Russian and Belarusian authorities are in talks over the scrapping of the visa-free regime between Belarus and Georgia, a deputy head of Russia`s immigration service said Tuesday.

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"We have the girl`s well-being and future at heart and will not wait in silence for solutions the respective countries might decide to adopt", communicated Massimo Barra, president of the Italian Red Cross (IRC), with regard to its efforts for Maria, the Belarus girl repatriated without a final decision of the court of appeal; the IRC also requested the collaboration of the Belarus Red Cross.

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A customs union of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus must be formed by March 2007, Kazakhstan`s president said Tuesday. Leaders of the Eurasian Economic Community (Eurasec) signed documents on the establishment of a customs union, which envisions no duties or taxes for imports or exports on the organization`s territory, during an informal summit in Sochi, in southern Russia, on August 15-17.

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The 7 Polish catholic priests and 5 nuns have been working in different parishes of Hrodna Diocese for about ten years, have been refused annual visa renewal, “Gazetа Wyborczа” was told by the representative of the Conference of the Catholic Bishops in Hrodna, priest Antony Gremza. They have been ordered to leave Belarus by 2007.

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Today in Belarus existence of on-line dating agencies disagrees with the current legislation. Namely, the Decree of the Council of Ministers No. 449 of May 2, 2005. Recently the owner of the internet-source www.amur.by was served a summons related to the work of his internet-source. A report had been drawn up against him for violation of the Article 154 Part 1 of the Administrative Code (Violation of the rules of business activities).

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Vintsuk Viachorka, the leader of the Belarusian People’s Front Party gave the following commentary to the statements about the Belarusian language that were made by Aliaksandr Lukashenka during the press-conference with Russian journalists:

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According to information of the National bank of Belarus, in 8 months the sum of foreign exchange cash bought by physical persons was more than sold by USD 542.3 million (by 71.6% more than in analogous period of the last year).

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Catholic priest Fr Antoni Kochko has not been charged for serving Mass without state permission in the Belarusian capital Minsk, despite a court appearance, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Fr Antoni could have faced deportation - the punishment for repeat violations or one "crude violation" of a state decree on the activity of foreign religious workers. Fr Antoni was, after saying Mass in a Minsk parish where he does not normally work, approached by a man and woman in plain clothes. They accused him of breaking the law and escorted him to a court. One Belarusian Catholic commented that the pair "are always sitting in our church. You can`t fail to spot them." Another priest told Forum 18 that the authorities did check whether priests were serving only at state-approved locations. After just such a check-up, he himself had been recently fined, but he pointed out to Forum 18 that this could be regarded as support – "we know from the Bible that if this is happening you`re doing the right thing" – and as a source of income for the law enforcement agencies, "they have to get it from somewhere."

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Today the trial in the case of Yuras Ivaniukovich has finished in Moscow. As “Nasha Niva” informs, Basmanny court has sentenced the Belarusian citizen 3,000 Russian rubles (112 USD) instead of 20,000 rubles as demanded by the plaintiff. The verdict was passed for violation of the Criminal Code (vandalism). Ivaniukovich had made graffiti “Long live Belarus!” and “Belarusian TV lies!” at a plate on the building of Belarusian Embassy in Moscow.

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A story of little Vika has ended in the most unexpected way. A girl was returned to Belarus on Friday overnight. “Belavia” company even organized a special flight to bring the wretched child from Italy. By the way, Vika was sent to Belarus even before the ruling of the cassation court was announced. The session of the court took place last Thursday, and which ruling was expected by Guisto family with impatience. The court verdict was announced when the girl was in Belarus. But in any case it couldn’t satisfy the Italian couple that had been dreaming to become parents of the Belarusians orphan.

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Young activist Artur Finkevich, who is serving a sentence in a corrective facility in Mahilyou, was hospitalized today to the 1st city hospital of the regional center. The BelaPAN was informed about that by an activist Krystsina Shatsikava.

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On October 1 a 22-year-old girl tripped a mine of unknown type while collecting mushrooms in Baranavichy district, Brest regions. The girl is in grave condition. She has injures of the both legs, crushed bones, an explosive-type wound of the right thigh.

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