World Briefs

Belarusian politician Statkevich released from prison after stroke

tallinn: Belarusian politician Mikola Statkevich, who was put back in prison after refusing to leave the country as part of a US-brokered release of political prisoners, has been released after suffering a stroke. Statkevich’s wife, Maryna Adamovich, said Friday that he has trouble speaking from a stroke. “Now he’s recovering and gaining strength,” she told The Associated Press in a phone interview from the Belarusian capital. When Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko pardoned 52 political prisoners in September and they were taken to the Lithuanian border, Statkevich, 69 called the government’s actions a “forced deportation,” pushed his way out of the bus and stayed for several hours in the no-man’s land between the borders before being taken away by Belarusian police and returned to prison.

Pak: 5.9-magnitude earthquake hits several parts country

islamabad: A 5.9-magnitude earthquake on Friday struck parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab provinces in Pakistan, with tremors felt in several cities, including Peshawar and Islamabad. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The epicentre of the quake that struck at 6:09 pm (local time) was in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush region at a depth of 101 kilometres, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said. The tremor was felt in different cities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab.