Belarus president closes some borders, puts army on alert,

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Belarus’ president, beleaguered by six weeks of large protests calling for his resignation, says he is putting troops on alert and closing the country’s borders with Poland and Lithuania. President Alexander Lukashenko’s decision Thursday underlines his repeated claim that the massive wave of protests is driven by the West and comes amid increasing criticism from the United States and the European Union. Protests began after the Aug. 9 presidential el