NewsOvernight reports: Serbian protests swell as students rally against government
Overnight reports: Serbian protests swell as students rally against government
This happened while you were sleeping. Here's what global agencies recorded overnight from Friday to Saturday.
ed. Mateusz Czmiel
- Tens of thousands of people responded to the students' call for a general strike and protest marches organised on Friday in several Serbian cities. Thousands protested in front of the headquarters of public television RTS in Belgrade, local media reported. Many shops, pubs, and restaurants were closed on Friday as part of a nationwide strike called by students organising massive protests for months following the tragedy in Novi Sad. In early November 2024, 15 people were killed when part of the roof of the railway station in this city collapsed. The demonstrators blame the authorities for corruption and negligence that allegedly led to the accident.
- Former National Security Advisor to Donald Trump, Republican John Bolton, believes that the US President shows "weakness, not strength" in his actions to achieve peace between Russia and Ukraine.
- Yemeni Houthi rebels threatened on Friday to resume attacks if Israel does not restore humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip within four days. Supported by Iran, the Houthis have attacked ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip—one of the most important trade routes in the world. After four days, "we will resume our naval operations against the Israeli enemy," announced the Houthi movement leader, Abdulmalik al-Houthi. The organisation controls a large part of Yemen, including the coastline along the Red Sea.
- The authorities revealed the causes of death of actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa. A week ago, the couple's bodies were found in their Santa Fe home in New Mexico.
- At least six people died on Friday due to severe storms and floods in the coastal city of Bahia Blanca, Argentina. The disaster, described by the media as unprecedented, forced the evacuation of over a thousand people and the precautionary shutdown of electricity throughout the city. City authorities confirmed the deaths of six people, and officials admit that the death toll may still rise, TN television reported. On Friday, within six hours, 30 centimetres of rain fell in the city. The forecast is not optimistic, with meteorologists predicting more storms in the coming hours, reported the Infobae portal.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a phone conversation on Friday with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybihá and informed him that "President Trump is determined to end the war as soon as possible," the State Department announced.
- The Israeli armed forces reported that the air force carried out a Friday evening raid on Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. It was added that targets posing a threat to Israel were attacked. The World Bank announced on Friday that rebuilding war-torn Lebanon would cost about $11 (£8.5) billion. Israeli planes bombed, among other things, weapons depots and rocket launchers, the army statement said. It was added that the arms depots in southern Lebanon constituted a "blatant violation" of the ceasefire in force since the end of November 2024. According to the agreement, both Israelis and Hezbollah were to withdraw from southern Lebanon, and full control over this area should be taken over by the regular Lebanese army.
