Belarus' ruler vows to quash opposition rallies after vote

Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko warned Monday that the opposition protesters who challenge the official vote results extending his 26-year rule will face a tough crackdown, deriding them as “sheep” manipulated by foreign masters. Election officials said Monday that Lukashenko won a sixth term in office with over 80% of the vote, while opposition challenger Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya got 9.9%. Tsikhanouskaya dismissed the official results as a sham and vowed to dispute them, and the opposition is planning new protests in the capital, Minsk, and other cities later in the day.