Nearly two weeks after an Aug. 9 election kept Belarus' authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in power amid accusations of vote-rigging, massive protests against Lukashenko continue and neither side is backing down.
"New fair, free and transparent elections must be held," Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Lukashenko's main challenger, told reporters in Lithuania on Friday. She fled there under pressure from Belarusian authorities last week. "People of Belarus have woken up and they do not want to live in fear and lies anymore."
On Monday, while visiting a factory where employees jeered him amid shouts of "Leave!" Lukashenko vowedto "never cave into pressure," saying, "There will be no new election until you kill me."
Thousands of factory workers, normally a key source of support for Lukashenko's 26-year regime, have gone on strike. The government, meanwhile, is squeezing the opposition: Authorities have detained a striking workers' leader and lodged criminal charges against opposition organizers. Riot police, some of whom briefly put down their shields earlier this week, continue to crack down amid allegations of torture.
More protests are expected this weekend. Whatever their ultimate impact may be, it's clear they mark an unprecedented challenge to Lukashenko's rule. Here are some highlights.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.
The success of Silent Hill 2, and the announcement of several other projects, begs the question: How serious is Konami about revitalizing its most beloved franchises?
Voters in the crucial swing state have seen a return of the same kind of extreme rhetoric that dominated discussion in the aftermath of the 2020 election. Many worry it will lead to violence.
Biden visits Arizona on Friday to apologize for the horrors of the federal Indian boarding schools that ran for over 150 years, and also trumpet the administration's policies to help Native American communities.
Texas isn't a swing state, but both campaigns will visit on Friday. Beyoncé will perform at a Harris rally focused on abortion rights, while popular podcaster Joe Rogan interviews Trump.
Three NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut splashed down off the Florida coast early Friday, capping a nearly eight-month science and research mission to the International Space Station.
A California-based produce company was the source of fresh onions linked to a deadly E. coli food poisoning outbreak at McDonald’s, restaurant chain officials said.
Britain's handling of its involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade is seen by many as a litmus test for the Commonwealth's adaptation to a modern-day world.
Russian President Vladimir Putin neither confirms nor denies the presence of North Korean troops in Ukraine. Putin’s comments came during a press conference at a Russian-hosted summit for the world’s top developing economies.