Notes and Asides

"The Baltic gas pipeline - it's the most stupid plan in the history ofRussia. It should be in the Guinness book of records" -Alexander Lukashenko

Also,

AlJazeera.net had this little bit on the arrest of 30 people and two candidates during the most recent local elections in Belarus. It was posted on Sunday, January 14, 200723:31 MECCA TIME.

Belarus Local Elections End

District elections in Belarus have ended with reports of high-turnouts. Two hours before voting ending on Sunday night, more than 7 million votes had reportedly been cast in the nation of 10 million people, the electoral commission said.

However opposition activists said police had arrested at least 30 activists ahead of the vote. Ales Belyatsky, head of the Vyasna human rights organisation, said: "We estimate that at least 30 people have been arrested including two candidates."

(Thanks Jen!)