By Yuras Karmanau Associated Press MINSK, Belarus (AP) — Belarus' authoritarian leader threatened Wednesday to take tough new steps against demonstrators challenging the extension of his 26-year rule and accused the West of fomenting unrest as he sought to consolidate his grip on power amid widening protests. President Alexander Lukashenko warned that opposition activists who created a council to negotiate a transition and new elections could face criminal charges, and he ordered his security agencies to restore order on the streets — a possible harbinger of a renewed crackdown on peaceful demonstrations. Lukashenko spoke as the European Union rejected the […]

The post Belarus leader warns of tough new steps against protesters appeared first on Black News Channel.