Belarus strongman wins a 7th term in an election the opposition calls a farce

Belarusian President and presidential candidate Alexander Lukashenko visits a polling station during the presidential election in Minsk, Belarus Jan. 26, 2025.

The smiling face of President Alexander Lukashenko gazed out from campaign posters across Belarus on Sunday as the country held an orchestrated election virtually guaranteed to give the 70-year-old autocrat yet another term on top of his three decades in power.