The transport monopoly of Russia, Transneft, will curtail crude shipment to Belarus by 30 percent in the fourth quarter. Transneft attributes the reduction to pressure relief in Druzhba (Friendship) pipelines. But the analysts speak about an attempt to pressurize Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko in the gas dialogue.

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Here you may see the new photos of the hunger strike held in the church “New Life” in Kavaliou Street in Minsk. The Protestants have been refusing to take meal and spending nights in the church since October 6. They are afraid that the official powers can either occupy the building by force or wreck it.

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Today in Minsk 212 people - the believers of the church “New Life” - are holding a hunger strike. The fast-strike, as the Protestants call it, was launched on October 6. There are always more than 100 people in the building. Believers from Zhodzina, Mazyr, Stouptsy, Dziarzhynsk, Brest supported the Protestants of Minsk. The strikers said the only thing they needed was mattresses and water.

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The parents of juvenile activists Ivan and Illia Shyla were fined with BR 95 thousand. The commission passed the fine by default, violating the legislation: Uladzimir Shyla, the father, was absent at the trial since he hadn’t received the summons.

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A fire broke out at Lithuania`s only oil refinery on Thursday, prompting authorities to evacuate all workers from the plant but causing no injuries, plant officials said. "The fire is still burning, but we can say now that no one has been injured," said Saulius Vorauskas, a refinery official.

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As press secretary of the church “New Life” Inna Davydovich told Charter 97 press center, one of the participants of the hunger strike in, a man of 35, has been taken to a Minsk hospital today because of health problems.

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As it was reported earlier, yesterday 10 doctors of hospital #2 of Frunzenski district visited the church “New Life”. Priest Siargey Lukanin said the doctors behaved weirdly: they didn’t start examinations until the passport data of the strikers were noted down. After the examination three people were recommended to apply to a hospital. It was resolved that the doctors should visit the strikers between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily.

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Leader of the united democratic forces Aliaksandar Milinkevich was announced the winner of the Prize of Sergio Vierra de Mello, UNO High Commissioner on human rights. The prize is given for activity in the name of peace and cooperation of religions and cultures. The solemn ceremony of the prize presentation has been held today in Krakow.

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The killer was waiting on the ground floor. Anna Polit-kovskaya, a tall, elegant figure with steel-grey hair and black clothes, descended in the lift to collect the shopping bags she had left in her Lada outside on the street. It was 4.10pm on Saturday.

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The administrative commission of Navapolatsk City Executive Committee fined the public activist Valery Shauchenka 155 000 rubles (about 70 US dollars) for parking his car on a lawn. According to the activist, he and his neighbors have always parked at the roadside, but none of them have been ever punished for it. A traffic police inspector wrote a report about this violation right after Shauchenka complained to court against the refusal of Navapolatsk CEC to authorize the picketing of solidarity with political prisoners which the activists intended to maintain for a month.

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In Navapolatsk the member of the Conservative-Christian Party Anatol Kulik continues his hunger-strike of solidarity with the political prisoner Aliaksandr Kazulin. He started the hunger-strike on 4 October and intends to hunger till 20 October.

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The leader of the Gomel branch of the profascist organization Russian People’s Unity (RPU) was tried in Gomel. The RPU activist called Nester was fined with BR 1.5 mln for deliberate causing of bodily injuries.

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We, members of the Human Rights Center Viasna express our decisive protest against the criminal persecution of the public activist Pavel Krasouski on far-fetched and groundless accusations.

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As the press-service of the church “New Life” (“Novaye Zhytsio”) informed the Charter’97 press center, 212 people are backing up the hunger strike defending the Protestants. More than 100 strikers spent this night in the church building.

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The readings of the play by Natalla Kaliada “They had dreams…” (“Im snilisia sny…”) are to take place on the Belarusian Solidarity day, on October 16. The main characters of the book are the wives of the people missing in Belarus who are trying to overcome the tragedy, conceive life and destiny of their country.

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