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.”
Subscribe to 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.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
5 ways to help the environment while on vacationThe Week Recommends An afternoon of planting trees could be the best part of your trip
-
Doctors are taking on dental duties in low-income areasUnder the radar Physicians are biting into the dentistry industry
-
Instagram hopes that blurring nudity in messages will make teens saferThe Explainer The option will be turned on by default for users under 18
