16:49 All of a sudden door creaked like in fairytale

9 October, ahead of the European March, policemen burst into the apartment of oppositionist Alyaksandr Atroshchankau on the first floor through a window (!) and searched it.

15:43 Benazir Bhutto «killed in blast»

Pakistani former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has been killed in a presumed suicide attack, a military spokesman has announced on TV. Earlier reports said Ms Bhutto had only been injured and taken to hospital. Ms Bhutto had just addressed a pre-election rally in the town of Rawalpindi when the bomb went off. At least 15 other people are reported killed in the attack and several more were injured. Ms Bhutto had twice been the country's prime minister.

15:37 Yushchenko is called to support UE sanctions against Lukashenka’s regime

Ukrainian internet-editions “Ukrainska Pravda”, “Glavred”, “LIGAbisznesinform” and “Korespondent” have announced a competition of questions titled “Ask President of Ukraine”. Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko will answer the most interesting questions during his concluding press conference in the evening 27 December.

14:37 Negotiations failed. Entrepreneurs to take to October Square on 10 January

Alyaksandr Kalinouski, head of the department on business of the committee on economy at the Minsk city executive committee, said on the meeting with entrepreneurs’ leaders that the decree № 760, discriminating rights of entrepreneurs, wouldn’t be changed. According to the official, it was a will of head of state and no correction of the decree is possible. The entrepreneurs left the building of the committee in protest. As entrepreneurs’ leader Alyaksandr Makayeu said to the Charter’97 press center, individual entrepreneurs would go on strike from 1 January, and take to October (Kastrychnitskaya) Square in Minsk on 10 January.

12:14 Entrepreneurs decided on strike after negotiations with authorities

Leaders of entrepreneurs’ movement confirmed their intention to demand cancelling of the decree №760 by strike after the meeting with officials.

11:20 Andrei Sannikov: «Threat comes only from Russia»

Not the US, as Belarusian Prime Minister Syargei Sidorski said, but Russia threatens the security of Belarus.

11:15 Bernd Stange: «Do you know where Hussein helpers now? In prison or under the daisies»

Bernd Stange, chief coach of Belarusian national team, in the interview to Pressball denied the information, published in the German edition Sueddeutsche Zeitung. The article wrote that Stange worked in dictatorial countries: from Iraq to Belarus.

11:01 Russia is in need of firm handling

Russia starts 2008 with its confidence higher than at any time since the collapse of the Soviet Union. At home, President Vladimir Putin and his top officials have managed a succession which seems certain to ensure their grip on power for years to come. Abroad, Russia is increasingly willing to assert its influence, especially in the former Soviet Union. The high price of oil has given the Kremlin huge resources with which to remake Russia and try to fulfil its ambitions.

10:41 Last convicted for meeting of entrepreneurs at large

Youth activist Mikola Syargeyenka, last convicted for organising of the protest demonstration of entrepreneurs was released today after 10-day administrative arrest from the Minsk special prison facility on Akrestin Street.

10:13 Detained activists of “Jeans for Freedom” at large

Activists of the civil campaign “Jeans for Freedom”, detained when picketing the Department of Corrections, were released from the Leninski District Internal Affairs Department without any reports drawn up. The young people were taken video and were fingerprinted.

8:24 Kremlin will require Lukashenka to pay

The last meeting of governmental delegations of Russia and Belarus was rare effective. Minsk received a loan of USD 1.5 billion yesterday. Earlier Russia’s president instructed to examine an application for another credit of USD 2 billion for the next year. Gas price for Belarus increases only by a little for the first quarter of the year. But, as the newspaper “Vedomosti” writes today, the relation between Putin and Lukashenka hasn’t become warmer. What is meant here is continuing of the new policy towards Belarus. The Kremlin has been demonstrating since end of 2006 that it is not going to give Lukashenka any gifts as it was before.