More than medicine: How a weight-loss drug helped US envoy free prisoners in Belarus | World News

Diplomacy rarely hinges on small talk, but in an unusual backchannel between Washington and Minsk, a casual exchange about weight loss became part of a negotiation that helped secure the release of political prisoners in Belarus. The episode centres on John P. Coale, a senior US envoy with close ties to President Donald Trump, and […]

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Belarusian leader pardons 123 prisoners in exchange for lifting of some sanctions

In this photo released by Belarusian presidential press service, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, right, and U.S. Presidential envoy John Coale shake hands during their meeting in Minsk, Belarus, Friday, Dec. 12, 2025. (Belarusian Presidential Press Service via AP) VILNIUS, LITHUANIA: Belarus’ authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko has pardoned 123 prisoners in exchange for a lifting of […]

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