Risk for Leader of Belarus: Migrants He Lured May Want to Stay
The New York Times
President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko of Belarus, whom the E.U. accuses of engineering a migrant crisis on the border with Poland, could face a serious headache if asylum seekers try to stay in his country.
BRUZGI, Belarus — He has ruled with an iron fist for 27 years, surviving huge street protests, multiple rounds of Western sanctions and even alleged plots by his benefactor, Russia, to remove him.
But a threat President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko has never before had to contend with is now taking shape in a squalid migrant encampment along his country’s border with Poland. Having helped funnel desperate migrants to Europe’s doorstep, Mr. Lukashenko suddenly has to deal with people like Bale Nisu, a 21-year-old Kurd from Iraq who has taken a liking to Belarus, and would like to settle here.
Many of the more than 2,000 people marooned on the Belarusian side of the razor wire at Bruzgi, a large, shuttered border crossing, insist they won’t give up on trying to get into the European Union. But growing fears that they might instead get sent back to their home countries has made Mr. Nisu and others wonder whether staying put in Belarus could be their best option.
The collapse of U.S.A.I.D. at the hands of President Trump and Elon Musk is already leaving gaping holes in vital health care and other services that millions of Africans rely on for their survival.
The European Union’s so-called Trump task force spent 2024 preparing for a possible trade dispute. Specifics are secret, but guiding principles are becoming clear.
Key Middle East partners and European leaders swiftly opposed President Trump’s idea to force Palestinians out of Gaza and make it a U.S. territory. Experts said the plan would violate international law.
After a 10 percent tariff on Chinese products took effect on Tuesday, China announced retaliatory measures, including tariffs and an investigation of Google.
European leaders will gather Monday to plot a rough path forward on defense. Wavering support from President Trump is likely to drive the debate.
As Canada wrangles an epic, decades-long saga of who can fish for lobster, and when, emerging threats are heating up the conflict in Nova Scotia.
The Maha Kumbh Mela, a Hindu festival in India that is drawing hundreds of millions of pilgrims, is a powerful marketing tool for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his allies.
For those living in Goma, which has been captured by Rwanda-backed rebels, there is little water, little food and much uncertainty.
For those living in Goma, which has been captured by Rwanda-backed rebels, there is little water, little food and much uncertainty.
The pygmy hippopotamus, now 6 months old, is Thailand’s biggest celebrity, and the crowds keep flocking. What explains her charm?
President Trump’s order to halt most foreign aid has intensified humanitarian crises and raised questions about the United States’ reliability as a global leader.