Belarus frees 250 political prisoners in US-brokered deal / Photo: Handout - Belarusian presidential press service/AFP
-
Rai wins first major at PGA with back-nine birdie blitz
-
Woad bags second LPGA title at Queen City Championship
-
Lebanon says Israeli strikes kill 7 as Hezbollah condemns talks
-
Revived La Rochelle trounce Top 14 leaders Toulouse
-
PSG beaten by Paris FC in Ligue 1 as Lille qualify for Champions League
-
Griezmann apologetic on emotional Atletico Madrid farewell
-
Raging Neymar forced off by refereeing error as Santos lose
-
Sinner extends Masters tournament streak on home turf, eyes French Open
-
Canadian cruise passenger confirmed positive for hantavirus
-
England see off gutsy France to clinch another Women's Six Nations
-
Sevilla safe despite Real Madrid defeat, Mallorca on brink
-
UK police detail arrests after far-right rally and counter demo
-
Smalley tees off with PGA lead and stars in hot pursuit
-
Trump issues dire warning to Iran to accept peace deal
-
West Ham on brink of Premier League relegation, Man Utd seal third
-
Bulgaria's Eurovision winner flies home to rapturous welcome
-
Starc takes four to keep Delhi alive in IPL
-
Kyiv residents protest 'dangerous' civil code, call for LGBTQ rights
-
Modiba thunderbolt gives Sundowns victory in African final first leg
-
World champions England see off France to clinch another Women's Six Nations
-
Taiwan's leader says island will not be 'traded away'
-
Sinner wins Italian Open, extends Masters tournament streak
-
'Michael' moonwalks back to top of N. America box office
-
Putter powers sizzling Kitayama to record 63 at PGA
-
Travolta channelled film greats in low-thrust plane movie
-
Scotland rugby great Scott Hastings dead at 61 - SRU
-
Fujimori and Sanchez advance to Peru runoff: official results
-
Italian PM meets victims of Modena car incident
-
'Fight relentlessly': Ukraine commander vows strikes into Russia
-
Kitayama fires sizzling 63 at PGA as No.1 Scheffler starts
-
Fernandes equals Premier League assist record in Man Utd win, West Ham brace for Newcastle
-
Ireland thrash Scotland 54-5 in Women's Six Nations to finish third
-
Vingegaard climbs to victory as Eulalio holds firm in pink
-
Carrick expects clarity on Man Utd future in 'coming days'
-
Eyewitness says Modena tragedy could have been even worse
-
Around 10 'new' victims in France's Epstein probe: prosecutor
-
Shock threat by billionaire Bollore's Canal+ group rocks French cinema
-
Kohli, Venkatesh dazzle as Bengaluru qualify for IPL play-offs
-
Probes ongoing into alleged abuse at 84 Paris preschools: prosecutor
-
Di Giannantonio wins Catalan MotoGP Grand Prix, Alex Marquez injured in horror crash
-
Fernandes equals assist record as Man Utd edge Forest thriller
-
Earps to leave PSG, in talks with London City Lionesses
-
Bowlers, Joy put Bangladesh on top in second Pakistan Test
-
Alex Marquez injured in horrific Catalan MotoGP crash
-
'Message for friends and foes': Libyan National Army conducts grand exercises
-
Bayern's Neuer sidelined again with leg issue
-
Adam Driver shuts down question about clashes with Lena Dunham
-
British soprano Felicity Lott dies aged 79
-
Roma near Champions League return with derby triumph, Napoli secure top four
-
Denmark's Antonsen wins badminton Thailand Open title
Belarus frees 250 political prisoners in US-brokered deal
Belarus freed 250 political prisoners on Thursday following negotiations with the United States, while Washington agreed to remove sanctions on several Belarusian companies in return, a US official said.
The prisoner release, the largest in years, came hours after US envoy John Coale met Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk.
US President Donald Trump has sought to build ties with Belarus, a close ally of Russia, since taking office last year, easing sanctions on the country and welcoming it to his "Board of Peace".
The authoritarian state in eastern Europe has released dozens of prisoners in recent months, largely due to US efforts.
"Today's release of 250 individuals is a significant humanitarian milestone and a testament to the President's commitment to direct, hard-nosed diplomacy," Coale wrote on X.
"Freedom is our goal. We extend our deepest gratitude to our Lithuanian partners for their pivotal role in this mission," he added.
Among those released on Thursday were human rights activists Valentin Stefanovich, Marfa Rabkova and Anastasiya Loika, Belarusian rights group Viasna reported.
Belarus still holds hundreds of political prisoners in its jails, many of whom were arrested after a disputed 2020 election that triggered widespread protests.
Opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya thanked Trump for his efforts that were "saving lives" and urged the release of those still held behind bars.
Coale announced that the United States would remove sanctions from several Belarusian banks and fertiliser producers in return, as well as the finance ministry.
He also suggested Lukashenko could visit the United States.
"President Trump constantly refers to President Lukashenko as his good friend and a respected leader," he said.
The West had heavily sanctioned Minsk over its role in facilitating the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, as well as its crackdown on protesters in 2020.
Lukashenko has ruled Belarus since 1994 with an iron fist, in what critics have called Europe's last dictatorship.
Elections held in August 2020 resulted in another landslide victory for the long-time leader, a result that the opposition decried as blatantly falsified.
F.Dubois--AMWN