Belarus

Belarus leader says he will quit when a new constitution is adopted

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday that he would step down as president once a new constitution is adopted and proposed curbing presidential powers as part of the reforms,…

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Dozens detained in Belarus protests – rights group

Belarus police detained dozens of people in Minsk on Sunday during the latest in months of anti-government protests since a disputed presidential election in August, human rights activists reported. Thousands…

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With applause and flowers, thousands attend funeral of Belarusian protester

Thousands of people silently raised their arms in the air, held flowers aloft and broke into chants outside a church in Minsk on Friday at the funeral of a Belarusian…

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Belarus nuclear power plant restarts after equipment replaced

Belarus has resumed operations at a nuclear power plant inaugurated earlier this month by President Alexander Lukashenko, the Ministry of Energy said in a statement on Thursday, following the replacement…

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Belarus police arrest dozens in street protests on Sunday

Police in Belarus on Sunday arrested dozens of people in Minsk demonstrating against Alexander Lukashenko, leader of the ex-Soviet country, a witness said and several media outlets reported. The witness…

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Death of Belarus protester sparks unrest and threat of more EU sanctions

Thousands of people took to the streets of Minsk and other Belarusian cities on Friday, after a 31-year-old anti-government protester died in hospital following what demonstrators said was a severe…

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Belarus security services detain hundreds of protesters in the capital

Hundreds of people were reportedly detained in Minsk on Sunday in the latest anti-government protests since a disputed August election returned Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to power. After an initial…

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Belarus’ Lukashenko inaugurates nuclear power plant amid safety concerns

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko inaugurated a nuclear power plant on Saturday that some neighbouring countries have opposed because of safety concerns. Built by Russian state-owned firm Rosatom and financed by…

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Lukashenko partially closes the country’s land borders

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko partially closed the country's land borders and replaced his interior minister and named three security hawks to new roles on Thursday in an attempt to tighten…

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Belarusian leader Lukashenko replaces his interior minister amid continuing protests

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko replaced his interior minister on Thursday, the Belta state news agency reported, as he faces mass protests calling for him to leave power. In a related…

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Belarus opposition prepares mass strikes after Lukashenko ignores deadline to quit

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko defied an ultimatum to surrender power by midnight on Sunday, challenging his opponents to make good on their threat to paralyse the country with a national…

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Tens of people detained by Belarus police

Tens of people were detained by police in the town of Lida in western Belarus on Sunday during a protest, Russia's RIA news agency cited the regional branch of the…

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Belarus and Russia will respond to external threats, Lukashenko tells Pompeo: agencies

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko told U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a phone call on Saturday that Belarus and Russia were ready to respond jointly to external threats, Russian…

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Protesters defiant in Belarus despite firearms threat

Tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of the Belarusian capital Minsk on Sunday to demand the resignation of veteran president Alexander Lukashenko, despite a threat by officials…

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Belarus puts Tsikhanouskaya on wanted list

Belarus has put opposition leader Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya on its wanted list for allegedly making calls to overthrow the constitutional order, the RIA news agency cited Russia's Interior Ministry as saying…

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Lukashenko given October 25 deadline to resign

Exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya set an Oct. 25 deadline on Tuesday for President Alexander Lukashenko to quit or face nationwide strikes that would paralyse the country. The ultimatum…

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Belarus Govt will allow police to use combat weapons against protestors

Belarus police will now be permitted to use combat weapons in the streets if needed, the Interior Ministry said on Monday, as security forces again clashed with protesters who want…

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Dozens of protestors detained in Belarus

Security forces in Belarus detained dozens of protesters on Sunday and used force, including water cannon and batons, to break up crowds demanding a new presidential election, TV footage showed.…

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Belarus president visits political opponents in prison

Belarus' president visited a prison to talk to opposition activists, who have been jailed for challenging his re-election that was widely seen as manipulated and triggered two months of protests.…

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Belarus opposition leader says any trial for Lukashenko subject to negotiation

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said on Thursday the possibility of immunity for Alexander Lukashenko, rather than facing any international trial, could be subject to negotiation to defuse the crisis…

