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Authorities on the Greek Island of Crete say ongoing torrential rains have led to severe flooding that has turned roads into rivers, uprooted trees, damaged hundreds of homes and businesses and swept cars out to sea.Emergency response officials say the worst damage occurred east of the island’s capital, Iraklion, in small towns and villages, where schools were closed, and residents were advised to stay indoors. In some areas, home dwellers sought refuge on roofs to escape the rising water as entire neighborhoods were immersed.There have also been reports of bursting pipes, and landslides in areas with steep terrain.Fire officials tell the Reuters news service they received more than 300 calls from residents, mainly to pump out floodwater from homes and shops, and assisted 18 people trapped in cars or buildings to move to safety in the capital and Rethymno area. Firefighters, along with Crete’s Special Disaster Response unit, were taking part in rescue operations on the island.No serious injuries were reported, but regional government officials said the island’s road network had been damaged. Crete has also been impacted by a coronavirus lockdown, in effect since Saturday, that has forced businesses to close their doors.It was the third time in less than a month that the area had been hit by flooding and forecasters said heavy rainfall was expected to continue through Thursday. 
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The Vatican on Tuesday will release its report into the rise and fall of ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the once-influential American cardinal who was defrocked by Pope Francis in 2019 after a Vatican investigation confirmed decades of rumors that he was a sexual predator. The McCarrick scandal is different from other cases of clergy abuse, primarily because there is evidence that Vatican and U.S. church leaders knew of his penchant for bedding seminarians but turned a blind eye as McCarrick rose to the top of the U.S. church as an adept fundraiser who advised three popes.  When McCarrick’s crimes were revealed, the scandal sparked such a crisis of confidence in the church’s U.S. and Vatican hierarchies that Francis approved new procedures to investigate bishops accused of abuse in a bid to end decades of impunity for Catholic leaders. But beyond that, the McCarrick case has forced the Vatican to acknowledge that adults can be victims of sexual abuse, too. The Vatican has long tried to paint any sexual relations between priests and adult men or women as consensual, focusing its prevention policies on protecting minors.  But as a bishop, McCarrick held all the power in his relationships with his seminarians: to refuse his sexual advances or report his misconduct could have spelled an end to their priestly vocations and careers in the church. The Vatican’s new policies, enacted as a response to the McCarrick scandal, spell out that adults could have been forced “to perform or submit to sexual acts” through abuses of authority by church leaders.FILE – Pope Francis reaches out to hug Cardinal Archbishop emeritus Theodore McCarrick after the Midday Prayer of the Divine with more than 300 U.S. Bishops at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., September 23, 2015.What’s it about?  The archdiocese of New York announced on June 20, 2018, that it had determined that an allegation that McCarrick sexually molested a minor was “credible and substantiated.” The allegation was lodged by a former altar boy who said McCarrick fondled him when he was a teenager during preparations for Christmas Mass in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in 1971 and 1972. The allegation was the first against McCarrick involving a minor, and as such triggered the investigation.  On the same day, McCarrick’s former dioceses of Newark and Metuchen, New Jersey, revealed they had settled two of three allegations of sexual misconduct by McCarrick involving adults in 2005 and 2007. Subsequently, James Grein came forward detailing the abuse he suffered at the hands of McCarrick, a family friend, starting when he was 11. Other former seminarians have since described the harassment and abuse they endured while “Uncle Ted,” as McCarrick liked to call himself, was their bishop in New Jersey, forced to sleep in his bed during weekend trips to his beach house.  McCarrick, 90, was defrocked last year after the Vatican determined he sexually abused adults and children, including during confession. McCarrick’s response McCarrick has said he was innocent of the fondling accusation but accepted the pope’s sanctions.  “While I have absolutely no recollection of this reported abuse, and believe in my innocence, I am sorry for the pain the person who brought the charges has gone through, as well as for the scandal such charges cause our people,” he said in a statement June 20, 2018, after the initial fondling allegations were substantiated.  In a 2008 email McCarrick sent to the Vatican, he denied ever having sexual relations with anyone but said he had shown an “unfortunate lack of judgment” for having shared his bed with seminarians.FILE – Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano reads during the episcopal ordination of Auxiliary Bishops James Massa and Witold Mroziewski, in Brooklyn, New York, July 20, 2015.Archbishop’s bombshellThe McCarrick scandal took on greater dimensions on Aug. 26, 2018, when the former Vatican ambassador to the U.S., Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, published an 11-page expose accusing two dozen U.S. and Vatican churchmen by name of knowing about McCarrick’s misconduct since at least 2000 and hiding it. Vigano cited the case of one former seminarian who in 1994 wrote a lengthy letter to his bishop detailing McCarrick’s sexual abuse of him and others — a document that would have been turned over to the Vatican at the very least in 2004 when the man was defrocked.  