alexander lu kashenko feels police. alexander lukashenko feels that people hate him.ssion. it is like stalin bosz time. i don't want people to sacrifice themselves for no reason. —— stalin double time. this election is for alexander lukashenko, not for our country, what we demand is free and fair elections under the observation of an independent. these early live pictures of a news conference that alexander lukashenko has been holding out for about three hours, russia editor steve rosenberg is on the news conference and will report later after it finishes. stay with us for the latest here on bbc news, much more on the bbc news website or app. whilst it's been a cold and frosty start in the north, with a little bit of ice and a few wintry showers, it's already turning wet and windy across the south and west of the uk with the next storm upon us, and it's likely to be a sustained period of disruptive winds and heavy rain. so there are numerous warnings in force tied in with storm herminia, and it is likely to last throughout the rest of sunday and into monday as well. l

couple of two earlier this week, and one of them actually said to me that he's a supporter of alexander lu kashenkothe communist party — his campaign slogan was, "not in place of lukashenko, but together with lukashenko." another candidate was full of praise for alexander lu kashenko. that gives a flavour of the kind of election that this was. as does what happened at a polling station yesterday where mr lukashenko cast his ballot. quite extraordinary. he came to the polling station, he voted, and then he proceeded to give a 4.5—hour press conference live on belarusian television. this is why the voting was going on. the election was still going on, and he was live for 11.5 hours on, on television. it was an opportunity forjournalists, including foreignjournalists, to ask him about this controversial election. so i did ask him, "how can you consider this election to be democratic when your biggest rivals are in prison or in exile?" and he said, "well, you know, everyone has the right to choose. this is democratic. some people chose prison, some people chose exile." but in reality, of course, back i

to belarus now where polls are open in the country's presidential election — alexander lu kashenko is serious rivals either in prison orforced into exile, the electoral process has been described by the opposition and eu officials as a "farce . mr lukashenko has been in powerfor more than three decades — and is a close ally of russia's president putin. after the last elections in 2020, which he claimed to have won with 80% of the vote, he crushed street protests prompted by allegations of vote—rigging. in recent months, he has released some political prisoners, but more than 1200 remain behind bars. exiled belarus opposition leader, svetlana tsikhanouskaya told us earlier she believes there is still much resistance to the president. yeah, absolutely. you're absolutely right. it's not election. it's imitation. a staged show. because what's happening now in belarus is simply a special electoral operation, you know, to keep him in power. it's all fake, and everybody knows this. lukashenko desperately tries to restore legitimacy. there are no real candidates, no independent observers, no

�* ., , . , to belarus now where polls are open in the country's presidential election — alexander lu kashenko with his fiercest critics and most serious rivals either in prison orforced into exile, the electoral process has been described by the opposition and eu officials as a "farce". mr lukashenko has been in powerfor more than three decades — and is a close ally of russia's president putin. after the last elections in 2020, which he claimed to have won with 80% of the vote, he crushed street protests prompted by allegations of vote—rigging. in recent months, he has released some political prisoners, but more than 12 hundred remain behind bars. live to minsk where there is, alexander lukashenko has been holding a news conference for well over two hours now, our russia editor steve rosenberg is inside they're asking questions during the press conference. he said belarus had a brutal democracy and they weren't silencer put pressure on anyone. on monday, the world will mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of auschwitz—birkenau. the camp was opened by the nazis in occupied poland in 194

the belarus president alexander lukashenko is re—elected, lu kashenko is re—elected, winning lukashenkoas a blatant affront to democracy. and the survivors of the holocaust, along with the heads of state and royalty, are gathered at the sight of the nazi concentration camp auschwitz to mark the 80th anniversary of its liberation. hello if you have just anniversary of its liberation. hello if you havejustjoined us on bbc news.

the belarus president alexander lukashenko is re—elected, lu kashenko is re—elected, winning lukashenkore—elected, winning over 86% of the vote. the european union says the vote was a blatant affront to democracy. and the survivors of the holocaust, along with the heads of state and royalty, are gathered at the sight of the nazi concentration camp auschwitz to mark the 80th anniversary of its liberation. hello if you have just anniversary of its liberation. hello if you havejustjoined us on bbc news. ceremonies have begunin us on bbc news. ceremonies have begun in poland to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the nazi death camp auschwitz—birkenau. lucy hockings is there. i camp auschwitz-birkenau. lucy hockings is there.— hockings is there. i am everyone- _ hockings is there. i am everyone. it _ hockings is there. i am everyone. it has - hockings is there. i am everyone. it has been l hockings is there. i am| everyone. it has been a hockings is there. i am - everyone. it has been a very cold and frosty start here at auschwitz i. the fact of the sun is out is almostjarring, y