Hugo Chavez expressed his desire to live, and his love of Venezuela, shortly before dying of a massive heart attack, the head of the country’s presidential guard has claimed.

Wales wing inspired by the record-breaking exploits of his girlfriend at world championships

On the face of it an air drop of hundreds of teddy bears does not seem like the most serious breach of national security, but that has not stopped a Belarusian border guard being sentenced to two years in prison in a maximum security prison for failing to report the 'invasion'.

Wife of exiled presidential candidate hopes to visit UK next month

It is a strange sort of activism – falling, as it does, like the rain from heaven. But a Southern Korean activist's balloon drop into the North last week was no less effective for that. Social groups and Christian activists buddied up to try to get some hard-to-come-by essentials over the border, and into the hermetically sealed north. The only way to do it? Attach sanitary towels, toothpaste, socks and condoms to helium balloons – and wait for a fair wind. They seem to have been fairly successful, too, and Pyongyang hasn't issued its threat of last month, after a leaflet drop, to respond "mercilessly".

Ukraine managed to produce just three shots on target as they drew 0-0 away to Moldova in the other game in England's Group H.

Like Julian Assange, Barankov was granted asylum, but now faces return to death penalty

After more than a year in jail, opposition politician Andrei Sannikov was freed over the weekend, after he was granted a pardon by Alexander Lukashenko, the authoritarian president of Belarus.

One of two men who allegedly carried out a subway bombing attack in Belarus that killed 15 people and wounded hundreds more has been executed, his mother said today.

Belarusian opposition politicians have made a remarkable plea for Britain to ratchet up pressure on the regime of dictator Alexander Lukashenko following a highly unusual meeting at the Foreign Office.

The Barcelona youngsters given a chance to shine in Tuesday's 4-0 Champions League Group H win over BATE Borisov turned in an "impeccable" performance, according to delighted coach Pep Guardiola.

Their trial for a subway bombing in Belarus raised as many questions as answers. But, amid claims of false confessions and to cries of disgust, two friends have been sentenced to death

A court in Belarus sentenced two men to death today for carrying out a bomb attack at a metro station in central Minsk which killed 15 people and wounded scores of others.

Victoria Azarenka, one of the serial grunters of women's tennis, said last night she would tell an opponent to "mind your own business" if anyone complained about the noise coming from her side of the net.