Vigano demanded Francis resign, saying he had told the pope in 2013 during one of their first meetings that McCarrick has “corrupted generations of seminarians and priests, and Pope Benedict ordered him to withdraw to a life of prayer and penance.” Vigano claimed that Francis rehabilitated McCarrick from Benedict’s sanctions and turned him into a trusted adviser. FILE – Pope Francis wears a face mask as he attends an inter-religious prayer service for peace in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, a church on top of Rome’s Capitoline Hill, in Rome, October 20, 2020.Vatican’s response Francis initially refused to comment, but later authorized a Vatican investigation into its archives to determine who knew what and when about McCarrick, the result of which is being released Tuesday.  In 2019, Francis told Mexican broadcaster Televisa that he didn’t know anything about McCarrick’s past and didn’t remember if Vigano had raised the issue with him when they met in 2013. In addition, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, head of the Congregation for Bishops, confirmed McCarrick had been subject to disciplinary measures for uncorroborated “rumors” of misconduct but said the Vatican’s decision for him to live a discreet life of prayer stopped short of binding canonical sanctions because the rumors lacked proof. Ouellet accused Vigano of mounting a “blasphemous” political hit job against Francis. Further revelations A former McCarrick aide, Monsignor Anthony Figueriredo, in May 2019 released excerpts of correspondence that show McCarrick was placed under written Vatican restrictions in 2008 for sleeping with seminarians but regularly flouted them with the apparent knowledge of Vatican officials under Benedict and Francis.  In December 2019, the Washington Post reported that McCarrick gave more than $600,000 in donations from a personal fund he controlled to powerful clerics in the U.S. and Vatican, including those who had a say in whether to investigate him. The payments underscored the common tradition among well-funded bishops and religious superiors to curry favor in the Vatican with checks.  McCarrick also helped funnel millions of dollars to three popes via the U.S. Papal Foundation, which he helped co-found to raise money from wealthy American Catholics for specific works of papal charity. 
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The European Union will impose tariffs on up to $4 billion of U.S. imports in retaliation for U.S. subsidies for Boeing but said on Monday it was hopeful of an improvement in trade ties under U.S. President-elect Joe Biden. The move, given the green light by the World Trade Organization last month, is the latest in a 16-year U.S.-EU dispute over civil aviation subsidies. U.S. tariffs on $7.5 billion of EU products after a parallel WTO case against Airbus have been in place for over a year. “We have made clear at every stage that we want to settle this long-running issue,” EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis told a news conference after an online meeting of EU trade ministers on Monday. “Regrettably, despite our best efforts (and) due to lack of progress on the U.S. side, we can confirm that the European Union will later today exercise our rights and impose countermeasures awarded to us by the WTO in respect to Boeing.”FILE – European Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis speaks during a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels, November 21, 2018.From Tuesday, the EU will impose tariffs of 15% on U.S. exports of planes and parts and of 25% on a variety of products, including tobacco, nuts, fruit juice, fish, spirits, bags, tractors and casino and gym equipment. The bloc says its main objective is to persuade the United States to negotiate a solution, arguing the chief beneficiaries of the dispute are competitors such as China’s COMAC. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer last month had said any move by Brussels to impose tariffs would force a U.S. response, but a brief statement issued late Monday contained no such threat, and his office said the two sides were in negotiations to resolve the longstanding dispute. “The United States is disappointed by the action taken by the EU today,” he said. “The EU has long proclaimed its commitment to following WTO rules, but today’s announcement shows they do so only when convenient to them.” The United States argues that the alleged subsidy — a Washington state tax break — was repealed seven months ago, removing any legal basis for the EU measures. Although headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Boeing used to be a Seattle, Washington-based company and retains major production facilities in Washington state. In the past, the Trump administration has said it could choose to hike its 15% tariffs on Airbus planes, raise tariffs on products such as EU cheese, olives and whiskey, or switch to other products. It argues there is no legal basis for EU measures because underlying subsidies to Boeing have been repealed. Brussels says only the WTO can determine whether members have complied with its rulings. Boeing called the EU decision “disappointing and surprising,” and urged Airbus and Brussels to work to resolve the trade dispute. ‘Great expectations’ for Biden German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told the news conference that many EU countries saw Biden’s election victory as a chance for an improvement in ties. FILE – German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier arrives for a news conference