RU-WORLD (MИP)

Four days after its presidential election, Belarus continues to be plagued by clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement, with the latter facing a mounting backlash over the crackdown.

The unrest showed little signs of abating on Wednesday, amid days of protests following incumbent president Alexander Lukashenko’s landslide victory in Sunday’s election, which the opposition insists was rigged.

In the capital of Minsk and other cities, demonstrators formed the so-called ‘human solidarity chains’ to voice support for the opposition and those who had fallen victim to ham-fisted police tactics. Many of those lining up were women. #Belarus

Серебрянка 21:37 pic.twitter.com /o5jay6102V — PolskaNormalna (@PolskaNormalna) August 12, 2020 Сегодня неожиданно засветилась в СМИ на этой фотке в цепи солидарности. В конце собралось очень много людей. Беларусы, вы просто офигенные. Будем бороться до конца. pic.twitter.com /wakizgCvvA — Nastassia Streltsova (@_EnifAS_) August 12, 2020 В разных районах в Минске люди выходят к главным улицам. pic.twitter.com /jf33cikl2i — MrFREEDOM (@mrFreedom2020) August 12, 2020 Все-таки в Беларуси сильный пол — не только мужчины pic.twitter.com /F5cgzeC65C — Чай з варэннем (@belteanews) August 12, 2020

Protesters in Minsk also attempted to block the roads and lit flares. Минск, Чижовка. Протестующие стоят поперек дороги, горит фейерверк. pic.twitter.com /EXmONcd1jG — Ilya Pahomov (@ilyapahomov) August 12, 2020 Перекрытие дороги в Малиновке, Минск. Видео: @mkbelarus pic.twitter.com /9BiOAY65El — МБХ Медиа (@MBKhMedia) August 12, 2020

Despite peaceful protests highlighting the fourth day of post-election turmoil, violence has hardly subsided. A video has emerged purporting to show riot police in Minsk opening fire on an apartment block as they chased protesters on the ground. Witnesses report that officers aimed their weapons at the building’s windows after residents sought to help demonstrators dodge arrest. В Минске сотрудники ОМОН открыли стрельбу по протестующим, которые кричали с балконов.

Инцидент произошел на проспекте Дзержинского недалеко от станции метро "Грушевка". pic.twitter.com /FNaJgtIGY7 — РЕН ТВ | Новости (@rentvchannel) August 12, 2020

As night approached, clashes erupted with sounds of loud bangs, purportedly from concussion grenades, roaring through the city. Сегодня на одном из районов, во время митинга кидали светошумовые, или обычные гранаты. pic.twitter.com /EzaGBnHNid — 𝐒 𝐨 𝐟 𝐚⁷ ❤️✊🏽✌🏼 (@lSonia_) August 12, 2020

As tensions across the country soared, the authorities said Wednesday that two traffic police were run over in Minsk and Baranovichy, a city of some 180,000 people in western Belarus. Also on rt.com Lithuania, Latvia & Poland’s ULTIMATUM to Belarus: Let us mediate election talks betw. Lukashenko & opposition, or face SANCTIONS

A video of the Minsk incident has been released by the Belarusian Ministry of Internal Affairs and shows a traffic officer hopping on one foot due his limp before being led away by his companion to receive first aid on the spot. The perpetrator, whose motives are unclear, fled the scene and was arrested later in the day. The officer was taken to the hospital. В Минске задержан водитель автомобиля, совершивший наезд на сотрудника ГАИ

При задержании злоумышленника было применено табельное оружие. Нападавшему, по предварительным данным, 45 лет. Пострадавшему правоохранителю была оказана необходимая медицинская помощь. pic.twitter.com /bgREyHQeym — Пятый канал Новости (@5tv) August 12, 2020

In a similar incident in Baranovichy, a driver attempted to flee, sparking a frantic car chase after he ran over an officer. Police shot a tire on the fleeing car after the driver refused to pull over. However, when the traffic police arrived, the suspect had already fled on foot, leaving his vehicle behind. The hunt for the man is currently ongoing.

