Clashes erupt after disputed Belarus election

Protesters and riot police have clashed in Belarus' capital Minsk and other cities, after a state TV exit poll said long-time leader Alexander Lukashenko was re-elected in Sunday's election.

The state TV exit poll showed that Mr Lukashenko won nearly 80% of the vote.

"I believe my eyes, and I see that the majority is with us," she said at a news conference on Sunday evening.

The opposition had said it expected the vote to be rigged, saying it would keep an alternative count of the votes.

Mrs Tikhanovskaya, 37, entered the election in place of her jailed husband and went on to lead large opposition rallies.

The lead-up to Sunday's poll saw a crackdown on activists and journalists amid the country's biggest opposition demonstrations in years.

Internet monitoring group NetBlocks earlier said connectivity had been "significantly disrupted" across Belarus, with the situation worsening throughout the day and creating an "information vacuum".

The campaign saw the rise of Ms Tikhanovskaya, a former teacher who became a stay-at-home mother until she was thrust into the political spotlight.

In the lead-up to the election she told the BBC that people in Belarus did not believe the election would be run fairly.

A state TV exit poll shows victory for President Alexander Lukashenko - but the opposition cries foul