to present the government’s economic spring projection, amid the novel coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in Berlin, Germany, April 29, 2020.”We will try to get a new start in trade policy between the United States and all member states,” said Altmaier, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency. He said Europe’s goal was to find common ground with the future Biden administration and then reduce overall tariffs as much as possible. “There are great expectations and the hope that the American presidential elections will lead to a return to multilateral engagement in international trade,” Altmaier said. The European Union and most EU states have congratulated Biden on his election victory. Trump, with whom Europe has had strained relations, is pursuing legal challenges to the outcome while making unfounded claims of fraud. Dombrovskis said the Commission, which coordinates trade policy for the 27 EU nations, had made some informal contacts with Biden’s team and that there was a full list of things to do, from coordinating on the reform of global trade rules to incorporating climate change goals into trade. The EU tariffs come about a week before regulators are expected to clear the Boeing 737 MAX for service after a safety grounding of more than 19 months. Industry sources say the tariffs could hobble deliveries to key buyers such as Ireland’s Ryanair, whose chief executive has called on Boeing to absorb the extra import duties. A coalition of the U.S. and European drinks industry said the tariffs would damage a sector already devastated by COVID-19 related closures. Dombrovskis repeated an EU offer that the bloc was ready to suspend its measures at any time if the United States did the same, “whether under the current or the next administration.”  
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Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has appeared for the first time before a war crimes court in The Hague to face charges of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity stemming from Kosovo’s war of independence more than 20 years ago.A commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) during the 1998-1999 war, Thaci resigned as president on November 5 after learning the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) had confirmed an indictment against him.Wearing a gray suit and red tie, Thaci, 52, entered a plea of “not guilty” on November 9 and told the court, “I do not agree” with the war crime charges.Thaci and two other former UCK members were transferred to the detention facilities of The Hague-based KSC later that day.The former president, who has claimed innocence, has pledged to cooperate with the tribunal.The KSC has said the initial appearance will be a public hearing.“During an initial appearance, the pretrial judge makes sure that the rights of the accused, including the right to legal representation, are respected, and that the accused understands the charges against him or her,” the court said in a statement.Thaci, who says he is innocent, has pledged to cooperate with the tribunal.The KSC and Specialist Prosecutor’s Office (SPO) is a court of Kosovo, located in The Hague, hosting four Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office.The SPO in June accused Thaci and other suspects of being “criminally responsible for nearly 100 murders,” as well as the “enforced disappearance of persons, persecution, and torture.”The alleged crimes involved “hundreds of known victims of Kosovo Albanian, Serb, Roma, and other ethnicities and include political opponents,” according to the SPO.The KSC is mandated to look into allegations that members of the UCK committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war to gain independence from Serbia.It operates under Kosovar law but is based in the Netherlands to shield witnesses from intimidation.Kosovo’s war of independence from Serbia left more than 10,000 people dead. Most of them were ethnic Albanians from Kosovo. More than 1,600 people remain unaccounted for. The fighting ended after a 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbia.Kosovo, which has a largely ethnic Albanian population, declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move recognized by many Western states but not Serbia or its allies Russia and China.Two other former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) were transferred to the detention facilities of the KSC on November 5.They are Kadri Veseli, a former speaker of parliament and leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, and Rexhep Selimi, a Kosovar lawmaker and former UCK member.Jakup Krasniqi, also an ex-speaker of parliament and former guerrilla commander, was taken into custody on November 4 and taken to The Hague.FILE – Acting Kosovo’s President Jakup Krasniqi speaks during an interview with Reuters in Pristina, Oct. 11,2010.Krasniqi pleaded not guilty to the charges when he made his first appearance at the court on November 9.”I do not feel guilty or responsible for any count stated in the indictment and for anything else stated in the indictment,” he told the pretrial judge. Information about the date of the appearances of Veseli and Selimi is to be announced later.Salih Mustafa, one of the founders of the UCK, had already been transferred to The Hague to face similar charges. Two more suspects, Nesim Haradinaj and Hysen Gucati, are also in detention in the Dutch city, but their indictments have yet to be confirmed. 
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Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced Monday the government will impose a partial lockdown in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic following a dramatic surge in hospitalizations and deaths.
