Updated at 13:53,23-12-2024
Visiting ‘Europe’s last dictatorship’ (and one of its booziest nations) is about to get much easier
There are many reasons why rational travellers might not have considered a trip Belarus. Nicknamed ‘the last dictatorship in Europe’, this authoritarian destination is one of the few countries that retains the death penalty, is regularly criticised for human rights violations, and still calls its read more 
Woman learns English, then opens Aroma Joe's
When Maryna Shuliakouskaya arrived in the United States from Belarus, a small landlocked country on Russia's border, she didn't speak any English. Now, 10 years later, she has opened her third Aroma Joe's franchise in Kittery. read more 
Moldovans revealed as the second-biggest drinkers in the world by interactive map that charts booze consumption in every country
Brits may have a reputation for liking a tipple but they’re actually only the 17th booziest nation in the world, pipped to the top rankings by drinkers in a number of Eastern European countries. read more 
Teenager invents phone charger which generates energy from the human body
A teenager has invented and developed a phone charger which uses energy from the human body to get the energy to charge your phone. read more 
The town in Belarus from where cigarettes are smuggled to the UK
A town in Belarus is producing billions of cigarettes a year, about a third of which are thought to be smuggled to the EU. How do they end up in the UK and what measures are taken to stop the illegal trade? read more 
Belarus court rules against AP reporter for Chernobyl story
A court in the former Soviet republic of Belarus has ruled against an Associated Press correspondent in a lawsuit by a dairy company that claimed an AP article damaged its reputation. AP said it stands by his reporting and will seek to overturn the ruling on appeal. read more 
My hunting trip with Yeltsin killed off the Soviet Union
Belarusian politician recalls his role 25 years ago in reaching deal that led to breakup of USSR without major bloodshed. read more 
AP says will appeal Belarus court ruling against Chernobyl fallout story
The Associated Press said on December 23 it will seek to overturn a Belarusian court ruling finding that it damaged the reputation of a dairy company in a story about farmland contaminated by fallout from the Chernobyl nuclear accident. read more 
After Castro - 5 nations where dictators still rule
Fidel is dead, and now, buried. Some will call him the last of the Cold Warriors. But there are still plenty of regimes that have been in power for decades. Are they frozen in time, or is change bubbling beneath the surface? In each case, the answer may depend on how long political power can be read more 
WSJ: Belarus is emerging as the silicon valley of Eastern Europe
In recent year the foreign media have discovered that Belarus can offer more than agricultural produce and tractors. In a new article, the Wall Street Journal is exploring the country’s ambitions as the Silicon Valley of Eastern Europe. read more |