Two protesters have died and 6,000 have been detained since angry crowds took to the streets across Belarus after the results of Sunday’s election showed Lukashenko, who has led the country since 1994, gaining 80 percent of the vote. Demonstrators have cried foul play, believing that his main rival and united opposition candidate, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, was robbed of a victory.

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The Israeli Ministry of Defense has confirmed a recent test of an Arrow missile defense interceptor, partly manufactured by Boeing and developed in cooperation with the US Missile Defense Organization.

Tel Aviv issued a statement on Wednesday, confirming that the secretive airspace closures the day before were indeed a “pre-planned flight test” of the Arrow weapons system. The Israeli MOD added that an Arrow 2 interceptor was used against a Sparrow target missile.

The joint Israeli-American test reflects the partnership & friendship between the two countries & the deep commitment of the U.S. to the safety of the citizens of Israel. We will continue to work together to strengthen the capabilities of the defense establishment on all fronts. — Ministry of Defense (@Israel_MOD) August 12, 2020

The Arrow series of missile defense interceptors has been in Israeli service for decades, however, with Arrow 3 the most recent iteration. The Arrow 2 is a tactical system with a 90-kilometer maximum range, first tested in 1995. Officially, it can detect targets at the range of 500 kilometers, and intercept them at altitudes ranging from 10 to 50 kilometers.

The US has contributed significant funding to the development of the Arrow missile defense systems, which explains the MDO presence. Many of the system’s components are manufactured by Boeing.

Two batteries of Arrow 2 have been in service with the Israeli Defense Forces since 2002. Also on rt.com Iran won't stop ballistic missile & nuclear programs despite US pressure – Supreme Leader

Israel has long argued that Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs represent an existential threat and require a military build-up. Tehran has maintained that its nuclear aspirations are purely civilian and the ballistic missiles serve to deter foreign aggression.

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Vladimir Putin has appeared as James Bond on the front page of the French paper Liberation. But the story, titled ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’, did not lionize Russian scientists who developed the world’s first coronavirus vaccine.

Unlike the fictional British spy, who always carried a pistol, Putin was pictured armed with a syringe supposedly containing the pioneering vaccine against Covid-19. The virus, which clearly has “a license to kill,” has already caused more than 740,000 fatalities around the globe, not to mention an economic downturn, and several countries have been racing to get a working vaccine.

The headline of the article conspicuously matched the title of the 1997 Bond movie ‘Tomorrow Never Dies,’ starring Pierce Brosnan, but the similarities ended there, as it obviously did not paint Putin as the savior of locked-down humanity.

Instead, the article criticized Moscow for being “irresponsible” for rolling out a “rushed” vaccine – a spin consistent with the line taken in other French reporting and by the Western media in general. Today's @libe on Vladimir Putin's announcing a Russian anti- #Covid vaccine. 'Tomorrow never dies', says the headline, quoting a #JamesBond movie. I'd rather freak out than be reassured looking at that syringe. #coronavirus #COVID19 pic.twitter.com /CSUWkMCUWL — Gian-Paolo Accardo (@gpaccardo) August 12, 2020

The Sputnik V vaccine was approved by Russia’s Health Ministry on Tuesday, having passed all the tests required by the nation. When Putin presented the vaccine to the media, he revealed that his own daughter was one of the first to a get a shot.

The registration of the vaccine is not the end of the testing process, however, and thousands of volunteers will soon get the jab in Russia and abroad to study its effects.

While Sputnik V has been met with extreme prejudice in the West, Russia has already received orders for the remedy from at least 20 countries. Russia’s Heath Minister Mikhail Murashko has called the media reaction a premeditated attempt to discredit a competitor that happened to get to the front of the pack. Also on rt.com Russian health minister says Western criticism of Covid-19 vaccine is down to commercial competition, as Israel express interest

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French President Emanuel Macron announced he would deploy additional ships to the Mediterranean and called on Turkey to halt its unilateral oil exploration in disputed waters, following a call with the Prime Minister of Greece.

