INDJIJA, Serbia: Hundreds of striking students marched through the Serbian countryside Friday as they took their anti-graft protest toward the northern city of Novi Sad, where they plan to blockade three bridges over the River Danube this weekend.
The bridge blockade planned for Saturday will mark three months since a huge concrete construction at the railway station collapsed in Novi said on Nov. 1, leaving 15 people dead.
What started two months ago as a protest against suspected corruption in construction contracts has developed into the most serious challenge in years to the country’s powerful populist leader, President Aleksandar Vucic.
Meanwhile in Belgrade, a driver rammed a car into a silent protest Friday, injuring two women who work as doctors at a nearby psychiatric institution. Media reports say both hit the pavement with their heads and are being examined.
The incident, the third of its kind in weeks, happened in downtown Belgrade during 15 minutes of silence observed daily throughout Serbia at around noon when the canopy collapsed at the railway station in Novi Sad.
Pro-government thugs have repeatedly attacked the protesters, many of them students, twice ramming cars into demonstrations. Two people were seriously injured in the previous attacks
Along the way to Novi Sad on Friday, the students were greeted by cheering citizens who honked their car horns or came out of their homes to offer food and drinks.
When they reached the town of Indjija on Thursday, roughly halfway along their 80-kilometer (50-mile) route, the students were welcomed with fireworks and cheers from residents.
Although most of them spent the night out in the open in a soccer field, the freezing temperatures did not dampen their desire for major changes in the corruption-ridden Balkan state.
Nevena Vecerinac, a student, said she hoped the protesters’ demands that include the punishment of all those responsible for the rail station tragedy will be fulfilled.
“We will make it to Novi Sad,” she said. ”Yesterday’s walk was easy. It’s cold now, but we can make it. We all have the same goal.”
“We need support from all people. With this energy and mood I hope we can do it, otherwise there will be no brighter future,” said Luka Arsenovic, another student marcher.
Many in Serbia believe that the collapse of the overhang at the train station was essentially caused by government corruption in a large infrastructure project with Chinese state companies. Critics believe graft led to a sloppy job during the reconstruction of the Novi Sad train station, poor oversight and disrespect of existing safety regulations.
Monthslong demonstrations have already forced the resignation of Serbia’s prime minister Milos Vucevic this week, along with various concessions from authorities which were ignored by the protesters who say that is not enough.
Vucic and other officials have shifted from accusing the students of working with foreign powers to oust him, to offering concessions or issuing veiled threats.
The strength and determination of the protesters have caught many by surprise in a country where hundreds of thousands of young people have emigrated, looking for opportunities elsewhere.

KUALA LUMPUR: Often referred to as Malaysia’s national drink, teh tarik is not only the most popular beverage among the Southeast Asian nation’s young and old, but also one that reflects its diversity.

Meaning “pulled tea” in Malay, the strong, sweet, and milky teh tarik is named after the way it is prepared: by pouring it back and forth between two containers to create a frothy texture.

The beverage originates from the Mamak community — descendants of Indian Muslims who began to settle in the Malay Peninsula centuries ago. Most of them arrived during British colonial rule. Over time, they became heavily involved in the food and restaurant industry, where they set up small roadside eateries that would later become Malaysia’s iconic Mamak stalls.

While there are as many recipes for the perfect teh tarik as there are family-run tea shops, the beverage’s quality is measured by its “pull,” which aerates the liquid and enhances its flavor.

“If you do short pulls, you will not get enough air into the drink. It will not be frothy then. Also, this is my own interpretation, but the right amount of frothiness adds another dimension of flavor,” Senthil Kumar, a tea master at the ZamZam restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, told Arab News.

“Some people do it to make a show of it, which is nice, but actually the art is to alternate short and long pulls, almost slamming the liquid into the cup or tin can held below, to really get a good mix and ample froth.”

How long the tea leaves are soaked also matters, and so does the amount of milk.

“You cannot let the leaves soak for too long, but neither can they be under-soaked. Nothing longer than two hours. After that, the leaves lose their essence,” Kumar told Arab News.

“The condensed milk we use is a pretty common, well-known brand here. The trick is to not put too much. Because more condensed milk means a denser liquid. When the liquid is too dense, you can’t achieve the level of frothiness to make it creamy.”

The condensed milk version of teh tarik is the most popular but not the only one.

“In Indian restaurants or even Indian households, the tea is often made with fresh milk,” said P. Ramachandran, an avid tea lover and a retail shop owner in Kuala Lumpur’s Brickfields area.

“Once the milk comes to a boil, you add the tea leaves and let it boil, let the tea really seep into the milk. When the color turns to this beautiful golden brown, you add sugar. In my home, we use palm sugar, but you can also use normal brown sugar.”

The “pulling” part is the final touch and there are rules for it too, like the use of silver or stainless-steel dishes.

“Don’t use glass,” Ramachandran said. “Pull it generously, don’t spill and let the froth build. Then pull it directly into your drinking cup and drink when hot. Nothing beats that.”

While teh tarik was perfected by South Indian cooks, most Malaysians, regardless of ethnicity, feel attached to it and have also customized their own versions of the beverage.

Mei Ren Li, a homemaker, said tea making in Chinese households was simpler.

“We occasionally have our black tea with milk and sugar,” she said.

“I am not very good with the pulling, but my kids love it when I do it, and I must say, it truly adds flavor to the tea. I typically use normal castor sugar, just one spoon per cup.”

Lately, local eateries have also been introducing more flavors to the traditionally three-ingredient-based drink. Ginger pulled tea and masala pulled tea are now more common.

Tejinder Kaur, a medical officer, prepares her tea at home this way, adding ginger, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.

“It’s made a lot like the Indian tea. We boil the fresh milk with water and add tea. As it begins bubbling, we add the spice mix and let it boil for two minutes. Then we pull it straight into our glasses and drink it hot,” she said.

“It’s a staple for my whole family, and we can all drink it all day long.”