Belarus opposition leader’s husband freed from prison

1 day ago Share Save Sarah Rainsford Eastern and Southern Europe Correspondent Share Save

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya

The husband of Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has been unexpectedly released from prison in Belarus, along with 13 other political prisoners. Sergei Tikhanovsky – an opposition activist himself – has been moved to Lithuania and reunited with his wife, who is living in exile in capital Vilnius, after five years in prison. Svetlana Tikhanovskaya announced her husband’s release by posting a 10-second video of their first hug since 2020. She said it was “hard to describe” the joy in her heart. The sudden release came as US special envoy Keith Kellogg visited Minsk, Belarus’ capital, on Saturday and held a meeting with the country’s authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

In a statement on X, the Lithuanian foreign minister said 14 political prisoners were released and receiving care in Lithuania. According to Tikhanovskaya’s office, five were Belarusian nationals and some were Japanese, Polish and Swedish citizens. However, Tikhanovksy’s release is by far the most prominent. A colourful, outspoken figure who once had a big following in Belarus on social media, he used to call on people to “stop the cockroach”, referring to Lukashenko. Ignoring the risks from a repressive regime, the video blogger and activist would tour the country to meet people in town squares and villages to hear – and broadcast – their concerns. In 2020, he was arrested as he began his campaign to challenge Lukashenko for the presidency in that summer’s elections.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya Svetlana Tikhanovskaya posted images of her and her husband Sergei Tikhanovsky speaking with released prisoners in Vilnius

He was jailed for 18 years in 2021 after a court convicted him of rallying mass protests against Lukashenko, among other charges. His wife, Tikhanovskaya – a political novice and total unknown – stepped in to run for election in his place. And when Lukashenko declared another landslide win, her supporters flooded the streets in the biggest protests Belarus has ever known. They were crushed, ruthlessly, and Tikhanovskaya was forced into exile. Maria Kolesnikova, another well-known opposition leader who was jailed after the mass protests of 2020, is still in prison, her sister confirmed. “No, not this time,” she wrote to the BBC when asked whether Maria was among those set free. “Though it’s a huge progress. We need more releases and for that – more efforts and negotiations.” In the video posted by Tikhanovskaya on Saturday, Tikhanovsky is smiling broadly but has lost so much weight that he is hard to recognise. Well-built, even stocky before his arrest, he is now thin. In the video, the jacket he is wearing hangs loosely and his head has been shaved. Franak Viacorka, senior adviser to Tikhanovskaya, described this as a “big day” and a very unexpected step. “We didn’t expect his release, we were struggling – fighting – for his release, but it was a full surprise,” he told the BBC from Lithuania. “We put his name on all the lists but we didn’t believe it was possible.” He said that Tikhanovsky was “the same Sergei” he was before he was jailed. “I felt the same energy, the same passion, though he was looking very thin,” he added. Tikhanovskaya wrote on X “my husband is free” before thanking US President Donald Trump, Kellogg and “all European allies” for their efforts to get her husband released. “We’re not done – 1,150 political prisoners remain behind bars,” she added. “All must be released.”

Getty Images Authoritarian Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko took office in 1994

Viacorka said that as far as his team knows, nothing was offered to Belarus in return for Tikhanovsky’s release. “I think he [Lukashenko] is in quite weak situation right now,” Viacorka said. “And he wants to improve relationship with the new American administration.” Artyom Shraibman, of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, suggested that the meeting with Kellogg was reward enough for Lukashenko. “It seems like the US asked for Tikhanovsky to be released as a significant concession in exchange for Kellogg’s visit and Lukashenko agreed,” he said. The Belarusian leader has been isolated by Western politicians for many years. Neither his re-election in 2020 or this year were ever officially recognised and Belarus was placed under Western sanctions. The freeze in relations deepened when Belarus aided Russia in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, allowing troops to cross its territory and missiles to be launched from its land. “It’s a significant diplomatic breakthrough for Lukashenko. It helps to get him out of isolation,” Mr Shraibman said. “I also think Lukashenko will like the opportunity to discuss issues of war and peace with such a top level envoy from the US. “So in some form, this is a win-win.” It is not clear whether the Trump administration is dangling the prospect of lifting some sanctions, though Lukashenko is certainly angling for that. But this release does not mean the end of political repression in Belarus. Hundreds more people are still behind bars for nothing more than their opposition to Lukashenko’s rule. My opponents choose jail and exile, Lukashenko tells BBC Other prisoners have been pardoned and released in recent months, but the repressions have not stopped. The BBC knows of recent cases of the KGB security service demanding people collaborate with its agents and inform on others, or face arrest. They had to flee the country. In the case of Tikhanovsky, it appears Lukashenko calculated that he had more to gain geopolitically by releasing a prominent prisoner than he would risk by letting him go.

