NewsOvernight roundup: Belgrade protests turn violent; U.S. Senate confirms ambassador
Overnight roundup: Belgrade protests turn violent; U.S. Senate confirms ambassador
It happened while you were sleeping. Here's what global agencies reported overnight from Wednesday to Thursday.
- A passenger car drove into a group of people gathered at a protest organized on Wednesday in downtown Belgrade. One person was injured and taken to the hospital, local media reported on Wednesday. Several thousand people participated in the demonstration in the Serbian capital. The assembled participants observed 16 minutes of silence for the 16 victims of the partial roof collapse of the train station in Novi Sad at the beginning of November. The tragedy has led to a wave of mass protests that continue to this day.
- The Estonian parliament amended on Wednesday the law on churches and assemblies aimed at separating the Orthodox Church operating in the country from Russian and Kremlin influences. The law passed by parliament is intended to ensure that religious organizations functioning in Estonia cannot be used "to incite hatred or violence", the parliament's office conveyed.
- The U.S. Senate endorsed Pete Hoekstra for the position of the U.S. Ambassador to Canada on Wednesday, according to Reuters. Hoekstra was previously the ambassador to the Netherlands.
- Donald Trump announced a 90-day halt on higher tariffs for most countries. "They were getting a little bit yippy, a little afraid," explained the US President, "You have to have flexibility." Trump stated that he was observing the financial markets, which had been "glum" in recent days, and people watching the rapidly rising yields on US bonds on Tuesday "were getting a little queasy."
- Yemeni Houthis are infiltrating Africa, where they are supplying weapons to terrorists in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. In exchange, these groups help them smuggle equipment necessary for the production of drones and missiles into Yemen, Israeli media warn. Yemeni rebels, like their main sponsor Iran, have established contacts with the terrorist organization Al-Shabaab and the Islamic State in Somalia. This was relatively easy for them since all parties share hostility towards the United States and Israel.