France will “temporarily strengthen” its military presence in Eastern Mediterranean “in the coming days,” in cooperation with its EU partners, including Greece, Macron said Wednesday after a phone call with the Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The French president said Turkish efforts must stop in order to allow “peaceful dialogue between neighbors and NATO allies,” and pointed out that France and the EU stood in solidarity with any member whose sovereignty is being challenged. While both Greece and Turkey are members of NATO, Greece is an EU member and Turkey is not.

Also on rt.com Greece & Cyprus call for EU help over Mediterranean resource row with Turkey, but Brussels shows a lack of spine – as always

Macron’s statement comes after Athens raised alarm with Brussels over the seismic testing performed by Turkish vessels near the island of Kastellorizo. The island belongs to Greece but is located near the southern coast of Turkey’s Antalya province.

Earlier this summer, Macron got into a war of words with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, over Ankara’s shipments of weapons to Libya. Turkey and the Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) have negotiated an agreement on economic zones in the Mediterranean that would allow Ankara to drill for oil and gas, but Greece and Egypt – backed by France – are challenging it.

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A massive fire has erupted at the Trinimar Hotel in the eastern Spanish municipality of Benicàssim, with clouds of thick black smoke filling an area packed with tourists after the lifting of the Covid-19 restrictions. 🏨🔥 Aparatoso incendio en el Hotel Trinimar de #Benicàssi m . ¡Esperemos que no haya que lamentar daños personales y que los materiales sean los mínimos! pic.twitter.com /IWon18RnBC — Vicente Blay (@Vicenblay) August 12, 2020

The blaze set off the fire alarms, leading to the evacuation of 260 people, according to local reports.

Eyewitness footage of the incident shows massive clouds of black smoke billowing from the burning building’s lower floors. 🇪🇸 #ESPAÑA 🚨 #ÚLTIMAHOR A | Se registra incendio en el hotel Servigroup Trinimar de Benicàssim, en Castellón. pic.twitter.com /Wyl6KPPBCg — Rochex R. Robinson Bonilla (@RochexRB27) August 12, 2020

The dense smoke filled the area surrounding the hotel. Desalojan el hotel #Trinimar en la Playa de Heliópolis, en #Benicàssi m (España), por un incendio en el parking pic.twitter.com /KoFl0KW4UT — Henry A. Pinto (@hapinto2) August 12, 2020

The local fire department said on Twitter that the blaze has affected the cafeteria inside the building and the outdoor parking lot. No injuries or deaths have been reported. Imágenes incendio en un Hotel en #Benicassim . Ha afectado a una zona de parking exterior y al forjado superior donde se encuentra un restaurante del hotel. Desalojadas 260 personas. Incendio controlado , #BomberosCPBC continúan trabajando. Se retiran 3 dotaciones . pic.twitter.com /3qyWQ0iaW5 — CPBC (@SIAB_Castellon) August 12, 2020 🔥🏨 #Benicassim
Imágenes del incendio a las 14:10h. pic.twitter.com /sRnPC0GthM — VOST Comunitat Valenciana (@VOSTcvalenciana) August 12, 2020

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Normally a tourist destination for northern Europeans to enjoy a sun holiday at this time of year, southern Spain was reduced to an almost apocalyptic wasteland after a phenomenal and ferocious storm struck almost without warning.

Tuesday’s storm was so intense it shattered windows, felled large tree branches, and created flash flooding all within a matter of minutes, with reports of waterspouts adding further to the almost biblical nature of the storm. pic.twitter.com /VnHnHezEw2 — Jose Antonio Oliva (@olivasmithfami1) August 11, 2020 El tiempo bien Gracias... el coche también! #ciudadreal #granizo pic.twitter.com /W018fIY3KK — Nuria Rojo (@NuriaRojoB) August 11, 2020

