Serbian police arrested 79 protesters late on Wednesday during a crackdown on street demonstrations calling for early elections and the end of President Aleksandar Vucic's 12-year rule and his Serbian Progressive Party.
Clashes occurred between police and protesters in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Nis, and Novi Pazar, according to the interior ministry's statement on Thursday.
Months of protests across Serbia, including university closures, have unsettled Vucic, a former ultranationalist who shifted his focus to European Union membership in 2008. His second term is set to end in 2027, coinciding with the scheduled parliamentary elections.
The protests intensified on Sunday with road blockages in Belgrade and other cities following the arrest of activists during a large opposition rally. On Wednesday evening, police removed students gathered outside the Law Faculty in Belgrade, briefly detaining dozens, with four students reported injured and hospitalized, according to N1 TV.
Bozo Prelevic, a former interior minister, condemned the police action, calling it a violation of human rights and university freedoms. The U.N. human rights office stated it was closely monitoring the situation following reports of violence, harassment, and arbitrary detentions, urging restraint from authorities.
Vucic's critics accuse him of having connections to organized crime, using violence against opponents, and restricting media freedoms, though he denies the allegations. The protests began in December after a fatal roof collapse at the Novi Sad railway station, which killed 16 people. Protesters blame corruption for the incident.
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Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues killed in Gaza in April 2024.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint military exercises with South Korea in an effort to revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
Georgia’s foreign trade data for January-July 2026 shows Kyrgyzstan, China and Russia as its top three export markets, highlighting its Middle Corridor ambitions and complex economic ties with Moscow.
Kazakhstan will vote on 23 August in its first parliamentary election under the new Constitution, choosing 145 members of the new Kurultai under a fundamentally changed electoral system based entirely on party lists.
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