Serbian police used teargas and crowd control vehicles in Belgrade on Friday evening to disperse anti-government protesters who threw firecrackers and flares at officers, marking a sharp escalation in the nine-month-long demonstrations.
Protesters gathered at around 8 p.m. local time in front of the army headquarters building that was bombed by NATO in 1999. Hours later, they began throwing flares at police. Trash containers were overturned and set on fire, and one tree caught fire. Police deployed teargas to push the crowd back.
Demonstrations also took place in Novi Sad, Nis, Kragujevac and Valjevo. Teargas was used in Nis. No official figures were released on the number of injured.
The protests began after 16 people died when a roof collapsed at a renovated railway station in Novi Sad. The gatherings had been largely peaceful until Wednesday when clashes left 27 police officers and about 80 civilians injured. Forty-seven people were detained.
President Aleksandar Vucic said on Friday that 3,000 police are deployed each evening across Serbia and that they are facing assaults and injuries.
Protesters have accused the government of corruption over the Novi Sad disaster and are calling for early elections. Opposition groups, students and anti-corruption watchdogs allege links between Vucic and organised crime, the use of violence against rivals, and media suppression. The president and his allies deny the allegations.
Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Michael O'Flaherty said he was closely following events in Serbia and voiced concern over human rights issues. He condemned what he described as disproportionate police force in Valjevo and urged authorities to avoid excessive force, end arbitrary arrests and de-escalate the situation.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom ...
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to res...
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint militar...
The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
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.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment