Minsk, Belarus
Belarusian athletes must win 25 medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics, dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka said this week. “You should have clear-cut plans regarding these medals,” Lukashenka told two new incoming deputy sports ministers. “It is unacceptable to win fewer.” For the 2002 Winter Olympics, Lukashenka requested 10 medals, but the athletes only delivered one—a bronze in hockey. The sports minister was then fired.
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.
-
Ex-FBI agents sue Patel over protest firingspeed read The former FBI agents were fired for kneeling during a 2020 racial justice protest for ‘apolitical tactical reasons’
-
The real tragedy that inspired ‘Hamlet,’ the life of a pingpong prodigy and the third ‘Avatar’ adventure in December moviesThe Week Recommends This month’s new releases include ‘Hamnet,’ ‘Marty Supreme’ and ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’
-
‘These moves would usher in a future of chemical leaks’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
