Morning Update: Military, police crack down on protests in Belarus amid disputed presidential election

Good morning,

Amid a hotly disputed election in Belarus closely watched by both Russia and the West, military units and riot police cracked down on protests from the opposition, which has rallied around Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. A 37-year-old political neophyte, Tikhanovskaya entered politics after the arrest of her husband, a popular blogger, and she has since gained the support of two other prominent female politicians and managed to unite the country’s opposition.

The crackdown, if it succeeds, would keep Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the country since 1994, in office for at least another six years. A state-run exit poll, released minutes after voting ended, declared that he had won almost 80 per cent of the vote.

But the opposition told The Globe and Mail late on Sunday that they had seen the official vote counts from 20 polling stations with Tikhanovskaya well ahead in all of them. They said they were ready to declare that their candidate had in fact won the election.

Open this photo in gallery:

This is the daily Morning Update newsletter. If you’re reading this on the web, or it was forwarded to you from someone else, you can sign up for Morning Update and more than 20 more Globe newsletters on our newsletter signup page.

Could shelter hotels be a model for addressing homelessness?

As the COVID-19 pandemic forces physical distancing, cities have leased hotel rooms to provide more living space for individuals who used to have to resort to packed homeless shelters.

So far, some advocates have praised the move as potentially building toward an improved shelter system that gives homeless individuals the space, stability and dignity they need in order to work on their well-being. But some in Toronto have pointed out the city’s tendency to move individuals to hotels far away from the social services they need. More broadly, others have criticized the move as providing only a temporary solution for long-term housing needs.

Beirut explosion shows pitfalls of sending aid to Lebanon, as donors pledge €253-million

Hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, Sunday’s donor teleconference raised €252.7-million ($399-million) in emergency aid for Lebanon. But donors also want to ensure that the funding won’t be mismanaged, especially as the country faces mounting debt.

Lebanon’s Information Minister Manal Abdel Samad and Environment Minister Damianos Kattar both resigned on Sunday in protest against the government’s performance. The Lebanese public has also been protesting against the government, as it sees the explosion as a symptom of years of neglect and corruption.

Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai arrested under national security law

Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong media tycoon and owner of publishing tabloid Apple Daily, has been arrested over suspected collusion with foreign forces under the new national security law, his top aide tweeted. Hong Kong police said it has arrested seven men, aged 39-72, all under the national security law.

Since the law’s implementation, the arrest of Lai — one of the most prominent democracy activists in Hong Kong — has been the highest-profile case.

Open this photo in gallery:

Got a news tip that you’d like us to look into? E-mail us at tips@globeandmail.com Need to share documents securely? Reach out via SecureDrop

ALSO ON OUR RADAR

Supply teachers still a thorny issue: Some supply teachers, who typically work in multiple classrooms and schools per week, are concerned about COVID-19 spread. They say school boards need to balance staff and student safety, and the growing need for labour as employees who feel sick are required to stay home.

Canada issues school reopening guidelines: Canada’s national guidelines on reopening schools recommend staggered schedules, increased ventilation and mask-wearing for students aged 10 and up. The guidelines aim at supporting school administrators instead of being prescriptive.

Can the West’s economies ever escape China’s magnetic pull? The COVID-19 crisis and rising diplomatic tensions are forcing countries to find suppliers outside of China. But breaking up with China isn’t easy and the story of rare-earth metals shows how hard it can be.

Conservatives call for lobbying probe: The federal Conservatives are urging the finance committee to study the outsourcing of the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance program to mortgage-finance company MCAP. The call came after reports about Robert Silver, the husband of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s chief of staff, Katie Telford, being an MCAP senior executive. Neither MCAP nor Silver are registered as lobbyists.

• More on Canadian politics: Liberals turn over thousands of pages on WE decision, lawyers now vetting docs

MORNING MARKETS

Markets advance on positive Chinese industrial data: European shares rose on Monday as industrial activity in China gained strength, another sign of recovery from the coronavirus pandemic that added to hopes the global economy would also return to health. In Europe, Britain’s FTSE 100 was up 0.31 per cent just before 6 a.m. ET. Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 gained 0.12 per cent and 0.46 per cent, respectively. In Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng ended down 0.63 per cent. The Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.75 per cent. Markets in Japan were closed. New York futures were mixed. The Canadian dollar was trading at 74.71 US cents.

Looking for investing ideas? Check out The Globe’s weekly digest of the latest insights and analysis from the pros, stock tips, portfolio strategies and what investors need to know for the week ahead. This week’s edition includes value stock picks, GIC-boosting strategies and the truth about bond ETF yields: What you need to know in investing this week.

WHAT EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT

Get the time machine: It’s not easy to fire a bad Governor-General and it has to be that way

Campbell Clark: “In theory, the PM could press Ms. Payette to resign, or even ask the Queen to dismiss her – a request that would almost certainly be accepted. But he shouldn’t.”

I, spy: CSIS has an identity crisis

Alistair Hensler: “So what has brought CSIS to this point? The answer is not complicated: CSIS is experiencing an identity crisis. It is a security intelligence service that wants to be a foreign intelligence agency.”

How Ottawa can end CERB, boost the economy and help the unemployed

Editorial: “The ideal outcome? A more accessible EI program, but one that, come the new year, few Canadians are applying for – not because the rules are too restrictive, but because the economic recovery has been so successful.”

TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON

Open this photo in gallery:

LIVING BETTER

Physical distancing is changing how we use our homes, backyards and public spaces. Designers are taking note

With COVID-19 requiring physical distancing, many Canadian cities are not up the task with their narrow sidewalks and car-clogged roads. As the pandemic continues on, designers are looking for ways to rethink the spaces and places where we live with wellness in mind.

MOMENT IN TIME: AUGUST 10, 1961

Open this photo in gallery:

Throw a softball

For more than 100 years, photographers have preserved an extraordinary collection of 20th-century news photography for The Globe and Mail. Every Monday, The Globe features one of these images. This month, we’re looking at the great summertime sport of baseball.

For some fans, baseball is like a religion (the Bible’s opening words: “In the big inning …”) and for others it’s just a habit. But as Sister Lois Ann, coach of Our Lady of Mercy softball team in Burnaby, B.C., shows in 1961, it’s just another way of having fun. Softball has a shorter pitching distance, a smaller field and uses a bigger, softer ball, which is pitched underhand. Softball is also a great way to introduce players to baseball, without the need for great physical skills. It’s why recreational leagues are often all-ages and co-ed, and men and women can compete on the same team on a level playing field. Participating in a game – not its structure – is the whole point. As Hall-of-Famer Yogi Berra said, “How can you think and hit at the same time?” Philip King

If you’d like to receive this newsletter by e-mail every weekday morning, go here to sign up. If you have any feedback, send us a note.