EU readies fresh sanctions against Belarus in wake of journalist's arrest

EU foreign ministers met in Lisbon on Thursday to determine new economic sanctions against Belarus after it arrested a dissident journalist aboard an intercepted passenger jet on the weekend.

The incident caused international outrage against Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko — whose disdain for democratic norms and human rights has made his country a pariah in the West. 

Belarusian state media reported that Lukashenko personally ordered the flight to be intercepted.

The latest plans for sanctions could target the country’s lucrative potassium industry.

Separately, the