Palace of Independence hosts Belarus New Year's Eve Ball MINSK, 29 December (BelTA) – The Belarus New Year's Eve Ball for the youth took place in the Palace of Independence on 29 December, BelTA has learned. Some 314 young people from different regions of Belarus were invited to the event. They included university students, students of institutions of general secondary, vocational and secondary special education. Among them were scholarship holders of the Special Presidential Fund for Social Support of Gifted Students, winners, participants and prize-winners of various competitions, Olympiads and conferences. Among the attendees were Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko, Culture Minister Anatoly Markevich and Education Minister Igor Karpenko, Deputy Prime Minister Igor Petrishenko.