Banks stop issuing home loans

Belarus's biggest banks suspended issuing home loans.
BelTA learnt it from banks.
Belagroprombank has suspended giving loans for buying real estate. The bank's call centre says new lines of credit for homes are unavailable, but customers can use the existing lines of credit.
Other big Belarusian banks, in particular Bank BelVEB, Belinvestbank and Belgazpombank, say issuing all loans was suspended on December 19, 2014.
BPS-Sberbank continues to give home loans, but interest rates have been raised to 60% today.
Belarusbank was reported on January 12 to have suspended real estate lending. The information was posted on the bank's official website. The bank refuses to comment on the situation and explain the reasons.

Kilde :  http://charter97.org/en/news/2015/1/12/134854/

EU urged to make a plan to counteract Russian propaganda

Such a call has been made by Lithuania, the Great Britain, Denmark and Estonia.
These countries have turned to the European Commission with a call to work out an action plan for fighting the Russian propaganda campaign, the letter of foreign ministers of the four countries addressed to the EU’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini reads, Delfi.lt reports.
The letter has been signed by ministers of Lithuania, the Great Britain, Denmark and Estonia: namely, Linas Linkevičius, Philip Hammond, Martin Lidegaard and Keit Pentus-Rosimannus.
They warned that that “Russia is rapidly increasing its disinformation and propaganda campaign,” which seeks to secure support to “political and military aims of the Russian government.”
The ministers have called for “credible and competitive information alternatives for Russian-speaking populations and those using Russia’s state-controlled media”.
They offered to discuss the Russian at the meeting of EU ministers early in 2015 and invited European External Action Service to work out an action plan for 2015-2016.
Linas Linkevičius, the Lithuanian diplomacy chief behind the initiative, told on Friday that the ministers “do not propose censorship or bans, they only want conditions for truly impartial, free and alternative sources of information”.
As said by him, Russia is earmarking billions to the state-controlled media, therefore, “the society's immunity to manipulations should be a major concern”.
“I would want more attention not just in words, but also in specific actions to the conditions that would allow people to get alternative, free and impartial information. It should in no way be controlled by other “correct” administrations, as this would not be free information,” said the minister.
In the letter to Brussels, the four diplomats called for a platform that would provide information about the propaganda lies and manipulations, support initiatives to create Russian-language television channels, Internet portals, radios and press, encourage exchange of production within the EU and propose the production to the existing Russian media.
We remind that earlier Estonian president Toomas Hendrik Ilves called upon uniting to fight against the propaganda of the Kremlin and the “parallel universe” created by Russia in the informational space.

Kilde:  http://charter97.org/en/news/2015/1/9/134508/

Jacek Saryusz-Wolski: Policy of strict sanctions and demands needed towards Lukashenka

A member of the European Parliament met with former Belarusian political prisoners.
Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, a member of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs, former EP Vice President and Vice President of the European People's Party, met with leader of the European Belarus civil campaign Andrei Sannikov, coordinator of the European Belarus civil campaign Zmitser Bandarenka, co-director of the Belarusian House in Warsaw Uladzimir Kobets and charter97.org chief editor Natallia Radzina in the headquarters of charter97.org in Warsaw on January 8.
The difficult situation of Belarusian political prisoners, ongoing political repression, the blockage of independent websites, aid to the media and democratic opposition, the West's policy to Belarus in the new geopolitical situation were discussed during the meeting.
“The policy of the European Union towards Belarus should have two directions. It must be a policy of strict sanctions and demands, beginning with the release of political prisoners and freedom of the media and ending with free elections and other democratic standards. On the one hand, strict sanctions against the regime are needed, but on the other hand, the maximum transparency in relation to civil society is needed. What concerns the second aspect, opportunities for travelling in the European Union, student exchange programmes and contacts between organisations of civil society should be created and the independent media should be supported. We should do everything that could bring changes to Belarus,” Jacek Saryusz-Wolski told charter97.org after the meeting.
The MEP commented on the intention of the Belarusian authorities to block independent websites in Belarus. The blockage took place in late December 2014, but this year many Belarusian sites, including charter97.org, fall under “draconian” amendments to the law on the mass media.
“We will express our protest and raise this question in our resolutions. Now, after the attack on freedom of expression in Paris, it is the right moment to return to the problem of free speech, to the issue of where and on what scale it is suppressed. Free speech in Belarus is suppressed completely.
The European Union should give diplomatic and other signals. But I think it would be effective only if the signals appeared in the package of demands – the release of political prisoners, respecting free speech, etc. The EU's policy towards Belarus should depend on the implementation of these demands,” Jacek Saryusz-Wolski said.
Andrei Sannikov, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, Natallia Radzina   Kilde:  http://charter97.org/en/news/2015/1/10/134589/

Kaliada at Toronto Christmas Market 2014

Belarusians on shopping spree in Poland ahead of New Year's Eve

Large numbers of Belarusians go on shopping to Poland ahead of New Year celebrations.
Traders in Polish Bialystok are happy as their profits doubled ahead of Christmas and New Year's Eve. It is to a great extent due to shoppers from Belarus who take advantage of discounts in Polish stores after Catholic Christmas, Gazeta Wyborcza writes.
Belarusians spent at least a billion Polish zloty in Poland last year.
The number of Belarusian shoppers increased in early December. Parking lots near shopping malls are filled with cars and minibuses from Belarus. It seems logical in the season of Christmas discounts on clothes, footwear and decorations. Belarusians buy even durable goods.
“We've bought a television and two phones. We've come to buy clothes, because we don't have such discounts at home, and food. It's much cheaper than in Belarus. We are going to buy washing powder and go to Leroy Merlin. We'll stay in Bialystok for a night, because we have big plans. We want to buy many things for our family and friends,” Aliaksandr of Hrodna says.
Polish traders take advantage of the situation – advertising leaflets are available already on the border, ads regularly appear in Belarusian press and on websites. A special website focusing on shopping in Bialystok was launched this year. It publishes information in Polish and Russian. Outlet Bialystok, which opened two weeks ago, wants to launch a free bus from Hrodna.
Official statistical data for 2014 will be made public only in January, but we can say even now that sales in the Tax Free system are growing and the first six months of the year showed much better results than previous years. According to the Central Statistical Office of Poland, Belarusians spent more than 734 million zloty in the second quarter of the year against 620 million in the same period in 2013.

Kilde: http://charter97.org/en/news/2014/12/31/133315/

Domrachava is in the top three athletes in the world

International Sports Press Association named the Belarusian one of the best athletes of the year.
She took the second place by survey, conducted among members of the Organization from 91 countries, BelaPAN reports.
Darja Domrachava received 483 votes (12.28% of all respondents) followed by the US tennis player Serena Williams (843; 21.43%) and only 10 votes ahead of Norwegian skier Marit Bjørgen.
The best athletes are the German national football team goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, the Swiss tennis player Roger Federer and the forward for Spanish club Real Madrid and the Portugal national team Cristiano Ronaldo.
The top three teams formed by Germany national football team, the world champion, the Real Madrid, the winners of the UEFA Champions League, and the Switzerland Davis Cup team.
According to journalists, the World Cup in Brazil, the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi and the Wimbledon Tennis Championships are among those with the best organization.
Kilde:  http://charter97.org/en/news/2014/12/31/133313/