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Bulgaria and Slovakia recalling ambassadors from Belarus

Bulgaria and Slovakia are recalling their ambassadors to Belarus for consultations in solidarity with Lithuania and Poland, their foreign ministers announced after meeting Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Bratislava.…

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Lithuania blocks millions of euros of EU funding to Belarus

Lithuania has blocked 5.8 million euros ($6.83 million) in payments to Belarus for an EU-funded cross-border development programme, fearing the money could be misused, the Lithuanian government revealed. The European…

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EU sanctions ‘a small victory’ – Belarusian opposition leader Tsikhanouskaya

European Union sanctions against 40 officials in Belarus are "a small victory" but should be widened, opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said on Monday, adding she would press Germany's Angela Merkel…

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Tens of thousands rally in Minsk, police use water cannon

Tens of thousands of people marched through the centre of the Belarusian capital Minsk on Sunday to demand that authorities free political prisoners, prompting police to turn water cannon on…

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Belarus announces sanctions list in retaliation against EU

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry said on Friday it had compiled a list of people barred from entering Belarus in retaliation against sanctions imposed by the European Union. The ministry said…

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Cyprus demands sanctions on Turkey as EU summit stalls on Belarus

Cyprus defied pressure to approve European Union sanctions on Belarus at a leaders' summit on Thursday, urging other members of the bloc to also punish Turkey for its oil and…

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Britain and Canada impose sanctions on Belarusian President Lukashenko

Britain and Canada imposed travel bans and asset freezes on Tuesday on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, his son and other senior officials, accusing their government of rigging an election and committing…

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Macron promises help to Belarus opposition

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday committed to help mediate in the Belarusian political crisis during a meeting with opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. "We will do our best as Europeans…

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50th day of protests in Belarus

About 100,000 demonstrators marched in the Belarusian capital calling for the authoritarian president’s ouster, some wearing cardboard crowns to ridicule him, on Sunday as the protests that have rocked the…

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Belarusian police use tear gas, stun grenades against protesters -TASS

Belarusian police said on Sunday they had used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse "disobedient" protesters in the eastern city of Gomel and prevent them from breaking through the…

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Macron says Lukashenko has to go

French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that Belarus's leader Alexander Lukashenko must step down, after the EU refused to recognise him as the legitimate president of the ex-Soviet country. It's…

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Belarus accuses West of sowing chaos and anarchy

Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei accused Western countries on Saturday of attempting to sow "chaos and anarchy" in the former Soviet republic, which has been rocked by street protests since…

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Belarus police detain dozens as crowds chant against Lukashenko

Belarusian security forces detained dozens of protesters on Saturday as crowds rallied in central Minsk accusing President Alexander Lukashenko of rigging last month's election. One group of women chanted "Our…

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U.S., UK, Canada plan sanctions on Belarusian officials

The United States, Britain and Canada plan to impose sanctions on Belarusian individuals following what they view as a rigged election and violence against peaceful protesters since, six sources familiar…

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UPDATED: EU says Belarus’ Lukashenko not legitimate president

President Alexander Lukashenko is not the legitimate president of Belarus, the European Union said on Thursday, saying his abrupt swearing-in on Wednesday went directly against the will of the people.…

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Germany does not recognise Lukashenko as Belarus president after swearing in

Germany still does not recognise Alexander Lukashenko as president of Belarus even after his inauguration on Wednesday, government spokesman Steffen Seibert said. Lukashenko was sworn in for a new term…

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UPDATED: Lukashenko abruptly sworn in for new presidential term in Belarus

President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus was sworn in for a new term on Wednesday, the official news agency Belta said, in a sudden inauguration conducted with no prior announcement. The…

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EU foreign policy chief ‘will do whatever he can’ for Belarus sanctions

EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said he will do whatever he can for sanctions against Belarus to be adopted. "It is becoming a personal commitment because I understand clearly…

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Belarus opposition appeal to EU fails to unblock sanctions

European Union foreign ministers failed to agree sanctions against Belarusian officials on Monday, despite an appeal by the country's main opposition leader. After a sixth straight weekend of huge protests…

