EU rejects Belarus poll result

The EU on Wednesday rejected the result of the disputed Belarus election, saying President Alexander Lukashenko's victory was neither free nor fair, and warned fresh sanctions against his government were imminent. After an emergency video summit, EU Council President Charles Michel told the people of Belarus the bloc stood "by your side" as unprecedented protests against strongman Lukashenko entered an 11th day.

The EU has been working on a new round of sanctions against Belarus, targeting those involved in allegedly fixing the August 9 vote and in the bloody repression of protests, which have shaken Lukashenko's grip on the ex-Soviet republic as never before. German Chancellor Angela Merkel also called for national dialogue in Belarus to find a peaceful way out of the crisis.