Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 31 Ukrainian citizens convicted of crimes in Belarus, the state news agency Belta reported on Saturday.
According to Lukashenko’s spokesperson, Natalia Eismont, the decision followed agreements reached between Lukashenko and U.S. President Donald Trump at Ukraine’s request.
Ukraine’s prisoner exchange coordination committee later confirmed on Telegram that 31 civilians had been returned from Belarus, saying: “Women and men detained in Belarus and sentenced to between two and eleven years are now returning to Ukraine.”
The committee expressed gratitude to the United States and President Trump for their efforts in securing the release of Ukrainian civilians and military personnel held in Belarus and Russia, adding that those freed would receive medical treatment and rehabilitation.
On Thursday, Lukashenko also released two Roman Catholic priests convicted of “serious crimes against the state” following talks with the Vatican, Belta reported.
A close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Lukashenko has freed several hundred prisoners since mid-2024 as part of efforts to improve ties with the West after years of sanctions over his human rights record and support for Russia’s war in Ukraine. Earlier this month, President Trump appointed a special envoy to Belarus to negotiate further prisoner releases.
The Israeli military has begun a new wave of strikes on Tehran, it said late on Monday. The strikes came after it issued...
The U.S. embassy in Riyadh was hit by two drones resulting in a limited fire and some material damage...
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the U.S. and Israel's war against&...
The U.S. will take action to mitigate rising energy prices due to a spike in the price of oil caused ...
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton told lawmakers that President Donald Trump told him he had "some great tim...
The U.S. embassy in Riyadh was hit by two drones resulting in a limited fire and some material damage, the kingdom's defence ministry said in a post on X on Tuesday, citing an initial assessment.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran may take "some time" but it will not take years.
The U.S. will take action to mitigate rising energy prices due to a spike in the price of oil caused by the Iran conflict, Secretary of State Rubio said on Monday.
The U.S.-Iran crisis has entered its third day, with further strikes reported across the Middle East and the death toll rising. Oil prices have surged to levels last seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, raising fears of economic disruption and higher prices worldwide.
Follow the latest developments and global reaction after the U.S. and Israel launched “major combat operations” in Iran, prompting retaliation from Tehran.
Saudi Arabia’s state oil giant Saudi Aramco closed its Ras Tanura refinery on Monday following an Iranian drone strike, an industry source told Reuters as Tehran retaliated across the Gulf after a U.S.-Israeli attack on Iranian targets over the weekend.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
The Middle East crisis intensifies after the deadly attack on the compound of the Supreme Leader of Iran Ali Khamenei on Saturday that killed him, other family members and senior figures. Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in the region.
Ayatollah Alireza Arafi has moved into a pivotal constitutional role following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, becoming the clerical member of Iran’s temporary leadership council under Article 111 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton told lawmakers that President Donald Trump told him he had "some great times" with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein before their relationship soured, according to a video released on Monday (2 March).
The U.S.-Iran crisis has entered its third day, with further strikes reported across the Middle East and the death toll rising. Oil prices have surged to levels last seen during the Covid-19 pandemic, raising fears of economic disruption and higher prices worldwide.
The UK said it's allowing the U.S. to use its bases for defensive strikes against Iran amid escalating missile attacks, after a suspected drone strike hit a British airbase in southern Cyprus, causing limited damage.
The Kremlin is utilising the recent United States and Israeli military strikes on Iran to validate its ongoing war in Ukraine. Russian officials are pointing to the escalation in the Middle East as evidence that Western nations do not adhere to international rules.
European Union stands with its member states in the face of any threat, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in response to the drone strike that hit Britain's Royal Air Force base of Akrotiri in southern Cyprus overnight.
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