Belarus has freed 52 prisoners of various nationalities and they are now on their way to Lithuania with the U.S. delegation that negotiated their release, a spokesperson for the U.S. embassy in Vilnius said on Thursday.

Vilnius

Belarus has freed 52 prisoners from its jails, including 14 foreign nationals from countries such as Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, France, Britain, and Germany. The release was negotiated by a U.S. delegation that delivered a personal letter from Donald Trump to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. 

While the release marks a diplomatic development, it is significantly fewer than the approximately 1,400 prisoners Trump had called on Lukashenko to free. Lithuanian President Gitanas Naseda noted that many political prisoners, including Lithuanians, remain in Belarus. The move comes amid ongoing tensions between Belarus and Western nations, and follows Trump's expressions of respect for Lukashenko.

Belarus releases 52 prisoners after Trump appeal

Belarus freed 52 prisoners of various nationalities on Thursday, a release negotiated by a U.S. delegation to Minsk. That delegation included a personal letter from Donald Trump to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Trump had earlier called on Lukashenko to release detainees the American leader described as hostages. He's got 1,400 or 1,500, a large number, and we're talking about releasing them. The number freed fell far short of the roughly 1,400 prisoners whose release Trump had called for last week. Belarus' state news agency Belta said the prisoners freed on Thursday included 14 foreign nationals from Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, France, Britain and Germany. Belarusian President Gitanas Naseda said the former prisoners included, quote, opposition figures, journalists, protest participants, foreign citizens and others held in Belarusian prisons. Naseda added that while he rejoiced at the release, we must not forget that there are still 1,000 political prisoners, including Lithuanians, in the neighboring country. He said, come back, don't forget, I have these for him. Belta also quoted the U.S. envoy saying that Trump wanted the U.S. to reopen its embassy in Minsk. Lukashenko has led Belarus through more than three decades of authoritarian rule and is a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Lukashenko allowed Putin to use Belarusian territory for his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Minsk's harsh crackdown on political opposition and the press have rendered Lukashenko a pariah by democratic nations of the West. But Trump has flattered the Belarusian leader. I very much gave my respects to the leader of the country, who is, again, he's a very strong man. The prisoner release and possible warming between Washington and Minsk comes as Trump has failed to achieve a promised peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, and after NATO member Poland said it intercepted a flurry of Russian drones that invaded its airspace.

Photos of a "person of interest" in the assassination of Charlie Kirk were released by the Salt Lake City FBI. Authorities are searching for the person who shot and killed the conservative activist at an event at Utah Valley University.

Orem

Photos released of "person of interest" in Charlie Kirk assassination

Authorities shared new details about the suspect's movements leading up to the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The search for the suspect continued on Thursday.

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President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will award conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated during a campus event in Utah, the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously.

Washington

Trump says he'll award Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Authorities say the weapon used in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been recovered and law enforcement tracked the movements of the suspect.

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Doha

Middle East Conflict

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Poland is rejecting the claim that Russian drones crossed into Polish airspace by accident and says the move is reckless and could lead to potential escalation.

Warsaw

Ukraine Invasion

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Prince Harry and King Charles had a private tea in London, Buckingham Palace. This marks their first meeting in nearly two years. Harry, the Duke of Sussex, last saw his father in early 2024, shortly after it was announced the King was undergoing cancer treatment.

London

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U.S. President Donald Trump says rightwing political activist Charlie Kirk is dead after being shot in the neck at a university campus event in Utah. There is not a suspect in custody.

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Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Luiz Fux voted on Wednesday (September 10) to acquit former President Jair Bolsonaro of forming a criminal organization and voted to annul his trial over jurisdiction, breaking with peers and raising the odds of an appeal after the final verdict this week.

Brasilia

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Global Tariffs

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Poland shot down drones that entered its airspace during a widespread Russian attack in western Ukraine, with the NATO member calling the incursion "an act of aggression." It marks the first time a member of the alliance has fired shots in the war.

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Kathmandu

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Israel's military said it "conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization," amid reports of large explosions in Qatar's capital city, Doha.

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French President Emmanuel Macron has named loyalist Sebastien Lecornu, a one-time conservative protégé who rallied behind his 2017 presidential run, as prime minister. Analysts say France is in the midst of a complicated political crisis.

Paris

France's Macron names loyalist Lecornu as new PM

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Michigan

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Israel says it carried out a strike targeting Hamas leaders. One Israeli official says it happened in Doha, Qatar. CBS News' Ramy Inocencio reports.

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The Trump administration launched a new immigration enforcement operation in Chicago, saying the latest federal crackdown in a US city would target the "worst of the worst criminals." But activists in the city remain defiant and say they will resist efforts by ICE to snatch people off the streets.

Chicago

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Norway's Labour Party has won four more years in government after seeing off a surge in support for the right. But exit polls predict it will only have a small majority, and its future may depend on how it navigates Norway's relationship with the rest of the world.

Oslo

Norway’s PM Stoere claims victory in general election

Officials in Nepal say at least 16 people are dead and dozens more injured after police opened fire on protesters. Tens of thousands, mostly young people, rallied in the capital Kathmandu against the government's ban on platforms including Facebook, X, and YouTube.

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France's Prime Minister François Bayrou overwhelmingly lost a confidence vote Monday after nine months in office. CBS News correspondent Shanelle Kaul has more.

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Two Palestinian gunmen opened fire at a bus stop on the outskirts of Jerusalem on Monday (September 8), killing six people in what police described as "a terrorist attack," one of the deadliest in the city in the past few years.

Jerusalem

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U.S. President Donald Trump said he was ready to hit Russia with a second phase of sanctions after its largest air attack on Ukraine in nearly four years of war. The assault on Saturday caused serious damage in Ukraine's capital, including to one of its most important government buildings.

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A drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck southern Israel Sunday, hitting Ramon International Airport near Eilat and forcing a shutdown of airspace in the region.

Ilan and Asaf Ramon International Airport

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Protests have erupted in Chicago after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened a federal crackdown, including sending National Guard troops and expanding deportations.

Breakdown