Belarus detains 500 at weekend anti-government protests

Police detain a man during an anti-government rally (AP/TUT.by)

Authorities in Belarus have detained about 500 people during weekend protests against the country’s authoritarian president.

Belarus’ Interior Ministry said 150 protesters were detained on Saturday and over 350 more on Sunday, when protests spanned 22 cities in the biggest challenge yet to Alexander Lukashenko, who claimed a sixth term in office in an election in August widely seen as rigged.