Minsk, Belarus
Citing unwholesome foreign influences, Belarus may soon ban young Chernobyl victims from taking recuperative trips to German and Italian spas. Thousands of Belarusian teenagers have thyroid cancer or other health problems stemming from the radiation that rained down on Belarus after the 1987 explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in neighboring Ukraine. Each year, aid groups in Germany and Italy give the teens “health vacations” free of charge. “Don’t you see what children bring back from abroad?” Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka said this week. “They return infused with consumerism. We do not need such influences.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Buddhist monks’ US walk for peaceUnder the Radar Crowds have turned out on the roads from California to Washington and ‘millions are finding hope in their journey’
-
American universities are losing ground to their foreign counterpartsThe Explainer While Harvard is still near the top, other colleges have slipped
-
How to navigate dating apps to find ‘the one’The Week Recommends Put an end to endless swiping and make real romantic connections
