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by Lisa MARTIN Agence France Presse BEIJING, China (AFP) — Russian and Belarusian athletes were on Thursday banned from the Beijing Winter Paralympics over the war in Ukraine, with organisers bowing to international pressure and threats of a boycott. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) had just a day earlier said athletes from the two countries would be allowed to compete as “neutrals” in the Games, which start on Friday. It said that was the “harshest […]
FRANKFURT, Germany (AFP) — German logistics giant DHL announced Wednesday it was stopping deliveries to Russia and Belarus, joining a growing list of Western businesses to cease operations in the countries after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The “inbound services to Russia and Belarus have been suspended”, DHL said in a statement, adding that it was “not accepting shipments to those countries until further notice”. DHL, one of the world’s largest logistics groups, also closed […]
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — A Belarusian political activist stabbed himself in the neck on the first day of his trial Tuesday and was rushed to hospital, a rights group said. Viasna, an independent rights group monitoring the trial of Stepan Latypov, said it believed the activist had tried to commit suicide following pressure in detention. Thousands of opposition activists and protesters have been arrested and gone on trial in a harsh crackdown on anti-government demonstrations […]
GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The alleged bomb threat cited by Belarus as the reason why it diverted a plane to Minsk before arresting a journalist on board was sent after the plane was redirected, the email provider said. Proton Technologies, which is headquartered in Geneva and says it is the world’s largest secure email provider, said the sent time confirmed it came after the Ryanair passenger plane was diverted to Belarus. The Athens-to-Vilnius flight carrying […]
MINSK, Belarus (AFP) — Belarus on Tuesday sentenced seven activists, including senior opposition figure Pavel Severinets, to jail terms of four to seven years, a journalist reported from court. In a trial held behind closed doors in a court in the eastern Mogilev region, the activists were found guilty of taking part in “mass unrest”, referring to the historic protests that erupted after a disputed presidential election last August. The demonstrations gripped the country for […]
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) — The European Union on Thursday ordered Poland to comply with a top EU court decision and implement new regulations to preserve one of the continent’s last primeval forests. The European Court of Justice in 2018 said Poland’s government broke the law by allowing logging in the Bialowieza Forest, a UNESCO world heritage site. The logging began in May 2016 and the European Commission took Poland to court arguing that it was […]
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Belarus on Tuesday began a vaccination drive against coronavirus using the Sputnik V jab, becoming the first country outside Russia to use the vaccine developed by Moscow. Belarus, with a population of around 9.5 million people, has registered more than 188,000 cases of coronavirus infections and nearly 1,400 deaths. “Today the first vaccine shipment has arrived in Belarus,” said the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) which financed Sputnik V. RDIF […]
MINSK, Belarus (AFP) — Belarus on Tuesday launched its controversial Russia-built nuclear power station despite safety concerns from neighbouring Baltic states three decades after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. A string of incidents during construction of the nuclear power station has raised questions over its safety among EU countries, particularly neighbouring Lithuania. The launch comes as Belarus strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko faces historic protests over his claim to victory in August presidential polls which Western leaders […]
by Tatiana Kalinovskaya Agence France Presse MINSK, Belarus (AFP) — Tens of thousands of opposition supporters marched through Minsk Sunday, calling for an end to strongman Alexander Lukashenko’s rule amid a heavy security presence and despite dozens of arrests. Belarus protests have entered a third week since the disputed presidential election on August 9 in which Lukashenko claimed victory. Opposition rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya says she was the true winner, meanwhile. An AFP journalist and […]
MINSK, Belarus (AFP) — At least 213 people were detained in Belarus as police cracked down on protesters claiming strongman leader Alexander Lukashenko rigged Sunday’s presidential election, a prominent rights group said on Monday. The Viasna Human Rights Centre said at least 110 people were detained in the capital Minsk, including at least 40 at or near polling stations and 70 during a pro-opposition protest. Others were detained in various cities. © Agence France-Presse
MINSK, Belarus (AFP) — Belarus reported Friday its first coronavirus case, an Iranian student who arrived in the country from Azerbaijan last week. The health ministry said the patient was in a “satisfactory” condition. People the student had been in contact with since their arrival on February 22 had been placed in quarantine in the hospital for infectious diseases in the capital Minsk, it added in a statement. The ministry also said that there would […]
MINSK, Belarus (AFP) — The United States aims to end its longest Fed Cup title drought when it meets a Belarus team missing former world number one and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka in this weekend’s final. The 17-time champion US team claimed its last title in 2000 and has lost three finals since — to France in 2003 and Italy in 2009 and 2010. This time the team is missing the Williams sisters, who have […]
