Vasil Bykov had been buried once in the past already. Having returned from the army he came across his name on the mass tomb. However, the destiny was merciful to him: it bestowed him with years upon years of hard but happy life, while our literature received another great writer. Vasil Bykov’s friends – war veterans – oftentimes recall him nowadays.

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Senior officials of the former Iraqi regime may be trying to flee to Belarus, according to evidence discovered when Saddam Hussein`s chief aide was captured last week. Passports from the former Soviet republic were found with Abed Hamid Mahmoud, Saddam`s close confidant, when he was detained by American troops near Tikrit a week ago, said Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurdish official privy to intelligence on the hunt for Saddam Hussein.

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Minsk Central district court didn’t accept for consideration the complaint, submitted against the procuracy by Zinaida Gonchar, Irina Krasovskaya and their attorney Garry Pogonailo, Radio Svaboda was told by Pogonailo, referring to the chairman of the Central court Petr Kirkovsky. They never mentioned the juridical basis for the refusal.

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Belarus will farewell with an outstanding national writer Vasil Bykov on June 25 in the Minsk Palace of literature, RIA “Novosti” was told in the Union of Belarusian writers. Supposedly, the mourning ceremony will start at 10a.m., Minsk time. Vasil Bykov will be buried in the Eastern graveyard of Minsk.

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On Monday the US embassy in Minsk officially refuted last week’s allegations about the National Academy of sciences’ president Mikhail Myasnikovich’s recent involvement during his trip to Washington in the secret negotiations with representatives of the US Department of State and other American officials. The Department for information and culture reports that “Myasnikovich never met with anyone from the US officials”.

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On June 19 first deputy Information Minister Nichiparovich signed another reprimand against “Predprinimatelskaya Gazeta” newspaper, ruling to suspend its publication for three months. Both documents were mailed to the editorial office on June 23.

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On June 23 representatives of the Belarusian National Humanities Lyceum filed in resignations to their acting director Vladimir Kolas, claiming that they would leave work on September 1, once the authorities appoint new administration in his stead. They were also joined by the teachers, who are working in the Lyceum on a temporary basis. Vladimir Kolas reported that the change in the Lyceum’s status (from state into a private) fully depends on the Education Ministry’s position.

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Representatives of the Grodno public organizations in course of the meeting of the coordination committee of the “Grodno initiatives”, held on June 19 in Grodno, passed a petition of protest against the “persecution of the leadership and professors of the National Humanities Lyceum”, reports BelaPAN.

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