Yuri Zaitsau, father of the activist of the Homel branch of the unregistered youth resistance movement Zubr Andrei Zaitsau, who allegedly committed suicide under KGB officer’s pressure, is determined to bring up an action on the fact of his son’s death, with the help of the court. Yuri Zaitsau lodged a complaint on the ruling of the court of the Soviet district of Homel that denied instituting criminal proceedings.

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Alexander Lukashenko pointed the Defense Ministry leadership at the necessity to keep up discipline in the troops. Listening on Wednesday to the Defense Minister colonel-general Leonid Maltsev’s report, the Belarusian leader stressed that the discipline problems in the Belarusian army are paid particular attention due to the recently occurred incident, with three soldiers stealing weapons and going into hiding in one of the villages near Minsk. The fugitives were in no time arrested by a SOBR group. Lukashenko noted that this is becoming a permanent tendency.

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As a result of the “multiple machinations”, conducted by the former head of the Belarusian railroad Viktor Rakhmanko, the state lost $44mln, reported on February 5 the Belarusian television. 8 legal actions had been instituted against the railroad workers, while 110 staffers had been brought to administrative accountability. BT televised Lukashenko’s commentary on the situation, which the man voiced during his meeting with the railroad representatives: “With such a high level of responsibility we won’t forgive anyone anything – neither to the relatives, nor to those who are close to us. How come you are doing this stuff? When one makes such step he pokes his head into a rope’s loop. I don’t understand your psychology. With such barbarity, applied against swindlers, whom I hate, you are violating the law yourselves! Now both opposition and cheats blame me for imprisoning people. No, it wasn’t I who sent them to jail, nor was it Sheiman. They themselves went there,” – said Lukashenko.

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Leaders of the democratic parties of Belarus Anatoly Lebedko, Vintsuk Vyachorka, Alexander Dobrovolsky and Aleksei Korol held a series of meetings with the faction of liberals, conservatives and social-democrats of the Lithuanian parliament.

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The Ministers of foreign affairs of Belarus and North Korea Mikhail Khvostov and Pek Nam Sun respectively exchanged personal congratulations on the occasion of the ten-year anniversary since the sides established diplomatic relations. The missive of the Belarusian FM head reads among other things that “at the present-day level one needs to pay greater attention to the creation of favorable conditions in order to deepen the mutually beneficial connections in the sphere of commerce, science, culture and education.” The North Korean Minister of foreign affairs in his turn said that the “friendship and cooperation between our countries will definitely be developing in future.”

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The contradictory information about the results of the February 4 session of the “Gasprom’s” directorate didn’t profit it much. The problem is, in no time after the meeting ended there arose rumors about “Gasprom’s” alleged refusal to lay down the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline’s branch, which was supposed to stretch all the way through Belarus and Poland. This pipeline is called to deliver to Europe, around the territory of Ukraine, 30bln cubic of Russian gas annually.

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Notorious FIFA referee from Belarus Gennady Yakubovsky, who had been released from custody last month, decided to finish his referee’s career and became a technical director of the soccer club BATE (Borisov) – last national championship’s bronze medallist. As you remember, Yakubovsky had been arrested on grounds of large-scale embezzlement. The jury sentenced him to 2-year prison term. It’s worth mention that Yakubovsky spend in custody around 10 months, during which the investigation lasted.

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The Belarusian Minister of communication Vladimir Goncharenko said at the February 5 department’s session, dedicated to the outcomes of the industry’s last year performance, that the tariffs on domestic communication do not correspond to the level of real wages. The Minister further noted that their low profitability would require a rise in their size this year. According to the official, the industry’s profitability constituted this year 5,7%, which is lower than in 2000. “Beltelecom” with a 24,5% profitability index has four subsidiaries working at a loss in provinces. 92 district state-run communication companies are also financial losers.

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Chairman of the Council of the Belarusian National Republic Ivonka Survilla sent an answer to Zinaida Gonchar’s letter, in which the spouse of the missing opposition politician, who vanished 2 years ago, pleaded with the Belarusian community overseas to help her locate her husband. Following is the full text of Ivonka Survilla’s letter:

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The Polish press recalls this very period of the Soviet rule, when highlighting the introduction of licenses to hold opinion polls and “Atlant” director’s placement in the mental hospital.

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Belarusian “MPs” are to consider the proposal of the Cuban Plenipotentiary Ambassador in Belarus Felix Leon Carbalio to visit Cuba. It was said by the deputy chair of the standing commission of the “national assembly” on international affairs and ties Syarhei Kastsyan during his meeting with Cuban diplomats. In Kastsyan’s opinion, Belarus and Cuba, “that are characterized by stability in society and economy, can effectively supplement one another in their search of problems’ solutions of the economical crisis-1998”.

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Gomel plant of starting engines was left without any connection to the outer world. In addition to the cessation of heat and hot water supplies, the municipal authorities switched off most of their phones. Moreover, the tax inspection of the Sovietsky district petitioned the economic court over the liquidation of the plant.

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Concern “Belneftekhim” should work out a question of selling shares of Mahilyou enterprise “Khimvalakno”. The list of investors is not authorized yet, but it is known for sure that at the first stage the working control of shares would be left for the state.

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Беларусь занимает 72 место по уровню здравоохранения. Об этом говорится в Belarus occupies the 72nd place in the level of public health, according to the latest report of the World Health Organization. As stated by the WHO report, the best public health system is created in France. Italy is on the second place, and then goes San Marino, a tiny European state. Beside them among the states included to the first ten are: Andorra, Malta, Singapore, Spain, Oman, Austria and Japan. What concerns the post-Soviet states, Russia takes the 130th position, Kazakhstan – the 64th, Ukraine – the 79th, Lithuania – the 73rd, Estonia – the 77th, Moldova – the 101st, Armenia – the 104th, Azerbaijan – the 109th, Georgia- the 114th, Uzbekistan – the 117th, Kyrgyzstan – the 151st, Turkmenistan – the 153rd, Tajikistan – the 154th. Compare with China at 144th place, India at 112th, Poland at the 50th, Albania at the 55th.

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