AFP via Getty Images In 2020, thousands of people flooded the streets of Minsk to protest against Belarus’ presidential election results

Carney says he wants Canada to join major European defence plan

28 May 2025 Share Save Nadine Yousif BBC News Reporting from Ottawa Share Save

Getty Images Prime Minister Mark Carney says it is “not smart” for Canada to be so reliant on the US for defence

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he wants his country to join a major European plan to bolster defences by 1 July. Speaking to CBC on Tuesday, Carney said he hoped Canada would sign on to ReArm Europe – a plan to dramatically increase defence spending on the continent to in the next five years – in a bid to reduce reliance on the US. “Seventy-five cents of every (Canadian) dollar of capital spending for defence goes to the United States. That’s not smart,” Carney told the public broadcaster. His remarks come amid tension with the US after threats from President Donald Trump – though Carney has also previously said he is open to joining a missile defence project proposed by Trump.

A day after Carney’s remarks, Canada’s defence minister told a military trade show that his country wanted to quickly boost defence capacity in the face of growing global threats. “The global security environment is today volatile and uncertain,” said defence minister David McGuinty on Wednesday, citing Russia’s war in Ukraine, as well as a more assertive China. McGuinty said there would be a future focus on the Arctic, where competing nations were challenging Canada’s sovereignty. Defence also featured on Tuesday in the Speech from the Throne – an event that opened the new parliament and outlined the sitting government’s agenda. The address was read in person by King Charles III, Canada’s monarch, as part of a royal visit that was designed to highlight Canada’s identity and sovereignty. The speech contained commitments to “rebuilding, rearming, and reinvesting” in Canada’s military. It also outlined the government’s goal of strengthening defence relationships with European allies, and made mention of joining the ReArm Europe plan.

The remarks by Canadian officials come after Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte said he expected members of his Western defence alliance – including Canada – to grow their annual defence spending to a level equivalent to 5% of each nation’s GDP. The Nato target was previously 2% of GDP, but Rutte said members must prepare to defend themselves from increasingly powerful adversaries like Russia and China. “Russia has teamed up with China, North Korea and Iran,” Rutte told a Nato forum in the US on Monday. “They are expanding their militaries and their capabilities. They are preparing for long-term confrontation.” The plan to increase Nato’s spending target still has to be approved by member-country leaders, who are set to meet in the Netherlands in late June. Canada has long faced pressure for failing to meet Nato targets, and was accused last year by US House Speaker Mike Johnson of “riding on America’s coattails”. Canadian business leaders have also called on their government to majorly boost spending in the defence industry, touting this as a way to boost the economy. In Wednesday’s remarks, McGuinty told defence industry representatives that Carney’s government would prioritise procuring military technology and equipment from Canadian companies. Last week, Carney said that “high-level” talks were also taking place with the US about joining Trump’s Golden Dome missile defence system. The King’s throne speech noted that Canada wanted to continue talks with the US on security on trade. The US president posted on his Truth Social network later on Tuesday evening that the Golden Dome project would cost Canada US$61bn “if they remain a separate, but unequal, Nation.” “But will cost ZERO DOLLARS if they become our cherished 51st State,” he added, repeating his often-repeated view that Canada should be absorbed by the US. “They are considering the offer!” he claimed. In response, Carney’s office said in a statement that the prime minister “has been clear at every opportunity, including in his conversations with President Trump, that Canada is an independent, sovereign nation, and it will remain one”. Meanwhile, Canada’s UN ambassador reposted the US president’s comment on X with the response: “In another context this would called a ‘protection racket’.”

