Latest news with #IvicaDacic
Hans India
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Hans India
Serbia battles hundreds of wildfires as heatwave triggers national emergency
Belgrade: Serbia is battling a surge of wildfires fueled by extreme heat and strong winds, prompting several regions to declare a state of emergency and to deploy military forces. More than 200 fires have been reported in the past 24 hours, with one person dead and at least 14 injured, the Ministry of the Interior said Monday. States of emergency have been declared in the southern municipality of Kursumlija and in Bor in the east, where the fires are most intense, Xinhua news agency reported. The Serbian Armed Forces have joined firefighting efforts using helicopters, water tankers, and specialized equipment. Working with local authorities, firefighters, and volunteers, they have managed to contain several fires in southern Serbia, though multiple hotspots remain active. In Bor, a city known for its mining industry, wildfires are burning across more than 100 hectares near the Krivelj settlement. Emergency teams, supported by local companies including the Chinese-operated Zijin Mining, are battling the flames in challenging, windy conditions. Fires have also broken out near Bor Lake and in nearby rural communities. Twelve new fires erupted around Gornji Milanovac in central Serbia on Monday, damaging agricultural structures and vehicles. Fires were also reported in cities including Kragujevac, Prokuplje, Valjevo, and Nis, affecting homes, farmland, and forests. Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said 197 wildfires were recorded on Sunday alone. "All available resources are engaged," he said, noting the involvement of police, rescue units, helicopters, and volunteers. The government has urged citizens to avoid open flames and report any fires immediately. Meanwhile, the national electricity distributor temporarily shut down several power lines in affected areas to prevent further damage, leaving parts of western Serbia and southern cities without electricity until conditions stabilize. Emergency officials warned that burning dry grass, stubble, or waste in open areas is strictly prohibited and punishable by law. All incidents should be reported via the national emergency number 193, they stressed. Chinese companies operating in Serbia's energy and mining sectors have provided logistical support and personnel, underscoring growing cooperation on disaster response between the two countries. "The situation remains critical," said Luka Causic, acting head of the Sector for Emergency Management under the Ministry of the Interior. "There is no part of the country unaffected." With continued hot and dry weather forecast, authorities are stepping up monitoring and urging public cooperation to prevent further damage from the fires.
The Star
07-07-2025
- Climate
- The Star
Serbia battles hundreds of wildfires as heatwave triggers national emergency
BELGRADE, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Serbia is battling a surge of wildfires fueled by extreme heat and strong winds, prompting several regions to declare a state of emergency and to deploy military forces. More than 200 fires have been reported in the past 24 hours, with one person dead and at least 14 injured, the Ministry of the Interior said Monday. States of emergency have been declared in the southern municipality of Kursumlija and in Bor in the east, where the fires are most intense. The Serbian Armed Forces have joined firefighting efforts using helicopters, water tankers, and specialized equipment. Working with local authorities, firefighters, and volunteers, they have managed to contain several fires in southern Serbia, though multiple hotspots remain active. In Bor, a city known for its mining industry, wildfires are burning across more than 100 hectares near the Krivelj settlement. Emergency teams, supported by local companies including the Chinese-operated Zijin Mining, are battling the flames in challenging, windy conditions. Fires have also broken out near Bor Lake and in nearby rural communities. Twelve new fires erupted around Gornji Milanovac in central Serbia on Monday, damaging agricultural structures and vehicles. Fires were also reported in cities including Kragujevac, Prokuplje, Valjevo, and Nis, affecting homes, farmland, and forests. Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said 197 wildfires were recorded on Sunday alone. "All available resources are engaged," he said, noting the involvement of police, rescue units, helicopters, and volunteers. The government has urged citizens to avoid open flames and report any fires immediately. Meanwhile, the national electricity distributor temporarily shut down several power lines in affected areas to prevent further damage, leaving parts of western Serbia and southern cities without electricity until conditions stabilize. Emergency officials warned that burning dry grass, stubble, or waste in open areas is strictly prohibited and punishable by law. All incidents should be reported via the national emergency number 193, they stressed. Chinese companies operating in Serbia's energy and mining sectors have provided logistical support and personnel, underscoring growing cooperation on disaster response between the two countries. "The situation remains critical," said Luka Causic, acting head of the Sector for Emergency Management under the Ministry of the Interior. "There is no part of the country unaffected." With continued hot and dry weather forecast, authorities are stepping up monitoring and urging public cooperation to prevent further damage from the fires.
Al Jazeera
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
What are Serbia's protesters demanding, and what's next?
