Belarus opposition holds mass rally despite ban

Opposition supporters in Belarus are holding a mass rally in the capital Minsk, two weeks after a disputed election gave President Alexander Lukashenko another term in office.

People have been flowing in the central square, despite heavy police presence.

The protesters say Mr Lukashenko stole the election and want him to resign.

The president has vowed to crush the unrest and has previously blamed the dissent on unnamed "foreign-backed revolutionaries".

Recent protests have been met with a crackdown in which at least four people have died. Demonstrators said they had been tortured in prisons.

According to official results, Mr Lukashenko - who has ruled Belarus for 26 years - won more than 80% of the vote in the 9 August election and opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya 10%.

There were no independent observers, and the opposition says there was massive vote rigging.

Ms Tikhanovskaya, who was forced to flee to neighbouring Lithuania the day after the election, vowed to "stand till the end" in the protests.