3 nabbed over Belarus metro blast

Belarusian police officers inspect a young man's bag.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/174702.html

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says three detained suspects have confessed to their involvement in a metro bombing in the capital Minsk that killed a dozen people on Monday.

"Today ... the crime was solved. The [state security service] KGB and police needed just one day ... to carry out a brilliant operation and detain the perpetrators," Reuters quoted Lukashenko as saying on Wednesday.

"We must look into statements made by political actors...Maybe these actors from the 'fifth column' will open their cards and point to the one who ordered (the attack)," he added.

The remarks came on a day that the ex-Soviet republic held mourning ceremonies for the victims of the April 11 metro blast in Minsk, which reportedly killed 12 people and wounded 150 others.

Chairman of the State Security Committee of Belarus Vadim Zaitsev said earlier that a man in his mid-20s was arrested and confessed to being involved in the bombing. He also stated that two other suspects have also confessed to their involvement in the subway attack.

Meanwhile, the Belarusian president said that the three suspects were also behind a bomb blast at a concert in Minsk in July 2008, which wounded about 50 people, and two other bombings in September 2005 that wounded more than 45 people in the city of Vitebsk.

"The detained criminals have confessed not only to carrying out the terrorist act in the Minsk metro. They are also responsible for the previous Independence Day and Vitebsk terrorist acts," Lukashenko noted.

The UN Security Council on Wednesday condemned in the strongest terms the attack at the subway station, saying "any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable."

Metro blast kills 11 in Belarus capital

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko at the blast site inside the Oktyabrskaya subway station in Belarus capital, Minsk, on April 11, 2011

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/174279.html

At least 11 people have been killed and more than 100 injured by an explosion in a subway station near Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's office in Minsk.

Smoke was seen rising from the Oktyabrskaya metro station in the city center on Monday and casualties were being taken out to the surface, AFP reported.

"Eleven people died as a result of the explosion," Interfax quoted Lukashenko as saying.

The Belarusian president blamed anonymous political opponents for the deadly incident in an emergency security session.

"I warned you that they won't let us live a calm life," said Lukashenko. "We have been presented with a serious challenge. We need an adequate response -- and it must be found."

While he said he could not rule out a foreign hand in the attacks, Lukashenko added, "I do not exclude that this is a present from abroad but we must look at home too."

The blast came amid severe economic conditions that have made the Belarusian government execute partial currency devaluation.

Russia cuts Belarus gas supply by 60%

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=131650&sectionid=351020602

Chief executive of Russia's gas giant Gazprom, Alexei Miller, says that Russia has cut Belarus's gas supply by 60 percent.

"From 10 a.m. on June 23, 2010 a regime of limiting Russian gas supplies to Belarus by 60 percent is being introduced," Miller said in televised remarks on Wednesday.

The Russian energy giant initially cut down its supplies by 15 percent on Monday and cut them by 30 percent the following day. It warned Belarus of 85% cuts in the coming days unless Belarus pays off its debt.

The decision comes after Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Semashko pledged on Monday that his country would repay the debt within two weeks even if they had to borrow money for it.

Meanwhile, President of the European Parliament (EU) Jerzy Buzek said Tuesday that the EU will not intervene in the Russia-Belarus gas dispute.

"Similar crises have occurred with Ukraine and Belarus before. EU observers visited those countries and that was useful of course because they were able to assess the situation on the ground objectively," Buzek said in an interview with RIA Novosti.

"We do not interfere in relations between two countries - that is up to Russia and Belarus or Russia and Ukraine to deal with. The EU will not be directly involved in the resolution of this conflict," Buzek went on to say.

Disputes between Russia neighbors over gas prices and transit terms have always been a threat to European countries, which rely on Russian gas.

Earlier in January 2009, Gazprom halted gas supplies to Europe for nearly two weeks over unsettled disputes with Ukraine over prices and transit terms.

Belarus to build air defense for Venezuela in oil trade

Source: PressTV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=121011&sectionid=351020704

The President of Belarus promises to assist Venezuela build a national air defense system as Caracas agrees to supply crude oil to Belarusian refineries.

"We can do this in a very short period of time," Alexander Lukashenko said following talks with his Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chavez.

Lukashenko added that with the new technology Venezuela will be able to live "peacefully" without worries about enemy conspiracies.

He made the offer during a two-day visit to Caracas aimed at solidifying industrial, commercial and diplomatic cooperation between the two nations.

Relations between Minsk and Caracas have strengthened dramatically in recent years.

Belarus and Venezuela trade about 1 million tons of crude a year (20,000 barrels a day), but beginning next May, the oil-rich South American nation will start exporting 80,000 barrel of oil a day to oil-thirsty Belarus.