Thousands of people took to the streets in Serbia over the weekend, marking the latest round of protests over widespread corruption and stifling democratic freedoms. After nearly eight months of persistent dissent against populist President Aleksandar Vucic, demonstrators declared the government 'illegitimate' and clashed with riot police in the capital, Belgrade. Police said on Sunday that 48 officers were injured while 22 protesters sought medical help. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said out of 77 people detained, 38 remained in custody on Sunday, most of them facing criminal charges. Vucic accused the organisers of inciting violence and attacking police officers, calling them 'terrorists' who 'tried to bring down the state'. Critics accuse him of being increasingly authoritarian since coming to power, first as prime minister in 2014 and then as president since 2017. Serbians have a history of uprooting strongman leaders; they ousted Slobodan Milosevic 25 years ago after bloody protests. What are protesters demanding? Antigovernment protests started in November, after a renovated rail station canopy in the northern city of Novi Sad collapsed, killing 16 people. Many in Serbia blamed the tragedy on corruption-fuelled negligence in state infrastructure projects. Following the disaster, Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party stayed in power with a reshuffled administration. The student-led protests have since focused their demands on the need for snap elections instead of regular elections planned for 2027. In advance of Saturday's protest, organisers had issued an 'ultimatum' for Vucic to announce a new vote by 9pm (19:00 GMT) that day – a demand he rejected. Protesters are also stressing the need to ensure that elections are free and fair through several reforms, including a review of voter records, equal access to media for all participants in political life and measures to prevent vote-buying. Other requests also include reforming the education system, recognising student bodies – known as plenums – as legal entities, ensuring fair wages for all education sector workers, and respecting the autonomy of universities. While Serbia is formally seeking European Union entry and Vucic maintains a pro-European stance, critics have also denounced his government's deepening ties with Russia and China. What's new in the latest round of protests? Saturday's rally was one of the largest since the Novi Sad disaster. Authorities put the crowd size at 36,000, well below an independent estimate by the Archive of Public Gatherings, which suggested that about 140,000 people had gathered. Unlike previous demonstrations that passed peacefully, this time police and protesters engaged in violent clashes. Riot police used tear gas and batons as protesters hurled flares and bottles at rows of officers in Belgrade. Vucic has repeatedly alleged the protests are part of a foreign plot to destroy his government, without providing any evidence. He has not specified whom he was alluding to in referring to an external nation looking to destabilise Serbia. Vucic said there would be 'no negotiations' with 'terrorists'. 'They consciously wanted to spur bloodshed. The time of accountability is coming,' he said. Engjellushe Morina, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), said the government had been conducting a 'smear campaign' aimed at criminalising protesters. 'The narrative by government-supported media is that they are 'terrorists' and have to be dealt with,' Morina told Al Jazeera. 'It is unclear how far the government will be willing to go,' the analyst said, adding, the situation 'is escalating and both government and protesters are determined not to back down this time'. Have Serbian protesters forced a government change before? Yes. They ousted Milosevic — who had led the country since 1989 — 25 years ago in what became known as the Bulldozer Revolution. A popular uprising began on September 24, 2000, following a presidential election that saw significant irregularities — but in which Milosevic claimed victory. The protests culminated on October 5 with a bulldozer charging into the building of the Radio Television of Serbia, considered the bastion of the government's propaganda machine. Milosevic resigned two days later. In 2001, he was arrested on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes and handed over, by the government in Belgrade, to an international tribunal in The Hague. His trial there began in 2002, but Milosevic's deteriorating health slowed its progress. Milosevic was found dead in his cell in 2006 while the trial was still on. The October 2000 revolution is etched into the memory of the nation as it is once again roiled by protests. However, Morina, the ECFR fellow, said despite the government's attempts to portray the protests as foreign-led, the student movement has less support from abroad than demonstrators had in 2000, while Vucic enjoys a stronger grip on the country's security infrastructure than Milosevic did. Therefore, the ECFR analyst said protesters had little expectation of making gains in the short term. 'They are very well aware this might have to go on for a long time,' she said. What's next for the protest movement? The student-led protest movement has pledged not to back down. 'This is not a moment for withdrawal,' it said on Instagram. After Saturday's rally, organisers played a statement to the crowd, calling for Serbians to 'take freedom into your own hands'. 'The authorities had all the mechanisms and all the time to meet the demands and prevent an escalation,' the statement said. On his part, Vucic said there would be more arrests. Later on Sunday, eight people were arrested on accusations including planning to block roads and attack state institutions. More arrests are likely to follow. 'There will be many more arrested for attacking police … this is not the end,' the president said, adding that 'identification of all individuals is under way'. According to Morina, arrests could force the movement to a temporary lull to regroup, but are unlikely to put out the nationwide protests. 'They're serious, I don't think they will go away easily,' the analyst said, adding that she forecasts protesters will 'eventually prevail'. 'But at what cost, we don't yet know,' she said.
