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.
Serbian student protesters march ahead of bridge blockade as driver rams Belgrade demonstration
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Serbian student protesters march ahead of bridge blockade as driver rams Belgrade demonstration
- 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
Amazon launches its first Internet satellites to compete against SpaceX’s Starlinks
- Stargazers oppose the fast-growing constellations of low-orbiting satellites, arguing they spoil observations
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida: Amazon’s first batch of Internet satellites rocketed into orbit Monday, the latest entry in the mega constellation market currently dominated by SpaceX’s thousands of Starlinks.
The United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket carried up 27 of Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellites, named after the frigid fringes of our solar system beyond Neptune. Once released in orbit, the satellites will eventually reach an altitude of nearly 400 miles (630 kilometers).
Two test satellites were launched in 2023, also by an Atlas V. Project officials said major upgrades were made to the newest version. The latest satellites also are coated with a mirror film designed to scatter reflected sunlight in an attempt to accommodate astronomers.
Stargazers oppose the fast-growing constellations of low-orbiting satellites, arguing they spoil observations. Others fear more satellite collisions.
Founded by Jeff Bezos, who now runs his own rocket company, Blue Origin, Amazon aims to put more than 3,200 of these satellites into orbit to provide fast, affordable broadband service around the globe.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX already has launched more than 8,000 Starlinks since 2019. The company marked its 250th Starlink launch Sunday night. More than 7,000 Starlinks are still in orbit some 300-plus miles (550 kilometers) above Earth.
The European-based OneWeb satellite constellation numbers in the hundreds in an even higher orbit.
Amazon already has purchased dozens of rocket launches from United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin for Project Kuiper, as well as others.
“There are some things you can only learn in flight” despite extensive testing on the ground, said Rajeev Badyal, the project’s vice president.
“No matter how the mission unfolds, this is just the start of our journey,” he said in a statement ahead of the evening liftoff.
The first liftoff attempt earlier this month was nixed by bad weather. It took until now to secure another spot in the launch lineup at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Russia says it downs 51 Ukrainian drones in less than three hours
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defense units destroyed 51 Ukrainian drones in the space of less than three hours late on Monday, most of them over western Kursk region.
A ministry statement posted on the Telegram messaging app said its units had destroyed 40 drones over western Kursk region between 8:20 p.m. and 11 p.m. Moscow time (1720-2000 GMT).
Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the weekend that Moscow’s troops had ejected Ukrainian forces from Kursk region more than eight months after Kyiv staged a mass cross-border incursion.
Other drones were destroyed over central Oryol region and Belgorod in the south and over the Crimean peninsula and the Black Sea.
Trump trade war dominates BRICS meeting in Brazil
- A BRICS challenge to the hegemony of the dollar is expected to feature high on the agenda
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil: The foreign ministers of Brazil, China, Russia and other BRICS members began two days of talks in Rio de Janeiro Monday aimed at forging a united front to US President Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policies.
The meeting comes at a critical moment for the world economy after the International Monetary Fund slashed growth forecasts over the impact of the US leader’s sweeping new tariffs.
Top diplomats from the 11-member bloc — which includes Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates — met to hone their agenda ahead of a July leaders summit.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira stressed the importance of dialogue at a time of “humanitarian crises, armed conflicts, political instability and the erosion of multilateralism.”
BRICS’s “role as a group is more important than ever,” he said.
Trump, since returning to the White House in January, has hit dozens of countries with a blanket 10 percent tariff, but China faces levies of up to 145 percent on many products.
Beijing has responded with duties of 125 percent on US goods.
Senior Chinese economic planner Zhao Chenxin said Monday in Beijing that the country was on the “right side of history” in the face of what he called Washington’s “unilateralism and bullying.”
BRICS has expanded significantly since its 2009 inception as a group of four powers — Brazil, Russia, India and China — seeking an alternative platform to Western-led international organizations such as the G7.
It now makes up nearly half of the world’s population, 39 percent of global GDP and weighs in on issues from Ukraine to Gaza to global trade.