Localized flash flooding led to widespread power outages affecting more than 7,000 people overnight, amid a deafening roar as massive hailstones laid waste to trees, cars, windows and anything else unfortunate to be left out in the open. Tremenda granizada sobre Estepa(sevilla) ⛈

📹 No se conoce el autor del Vídeo pic.twitter.com /8tGgPYaCYP — #ÁnimoEstepa (@Estepanoticias) August 11, 2020

Eyewitness footage from the suburbs of Ciudad Real provides just a small glimpse of the terrifying storm, which left residents scrambling indoors for cover, as the streets overflowed. @tjcope vídeo de un tremendo cabreo de #GarethBale durante un torneo benéfico de golf disputado en #CiudadReal este martes. #GolfGalesRealM adrid pic.twitter.com /Dm2awNOo0N — Héctor Peco Calero (@HectorPeCal) August 11, 2020 #Granizada y #lluvia en #CiudadReal #Dios #coches destrozados ⁦ @CarglassEs ⁩ líbranos del mal y sígueme pic.twitter.com /s0ivNA55S6 — Daniel Chamorro actor (@DACHfilms) August 11, 2020

An orange weather alert was issued by the State Meteorological Agency due to the risk of storms as heavy rain continued throughout the country on Wednesday.

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Three neighbours of Belarus have issued an ultimatum to President Alexander Lukashenko, facing street protests over "falsified" election results: embrace a Lithuania-led "democratic" initiative or face sanctions.

Lukashenko has served as Belarus’s president since the office was created in 1994. However, an electoral victory on Sunday that would have seen him extend his rule by another five years has been declared a fraud by the opposition, and its veracity is doubted by Belarus’ European neighbors.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda announced on Wednesday that his country, along with Poland and Latvia, are ready to mediate between Lukashenko and the opposition, provided the president stops his ongoing crackdown on protests, releases jailed demonstrators, and forms a national council to work with political and civil opponents. Also on rt.com Clashes & arrests across Belarus as post-election turmoil enters 3rd night (VIDEOS)

Nauseda presented a broad three-point plan that involves ending the police violence, the release of all the detained protesters, and a “dialogue with civil society.”

Should Lukashenko reject the terms, Nauseda has threatened Belarus with sanctions “either at the European level or at the national level.”

Speaking to CNN, Lithuanian foreign minister Linas Linkevicius sided with the Belarusian opposition, calling the results of Sunday’s election – in which Lukashenko is said to have won 80 percent of the vote – “doubtful.”

“The process was not democratic,” Linkevicius said, later adding that the “democratic world holds a moral obligation” to hit Lukashenko with “political consequences.” Also on rt.com ‘Total falsification’: Russian ruling party MP attacks ‘insane with power’ Lukashenko over ‘shameful’ election campaign

With street protests raging in Minsk and beyond, Lukashenko has already accused foreign powers – namely Poland and the Czech Republic – of stoking unrest in an attempt to unseat him. Though Warsaw and Prague deny the charge, Lithuania has given refuge to opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who Linkevicius said on Wednesday will speak out against Lukashenko from her self-imposed exile. Spoke to CNN’s @Camanpour about S. Tikhanovskaya, who is currently safe in #Lithuania , stressed that the democratic world holds a moral obligation to react to repressions against the people of #Belarus . pic.twitter.com /BPX59A1BiV — Linas Linkevicius (@LinkeviciusL) August 11, 2020

With the Baltic countries leading the charge for sanctions, EU foreign ministers will meet on Friday to discuss a Europe-wide response to Lukashenko’s election. Earlier this week, the EU condemned “state violence against peaceful protesters,” and called for “the observance of human rights, democracy, and free and fair elections” in Belarus.

It is still unclear, however, whether the gathering of ministers will decide to impose sanctions on Minsk.

As Tikhanovskaya prepares to denounce Lukashenko from Lithuania, one Lithuanian MP floated the idea of his country inviting Belarusian opposition leaders to form an “alternative center of power in exile” in its capital, Vilnius, local news outlet Delfi reported on Wednesday. Lithuania is already home to a sizable number of Belarusian exiles, and talk in the Baltic state has now shifted to offering political asylum to more.

