Officially the presidential election campaign hasn`t got underway yet but this doesn`t stop the present head of state from promoting himself publicly. Beginning from yesterday he will be promoted by over fifteen NGOs and political parties of Brest region.

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Court considerations of the administrative cases of editors of the independent "Volny Gorod" and "Nash Volny Gorod" Sergei Nerovny and Nikolai Matorenko commenced on February 26 in the district court of Krychev (Mogilev region). They are indicted for violating the law on press and entrepreneurial activities. Protocols were filed after the detention of a distributor, who delivered packages with the newspapers from the Smolensk publishing house. The editors claim that they aren`t involved in business activities and one cannot consider two newspapers as one edition.

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Radio-station "Russian Radio" started broadcasting at 98,9 FM frequency in Minsk. The project has been prepared by the Belarusian "Radio Rocks" and the National radio-center.

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New Minister for communications of Belarus Vladimir Goncharenko stressed the need to increase the tariffs on electricity by 30%. He said this on February 26 during his Ministry`s presentation, led by Premier Vladimir Ermoshin.

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In February 2001 the cost of the public utilities services grew by 5,1% (apartment rent, elevator, central heating, cold and hot water supplies, gas, removal of waste and sewage). Electricity fares grew by 20,8-21,2%.

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Gomel law-enforcers detained Valery Schukin. He fulfilled his promise to carry Vladimir Ravkov`s wife in his arms inside the courtroom. February 26 the Gomel region court resumed court proceedings on the case of the professors of the local Institute of medicine. One of the defendants on the issue was university`s assistant rector Vladimir Ravkov. His wife Natalya Ravkova hasn`t been allowed in the courtroom throughout the course of the process, as far as she`s supposed to act as a witness. The lady is prevented from getting inside the hall by the guards, rather than ordered out upon the judge`s ruling, as the law puts it. Last week in his conversation with the "Vesna" HR group people Valery Schukin pledged that he "would carry the poor lady in his own arms into the courtroom".

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Independent newspaper of Mogilev "De Facto" was burgled two times over the past ten days, reports radio "Ratsya". The criminals opened the door of the paper`s office with their lock-pick and took away the PC and the newspaper`s archives. The journalists believe that the burglars were looking for the information database, as far as they touched none of the valuables, which were in the office.

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Another issue of the anonymous "Popular President" is being circulated in Minsk and other Belarusian towns these days. We managed to get a copy of this popular edition, which originally appeared in the country some 1,5 years ago. Then we allocated both first issues of this periodical on our regular web-site. Stay with us to view the latest one!

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took place this week-end in the regional center, report radio "Svaboda". The most likely candidate for the presidency sought to meet with the voters of Mogilev. Previously, they planned to hold this meeting in the "Tourist" hotel - the official permission of the hotel`s administration had been obtained. Nonetheless, just before Syamon Domash turned up in the building the administration received a phone call, after which they refused to host the meeting.

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Belarusian authorities have once again interfered with the TV schedule of the Russian NTV channel. Sunday night they cancelled the broadcasting of the French "Doberman" movie on NTV. NTV had been advertising this movie about a cop hunting a professional thief for a couple of days. But instead of the promised movie the Belarusian viewers watched records of the entertaining KVN show, usually televised by the Russian ORT.

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The Republic of Moldova must enter the "union of Russia and Belarus", said Vladimir Voronin, chair of the Communist Party of this country, which claimed victory at the early parliamentary elections, staged on Feb.25 this year. "Moldova has nothing else to do but join the union. Whole of Europe is getting united, whereas we, former soviet republics, are standing aside, waiting for some favor from the West. Things aren`t the way they should be."

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