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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In a sweeping diplomatic push in Baku, Georgia and Azerbaijan have signed a landmark package of energy and transport agreements, cementing a partnership set to shape the South Caucasus corridor for decades to come.
The first-ever “WUF13 NGO Forum” in the history of the World Urban Forum (WUF) was held on 19 May 2026 at Azerbaijan’s initiative in Baku.
Germany will deploy a Patriot air-defence battery to Türkiye in the coming weeks as part of a NATO mission aimed at strengthening the alliance’s south-eastern flank, German officials have said.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for closer security coordination between Central Asia and China, warning that expanding trade and infrastructure links are exposing the region to increasingly sophisticated cross-border threats.
The World Urban Forum (WUF13) continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 18 May, addressing the global housing crisis. The day’s agenda includes the official opening press conference, the WUF13 Urban Expo opening and a ministerial dialogue on the Nairobi Declaration to advance Africa's urban agenda.
United Nations World Urban Forum 13 continues in Baku, Azerbaijan on 19 May with sessions and roundtable discussions focused on strengthening dialogue and advancing cooperation in urban development. Organisers say there are nearly 3 billion people globally who face some form of housing inadequacy.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he had paused a planned attack on Iran after appeals from the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, allowing negotiations to continue over a possible deal to end the conflict.
A 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck China’s Guangxi region early on Monday, killing two people and forcing more than 7,000 residents in Liuzhou to evacuate as rescue efforts continued.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), warning that the situation poses a significant risk of cross-border spread in Central Africa.
Germany will deploy a Patriot air-defence battery to Türkiye in the coming weeks as part of a NATO mission aimed at strengthening the alliance’s south-eastern flank, German officials have said.
Estonia said on Tuesday (19 May) that a NATO fighter jet shot down a suspected Ukrainian drone over its territory, in the latest reported airspace violation in the region amid ongoing Ukrainian strikes against Russia.
Sweden has agreed to buy four naval frigates from France’s Naval Group in a deal worth more than $4 billion, as Stockholm moves to strengthen its defence capabilities in the Baltic Sea, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Tuesday.
Spanish police said on Tuesday they had detained a 25-year-old man suspected of killing his two parents and injuring four other people, including his son, in a shooting in the southern city of El Ejido in Almeria province overnight.
European Union negotiators are expected to agree on Tuesday (19 May) on legislation removing import duties on U.S. industrial goods, in a move aimed at implementing last year’s trade agreement with the United States and avoiding higher tariffs threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump.
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