Trump signs order confirming parts of UK-US tariff deal

6 days ago Share Save Natalie Sherman Business reporter Chris Mason • @ChrisMasonBBC Political editor Share Save

Watch: A trade deal, a family photo and conflict in the Middle East – Trump’s short G7

A deal removing some trade barriers between the UK and US has been signed off by President Donald Trump. The move will bring into force parts of an agreement agreed between the two countries last month, and reduce tariffs on UK cars being shipped to the US. It comes after weeks of talks to implement parts of the pact, which the UK government hopes will shield British businesses from the impact of Trump’s tariffs. But the deal includes a 10% levy on most UK goods, including cars, and did not address the expected removal of charges on steel imports.

Speaking at the G7 summit in Canada, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called the move a “very important day” for both countries. The pact, initially agreed last month, is the first the White House has announced since it imposed wide-ranging tariffs on various goods entering America earlier this year. Chris Mason: Tariffs deal a triumph for Starmer – up to a point

What is in the UK-US tariff deal? Trump has raised taxes on goods entering the US, in a series of rapid-fire announcements in an attempt to encourage businesses and consumers to buy more American-made goods. It sparked financial turmoil and alarm around the world, including in the UK, where car manufacturers and steelmakers rely on the US as a key destination for exports.

Steel tariffs

In the order Trump signed on Monday, the US said it would allow up to 100,000 cars into the US at a 10% tariff, instead of the 25% import tax imposed on all car imports earlier this year, as agreed under the terms outlined in May. The order said the US would set up a similar system for steel and aluminium, but did not specify what it would be. “We’re gonna let you have that information in little while,” the US President said when asked if steel tariffs would be axed for the UK – a major part of the original tariff pact. In response to a question about future tariffs, Trump said the UK was “very well protected”. “You know why? Because I like them,” he added. The UK government said it would “continue to go further and make progress towards 0% tariffs on core steel products as agreed”. The US tax on UK imports of steel and aluminium is currently 25%. Earlier this month, Britain was temporarily spared when Trump announced a doubling of steel tariffs to 50%, but the tax could increase if the UK cannot reach an agreement by 9 July. Under current rules, in order to qualify for an exemption, steel has to be “melted and poured” in the country from which it is imported. Last year, Tata Steel shut down its blast furnaces and, while it transitions to using an electric furnace, it has been importing steel from overseas. “Obviously we’ve still got some more work to do,” Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told the BBC. “We’re working through some technical detail around steel, because we want to bring that 25% tariff that applies at the moment obviously down further.” The head of trade body UK Steel, Gareth Stace, said the industry “badly needs clarification over the ‘melted and poured’ requirement, and the level of quotas available to UK steelmakers”. Monday’s order also agreed to remove tariffs on certain kinds of aerospace products. Sir Keir described the agreement as a “sign of strength” between Britain and America.

The deal on US-UK tariffs will come into effect seven days following its official publication. Mike Hawes, head of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, which represents UK carmakers, said it was “a huge reassurance” to the sector. He told the BBC’s Today programme there had been fewer exports of British cars to the US as the industry waited for the deal to be ratified. On Monday, JLR, the UK carmaker owned by India’s Tata Motors, lowered its earnings forecast after pausing shipments to the US in April due to tariffs. Car shipments to the US already incurred a 2.5% tariff which meant that if an agreement had not been reached, UK exports would have been taxed at 27.5%. Mr Hawes said the 10% tariff gave UK manufacturers “something of a competitive edge because their competitors tend to come from Italy or some from Germany which are still subject to the 27.5% tariff”.