In a video posted to his Facebook account, Orban said, effective Wednesday, a nationwide general curfew will be imposed between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. with an exception for those commuting to work. Businesses will be required to close by 7 p.m., restaurants will be limited to home delivery, sporting events will be held in empty stadiums, and family gatherings will be limited to 10 people.
Universities and high schools will make the transition to digital education, while preschools, kindergartens and classes for children 14 and under will remain open. Health care workers, teachers and childcare workers will be tested weekly for the virus, according to the statement.
Orban said the new restrictions will remain in place for 30 days, after which they may be extended. Parliament is expected to pass a measure Tuesday to enact a state of emergency for 90 days.
The raft of measures comes after a week of record-breaking hospitalizations and deaths.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reports that, as of Monday, Hungary had the third-highest death rate per million (10.4) in Europe over the past two weeks — behind the Czech Republic and Belgium.  
More than 5,000 new infections were recorded Monday, with 6,061 coronavirus patients in the hospital, including 415 on ventilators, according to officials. Meanwhile, the Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus database indicates that currently Hungary has more than 109,610 infections and 2,430 deaths.
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In a scaled-back service, Queen Elizabeth II led tributes Sunday to those from the U.K. and the Commonwealth who perished in wartime, as most veterans paid their respects at home as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The 94-year-old monarch looked on from a balcony at a government building above the Cenotaph on Whitehall in central London on the 100th year anniversary of the memorial’s installation following the conclusion of World War I. The Cenotaph was officially unveiled on Nov. 11, 1920, two years to the day after the signing of the armistice that brought an end to hostilities. Following a two-minute silence at 11 a.m., Prince Charles laid a wreath on the queen’s behalf during the Remembrance Sunday commemoration. Others, including Charles’ oldest son, Prince William and Prime Minister Boris Johnson, also laid wreaths in honor of those who have perished in wartime. Leaders from across the political spectrum, including former prime ministers, were also present. The public was unable to attend this year, with the event taking place during a second national lockdown in England, and instead was encouraged to take part in the two-minute silence at home.  In other years, the commemoration is packed with thousands of veterans and military personnel. In Sunday’s service, there were less than 30 veterans in attendance, and everyone present observed social distancing rules though mask wearing wasn’t mandatory in the outdoor setting. Though the service was very different this year, people took time to honor the war dead. Small services were permitted. World War II veteran Seymour “Bill” Taylor, who turns 96 next month, usually attends the service but paid his respects outside his home in Colchester, around 65 miles (105 kilometers) northeast of London, with the support of his neighbors. “It’s something that’s really special and it means an awful lot,” he said. “I shall remember it as a good day.” Charles’ other son, Prince Harry, wasn’t present but spoke about what serving his country in Afghanistan meant to him. “Being able to wear my uniform, being able to stand up in service of one’s country, these are amongst the greatest honors there are in life,” Harry said in a podcast. “To me, the uniform is a symbol of something much bigger, it’s symbolic of our commitment to protecting our country, as well as protecting our values.” Gen. Nick Carter, chief of the defense staff, said remembrance services still hold relevance today even though there is no one alive who served in World War I and the number of veterans from World War II are dwindling. “We have to remember that history might not repeat itself, but it has a rhythm and if you look back at the last century, before both world wars, I think it was unarguable that there was escalation which led to the miscalculation which ultimately led to war at a scale we would hopefully never see again,” he said in an interview with Sky News. “We need to be conscious of those risks and that’s why remembrance matters,” he added. 
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Georgian police fired water cannon and tear gas against hundreds of protesters outside the Central Election Commission (CEC) on Sunday to support a call by opposition parties for a rerun of Oct. 31 parliamentary elections that they say were rigged.Small groups of protesters started throwing stones at the police. The demonstrators had moved to the CEC building from the capital’s main Rustaveli Avenue, where thousands of people held a peaceful rally.Police said that protesters tried to storm the CEC building.”As the protesters used violent methods and did not obey the instructions of the police, the Interior Ministry used proportional force within its powers,” the ministry said in a statement.The opposition is demanding the resignation of the CEC chief, Tamar Zhvania, and the calling of fresh elections.According to official results, the ruling Georgian Dream party won 48.23% of the vote, with the largest opposition party, the United National Movement (UNM), taking 27.18%.After the result gave the ruling party the right to form a government, eight opposition parties, including the UNM, said they would boycott parliament.The opposition accuses the ruling party and its supporters of vote buying, making threats against voters and observers and of violations during the counting process. Georgian Dream leaders have denied the accusations.Protesters moved to the CEC building after the 8 p.m. deadline to dismiss the electoral commission head and to start talks on a fresh vote passed without a response from the government.The economy of the South Caucasus country has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. The government said on Saturday it would impose an overnight curfew from Monday between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. in the largest cities because of a sharp rise in cases since early September. Georgia has reported nearly 58,000 cases since the pandemic began and almost 500 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. 
