Over 1,000 held in Belarus protests
Minsk: Police detained over 1,000 people in Belarus during the latest protests against the results of the country’s presidential election, officials said on Wednesday.
Rallies took place in 25 Belarusian cities on Tuesday and overnight, Interior Ministry spokeswoman Olga Chemodanova told The Associated Press. Thousands have demonstrated in the capital of Minsk and several other cities for three nights to contest the election results.
The Central Election Commission reported that President Alexander Lukashenko won a sixth term in Sunday’s election with 80% of the vote. (AP)
Train derails in Scotland
London: Police and paramedics were responding on Wednesday to a train derailment in northeast Scotland, and smoke could be seen rising from the site.
The British Transport Police force said officers were called at 9:43 am (local time) to the railway line near Stonehaven, about 160 kilometers northeast of Edinburgh, where a train had derailed.
Police, several ambulances, an air ambulance and fire engines were at the scene. There were no immediate reports of injuries. The hilly area was hit by storms and flash flooding overnight. (AP)
Turkish ship starts energy search
Ankara: A Turkish seismic research vessel has begun surveying for energy resources in contested areas of the eastern Mediterranean, Turkey’s energy minister said on Wednesday, amid an escalation of tensions between rivals Greece and Turkey over oil and gas exploration rights.
Turkey’s seismic surveying ship, Oruc Reis, was taking the x-ray of our seas, Energy and Natural Resources Minister FatihDonmez said on Twitter. Turkey dispatched the Orus Reis and two support vessels to undertake seismic research for energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean in an area Greece says is on its continental shelf. (AP)
‘No loan, oil supply for Pak’
London: With Saudi Arabiaending loan and oil supply to Pakistan, the decade-long friendship between the two countries has finally ended, reported Middle East Monitor.
Pakistan was also made to pay back USD 1 billion to Saudi Arabia, which was part of a $6.2 billion package announced by Saudi Arabia in November 2018, which included a total of $3 billion in loans and an oil credit facility amounting to $3.2 billion.
The deals were then signed when Crown Prince Muhammed Bin Salman made a visit to Pakistan in February last year. (ANI)