Belarus: Thousands of people are marching in the capital Minsk and other cities, for weeks for the mass protest against President Alexander Lukashenko.
Police said they had arrested about 250 people ahead of the demonstration. The protests have been initiated by a widely disputed election a month ago and subsequent brutal police crackdown. People want Mr Lukashenko to resign after bringing up widespread ballot-rigging. But the Belarusian leader, in power for 26 years, has denied the allegations and accuses the Western nations for interfering.
Most opposition leaders are now under arrest or in exile. It is the fifth successive Sunday of mass protests, with about 100,000 rallying each week. The ministry said arrests were made in various districts of the capital, and that those detained were carrying flags and placards with insults. Protests were triggered by elections on 9 August, in which Mr Lukashenko was handed an overwhelming victory amid widespread reports of vote-rigging.
Violent clashes on several nights following the poll led to thousands of arrests, and details emerged of severe beatings by police and overcrowding in detention centres.
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