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Turkish Finance Minister Berat Albayrak said on Sunday he was resigning for health reasons, the second surprise departure of a top economic policymaker in two days after the central bank chief was ousted.The upheaval follows a 30% slide in the lira to record lows this year amid the coronavirus pandemic as investors worried about falling foreign exchange reserves and the central bank’s ability to tackle double-digit inflation.Albayrak’s resignation, announced in an Instagram statement confirmed by an official, came a day after his father-in-law, President Tayyip Erdogan, replaced the central bank governor with a former minister whose policies are seen to be at odds with Albayrak.”I have decided that I cannot continue as a minister, which I have been carrying out for nearly five years, due to health problems,” the statement said. Albayrak became finance minister two years ago after serving as energy minister.A Finance Ministry official confirmed the authenticity of the statement.Albayrak, 42, was appointed energy minister in 2015 and shifted to finance after Erdogan was reelected with sweeping new executive powers in 2018.During his tenure at finance, Turkey’s economy was hit by two bad slumps, double-digit inflation and high unemployment. The lira has lost around 45% against the U.S. dollar since his appointment and is the worst performer in emerging markets this year.Erdogan, who appointed former finance minister Naci Agbal as the new central bank governor Saturday, would need to approve the resignation.The departure of Turkey’s top two economic policymakers boosted the lira, which rose 2% to 8.3600 against the U.S. dollar at 1904 GMT, and set the stage for a sharp rate rise, analysts said.Agbal “might do a better job in getting approval for a rate hike” given his experience with the government and ruling party, said Selva Demiralp, director of the Koc University-TUSIAD Economic Research Forum.”Absent a rate hike, I am afraid the financial crisis will only get worse with the depreciation in the lira that increases the external debt, triggering bankruptcies.”Analysts at Goldman Sachs and TD Bank expect a monetary tightening of at least 600 basis points from a 10.25% policy rate now.Mehmet Mus, the deputy parliamentary group chairman for the ruling AK Party, said Albayrak had taken important steps to strengthen the economy and that he hoped Erdogan would not accept the resignation.”We personally witnessed his diligent work. If our president sees fit, I hope he continues at his post,” Mus said on Twitter. 
 
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European leaders reacted positively and congratulated Joe Biden on his projected victory over Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election. Congratulations also went to Vice-President elect Kamala Harris for her historic achievement. After days of waiting, Europe is optimistic that a new era of relations with the U.S. is now on the horizon.  After days of holding their breath over who would finally be the next president of the United States, congratulations to what is expected to be the new administration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris starting next January flowed in. FILE – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a press conference at an EU summit in Brussels, Oct. 2, 2020.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen issued her warm congratulations and said in a statement: “The European Union and the United States are friends and allies. Our citizens share the deepest of links. Together we have built an unprecedented transatlantic partnership.” Von der Layen added that, “As the world continues to change and new challenges and opportunities appear, our renewed partnership will be of particular importance.” European Parliament President David Sassoli said after following with great attention the elections of a great partner of the European Union, he was looking forward to working with the new Biden administration.   Sassoli said, “the world needs a strong relationship between Europe and the U.S. and a relaunch of transatlantic relations, capable of addressing the challenges of our times.” FILE – Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a virtual news conference on the ongoing situation with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at Downing Street, London, Oct. 12, 2020.British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also stressed the importance of the transatlantic relationship. On Twitter he said: “The U.S. is our most important ally and I look forward to working closely together on our shared priorities, from climate change to trade and security.” In a statement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel congratulated both president-elect Biden and vice president-elect Harris. “I sincerely wish him the best of luck and every success and I would also like to congratulate Kamala Harris, the first female vice-president-elect in the history of your country.” She added, “Our transatlantic friendship is irreplaceable if we are to master the great challenges of our time.”  French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte both tweeted their readiness to work with the new administration. Macron wrote, “The Americans have chosen their President. We have a lot to do to overcome today’s challenges. Let’s work together!” Conte who heads a country traditionally very close to the U.S. said, “We are ready to work with the President-elect Joe Biden to make the transatlantic relationship stronger. The U.S. can count on Italy as a solid ally and a strategic partner.”   Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s congratulations took some hours compared to other leaders. He said he and Biden have had a “long and warm” personal relationship for almost 40 years adding that he sees him as “a great friend of Israel” and looked forward to working together. He also tweeted his thanks to Donald Trump “for the friendship you have shown the state of Israel and me personally, for recognizing Jerusalem and the Golan”.        
