5 June 2009 - Research, Science and Technology Minister Wayne Mapp has welcomed a report showing strong growth in the biotechnology industry.

5 June 2009 - Restorative Justice Services across the country are today mourning the passing of Reverend Michael Thawley."Rev Thawley dedicated his life to the enhancement of people and communities of New Zealand", says Lynne Pillay Labour Spokesperson for Victim's

5 June 2009 - Hon Georgina te Heuheu, Minister for Pacific Island Affairs, is in Auckland tomorrow to meet members of the Fiji community.The meeting has been organised by the Fiji Community Association and more than 200 people are expected

5 June 2009 - Rodney Hide has confirmed just how toothless local boards will be if the Government's Super City plans proceed, by saying they may have to hold their meetings in local libraries, says Labour's Auckland Issues spokesperson Phil

Labour Associate Spokesperson for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni says she was appalled at the Minister of Social Development's response to a question about employment initiatives for Pacific People during this recession.

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev named technological innovation one of the key priorities of his presidency. A month before his election, he outlined his ambitious "Four Is" agenda, which specifically called for weaning Russia away from its dependency on energy exports—a

Vladimir Putin dealt forcefully with the "bloated ambitions, inefficiency and, maybe simple greed," of the owners of Pikalyovo's cement factories. But while the management's incompetent handling of the effects of the crisis may well have aggravated the situation, the crisis

Elections in South Ossetia, one of the two breakaway regions of Georgia diplomatically recognized by Russia last September, were predictably not recognized by the United States and the EU. Mainstream Russian media editorialized that the elections, held on May 31,

A few rallies in support of demands of Mikalay Autukhovich, a political prisoner who continues a hunger strike, have been held in Minsk.

The investigation of the case of political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich is extended for a month till July 3. The entrepreneur has lost 25 kilograms for one and a half months of hunger strike. He demands to send the case to

The swing of the pendulum from East to West will strike someone's forehead," famous Belarusian politologist Raman Yakauleuski thinks. However, not all persons of the game think about this.

It was supposed that the number of Russian soldiers in Belarus won't be large.

Human rights activists think the grounds on which the Brest region executive committee refused to register "Brest Viasna" are farfetched.

Despite the threat of imprisonment, "Viasna" founders say: "We are going to defend the rights of Belarusians even if we don't have official registration".

Young Front" activist Yauhen Skrabets was detained on June 4 near the entrance to his house by officers of militia and military enlistment office.

Austrian human rights activists are raising the alarm: political prisoner Mikalai Autukhovich has been on hunger strike for more than 50 days.

A scandal around the meeting of Putin and Lukashenka has become not only one of the leading topics of the week, but a topic of a competition announced by a Russian radio station "Echo Moskvy" (Echo of Moscow).

The Belarusian dictator has given an interview to "Izvestiya" and "Zavtra" newspapers, and "Rossiyskaya Federatsiya segodnya" and "Soyuznoe gosudarstvo" magazines. However, this interview hasn't been published in Russia yet.

The Court of Salihorsk considered Ivan Shyla's complaint against the military. Shyla demands the court to find illegal actions of military and doctors during his forceful draft into the army.

The Ukrainian prime minister intends to meet with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.