More than 10,000 supporters of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic rallied in Belgrade on Wednesday to show their backing for the populist leader’s policies, following a year of anti-government demonstrations.
Gathering outside parliament, Vucic’s supporters — many of whom arrived in buses arranged by his ruling party — waved Serbian flags and chanted “Vucic, the Serb” and “Serbia” as patriotic music played over loudspeakers.
“You are the ones defending peace, stability, and the constitutional order,” parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic, one of Vucic’s closest allies, told the crowd.
According to Reuters reporters at the scene, the event was the largest pro-government rally of the year, drawing more than 10,000 people.
However, it was smaller than Saturday’s anti-corruption protest, which attracted tens of thousands of students and activists.
The demonstrations were sparked a year ago when the roof of a railway station in Novi Sad collapsed, killing 16 people — a tragedy that provoked widespread anger over alleged corruption and a lack of accountability, particularly as no one has yet been prosecuted.
On Wednesday, police in riot gear cordoned off the area to prevent clashes between Vucic’s supporters and nearby anti-government demonstrators chanting slogans against him.
A pro-government tent camp has occupied the square since March, and tensions flared last week when the two sides confronted each other.
Critics — including students, human rights organisations, academics, and opposition politicians calling for early elections — accuse Vucic’s administration of corruption, attacks on political opponents, curbing press freedom, and links to organised crime. Vucic and his allies reject the accusations.
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President Donald Trump said Iran is keen to reach a deal with the United States, claiming Washington had paused engagement to allow funeral ceremonies for late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
Uzbekistan will open an embassy in Georgia, the Central Asian country’s presidency has said. The announcement follows talks between Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in Tbilisi.
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of the eastern German city of Erfurt on Saturday as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) opened its annual party conference, where delegates voted to keep Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla as the party's co-leaders.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has raised its forecast for the rapid emergence of a strong El Niño, warning the climate pattern is likely to drive higher global temperatures and intensify extreme weather in the months ahead.
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed sensitive documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, marking the government's first public comments on the incident.
Iran and the U.S. have concluded indirect talks in Doha without a major breakthrough, with discussions focused on maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and frozen Iranian funds. Both sides are expected to meet again after the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
International politicians and religious leaders have paid respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei throughout the day, ahead of his six day funeral ceremony which begins on Saturday. His casket is currently on display at the Iman Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran.
Germany has requested urgent talks with China's ambassador following reports that Chinese authorities trained Russian soldiers, adding fresh strain to relations between Beijing and Europe amid the war in Ukraine.
Russia's Defence Ministry has said its forces are clearing the town of Lyman in Donetsk of Ukrainian forces, Moscow's state news agency Tass reported. Meanwhile, Russian attacks killed at least six people across three Ukrainian regions on Friday, regional officials said.
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to use next week's NATO summit in Ankara to advance his push for greater European responsibility in security, with a bilateral meeting planned with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as Paris seeks closer coordination with key allies.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence, saying Russia and the United States share a special responsibility for maintaining global security as the world's two largest nuclear powers.
China said on Saturday it had launched a coast guard patrol east of Taiwan, prompting a strong protest from Taipei, which accused Beijing of illegally expanding its authority and undermining regional stability.
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