Get ready for the coming transformation of Europe's last official dictatorship into a smiley, freedom-loving friend of the West. Step forward Belarus and its President- for- Life Alexander Lukashenko, about to be repackaged as Mr Nice - and perhaps to be ushered gently into the European Union as his reward.

17:57 “Election” in Lukashenka’s Style: Pro-democracy activists detained in regions

Participants of election campaign representing democratic forces face problems: they are detained, not allowed to be present at sessions of election committees, deprived of informational materials.

17:55 Lyabedzka warned

Chairman of the United Civil Party (UCP) Anatol Lyabedzka got an administrative warning for violation of the border regime.

15:59 Oppositionists still suspect in blast case

There remain no representatives of democratic organisations among the detained in the case of 4 July blast at the Independence Day concert. They are all under suspicion and must go to investigation bodies on call.

15:25 US president said it’s necessary to oppose dictatorship in Belarus

George Bush reminded Belarus in a traditional annual proclamation on Captive Nations Week on 18 July. “Today, our Nation faces new struggles with adversaries who murder the innocent and seek to subject millions to their violent, totalitarian rule,” the US President said.

14:49 Foreign Ministry and Security Council of Belarus tight-lipped about arms deliveries to Sudan

The Foreign Ministry of Belarus and the State Secretariat of the Security Council do not comment on the reports about Belarus’ participation in Russian arms deliveries to Sudan.

14:15 Prisoners of Babruisk penal colony slit wrists

Prisoners told they suffered from unbearable pressure of the colony administration, so they decided on a mass suicide.

14:07 Police forces oppositionists to make saliva tests

Today a member of the Belarusian Popular Front party, a possible candidate for deputy in Kobryn electoral district No.12 Alyaksandr Mekh was summoned to Kobryn police department.

11:13 Blast case falling apart. Authorities have to release oppositionists

Most of the oppositionists, detained in the case of 4 July blast in Minsk, have been released.

10:55 Miraslau Lazouski: “A student, a programmer and a plant worker were in cell with me”

Democratic activist Miraslau Lazouski and his wife Nina Shydlouskaya told t the Charter’97 press center about detention in blast case and what the oppositionist was asked in the KGB.

10:32 Al Jazeera on situation in Belarus (Video)

Qatari satellite TV channel Al Jazeera has demonstrated an item about the situation in Belarus. The main topic of the item is problems with freedom of speech in our country, pressure on independent journalists and the threat of imposing censorship on the web after the Law on Mass media adopted by the Belarusian “parliament”.

10:13 Chavez to come to Minsk this week

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez is to visit Minsk this week, Interfax-Zapad was told in the Embassy of Venezuela to Belarus.

9:21 Andrei Sannikov: «Geremek knew that it’s unacceptable to flirt with Lukashenka’s regime”

The news about the tragic death of Bronisław Geremek has made us recall Polish Trade Union Solidarność (Solidarity), one of the founders of which he was.

9:02 Water prohibited to be brought to prison to human rights activist on hunger strike

As Valery Shchukin has told to the Belarusian Helsinki Committee, the mother of Pavel Lyavinau, a human rights activist, was not allowed to bring water to her detained son.

8:30 Illya Bohdan: “About 100 persons were arrested in blast case. All of them were called political”

The released opposition activists tell how many people are in reality detained in the case related to the blast in Minsk on July 4.

8:20 Russia secretly selling arms to Sudan through Belarus

Sudan Tribune reports the Sudanese government received a party of Russian MIG-29 combat fighters in violation of UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution 1591. A source close to the Sudanese army told the combat fighters were shipped discreetly from Belarus.