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| - The European Cycling Union (UEC) said on Tuesday it was considering moving its track championships, scheduled for Minsk in June, after Belarus intercepted a passenger plane. "In light of the recent international events, the Union Europeenne de Cyclisme is carefully monitoring the situation and will make a decision (on Thursday)," the UEC said in a statement. The UEC gave no details of the alternative options for the event scheduled from 23-27 June. The coronavirus crisis is not helping it to find a fallback host for the biggest meeting of European track cyclists before the Tokyo Olympics. In January, the International Ice Hockey Federation, under pressure from its sponsors, stripped Belarus of its role as co-host of the world championships. They began on May 21 in Latvia, where all the games will be played. International disapproval of Belarus and its president, Alexander Lukashenko, has increased since the regime diverted a Ryanair jet on Sunday to arrest a dissident who was on board. On Tuesday, Europe cut air links to the country. European Union leaders on Monday warned they would adopt further "targeted economic sanctions" against the Belarusian authorities to add to the 88 regime figures and seven companies on a blacklist. Lukashenko and his allies are already under a series of Western sanctions over a brutal crackdown on opposition protests that followed his disputed re-election to a sixth term last August. cfe/fmd/pb/jc
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