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Lithuania, Poland and Romania to ask EU leaders to offer trade, visa-free travel to Belarus

The presidents of Lithuania, Poland and Romania will ask European Union leaders at a summit later this week to offer a support package for Belarus if the country holds a…

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Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Brussels for an informal meeting with EU Foreign Ministers

On Monday Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya arrived in Brussels, Belgium, for an informal breakfast with EU Foreign Ministers. More than 100,000 people marched through Minsk on Sunday on the…

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Hackers leak personal data of 1,000 Belarusian police on weekend of protests

Anonymous hackers leaked the personal data of 1,000 Belarusian police officers in retaliation for a crackdown on street demonstrations against veteran President Alexander Lukashenko, as protesters geared up for another…

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Belarus warns EU against inviting Lukashenko’s rival to meeting

The foreign ministry in Belarus warned that it saw the possible participation of opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in an EU ministerial meeting as an interference in domestic affairs, the Belta…

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EU set to miss Monday’s deadline for sanctions on Belarus

The European Union is likely to miss its own Monday deadline for imposing sanctions on Belarus, three diplomatic sources told Reuters, stalled by a lack of unanimity among member states…

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U.N. investigator on Belarus warns of ‘another Iron curtain’

A U.N. investigator warned of the possibility of "another Iron curtain" descending in Europe during an urgent debate on the human rights situation in Belarus in Geneva on Friday. The…

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Seventeen OSCE members appoint experts to investigate Belarus election

Seventeen members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have appointed an independent team of experts to investigate alleged rights violations in Belarus' August presidential election, Denmark…

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Putin throws $1.5 billion lifeline to embattled Belarus leader

Russian President Vladimir Putin bestowed a $1.5 billion loan on Belarus on Monday in a gesture of support for its leader Alexander Lukashenko, who flew to entreat his patron for help after five…

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U.N. human rights chief says reports of Belarus violence are alarming

The United Nations human rights chief said on Monday her office was receiving "alarming reports" of the ongoing violent repression of peaceful demonstrations in Belarus. "Reports continue to indicate unnecessary…

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Police in Belarus detained 774 people at protests on eve of Putin summit

Police detained 774 people on Sunday at huge anti-government protests across Belarus, including 500 people detained in the capital Minsk, the Belarusian Interior Ministry said on Monday. At least 100,000…

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Lukashenko heads to Russia for talks with Putin

President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus will seek the backing of Russia’s Vladimir Putin at a crucial meeting on Monday after a fifth consecutive weekend of huge protests demanding that he…

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Over 100,000 Belarus protesters flood streets to demand end of Lukashenko

At least 100,000 Belarusian protesters took to the streets of Minsk on Sunday in one of the biggest demonstrations yet against President Alexander Lukashenko after he claimed a landslide victory…

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Belarus opposition leader says authorities threatened to kill her

Belarus opposition politician Maria Kolesnikova said security officers put a bag over her head and threatened to kill her when they tried to forcibly deport her to Ukraine earlier this…

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Belarusian opposition politician Tsikhanouskaya calls for new elections prior to new constitution

Belarusian opposition politician Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said on Tuesday new elections must be held before, not after, a new constitution is written in Belarus. Asked for her reaction about Belarus President…

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Belarusian opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova located in Ukraine

Three Belarusian opposition politicians, including protest leader Maria Kolesnikova, who disappeared on Monday, have passed border control at the Belarusian-Ukrainian border, an official of the Belarusian border guard service said. Kolesnikova was…

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Reports Belarusian protest leader detained by masked men

Unidentified masked men detained prominent Belarusian protest leader Maria Kolesnikova in central Minsk on Monday morning and drove her off in a minivan, the Belarusian Tut.By media outlet cited a…

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EU to blacklist 31 Belarus senior officials over election, diplomats say

The European Union aims to impose economic sanctions on 31 senior Belarus officials including the country’s interior minister by mid-September, three EU diplomats said, in response to an Aug. 9…

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Security forces crack down on mass protest in Belarus

Security forces in Belarus detained scores of protesters and were filmed beating a man as he lay on the street, as the authorities launched a crackdown on mass demonstrations against…

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