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Police in Belarus have detained dozens of anti-government demonstrators who gathered for the 13th consecutive Sunday of protests to call for the resignation of President Alexander Lukashenko and a new election amid unprecedented public resistance following a disputed election in August. Human rights group Vyasna released a list of 328 people that according to the group were detained by security forces on November 8. The arrests were made in Minsk, Homel, Vitebsk, Zhlobin, and other cities. The group said some of the detainees were later released. Minsk city police earlier said that about 10 people were detained over “unsanctioned actions.” There was a heavy police presence from the early morning in Minsk, where participants in the March of Democracy waved red-and-white flags and umbrellas that have become the symbol of the opposition. Security forces blocked several streets and cordoned off areas in central Minsk. Access to the Internet has been restricted on mobile phones in the capital since the morning. Several subway stations in the city center closed an hour before the rally, citing “passenger safety.” The protests come after police detained dozens of medical professionals at an unauthorized protest against Lukashenko on November 7. About 60 doctors and other health-care workers who gathered for the demonstration on November 7 were taken away to police stations, according to the human rights group Vyasna. Most were expected to be released shortly. Yulia Yarmak was the first of the medical professionals detained, according to RFE/RL’s Belarus Service. She said police had promised to release all detainees except one journalist on November 7. Meanwhile, the Belarusian Association of Journalists said on November 8 that two reporters detained while covering the medics’ rally were transferred to the Akrestsina prison in Minsk. It identified the reporters as Yekaterina Karpitskaya from the Nasha Niva and Raman Papkov from the MBKh-Media publications. The association said there were at least 14 journalists in custody in Belarus. FILE – Belarusian opposition supporters walk during a rally to reject the presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus, Nov. 1, 2020.There have been protests almost daily against Lukashenko in Minsk and elsewhere in the country since the presidential election, which protesters alleged was rigged and that Western countries have refused to accept. FILE – Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya speaks during a news conference in Brussels, Belgium, Sept. 21, 2020.Opposition leader Sviatlana, who has been living in Lithuania since shortly after the election amid threats to her and her family, praised the medics for their courage and peaceful action, and slammed the authorities for arresting health personnel in the middle of a pandemic. Several doctors have lost their jobs because of strikes or protests, actions that Tsikhanouskaya criticized, saying Lukashenka was sacrificing people’s lives to stay in power. Lukashenko has faced strong criticism from the medical community and the population for having resisted calls for strict lockdown measures to contain the coronavirus. Lukashenko downplayed the pandemic in the spring and summer, but partially closed all the country’s land borders to foreigners on November 1 as second wave of the virus engulfs Europe. Tsikhanouskaya also accused the authorities of hiding the true extent of the pandemic in the country. Belarus reported 997 new infections, a new daily record, and three deaths related to the virus on November 7 for a total of 105,283 infections and 1,004 deaths. Also on November 7 at least 14 people were detained at a separate women’s march in Minsk, Vyasna said. As on previous Saturdays, the women walked along Independence Avenue holding flowers in protest against Lukashenko. Tsikhanouskaya also criticized Lukashenko for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Astravets near the Lithuanian border without the people’s consent. The nuclear power plant, the first in Belarus, has been heavily criticized by Lithuania as a potential environmental and security threat. Lukashenko boasted that Belarus “will become a nuclear power” at its official opening on November 7. “The Astravets nuclear power station is a new step into the future, toward ensuring the energy security of the state,” Lukashenko said in comments broadcast on state television. Built by Russian state-owned firm Rosatom and financed by Moscow with a $10 billion loan, construction of the power plant near the city of Astravets, in the western Hrodna region, was opposed by Lithuania, whose capital, Vilnius, is just 50 kilometers away. Astravets draws water for its cooling reactors from the Nevis River, which also supplies drinking water in Lithuania. Belarus began operating the plant earlier this week, prompting Lithuania to halt electricity imports from its neighbor. The plant’s construction has also been divisive among Belarusians, who suffered greatly from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Belarus saw a quarter of its territory contaminated in the world’s worst civilian nuclear accident.  
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