Belarus

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko freed 123 prisoners — including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski and prominent opposition figure Maria Kalesnikava — after two days of talks with an envoy for U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a U.S. statement. In return, Washington agreed to lift sanctions on Belarusian potash, a critical fertilizer ingredient that the former Soviet state produces in large volumes for global markets. The release is the largest announced by Lukashenko since Trump’s administration…

The primary governing body of chess has declined a proposal for the reinstatement of Russia and Belarus, while still contemplating the participation of players under 12 or those with disabilities in upcoming events.