hand for let's take

a look now at how events unfolded during the week. i just take in people that are doing nothing or how to. have swallowed your few years ago had come out but i want to be even if we have a peaceful calm albeit mr you. let. me come march this mass that is going on can you take this time to try. ok let's talk to.

you. about the words the authorities have also been criticized for failing to protect journalists 64 were detained during this week among them reporters working for artie's video agency what plea these 30 days behind false police haven't 1000 protesters were detained across the country this week the government began releasing them on thursday night promising everyone would be free by friday it was unclear if that actually happened doctors were among those held. what kind of doctors are you you're not doctors i don't know what you are. werewolves that's the sort of thing they shouted and a lot of swear words that i don't want to repeat they were also saying this when we were 1st held in the street everyone driving by was chopped up person white robes on their knees with. alexander lukashenko speak at the helm of bellary since 1904 but this year's election has been his most challenging one quarter looks at the shift in support. in bellerose having the title go or daddy means you've got

the most populist position in the entire post soviet sphere and for the recently reelected president alexander look at shank oh he's held the position for decades. who shot the russians have to hold on to look even in the most critical situation as a drowning man who catches the straw that you just took my racing to be 90 percent tomorrow who will be with you like we all know it is not for you to decide for. themselves i envy myself i am the last and only dictator in europe. i'm not going to hold this position for a lifetime as soon as the people refuse my services i'll take my bag under my arm

and i'm going. on board the populist train before it was cool before politicians like steve bannon and donald trump probably even knew the meaning of the word one of his most recent populist stunts involved the dismissal of bellerose his agricultural minister after the minister's cows failed to gain lucas shank those approval. why did you bring me here so why now tell security service to put you in handcuffs if a person does not understand that this is auschwitz and you put him in charge of the holding who did not understand you were to. look at shank oh as a man of inspections meetings with bureaucrats and reprimands of government officials when the cameras are watching of course this puts a smile on the faces of ordinary people who struggle daily with bureaucratic red tape it's also the main reason why they call it a shame kobach up for many but because also a strong man who created an enclave of the soviet union. within europe it's been a popular stance for years but now look at those image is facing some big problems

. sure look at shank go claims he won the election it seems like the security forces are on his side and for a while he only faced small pockets of pro western opposition but based on the brutality used by the police to control the situation arrests made of journalists and the death of a protester it seems like the entire country's view of the government is definitely turning sour. that it's possible lucas shank goes recent anti russia statements alley and made it his main base of support those who want closer cooperation with belarus his eastern

neighbor we need to address the russian media reduce them not to say you know incidents if you will see you need to get into the situation with dignity you know you'll see good we have no gold to discredit the country close to us arresting russian journalists didn't help the situation either. to the west he's always been europe's last dictator even look at shankar himself said he knew people would dispute the election results whatever the case the belorussian president will need to father more support if he wants to remain at the head of the table a number of countries have condemned while they cold a regular election when the heavy handed response of the police has the latest reaction from europe and the us. i was glad to see the release of some protesters but that certainly hears and the common objective is to support the belarus in people to achieve their sovereignty their own freedom the european union will put

forward to the better russian authorities a proposal for e.u. support in establishing and facilitating a dialogue between the political authorities opposition and broader society in view of resolving the current crisis ministers also agreed on the need to sanction those responsible for violence repression and the force of a cation of election results sanctions of the end of politics the key question now is what kind of policy the has towards by the roots for us the european union is one of our top priorities. president saying to discuss the situation playing out in his country in a call to vladimir putin they agreed it should not be exploited by outside forces some analysts we spoke to are drawing parallels to what happened in ukraine in 2014 while others said dialogue is. there are very strong similarities between what we played out in front of our eyes now in belarus and what happened in ukraine so we had a very similar scenario not a color so attentive reading

a successful color revolution in yugoslavia the united states aligned in that line of many western countries with whatever happens in the result the last of which when it will be illegitimate we had the same rhetoric coming out of the western capitals as we're getting it that the government that was told he couldn't really respond to any protests against even if they turn violent and that's what we're seeing so it's kind of movie that we've seen many times before and it doesn't end well that movie to that the previous law that didn't end well for the people of your great probably the better comparison is with ukraine in 2004 the time of the so-called orange revolution by the russian society whatever its views on who should be president. is anxious to avoid not only the kind of violent people that we saw in ukraine in february 2014 but all the problems that ukraine has had ever since and i think for those of us who want to see a peaceful and if you like a legitimate democratic outcome for both of us it's very important that the losing side in any political crisis has options of coming back through the ballot box once

you fall clothes that new then do risk civil war civil conflict which is after all what has been set parts of ukraine ever since because it is escalating that means that both sides are short sided the hair or lack of strategic vision of the situation overthrown the governmental side it would be wise to ask the opposition to the least of the interests so why they are so keen to get read all the president lucas and opposition should also who tried to find a way to be integrated into into own 2 legal political process drive to suggest something that is acceptable to the government. or this week claimed. world saying it has a covert vaccine ready for mass production name to sputnik size they were thought his concerns that work was now underway to produce it however huge concerns have

been expressed around the world over the speed of the development i made fears russia has cut huge corners in the race against the corona virus now must testing has yet been carried out and no details published about the vaccines effectiveness . i hope that the russians have actually definitively proven that the vaccine is safe and effective i seriously doubt that they've done that it is not about being 1st it is about having a try tested and see vaccine which will be given that's the important part to hundreds of millions maybe even billions of people the problem is that we know very little because the russian authorities are not being very transparent and so i am very skeptical about what's happening in russia. our foreign colleagues who probably want to kind of competitive advantage over the russian vaccine or offering judgments that are to our minds completely groundless in fact many countries have taken accelerated decisions in their vaccine studies but the

russian vaccine has already seen distinct clinical trials and evidence. the vaccine was developed at moscow's institute medical workers teachers and those considered to be in other high risk groups will be the 1st to receive it i released to the general public is set for the new year now the developers say around 2000 people will get the new job shortly as trials continue more than 1000000000 doses of the russian vaccine have already been requested from different countries around the globe or does most of the current came from asia and the middle east carol dimitri of the head of the russian sovereign wealth fund investing in the country's research outlined more details about the new job. welcome the russians people as a wall to vary by their tools of virus a very tired of the restrictions of very tired polls they refuse to come on. those are fags one of the contras is approved in which we believe the various state very

active great multitude of the month of all the people now have about the hope to resume a normal life is a vaccination. well i'm confident enough to inject good legacy of myself my wife my of and your 4 year old parents and i think it's very important that we understand the science behind civics though russia great historic knowledge of what she can get my interest group has developed very successful in all of our seeing and mercy and then basically current virus just proved to be very similar the merce though we've had great science and will likely that there is a bit of care has been done really applied where 8 blows a lead goes a fight they're not hiring you tend to chill for auction because. everything will be followed almost i've seen to date i knows a 100 percent always

a line tears fell apart a strong immune response or significant side effects of 100 percent protection of animals for issue where is the level of immunity. it will produce a stronger immune response going forward we believe because only once who have those 2 different than the virus vectors as it was used billet was a big scene and that means that our machine response will last longer hopefully it will be in more than a year while scientists believe that years but of course physicists act. will be needed to really understand the duration of the vaccination. and ever since people were starting to receive permission about a week see it one more interest but frankel also western media outlets access to all information so i think now we have break ins through this information bear is it exists and the more people understand what we can do they go because there's

a will cycle or in about 16 more countries become interested even today which at the age of them by israel serbia elude us ogress still. interest who. was the russian but she don't work with us on. more than 10000 finds have been recorded in the prison amazon says the beginning of oldest environmentalists say the fire as a part of deliberate the fire station but despite being illegal the president is accused of turning a blind eye. to the for the 1st day of the final happens on north was the 10th and 11th last year where social media grid coordinates and families to been both past and forest areas demonstrate their approval of the anti environmental policies the government has been implementing in recent.

might and back to me to answer the question and has the power to happen even generate other biomes in other actor systems however what's being done to find the sky cannot be estimated at this time has a huge impact especially during the time that we're getting 3 and a very severe season with very strong winds against mr gore so why. specific cases causing small fossil into large ones that. many had to test have burned so it's a criminal.

acts choosing all to international we're back in 30 minutes with the latest. was.

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