Vieira opened the talks with a call for a “complete withdrawal” of Israeli forces from Gaza, terming Israel’s more than 50-day aid blockade of the territory “unacceptable.”
The group has had generally less to say about the war in Ukraine, issuing calls for peace while steering clear of condemning Russia’s invasion.
And Vieira on Monday called for a “diplomatic solution” which respects the “principles and objectives” of the United Nations charter.
The meeting comes at the start of what the United States has called a “critical week” for talks on ending the Ukraine war.
Trump appeared to turn against Putin at the weekend after a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Pope Francis’s funeral, saying he felt the Russian leader was “just tapping me along.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin responded by announcing a three-day ceasefire from May 8-10.
The White House, however, suggested the pause was not sufficient, saying Trump had “made it clear he wants to see a permanent ceasefire first.”
At the same time the US president has been piling pressure on Kyiv to give up hopes of reclaiming Russian-annexed Crimea.
A BRICS challenge to the hegemony of the dollar is expected to feature high on the agenda.
At a summit last year, BRICS members discussed boosting non-dollar transactions, eliciting a swift rebuke from Trump who threatened them with 100 percent tariffs if they undercut the US currency.
Speaking to Brazil’s O Globo newspaper ahead of the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said BRICS nations planned to “increase the share of national currencies in transactions” between member states, but said talk of transitioning toward a unified BRICS currency was “premature.”
Vieira, whose country has so far been spared the worst of Trump’s trade ire — Brazilian imports to the US are subject to 10 percent tariffs, a fraction of those imposed on China — also denied any plans to create a new currency.
Another issue expected to feature prominently in the joint statement issued after the BRICS meeting Tuesday is climate change.
Brazil is the host of this year’s UN COP30 climate conference, which will take place in November in the Amazon city of Belem.
UK government backs Palestinian statehood as prime ministers meet in London
- Keir Starmer passes on to Mohammed Mustafa his ‘sincere condolences for the appalling loss of life in Gaza’ since 2023
- UK announces $135 million aid package for Palestinians in support of humanitarian relief, economic development and reforms
LONDON: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met his Palestinian counterpart, Mohammed Mustafa, in London on Monday as part of the UK government’s efforts to advance the cause of Palestinian statehood.
During their meeting, Starmer expressed his “sincere condolences for the appalling loss of life in Gaza,” where Israeli military actions since late 2023 has killed more than 50,000 Palestinians.
He said the UK will continue to press for a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, and oppose the resumption of war in Gaza following the collapse of a previous truce in mid-March.
Mustafa, the first Palestinian Authority leader to visit Downing Street since 2021, also met Foreign Secretary David Lammy. They signed a memorandum of understanding “enshrining their commitment to advancing Palestinian statehood as part of a two-state solution,” the British Foreign Office said. The document confirmed the view that the PA is the “only legitimate governing entity” in the occupied Palestinian territories, which include Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank.
I reaffirm the UK’s commitment to recognizing a Palestinian state as a contribution to that process
Foreign Secretary David Lammy
It also stresses the need to reunify Gaza and the West Bank under the authority of the Ramallah-based PA, which is in turn required to commit to political and financial reforms.
Additionally, the UK announced a £101 million ($135 million) aid package for Palestinians to support humanitarian relief operations, economic development and reforms.
Lammy said Mustafa’s visit “marks a significant step in strengthening our relationship with the Palestinian Authority, a key partner for peace in the Middle East, at a critical moment.
“We will not give up on the two-state solution, with a Palestinian state and Israel living side-by-side in peace, dignity and security. I reaffirm the UK’s commitment to recognizing a Palestinian state as a contribution to that process.”
Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007 and launched a deadly attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, will have “no role” in the future of the Palestinian coastal enclave, he added.
The Foreign Office said: “Hamas must immediately release the (Israeli) hostages and relinquish control of Gaza,” and added that it will work with the PA on a joint plan for the future of Gaza, building on initiatives led by Arab countries.
