Day: June 20, 2026
“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz,” U.S. Central Command spokesperson Navy Captain Tim Hawkins told Reuters. “Traffic continues to flow, and U.S. forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case,” News.az reports, citing Reuters.
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Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the Strait of Hormuz shut earlier on Saturday and warned ships not to approach the waterway, casting new doubt on the future of a ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran meant to pave the way for in-depth peace talks.
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The shooting occurred near Princeton Park on the city’s South Side, News.az reports, citing Reuters.
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A red SUV pulled alongside a large crowd, and two people from inside fired gunshots into the crowd before fleeing, police said.
Police did not provide information on possible suspects.
Two of the victims are in critical condition, police said.
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In a statement, the country’s firefighting department said 88 firefighters and volunteers were working to extinguish the blaze. Eight firefighting aircraft and six helicopters have also been deployed to help the effort, News.az reports, citing Reuters.
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Authorities said they have asked residents of two endangered communities to evacuate.
Strong northerly winds were causing new fires, the firefighting department said.
Greece and other Mediterranean countries are in an area considered a wildfire hotspot by scientists, with blazes common during hot and dry summers.
These have become more destructive in recent years due to a fast-changing climate, prompting calls for a new approach.
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Student-led anti-government protests that turned violent at times spread across Serbia following the disaster, rattling the 13-year rule of populist Aleksandar Vucic and his Serbian Progressive Party, News.az reports, citing Reuters.
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Protesters, opposition and rights groups allege the railway station disaster was a sign of broader government mismanagement of construction projects and corruption.
In Novi Sad, Serbia’s second-largest city, thousands of protesters stood in temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) chanting “Victory” and jeering Vucic and SNS. Many carried banners and wore t-shirts reading “Students are winning.”
Activists from the student-led movement say they want to challenge Vucic and SNS in upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections. Both are set for 2027, but Vucic has said he might call them early in the coming months.
“Without free and fair elections, everything else is empty words,” Sanja Belic, a university professor from Novi Sad, told the crowd.
Protesters and rights groups also accuse Vucic and government officials of rigging elections, violence against opponents, stifling media freedom, corruption and ties with organised crime. Vucic and his allies deny the allegations.
“We must stand up, express our will, and win; we have no other choice,” said Goran Sajin, a protester in his 50s.
In a live television broadcast that coincided with the Novi Sad rally, Vucic said his supporters would rally on June 27.
“I invite them (people) not to show anger towards anyone … but to gather under the Serbian flag,” he said.
Serbia is a candidate to join the EU, but Belgrade is required to first improve its rule of law, including conditions for free and fair elections, the judiciary and root out corruption and organised crime. It also has to align its foreign policies with those of the bloc, including slapping sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
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