NewsOvernight news: Sanctions shake Serbia as Vučić faces violence allegations
Overnight news: Sanctions shake Serbia as Vučić faces violence allegations
It happened while you were sleeping. Here's what global agencies reported from Friday to Saturday.
- The Kreni-Promeni political movement announced on Friday that it has submitted a report to the prosecutor's office concerning a crime of inciting violence by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, as reported by Serbian media. Activists from Kreni-Promeni contend that the president's alleged incitement led to an incident where a 67-year-old man drove a car into a group of demonstrators in Belgrade. Four people were injured as a result.
- Recently, Donald Trump's team consulted with the White House and Ukrainian representatives about ending the war, according to an NBC News report from Friday. However, the station notes that the new team has not yet presented a concrete plan. The television station relays that representatives from Trump's team have engaged in discussions with both current administration officials and Ukrainian representatives.
- General Oleksandr Lutsenko was dismissed from his role as commander of the operational-tactical group "Donetsk", as reported by the Ukrainska Pravda portal on Friday, citing a source in the Ukrainian armed forces. The portal notes that Lutsenko's dismissal is linked to the rapid advance of Russian forces towards the strategically crucial city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. The fall of Pokrovsk, which serves as an important logistics hub for the Ukrainian army under General Lutsenko's responsibility, would signify Kyiv's most significant military setback in months.
- The USA and the United Kingdom will impose sanctions on the Serbian Petroleum Industry (NIS), Serbia's largest oil company, due to a majority of shares being held by Russians, announced Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić on Friday. During an interview on Informer television, the Serbian leader stated that the sanctions against NIS will take effect on January 1, 2025 and involve "imposing the strictest sanctions." He added, "This is probably one of the hardest pieces of news."