France and Saudi Arabia will co-chair a meeting at the UN in June to garner support for recognition of Palestinian statehood. British MPs from the ruling Labour Party recently urged the Foreign Office to officially recognize a Palestinian state, and said the French-Saudi initiative presents an opportunity for the UK.
The Israeli government remains firm in its opposition to any recognition of a Palestinian state, and in June 2024 formalized this position with a parliamentary resolution. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government has taken steps to weaken the Western-supported PA, including the withholding of millions of dollars of Palestinian taxes collected by Israel on behalf of the authority.
Netanyahu, who rejects any role for the PA in the future of Gaza, criticized French President Emmanuel Macron’s plan for the Palestinian statehood conference. Of 193 UN members, 147 have officially recognized Palestinian statehood, including Spain, Ireland and Norway. France, Canada, the UK, Italy and Germany are among those yet to do so.
Mohammad Shtayyeh, a former prime minister, was the last Palestinian Prime Minister to visit the UK, when he traveled to the Scottish city of Glasgow in 2021 to participate in the UN Climate Change Conference, COP26.
India says signs deal with France for 26 Rafale fighter jets
- Monday’s deal comes as India’s relations with Pakistan plummet to fresh lows over an attack in Kashmir
- The two nuclear-armed countries have exchanged gunfire, diplomatic barbs and expelled each other’s citizens
NEW DELHI: India has signed a contract to purchase 26 Rafale fighter jets from France, New Delhi’s defense ministry said Monday, with the multi-billion-dollar deal to include both single and twin-seat planes.
When delivered, the jets would join 36 French-made Rafale fighters already acquired by New Delhi as part of its efforts to rapidly modernize its military hardware.
“The governments of India and France have signed an inter-governmental agreement for the procurement of 26 Rafale Aircraft,” the defense ministry said in a statement.
The jets made by French aerospace company Dassault Aviation are expected to operate from Indian-made aircraft carriers, replacing the Russian MiG-29K jets.
“It includes training, simulator, associated equipment, weapons and performance-based logistics” as well as 22 single-seater and four twin-seater jets, said India’s defense ministry.
“It also includes additional equipment for the existing Rafale fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF).”
The Indian government announced its intention to procure 26 Rafales in 2023, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited France for the Bastille Day celebrations.
Despite historical ties with Russia as its key supplier for military equipment, India has diversified in recent years with key purchases including from France as well as from the United States and Israel.
Dassault said that the jets will provide India with “state-of-the-art capabilities” and an “active role in guaranteeing national sovereignty and consolidating India’s role as a major international player.”
India’s navy is the first user outside France of the Rafale Marine jet, the company said.
Monday’s deal comes as India’s relations with arch-rival Pakistan plummet to fresh lows.
New Delhi has accused Pakistan of backing the deadliest attack on civilians in Indian-administered Kashmir since 2000 — claims Islamabad denies.
The two countries have exchanged gunfire, diplomatic barbs, expelled each other’s citizens and shut border since the April 22 attack, in which 26 men were killed.
Analysts say there is also a serious risk of the crisis turning into a military escalation.
The earlier contract for 36 Rafale aircraft, agreed in 2016, was worth about $9.4 billion.
Many global arms suppliers see the world’s most populous nation — and fifth-largest economy — a key market.
India has become the world’s largest arms importer with purchases steadily rising to account for nearly 10 percent of all imports globally in 2019-23, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said last year.
India has also eyed with worry its northern neighbor China, especially since a deadly 2020 clash between their troops.
That sparked a wave of defense reforms in the country, with both a push for fresh contracts from foreign suppliers and simplified laws to push domestic manufacturing and co-production of critical military hardware.
This decade India has opened an expansive new helicopter factory, launched its first homemade aircraft carrier, and conducted a successful long-range hypersonic missile test.
That in turn has fostered a growing arms export market which saw sales last year worth $2.63 billion — still a tiny amount compared to established players, but a 30-fold increase in a decade.
India has deepened defense cooperation with Western countries in recent years, including the Quad alliance with the United States, Japan and Australia.