Latvia, too, has offered to take in any Belarusian asylum seekers, while, in Poland, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski offered assistance and “solidarity” to any opposition figures or activists who turn up there. Also on rt.com Lukashenko: Short-term victory, long-term defeat

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Attempts to meddle with Taiwan, which Beijing considers its territory, may cost the US dearly, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. He advised its health chief to focus on the Covid-19 crisis at home instead of making foreign trips.

US Health Secretary Alex Azar landed in Taiwan on Sunday for a three-day trip, becoming the highest-ranking American official to visit the self-governed island, which has shown no desire in four decades to reunite with mainland China.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian has condemned the visit and warned Washington against making advances towards Taiwan.

On issues involving China’s core interests ... the US must not harbor illusions. Those who play with fire will get burned.

The trip came amid increasing tensions between Washington and Beijing, and was used by Azar to launch another attack on China. He blamed Beijing for not warning the international community about the coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan at the end of last year, and refusing to cooperate with others in tackling the disease, thus allowing it to spread around the globe. Azar also suggested that if the initial Covid-19 outbreak had taken place in Taiwan or the US, it could’ve been “snuffed out easily.”

The Chinese spokesman denied US claims of poor handling of Covid-19 and expressed surprise that the US Health Secretary had decided to leave his country when the coronavirus is “out of control” there. The US has the worst situation with Covid-19 in the world, having already registered more than five million cases and over 164,000 deaths.

He ignored millions of Americans suffering from the virus and went to Taiwan to put on a political show.

Azar’s “behavior proves once again that, in the eyes of US politicians, American lives mean nothing when compared with their selfish political gains,” Zhao added. Also on rt.com Better late than never: WHO sending team to China to investigate coronavirus origins

Despite severing official ties with Taiwan in favor of China back in 1979, the US actively backs the island’s push for independence and remains its biggest arms supplier.

Only last month, the State Department approved a $620 million package to upgrade Taiwan’s Patriot surface-to-air missiles system, to which Beijing reacted by saying that it will impose sanctions on one of the main contractors in the project, US weapons maker Lockheed Martin. Also on rt.com ‘I like him, but I don’t feel the same way now’: Trump claims Covid-19 pandemic spoiled ‘very good relationship’ with China’s Xi

Beijing has demanded on numerous occasions that arms deliveries to Taiwan be stopped, pointing out that they violate the ‘One China’ principle and further deteriorate bilateral relations with Washington.

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Three firefighters, all related, went missing after responding to a fire that preceded last week’s huge explosion in Beirut. Their family was praying they would turn up alive. Now they’re just hoping their remains will be found.

Tony Karam’s son, grandson, and cousin were all part of the same firefighter unit that rushed to Beirut’s port after it caught fire. Minutes later, the site became ground zero for a massive explosion that left much of the city in ruins.

“We are hoping they can bring [even] a nail from their fingers,” Tony told RT.

Karam’s son, Charbel, had two daughters, the oldest just two-and-a-half years old. The toddler keeps asking for her father, his mother Karlen said. Pausing to collect herself, the widow explained that she told her daughter she can pray to her father and that he can hear here.

When she grows up, she will know that her father was a hero, and what happened to him. She will know her father died for a reason.

She initially hoped her husband would be discovered alive, even if badly injured. “But they didn’t find anything,” she said as she closed her eyes.

The family is still waiting for closure, and won’t hold a funeral until there is someone, or something, to bury. The remains of four firefighters from the same unit have been identified, but there’s still no trace of the three heroic relatives. Also on rt.com ‘It’s killing me from inside’: Woman shares grief with RT as Beirut blast kills her husband in front of their gravely ill daughter

“People cannot tell us ‘rest in peace’, because there is no one to rest in peace,” said Karam. “God help me – I don’t know how to live anymore.”

