Europe

LONDON, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Washington's so-called "Clean Network" program will "bolster a worrying movement" toward the split of the global internet, said a recent BBC article.

"The U.S. government has for a long time criticized other countries for controlling access to the internet ... and now we see the Americans doing the same thing," the article quoted Alan Woodward, a computer security expert at the University of Surrey in Britain, as saying.

"It's shocking," said Woodward, adding, "this is the Balkanization of the internet happening in front of our eyes."

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia on Tuesday became the first country to clear a coronavirus vaccine and declare it ready for use, despite international skepticism. President Vladimir Putin said that one of his daughters has already been inoculated.

11 Aug 2020; MEMO: Turkey dispatched a vessel to conduct a seismic survey in a disputed area in the eastern Mediterranean, a move which Greece said was illegal and is likely to heighten tensions between the two NATO allies.

The advisory issued by the Turkish navy said the Oruc Reis vessel would operate in the area over the next two weeks.

London, Aug 11 (AP/PTI) The number of people in employment in the UK fell by 220,000 in the three months after the country was put into lockdown as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, official figures showed Tuesday.

That quarterly decline, which took the total number of people in employment to 32.92 million, is the biggest since the deep recession in 2009 in the wake of the global financial crisis.

BERLIN, August 10. /TASS/: German government considers important not to cut off dialogue with Russia despite disagreements and complications in the relations, German Foreign Office Spokesperson Christopher ​​​​​​Burger said at a briefing on Monday, commenting on the upcoming visit of German top diplomat Heiko Maas to Russia on August 11.

MOSCOW, August 10. /TASS/: The coronavirus situation in Russia is gradually improving, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said at a meeting of the government’s anti-coronavirus coordination council on Monday.

"Although the coronavirus situation in the country is gradually improving, we continue monitoring activities that allow us to promptly identify the sick and provide medical treatment to them," he pointed out.

MOSCOW, August 10./TASS/: The first flight from Moscow to Antalya since Russia and Turkey imposed border restrictions aid the coronavirus pandemic, took off late on Sunday. It was operated by Rossiya carrier.

A Boeing 747 plane was filled to capacity with all 522 tickets sold. On Monday, Russia restarts flights to Turkey’s resort cities of Antalya, Bodrum and Dalaman. Within the day, flights to Antalya, Bodrum and Dalaman are also expected from Moscow, St. Petersburg and Rostov-on-Don.

MOSCOW, August 10. /TASS/: Russia’s upgraded Kamov Ka-52M combat helicopter made its debut flight, the Industry and Trade Ministry reported on Monday.

"The latest upgraded Ka-52 helicopter made its debut flight at the Progress Aircraft Company of Russian Helicopters Group (part of the state hi-tech corporation Rostec). This vehicle incorporates the best technical solutions earlier tested on helicopters produced both under the defense procurement plan and for exports," the ministry said.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Alexander Lukashenko said on Monday that authorities would not let Belarus be ripped apart by instability after huge protests erupted following a presidential election on Sunday, the Belta news agency reported.

Opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanouskaya has rejected the official results handing President Alexander Lukashenko a landslide victory, saying the poll was rigged and that protests which turned bloody on Sunday would continue.

LONDON (Reuters) - A national security law is being used to silence opposition in Hong Kong where media freedom needs to be maintained, a junior British Foreign Office minister said on Monday, after the arrest of media tycoon Jimmy Lai.

“Deeply concerned by arrest of ⁦Jimmy Lai & 6 others in #HongKong,” Nigel Adams said on Twitter.

“Media freedom must be upheld. More evidence the National security law being used as pretext to silence opposition.”