Getty Images The executive order will bring into force parts of a tariff deal agreed last month

As part of the deal, the UK has granted a tariff-free quota of 1.4 billion litres of US ethanol. Previously, US ethanol shipments to the UK faced a 19% tariff. But ABF Sugar, which owns the largest bioethonal plant in the UK, has warned it could be forced to make redundancies if the British market is not protected. “A lot is at stake here, not just in the short-term but the long-term,” said ABF Sugar chief executive Paul Kenward. He said the industry needed help from the government. “The government’s given away the entire UK market for bio-ethanol.”‘ The company has set a deadline of 25 June to secure state support. But Mr Kenward said if that does not happen, it will have to start consultations which could see 200 jobs cut from its Vivergo Fuels plant in Hull. The deal will also see the UK scrap a 20% tariff on US beef imports and raise the quota to 13,000 tonnes. But the UK government has insisted there will be no weakening of food standards and any US beef imports will need to meet food safety requirements. Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said: “We will update parliament on the implementation of quotas on US beef and ethanol, part of our commitment to the US under this deal.”

Not a free-trade deal

Trump has long called for using the military to quash protests. Los Angeles gave him an opening

Donald Trump has long spoken of using military force to suppress protesters demonstrating against his policies and presidency. This week, Los Angeles gave him the chance.

After some protests against federal immigration sweeps grew chaotic, Trump overrode the wishes of California Governor Gavin Newsom and activated the state’s National Guard – a move former military leaders told the BBC was an escalation of Trump’s previous pledges to use troops to quash protests and set a new precedent.

Combined with Trump’s penchant for military optics – he has planned a military parade in Washington, DC on Saturday to mark the Army’s 250th anniversary – the president’s intervention in Los Angeles has raised fears that he is “politicizing the military,” said Major General Randy Manner, US Army Retired.

“He escalated immediately for reasons that are only political reasons. They are not reasons that are justifiable,” said General Manner, who served as the acting vice chief of the National Guard Bureau.

But the Trump administration maintains it took over California’s National Guard to restore order, and protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers as they conducted sweeps for undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles.

ICE “has the right to safely conduct operations in any state, in any jurisdiction in the country”, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said at a congressional hearing on Tuesday.

Trump also posted that Newsom “was unable to provide protection in a timely manner” for ICE officers.

“If our troops didn’t go into Los Angeles, it would be burning to the ground right now,” he wrote on TruthSocial on Wednesday.

But Newsom – a Democrat and outspoken critic of Trump – maintained that the state could handle protesters on its own. He called Trump’s intervention a “brazen abuse of power” that inflamed a “combustible situation.”

On Thursday, a federal judge said Trump’s deployment was illegal and ordered him to return control of the Guard to Newsom. That order is on hold as the government appeals against it.

US accepts Qatari plane into Air Force One fleet

21 May 2025 Share Save Mike Wendling BBC News Share Save

Getty Images Trump toured the plane in Palm Beach back in February

The US has accepted a plane intended for the Air Force One fleet from Qatar, a gift that has sparked criticism including from some of President Trump’s biggest supporters. “The secretary of defense has accepted a Boeing 747 from Qatar in accordance with all federal rules and regulations,” Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement on Wednesday. The plane will need to be modified before it can be used as part of Air Force One – the president’s official mode of air transport. The White House insists that the gift is legal, but the announcement of the transfer a week ago caused huge controversy.

The plane is a gift from the Qatari royal family and is estimated to be worth $400m (£300m). The White House says that the new plane will be transferred to Trump’s presidential library at the end of his term. It could require years to fit with additional security systems and upgrades required to carry the president – including the ability to withstand the electromagnetic pulse from a nuclear blast, and to refuel mid-flight. Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Defense and Security Department, says the costs of such retrofitting could easily run to $1bn (£750m). Justifying the transfer a week ago Trump said: “They’re giving us a gift”. The president has also said it would be “stupid” to turn down the plane. The US Constitution has a provision known as the Emoluments Clause, which prohibits gifts to public officials from foreign governments without permission of Congress. The transfer has not received congressional approval. The president has argued that the plane transfer is legal because it is being given to the US defence department, and not to him personally. He also insisted he would not use it after leaving office. The current Air Force One fleet includes two 747-200 jets which have been in use since 1990, along with several smaller 757s.