The explosion killed more than 200 people and injured countless others. It’s believed that 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in unsafe conditions by officials triggered the devastating blast. On Monday, Beirut governor Marwan Abboud claimed that some 110 people remain missing.

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Scientists using a supercomputer have created 2D and 3D computer models of the pockmarked asteroid Psyche, revealing that it may be the metal core of a failed planet.

Ahead of NASA’s 2022 mission to Psyche, which has been dubbed the ‘journey to a metal world,’ researchers wanted to gather as much intel about the asteroid as possible, including its composition.

By simulating asteroid impacts which could have created the vast craters on the space object’s surface, scientists have deduced that Psyche, the largest asteroid in our solar system’s main belt, is actually “like a big metal sponge.”

“Psyche is an interesting body to study because it is likely the remnant of a planetary core that was disrupted during the accretion stage, and we can learn a lot about planetary formation from Psyche if it is indeed primarily metallic,” said Wendy K. Caldwell, one of the lead researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Measuring and modeling the asteroid’s scars improve our understanding of metallic asteroids, and help us better distinguish how they form and traverse the universe relative to their icy and rocky counterparts.

By recreating what they believe to be the exact impact angle, the team could make educated guesses as to its composition, as metals deform and fragment after impact in a specific way, especially when compared and contrasted with silicates which are also commonly found in asteroids.

The results of the team’s simulations corroborate the current theory that Psyche could be made up of large amounts of Monel , a potentially extraterrestrial alloy found previously in the Sudbury crater in Canada. Also on rt.com Hidden ocean world on dwarf planet Ceres suggests potential for harboring life as mystery of bright spots solved

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One person was shot as Belarusian police fired live rounds at a crowd in the city of Brest near the Polish border as protests continue to engulf the country after Sunday’s election.

A group of “aggressive” young men, armed with metal rods, assaulted law enforcers in the southern city overnight, a police spokeswoman said.

The officers fired warning shots in the air but when it failed to have an effect on the attackers, they shot to kill in order to “protect their own life and health.”

One person was injured in the incident, Olga Chemodanova confirmed, without expanding on their current condition.

People were reportedly leaving flowers on a pavement marked by bloodstains that were left by the wounded on one of the central streets of Brest.

The statement appears to be the first time that Belarusian law enforcement has confirmed the use of live fire against demonstrators.

Up until now, the police have mainly relied on rubber bullets, tear gas, water cannons and flashbang grenades to disperse the crowds. Protestors have responded by tossing stones, Molotov cocktails and other objects at officers, and even ramming police with their cars.

Belarusian police have been blamed for using excessive force during the unrest, with numerous videos online showing officers in full riot gear beating up protesters with batons while they were already down on the ground and not resisting. Shocking footage on Tuesday showed a special forces officer threatening people with a grenade in capital Minsk. Also on rt.com Belarusian SWAT threaten bystanders with GRENADE after collaring teen in viral VIDEO

Journalists were also assaulted and arrested, despite having all the proper credentials and wearing gear that unmistakably identified them as press.

According to the spokeswoman, more than a thousand people were detained across the country overnight. That brings the overall number of arrests since the start of protests to more than 6,000.

Some 50 demonstrators sought medical assistance following the latest night of rioting, and 14 law enforcers were also injured, with some of them requiring hospitalization. Among these were five officers who were run over by cars in various parts of the country.

Chemodanova said that 17 criminal cases have been launched against demonstrators who attacked the police.

Angry crowds took to the streets across Belarus after the results of Sunday’s election showed incumbent president, Alexander Lukashenko, who had been running the country since 1994, winning another term with 80 percent of the vote. His main rival and united opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, who got only 10 percent, insisted that the vote was rigged and that she had been robbed of her victory. Also on rt.com Clashes & arrests across Belarus as post-election turmoil enters 3rd night (VIDEOS)

However, she has since left for Lithuania and has urged protestors not to come out onto the streets and to protect their lives.

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A Mongolian man has died from bubonic plague, the country’s Health Ministry has announced, rekindling fears that the nation could experience a large-scale resurgence of the disease.

