17:42 Russia refused building 2nd branch of Yamal-Europe pipeline in Belarus

There is no sense in building the second branch of Yamal-Europe gas pipeline, Russia's Fuel and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko told Thursday after a session of the government, while Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov promised to consider this idea last month, Reuters informs.

17:04 Are state shares in banks sold to Russians?

The chairman of the National Bank of Belarus Pyotr Prakapovich believes that one of the largest Russian banks, Alfa bank, can enter Belarusian market by buying a share in Mezhtorgbank belonging to National bank of Belarus (about 35 per cent the end of this year or in the first quarter of the year 2008).

Results of the anonymous survey recently held among journalists of state-run media in Homel, have evoked response among Homel citizens. It looks like another result that one of the workers of the state-run TV company “Homel” has been forced to hand back several filled out questionnaires to her bosses. She has been warned that the matter will be “investigated”.

15:08 Political regime in Belarus is most repressive in Europe

The visit of Souhayr Belhassen, President of the International Federation for Human Rights is over. She has been in Belarus since 28 October and had meetings with the relatives of the political prisoners, representatives of political parties and public organizations in Minsk and Hrodna. The representatives of four ministries – justice, information, internal and foreign affairs, didn’t want to meet with the President of the International Federation for Human Rights.

Today participants of Halloween celebration Yury Shalin, Andrei Kim, Valyantsin Sakalouski and Tatsyana Lashkaryova are to stand trial on petty hooliganism charges. In this way police has classified the attempt of the young guys to celebrate Halloween in Minsk the day before.

At today’s press-conference the wife of the political prisoner Andrei Klimau, Tatsyana, has stated that she couldn’t get letters from her husband for a week, and she doesn’t know whether her letters are received by him.

14:03 Souhayr Belhassen: “We hope one day guilty in disappearance of Belarusian opposition leaders will come to trial”

The Belarusian opposition is facing mass repressions today. People are kidnapped in the streets, beaten and unlawfully arrested. But the total unlawfulness in Belarus is seldom discussed in the world.

13:02 Organizers of Social March request televised address on BT channel

The organization committee on the Social March “For Justice” to be held on November 4 addressed the state authorities and media saying that the imperfection of the legislation and state’s total monopoly on electronic media make it impossible to inform people of the authorized gathering place for the March - the Academy of Sciences, 12.00. Still there are many who plan to come to Kastrychnitskaya Square as this is the place stated in the application launched to the Minsk municipal executive committee.

2 November, on the day when many Europeans commemorate the dead, the heads of missions of the European Union in Minsk, their families and other members of the diplomatic corps will lay flowers and lighten candles in Kurapaty – one of the mass grave sites of repression victims in former USSR. It is said in the statement of Slovak Republic in Belarus, which represents the EU here.

12:38 Russian ambassador has doubts whether Lukashenka receives loan this year

The Ambassador of Russia Aleksandr Surikov has doubts that the question about stabilization loan for Belarus is possible to solve this year. “Will it be possible to solve it through Duma? Duma is sitting the last month, you know”, - the ambassador said on the press conference in Minsk. At the same time he recommended the Ministry of Finance of Belarus to work over this problem more actively.

12:09 Lukashenka asks Chavez for money ASAP

The Venezuelan Ministry of Finance has received Belarus’ request for a credit necessary to pay for much more expensive Russian energy resources, Charge d’Affaire of Venezuela in Belarus Americo Dias Nunies said today.

12:08 Fine for 10 steps with white-red-white flag in hands

Vitsiebsk district court sentenced Zmitser Yakaulieu to a fine. Zmitser was detained yesterday for taking part in the action dedicated to the Day of Fathers’ Memory.

The restored memorable sign “From the People of the USA to the People of Belarus in Memory,” or the so called “Clinton’s bench” was installed in Kurapaty on October 31.

12:00 Belarusian ruble/Euro official exchange rate dropped by 10.2 per cent

In January – October 2007 the official exchange rate for the Belarusian ruble against the U.S. dollar has declined by 0.5% and is Br2151 per 1 US dollar on November 1, 2007. The rate has gone down by 0.09% over October.

11:22 OMON prevent attempt to celebrate Halloween pushing people from Kastrychnitskaya Square (Photo)

Officers of special police unit (former OMON) pushed the people who wanted to celebrate Halloween from Kastrychnitskaya Square in the evening of October 31. At the same time a police car which is used for transferring the most active demonstrators drove to the Square. Nevertheless, nobody was arrested.

10:44 A year of life in Shklou colony

A year ago Zmiter Dashkevich, one of the organization “Young Front” leader was convicted. 1 November 2006 the court found him guilty on the article 193-1 of the Criminal Code (activity on behalf of an unregistered organization) and sentenced him to 1.5 year of imprisonment. The trial was closed.

10:44 Militia arrested mummies at Halloween

Militia detained some people in Minsk Central Shop during a flashmob dedicated to Halloween. Four of them spent a night in militia department. One more of the detainees - Nasha Niva journalist Yaraslau Steshyk – after the clarifyingof the details was set free without a report drawn up.

9:33 Lukashenka sent Yakubovich instead of apologies

Debates around Lukashenka’s words about Babruisk and the way Jews treat places where they live have remained acute for more than three weeks. Israel’s Ambassador to Belarus Zeev Ben Arye went to Tel Aviv for one week - for vacations, the Israeli side pledges - and came back to Minsk. Editor-in-chief of “Sovetskaya Belorussia” Paval Yakubovich has been in Israel for almost one week; he went there to smooth the relations between Belarus and Israel.

A member of the Conservative Christian Party Belarusian Popular Front Jan Dzyarzhautsau has informed that on October 29 in the evening his 18-year-old son was beaten up by two unknown. Mr Dzyarzhautsau believes that the assault on his son could have been made by those who sent a letter with threats to him this August. The letter was signed by the unregistered organization Russian national Unity (RNU).

8:52 Anatol Liabedzka: “Opinions split upon Social March’s route”

The Social March organizing committee has decided by a majority of vote: 12 p.m. 4 November after people will gather at the Academy of Sciences, the demonstrants will go to Bangalor Square, where a meeting is to take place. Such format of the march was permitted by the Minsk City Executive Committee. Nevertheless, the action organizers are going to meet the action participants on Kastrychnitskaya Square of Minsk at 12.00 p.m. 4 November.