Belarus under lukashenko

By Nick Paton Walsh , Sebastian Shukla, Christian Streib and Denis Lapin, CNN Updated 1041 GMT (1841 HKT) March 22, 2021 Kiev, Ukraine (CNN) -- Sergei stood on a small sheet of ice in the Dnieper River and breathed in the icy air hard. He had escaped, but that relief was overwhelmed by both the pain of leaving his homeland and the fear he might not survive the rest of his perilous journey. He was wanted, again, by Belarusian police. He had already been detained last summer and was beaten in custody, all for protesting against the election victory declared by President Alexander Lukashenko . Fellow protesters he'd spent time in detention with had just been arrested, and it was clear the police would soon come for him again. Reluctantly, he knew he had to flee. His was a particularly remarkable run to freedom. He crossed the border into Ukraine illegally, and was not able to walk through the forest and across sheet ice, like many before him had done. In a … [Read more...] about ‘He cut my underwear. Then he did what he did’

China’s U.N. representative in New York read a statement Monday condemning the United States for “systemic racial discrimination” and “deep-rooted racial discrimination, police brutality, and social inequality” in the country. China currently runs over 1,000 concentration camps for racial and ethnic minorities where — due exclusively to their ethnicity, religion, or other immutable parts of their identity — survivors say they face communist indoctrination, rape, torture, slavery, and screening for black market organ harvesting. Following its condemnation of America for alleged racism, China led a group of allies in the committee Tuesday applauding its concentration camps. Representative Zhang Jun made his remarks during a meeting of the Third Committee, tasked with economic and social rights, of the U.N. General Assembly, according to China’s state-run Global Times propaganda newspaper. The newspaper asserted that 26 countries co-signed Zhang’s statement against America … [Read more...] about China, North Korea, Cuba, Iran Denounce U.S. for ‘Systematic Racial Discrimination’ at U.N.

LONDON - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed the United States' commitment to NATO as he sought to strengthen the transatlantic relationship in a two-day summit this week in Brussels, which wrapped up Wednesday. "You have our unshakeable vow: America is fully committed to NATO," Blinken said in a speech at NATO headquarters in the Belgian capital. He promised a new relationship with European allies. "Trust has been shaken to some degree over the past few years. So, let me be clear about what the United States can promise to our allies and partners. When our allies shoulder their fair share of the burden, they'll reasonably expect to have a fair say in making decisions," Blinken said. He outlined the military threats facing the alliance, warning that NATO must evolve to defend democracy and the rules-based international system. "Our shared values of democracy and human rights are being challenged — not only from outside our countries, but from within. And new … [Read more...] about China, Russia Top NATO Agenda as US Seeks to Rebuild Transatlantic Bonds

(CNN) Secretly shot video tells the story of an alleged spy ring at work in Bulgaria's capital. A woman in a white jacket arrives at the Russian embassy in Sofia; she is seen in animated conversation with someone unidentified. Inside a government office, a surveillance camera catches a man counting money at his desk, apparently the reward for his espionage. And in an intercepted phone call, the alleged leader of the group is heard telling an accomplice how his father cried when Stalin died. Then they talk money. The recordings, made by Bulgarian investigators, were released on Friday as prosecutors announced charges against six Bulgarians -- several of them senior or former defense officials -- on suspicion of spying for Russia. Prosecutors alleged that the group "posed a serious threat to national security by collecting and handing to a foreign country state secrets of Bulgaria, NATO and the European Union." They also released a memo allegedly … [Read more...] about How an alleged Russian spy ring stole NATO and EU secrets from Bulgaria

(CNN) As players continue to protest the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Belgium manager Roberto Martínez says boycotting the tournament would be a "big mistake." On Thursday, German players lined up before their qualifying game against Iceland with "human rights" spelled out across T-shirts, a day after the Norwegian team wore tops bearing the message "human rights on and off the pitch." A Guardian report last month stated that more than 6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since the country was awarded the right to host the World Cup back in 2010, controversially chosen ahead of the likes of the United States and Australia. "The mortality rate among these communities is within the expected range for the size and demographics of the population," the Qatar government told the Guardian in response. CNN has not independently verified the Guardian figures. Read More Germany players protest against the 2022 World Cup to be … [Read more...] about Boycotting the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar would be a ‘big mistake,’ says Belgium manager Roberto Martínez