The 42-year-old man, from Khovd province in western Mongolia, succumbed to the illness on Tuesday night. The Health Ministry said that the victim had purchased two dead marmots, ground squirrels which are known to carry fleas that spread the disease, shortly before his death.

Hunting marmots is illegal in Mongolia, but many view the animal as a delicacy and dismiss the associated health risks. So far this year, 12 laboratory-confirmed cases of bubonic plague have been registered in the country. Last month, a 15-year-old boy died of the disease.

In July, Mongolia quarantined an entire region after identifying two people with symptoms of bubonic plague. The country’s National Center for Zoonotic Diseases has reported that 17 of Mongolia’s 21 provinces are at risk of an outbreak. Also on rt.com Mongolia warns of bubonic plague outbreak as SEVENTEEN provinces bordering Russia are deemed at risk

However, the threat to neighboring countries such as Russia is almost non-existent. The disease is not transmitted from person to person, nor is it contagious. It spreads from one animal to another through fleas. Vladimir Nikiforov, the chief infectious diseases specialist at Russia’s Federal Biomedical Agency, recently described the plague as “absolutely no threat.”

If left untreated, the plague is highly deadly. Symptoms of the disease include fever, headaches, and vomiting.

In the 14th century, the plague and its variants, then known as the Black Death, killed 200 million people worldwide. Nowadays it is far less prevalent, with typically only 650 cases recorded each year globally.

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In the five years since she became the first woman to serve as the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova has become a household name internationally, ruffling quite a few feathers, and dividing opinion.

Zakharova has quickly become known for pulling no punches in her daily briefings, as well as on social media.

Likewise, the spokesperson, whom the BBC once included on its list of the world’s top 100 inspirational and influential women, has not been shy to showcase her life outside the press room, with a video of her performing a traditional Kalinka folk dance in front of dozens of dignitaries at the Russian-ASEAN summit in 2016 becoming an instant viral hit. Foreign Ministry Official Spokesperson Maria Zakharova makes a selfie during a briefing in Svetlogorsk. © Sputnik / Vitaly Nevar

[‘War of puns’ over Syria ]

Zakharova does not hold back when it comes to defending Russia’s foreign policy interests, whether it’s Syria, Ukraine, the Skripal saga, or the infamous Russiagate. When decrying remarks by then-US State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner in February 2016, who urged Russia to “put up or shut up” over Syria’s truce, Zakharova was having none of the undiplomatic figurative speech, coming back with : “Mark had better order his own colleagues to shut up, if such an idiomatic style of communication is common among American diplomats.”

[ ‘Stop spreading lies and fake news’]

Zakharova has never been a fan of US mainstream media, especially those peddling the now-debunked Russiagate narrative. Also on rt.com ‘Stop spreading lies & fake news,’ Russian FM spokeswoman tells CNN reporter

When asked by a CNN crew about spying allegations against former Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak after a briefing in Moscow in March 2017, she told a CNN reporter to his face: “Come on, stop spreading lies and fake news. This is good advice for CNN. Thank you,” before walking away.

[A poem for John Kerry]

US Department of State Spokesperson Jennifer Psaki, her by Russian counterpart Maria Zakharova together with US Secretary of State, John Kerry, and Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov. © US Department of State

Zakharova is also known for having a soft spot for poetry. And, during a briefing in May 2016, she used poetry as a diplomatic tool. Responding to a question about intensified telephone contacts between her boss, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and then-US state secretary John Kerry, she recited a slightly altered version of a poem by Robert Burns.

“His heart is in Moscow. His heart is not there.

“His heart is in Moscow, chasing a bear.

“Chasing not grizzly, but Kremlinese.

“His heart is in Moscow, wherever John is.”

[Dancing queen]

Aside from her tongue-in-cheek remarks, Zakharova is perhaps better known for her dance moves. While attending the 58th Brass Band Festival in Serbia in August 2018, she was filmed moving to the grooves of Balkan music.

