Over 200 people killed in Beirut blast, COVID-19 in Armenia and Belarus protests, 10.08.20 digest

Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 10.08.2020:

Beirut blast death toll has exceeded 200, BBC reported referring to Governor of the Lebanese capital Marwan Abboud.

According to him, there are dozens of missing persons, and many of them are foreign workers.

In the meantime, an international donor conference has raised 252.7 million euros to help Lebanon, the dpa agency reported referring to the entourage of President Emmanuel Macron, who presided over an online conference organized by France and the UN.

Armenia has already sent its aid to Beirut.

Medical drugs and medical supplies were sent to the Lebanese people on board.

And with the flights from Armenia scheduled for Sunday and August 11, aid—especially material goods and food—will be sent to the Armenian community of Beirut amid Tuesday’s powerful blast.

Another plane left for Beirut Sunday on a special flight to deliver humanitarian aid from Armenia.

It is written, "From the people of Artsakh to Lebanon," on the boxes sent.

As of 11am Monday, 23 new cases COVID-19 were confirmed in Armenia, and five more people have died.

Thus, as of Monday morning, a total of 40,433 people have been infected with the coronavirus, 6,793 people are receiving treatment, and 32,616 infected people have recovered.

Also, 340 COVID-19 tests were performed in Armenia in the past one day, and a total of 176,354 tests were performed to date.

A total of 796 deaths from the coronavirus have been recorded so far.

A Yerevan court upheld the motion to reestablish the pretrial detention of former MP Levon Sargsyan, Gor Abrahamyan, Adviser to the Prosecutor General, told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

To note, on March 20, Russia had granted the Armenian side's petition to extradite Sargsyan to the Armenian law enforcement agencies, and the extradition took place on August 6.

In November, Levon Sargsyan, 51, was found and detained in Zelenograd, Russia.He has been wanted by the Armenian law enforcement since October 2018.

Levon Sargsyan is charged with ordering the robbery attack on the house of Armen Avetisyan, former Head of State Customs Committee of Armenia, 11 years ago.

The opposition in Belarus has rejected official election results giving President Aleksandr Lukashenko a re-election victory on Monday. According to them, the poll was rigged and that talks needed to begin on a peaceful transfer of power.

The streets in the capital Minsk on Sunday night were crowded as riot police used force to disperse thousands of protesters who had gathered to denounce what they said was an electoral farce. Belarus police fired water cannons, tear gas, and stun grenades.

Over 50 citizens and 39 police officers have been injured in Belarus' riots, official spokesman for the Ministry of Health Yulia Borodun told Sputnik-Belarus.

According to Ursula von der Leyen's tweet, "harassment & violent repression of peaceful protesters has no place in Europe."

"Fundamental rights in Belarus must be respected," she added.

Aleksandr Lukashenko is winning the presidential elections in Belarus with 80.23% of the vote, according to preliminary data from the Central Election Commission.