eNCA
30-06-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Thousands block roads in another night of Serbian protests
BELGRADE - Thousands of protesters blocked major roads in Belgrade and other Serbian cities on Sunday, as demonstrations calling for snap elections continued into a second night following Saturday's huge rally in the capital. On Saturday, around 140,000 people rallied in central Belgrade, the latest gathering in over half a year of demonstrations triggered by the collapse of a train station roof in the city of Novi Sad in November, killing 16 people in a disaster widely blamed on shoddy construction resulting from entrenched corruption. Anti-graft activists, responding to the arrest of a "large number of citizens" in the wake of the protest, called for more action - with thousands responding to set up dozens of blockades around the capital. At the key Autokomanda junction, protesters were setting up tents preparing to stay overnight, according to an AFP photographer. Protesters posted images of similar blockades from several other cities, including Novi Sad, and published plans for dozens of similar protests around the country. Local media and videos posted by protesters showed large crowds streaming onto major bridges, and students forming barriers from bins and fences. Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told local station Pink TV that authorities were monitoring the situation. Earlier on Sunday, President Aleksandar Vucic remained defiant against protesters' demands for early elections, accusing the student-led movement of causing "terror" AFP | DJORDJE KOSTIC "Serbia has won, and you cannot defeat Serbia by violence as some wanted," Vucic said in a televised speech. -'Not a moment for withdrawal'- Clashes with police after Saturday's rally ended with dozens of arrests, as riot officers used tear gas and batons to attempt to disperse a crowd that also threw bottles and flares. Authorities said 48 officers had been injured, one seriously, and put the crowd size at 36,000 -- well below an independent estimate by the Archive of Public Gatherings of around 140,000. Dacic said 22 people had sought medical help, of whom two were seriously injured. Ahead of Sunday's blockades, eight people were arrested on accusations including planning to block roads and attack state institutions "in order to violently change the state order", the Higher Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. Police said they had detained 77 people, with 38 still in custody following Saturday's rally. "This is not a moment for withdrawal," protest organisers said on Instagram, encouraging people to gather outside the prosecutors' office and demand their release. But Vucic insisted "there will be many more arrested for attacking police. This is not the end." He said there would be "no negotiations with terrorists and those who want to destroy the state". - 'Take freedom' - Ahead of Saturday's protest, organisers had issued an "ultimatum" for Vucic to call elections -- a demand he had dismissed well before the rally began. On Sunday, he reiterated there would not be any national vote before the end of 2026. The outcry over the Novi Sad disaster has already led to the resignation of the country's prime minister and a cabinet reshuffle. Vucic has repeatedly alleged the protests are part of a foreign plot to destroy his government. More than a dozen people have been arrested in recent weeks, a crackdown that has now become routine ahead of large demonstrations. After the rally, organisers played a statement to the crowd calling for Serbians to "take freedom into your own hands". "The authorities had all the time to meet the demands and prevent an escalation," the organisers said in a statement.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Thousands block roads in another night of Serbian protests
Thousands of protesters blocked major roads in Belgrade and other Serbian cities on Sunday, as demonstrations calling for snap elections continued into a second night following Saturday's huge rally in the capital. On Saturday, around 140,000 people rallied in central Belgrade, the latest gathering in over half a year of demonstrations triggered by the collapse of a train station roof in the city of Novi Sad in November, killing 16 people in a disaster widely blamed on shoddy construction resulting from entrenched corruption. Anti-graft activists, responding to the arrest of a "large number of citizens" in the wake of the protest, called for more action - with thousands responding to set up dozens of blockades around the capital. At the key Autokomanda junction, protesters were setting up tents preparing to stay overnight, according to an AFP photographer. Protesters posted images of similar blockades from several other cities, including Novi Sad, and published plans for dozens of similar protests around the country. Local media and videos posted by protesters showed large crowds streaming onto major bridges, and students forming barriers from bins and fences. Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic told local station Pink TV that authorities were monitoring the situation. Earlier on Sunday, President Aleksandar Vucic remained defiant against protesters' demands for early elections, accusing the student-led movement of causing "terror" "Serbia has won, and you cannot defeat Serbia by violence as some wanted," Vucic said in a televised speech. -'Not a moment for withdrawal'- Clashes with police after Saturday's rally ended with dozens of arrests, as riot officers used tear gas and batons to attempt to disperse a crowd that also threw bottles and flares. Authorities said 48 officers had been injured, one seriously, and put the crowd size at 36,000 -- well below an independent estimate by the Archive of Public Gatherings of around 140,000. Dacic said 22 people had sought medical help, of whom two were seriously injured. Ahead of Sunday's blockades, eight people were arrested on accusations including planning to block roads and attack state institutions "in order to violently change the state order", the Higher Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. Police said they had detained 77 people, with 38 still in custody following Saturday's rally. "This is not a moment for withdrawal," protest organisers said on Instagram, encouraging people to gather outside the prosecutors' office and demand their release. But Vucic insisted "there will be many more arrested for attacking police. This is not the end." He said there would be "no negotiations with terrorists and those who want to destroy the state". - 'Take freedom' - Ahead of Saturday's protest, organisers had issued an "ultimatum" for Vucic to call elections -- a demand he had dismissed well before the rally began. On Sunday, he reiterated there would not be any national vote before the end of 2026. The outcry over the Novi Sad disaster has already led to the resignation of the country's prime minister and a cabinet reshuffle. Vucic has repeatedly alleged the protests are part of a foreign plot to destroy his government. More than a dozen people have been arrested in recent weeks, a crackdown that has now become routine ahead of large demonstrations. After the rally, organisers played a statement to the crowd calling for Serbians to "take freedom into your own hands". "The authorities had all the time to meet the demands and prevent an escalation," the organisers said in a statement. bur-al/ljv/gv
