BELARUSAN NEWSPAPER BANNED.

The head of the Belarus State Press Committee said on television over the weekend that the operating license of the Minsk newspaper Belorusskaya delovaya gazeta has been withdrawn. The Russian-language newspaper had previously received five warnings about articles criticizing President Aleksandr Lukashenko’s policies, and since last year has been printed in neighboring Lithuania after being denied the use of printing plants in Belarus. The withdrawal of the license would prohibit distribution of the paper in Belarus. The publisher and chief editor told Western agencies that they intend to continue operations since only a court has legal authority to withdraw a newspaper’s license. (Reuter, June 8)

Yeltsin Confident of Victory.