The song’s lyrics were found to violate the competition’s rules in what critics called an endorsement of President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko’s crackdown on antigovernment protests.
Tag: Belarus
Telegram Messaging App Struggles Over New Fans From Far Right
The app has helped fuel democracy movements in Iran and Belarus but now faces scrutiny as extremists and conspiracy theorists flock to it amid crackdowns by Facebook and Twitter on disinformation.
A Flying Elephant, a Teacher’s Hugs: 12 Tales of Pandemic Resilience
The virus has been crushing spirits around the world, but some people refuse to be bowed. Here are their stories.
Molchat Doma Is Fun on TikTok. In Belarus, It’s Serious.
Molchat Doma, a synth-pop trio, has become an unlikely social media star. Back home, its music was the soundtrack to a traumatic year.
In Armenia-Azerbaijan Peace Deal, Putin Applied a Deft New Touch
The iron-fisted tactics used against Georgia and Ukraine seem to have fallen out of favor, replaced by a more subtle blend of soft power and an implicit military threat.
The Reign of Terror That Sustains Belarus’s Leader, Aleksandr Lukashenko
Despite hundreds of thousands protesting against him for months, Aleksandr G. Lukashenko has been able to cling to power thanks to an all-pervasive security system.
Trump’s Post-Election Tactics Put Him in Unsavory Company
Denying defeat, claiming fraud and using government machinery to reverse election results are the time-honored tools of dictators.
Belarus Protesters Call for General Strike Against Lukashenko
The country’s autocratic ruler, Aleksandr G. Lukashenko, is hanging on. But his fate may be decided in Moscow, where patience is wearing thin.
E.U. Agrees to Penalize Lukashenko, but Gives Him Time to Back Down
Foreign ministers of the bloc, which had imposed sanctions on other Belarus officials, agreed to apply them to the country’s president, pressuring him to call new elections.
Coronavirus, QAnon, Trump: Your Monday Briefing
Here’s what you need to know.