Being a versatile dancer, Zakharova later saddled the beat of the Causcian traditional dance, ‘Lezginka,’ at a youth forum in North Caucasus a year later. From Kalinka to Lezginka: FM spokesperson Zakharova saddles the beat of iconic Caucasus dance https://t.co/5B XtvXsmRw pic.twitter.com /JZElwf7ryR — RT (@RT_com) August 23, 2019

But, probably, her most famous performance still remains the fiery rendition of the Russian folk dance, ‘Kalinka.’ Maria Zakharova dances during the reception in honour of heads of the delegations at the Russia-ASEAN summit in Sochi in 2016. © Reuters

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A reportedly derogatory Facebook post led to violence in the streets of Bengaluru, India, with police using tear gas to disperse rioters. Three people were killed in the clashes and a curfew has been imposed.

The chaos was sparked by an inflammatory social media post about Prophet Muhammad shared by a relative of a local lawmaker, according to Indian media. Protesters on Tuesday night surrounded the lawmaker’s home and set cars on fire. A police station was also attacked and set ablaze. Chaos in KG Halli Police Station limits #Bengaluru . Members of a community allegedly pelt stones, burn vehicles and attack police over a derogatory post by a close relative of Pulakeshinagar MLA Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy. pic.twitter.com /u3M6Thx17g — Nolan Pinto (@nolanentreeo) August 11, 2020 Karnataka: GN Shivamurthy, Deputy Commissioner, Bengaluru Urban visits DJ Halli Police Station that was vandalised last night, as violence broke out over an alleged inciting social media post. pic.twitter.com /Lmf8eYAX0e — ANI (@ANI) August 12, 2020

Police used tear gas and baton charges to clear the mob out of the area. The chaos resulted in three deaths and dozens of injuries. Bengaluru police said that they had arrested 110 people in connection to the riots, and urged the public to cooperate with law enforcement and maintain peace in the city. The individual responsible for the Facebook post has also been detained.

Police announced that a curfew has been imposed in the surrounding neighborhood.

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A Turkish drone strike that killed two senior Iraqi commanders has triggered a harsh reaction in Baghdad, with the government scrapping a high-level defense meeting and summoning Ankara’s ambassador to rebuke the attack.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry called on the Turkish ambassador on Tuesday to “inform him of Iraq’s confirmed rejection of his country’s attacks and violations,” and voice “a strong protest” over the drone strike, which killed a general and a brigadier in the country’s Border Guards in Iraqi Kurdistan, along with the driver of their vehicle. A visit by Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar was also canceled following the attack, which was confirmed by the Iraqi military.

“A Turkish attack using a drone targeted a military vehicle of the Border Guards in the Sidekan area and caused the death of the commander of the Second Brigade, the commander of the Third Regiment ... and the driver at the wheel,” Iraq’s security media cell said in a tweet . Also on rt.com Iraq calls Turkey’s incursion a provocation, demands complete withdrawal of troops

The two commanders were meeting with members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) at the time of the attack, two Iraqi security sources told the Associated Press, while the mayor of Sidekan, a town north of Erbil, noted they had been establishing new outposts in the Kurdish-majority region.

Though Ankara has yet to publicly address the high-ranking casualties in the strike, the country’s Defense Ministry reported that it had “neutralized” two PKK fighters in an “air operation” over northern Iraq on Tuesday night. Turkey considers the PKK a terrorist organization and has clashed with the group intermittently since the 1970s, launching frequent strikes both in its own southeastern region and in northern Iraq, where the group is based.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry has summoned the Turkish ambassador on at least two other occasions this year over similar air raids on PKK targets in the northern border region, repeatedly slamming the operations as violations of Iraqi sovereignty. Turkey, for its part, maintains that both Baghdad and regional Kurdish officials are not doing enough to stem PKK attacks launched from the Iraqi side of the border, boasting of hundreds of airstrikes on the group in recent months. Also on rt.com Iraqi military sets up border posts to prevent Turkish advance as Ankara targets Kurdish rebels

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