World IN BRIEF : BELARUS : Dissenters at Rally Held in Crackdown

Cracking down on dissent, President Alexander G. Lukashenko arrested the country’s top opposition leaders and banned anti-government rallies. The moves followed a rally in Minsk to mark the 10th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster. The rally turned into a 50,000-strong protest against Lukashenko and his pro-Russian policies. Police used batons to disperse the crowd. At least 150 people were arrested and jailed, said Anatoly Shagun of the Belarussian Popular Front, an opposition movement. Lukashenko, who favors strong ties with Moscow, recently signed a union treaty with Russia. The opposition viewed the pact as a virtual end to the nation’s post-Soviet independence.