Rumors are spreading that the leadership of the Russian TV channel RTR plans to introduce a new position in its Minsk affiliate - that of a producer. Minsk sources report that one of the possible candidates to get the vacancy is the agent of the KGB group for press in Minsk and Minsk region Andrei Kachuro. These allegations are quite well grounded.

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That`s the name of the new site, which appeared in the Internet at: http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/incognito/

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Russian law-enforcement bodies admit that the detention of State Secretary of the "Russian-Belarus union" Pavel Borodin had been orchestrated by the US surveillance.

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The Ministry of transport and communications of Belarus ruled to increase by 7,7-8,5% intercity bus fares. From now on the cost of long-distance travels raised from 8,2 to 8,9 rubles per one kilometer, in buses with soft seats - from 8,8 to 9,5 rubles, in express buses - from 10,7 to 11,7 rubles.
The previous price-increase on bus fares happened Nov.4, 2000.

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Press-center of the Belarusian Procuracy released Jan.18 night its press statement, reading:
January 12 in computer network Internet and afterwards in "Nasha Svaboda" newspaper there appeared slanderous allegations in relation to the president of the Republic of Belarus.
On the basis of this libel, aimed at discrediting country`s head of state A. Lukashenko, the Repubic`s procuracy opened Jan.17 legal action under art.367-1 of the Penal code - slander against the president of the Republic of Belarus.

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International League for Human Rights, authoritative international human rights organization, addressed president Lukashenko, demanding that he cease any politically-motivated persecution of the Supreme Soviet deputy Valery Schukin and son of the prominent Mogilev human rights defender S.Obodovsky Dmitry.

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Such a decision was passed by the Brooklin court as a result of the court hearing on the case of the former head of Russian presidential Administration, current state secretary of the "union of Russia and Belarus" Pavel Borodin, detained Thursday morning in the JFK airport of New York upon the request of the Swiss procuracy. According to the court`s ruling, he`ll spend the next week in the local confinement center, reports ITAR-TASS.

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Deputy chief of American mission in Belarus John Kunstadter was summoned Jan.18 to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Belarus. First deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus Sergei Martynov shared his government`s indignation over the detention in JFK of the "state secretary of the Russia-Belarus union" Pavel Borodin. Belarusian side emphasized that the incident is yet another unfriendly US act towards the "union state". Belarusian FM urged the USA authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Borodin.

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On the first day of the Russian State Duma`s work after winter vacations, after the opening of the Jan.18 plenary meeting, they played old Soviet anthem for the first time. Two deputies refused to stand up to give honor to the Soviet hymn - former political prisoners Yuly Rybakov and Sergei Kovalev. The decision to adopt the hymn was passed in the end of last year. The hymn represents the melody of the Soviet anthem of 1944. Though the words are different, their author remains the same - Sergei Mikhalkov.

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"Nasha Svaboda" newspaper starts publishing a series of children`s paintings, participating in the paper`s political quiz. The tournament was started in the beginning of this year. Have a look at the very first drawing HERE

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