President Alexander Lukashenko, isolated by the West for his lack of political and economic reforms, said on Friday Belarus must be prepared to defend itself against U.S. attack. Lukashenko, once called Europe`s last dictator by U.S. officials, has criticized Washington`s military campaign against Iraq, saying it had created a precedent whereby undesirable leaders could be unseated with military force.

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The administrative commission of the Partisan district of Minsk fined Ludmila Hryaznova 25 thousand BYB for dissemination of printed materials without publisher`s imprint. In this way the authorities reacted to the call of the human rights watchdog not to infringe the Constitution and not to allow the referendum with the aim to prolong presidential authorities of Alyaksandar Lukashenka, the United Civil Party press service informs.

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On January 26 editorial office of the newspaper “Mestnaya Gazeta” of Smarhon was sealed up. Its editor-in-chief Ramuald Ulan, despite of the fact that he h as deputy’s immunity, as said by him, was forcibly taken to the local police station.

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Alyaksandar Lukashenka made an order to control by the state use of the buildings in the historical part of Minsk, as well as to study the question related to money receiving from rent and sale of buildings throughout the country. “The question of the sale of buildings in the Upper City and the Traetskaye Suburb (the historical part of Minsk) is to be decided during the first quarter of the next year finally and decisively”, said Lukashenka at a meeting on Monday. He underlined that all buildings, except one or two belonging to religious denominations, are to be returned to the state.

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