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Post-Soviet leaders are among the last ‘total deniers’ In Turkmenistan, the president has promoted a medicinal herb to fight the coronavirus. Belarus’s leader recommended vodka and a sauna. <https://nl.nytimes.com/f/newsletter/9VMMWlQVF0g6fgOl3ogZ2Q~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgaUiEP0T-aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wNC8wMi93b3JsZC9hc2lhL2Nvcm9uYXZpcnVzLWRlbmlhbC1wb3N0LXNvdmlldC5odG1sP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTUxJmVtYz1lZGl0X01CRV9wXzIwMjAwNDAzJmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTE3MzA3Jm5sPW1vcm5pbmctYnJpZWZpbmcmcmVnaV9pZD04NTA1NjIyNyZzZWN0aW9uPXRvcE5ld3Mmc2VnbWVudF9pZD0yMzcxMSZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YTc3MzBhZTI3OWQzZDViODlkMjUzZDQ4MzA2ODQxYzFXA255dEIKACuEw4ZeuUZtjVIVaWxtZXNlbmdlcm9AZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA> The leaders of several former Soviet republics are downplaying the virus’s dangers, a strategy that has backfired elsewhere. Experts doubt they can keep it up for long, but with near-total control over the police and the news media, they are maintaining official denial for now. Radio Free Europe reported that Turkmenistan has tried to squelch even private conversations about the virus. In other developments: ■ Britain’s health secretary vowed that the country would increase tests to 100,000 a day <https://nl.nytimes.com/f/newsletter/SyR990GAabuipXX1kNrBPw~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgaUiEP0T9aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wNC8wMi93b3JsZC9ldXJvcGUvYnJpdGFpbi1jb3JvbmF2aXJ1cy10ZXN0aW5nLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9NTEmZW1jPWVkaXRfTUJFX3BfMjAyMDA0MDMmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MTczMDcmbmw9bW9ybmluZy1icmllZmluZyZyZWdpX2lkPTg1MDU2MjI3JnNlY3Rpb249dG9wTmV3cyZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTIzNzExJnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hNzczMGFlMjc5ZDNkNWI4OWQyNTNkNDgzMDY4NDFjMVcDbnl0QgoAK4TDhl65Rm2NUhVpbG1lc2VuZ2Vyb0BnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~> after an outcry over its slow response. Britain also reported 569 new deaths, its highest daily tally, raising the toll there to 2,921. ■ The United Nations Security Council <https://nl.nytimes.com/f/newsletter/r3VgwNpjXDrktfYQ2dfYhw~~/AAAAAQA~/RgRgaUiEP4QHAWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm55dGltZXMuY29tLzIwMjAvMDQvMDIvd29ybGQvYW1lcmljYXMvY29yb25hdmlydXMtdW5pdGVkLW5hdGlvbnMtZ3V0ZXJyZXMuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD01MSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9NQkVfcF8yMDIwMDQwMyZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0xNzMwNyZubD1tb3JuaW5nLWJyaWVmaW5nJnJlZ2lfaWQ9ODUwNTYyMjcmc2VjdGlvbj10b3BOZXdzJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MjM3MTEmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWE3NzMwYWUyNzlkM2Q1Yjg5ZDI1M2Q0ODMwNjg0MWMxVwNueXRCCgArhMOGXrlGbY1SFWlsbWVzZW5nZXJvQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~> has been missing in action, failing to fulfill its global responsibilities in managing the pandemic, say rights groups and foreign policy experts.
