Serbia’s largest antigovernment protest movement in decades is being staged in the northern town of Novi Sad as a result of a train station collapse that resulted in the march of thousands of Serbian youths.
16 people died as a result of the roof failure on November 1st, including four children, and Aleksandar Vucic, a leader of right-wing populists, are still being urged to step down. Vucic has ignored demands for snap elections and deep-seated government corruption, which protesters have attributed to him.
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University students began the 90-kilometer (56-mile) march to Novi Sad on Thursday, where they are expected to march alongside tens of thousands of other protesters.
Other people have been marching for weeks, including those who are more than 300 kilometers (185 miles) from Novi Sad, according to Milena Veselinovic of Al Jazeera.
One of the Novi Pazar students, Emina Spahic, stated to Al Jazeera, “The main reason we decided to do the walk is the 16 victims, and no one has been held accountable for their deaths even after a year.”
Another student, Enes Dzogovic, claimed that people who lived in “the most remote places” had aided the students by providing them with “whatever we need” along the way.
They “are always there to assist us,” he said.
On June 28, 2025, thousands of protesters in central Belgrade clash with Serbian riot police.
escalating protests
What began as a protest against the train’s collapse has since turned into broader animosity toward Vucic’s administration.
In the end, the tragedy was brought to the attention of 13 people, including a former transport minister. However, there is no trial date set for the charges, which require higher court approval.
Government officials have refuted allegations of corruption and lack of oversight.
The Council of Europe and other watchdogs have expressed concern over the excessive use of force by authorities as a result of recent months’ increasingly violent police response.
Police used tear gas and stun grenades at a Pride rally in September, with students accusing them of staging “brutal attacks on their own citizens.”
At a different rally, Nikolina Sindjelic, a student detained in August while conducting a protest, claimed that she was beaten by police while she was being held.
According to Sindjelic, “They have hit us and they will hit us because they know it is all over [for them].”
About 1, 000 protesters have been detained over the past month, according to Al Jazeera’s Veselinovic.
Vucic, who has been in office since 2017, falsely claimed that police actions were influenced by foreign security forces.
Last month, Vucic stated, “We are not going to allow the destruction of the state institutions.” Serbia is a strong, responsible state, according to the statement.
Mexican homes and streets have been decorated with marigold flowers, candles, and sugar skulls this week.
Mexicans are gearing up for the country’s most significant holiday, El Dia de los Muertos, which kicks off this weekend.
In honor of their deceased relatives, Mexican families will gather in homes and cemeteries. The day is full of lively parades and rituals, including hot chocolate and Mexican street food, as well as elaborate altar decorations and desserts.
It’s a celebration of life, not death.
El Dia de los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead, is a celebration of the lives of those who have passed rather than mourning or grieving.
The living and the dead are said to have had a connection during this time. Traditional rituals, such as offering certain food items and putting marigold flowers on altars, are believed to assist spirits in visiting the dead.
People wear colorful skeleton costumes as well to honor the dead.
In La Laguna, Spain’s Canary Islands, a woman is presenting a presentation attempting to bring the cultures of Mexico and the Canarian together around the Day of the Dead.
Indigenous roots are present in The Day of the Dead.
The ancient Aztec belief that death is a continuation of life is the inspiration for the festival. There are descendants of the Aztecs today, primarily in Mexico.
The Aztecs, who lived in central Mexico from the 14th to the 16th centuries, held month-long celebrations for the deceased.
In these celebrations, they also paid tribute to Mictecacihuatl, the goddess of the underworld, and made offerings of food and items for her.
All Saints’ Day on November 1 and All Souls’ Day on November 2 were the two Catholic holidays that the Spanish colonists introduced to Mexico in 1519.
These two days eventually became the Day of the Dead.
Families build altars for the deceased.
In their homes and in cemeteries, families place altars containing offerings for deceased loved ones and ancestors, which are known as “ofrendas.”
The steps to heaven are represented by two levels of heaven and earth, three levels of purgatory, and seven levels of earth signification.
The altars also have items made of the four elements: water to quench visitors’ thirst, fire to guide the spirits, earth, which is represented by food and special items for the deceased, and air, which is represented by vibrant paper designs. Salt, which is thought to aid souls on their way to the afterlife, is also present in some altars.
Additionally, these altars have marigold flowers, marigolds, and other images of the deceased, as well as their favorite foods, candles, and marigolds, which are thought to help spirits return from the cemetery to their families’ homes.
El Dia de los Muertos, a Mexican holiday dedicated to the decedents, is a celebration of the deceased. In Queretaro, Mexico, in October 2017, multiple-colored skulls and statues are displayed on an altar.
Additionally, the altars have “calaveras” (skulls), which are written in tongue-in-cheek about the deceased loved ones. These poems describe interesting behavior and funny tales that occurred during the lives of the deceased.
Skulls, a symbol of the perpetual nature of life and death, are a common sight on the Day of the Dead. The edible and decorative skull models made of sugar, clay, or papier-mache, or “calavera de azucar,” are used to decorate altars.
In preparation for Day of the Dead festivities in Mexico City, a girl holding her mother’s hand strolls past elaborate skulls on Reforma Avenue.
The “bread of the dead,” or “pan de muerto,” is a circular loaf of bread decorated with bone-shaped designs, is another popular food item during the festival. The bread is typically decorated with sugar to represent the sorrowful tears that loved ones have shed.
On both days of the festival, the bread is baked and consumed, and it is also offered at the altars.
Users can also create virtual altars on websites like MiAltar. These can be shared through the website.
La Catrina presides over parades.
La Catrina, who is tall and skeletal, can be seen all over the festival.
Political cartoonist and lithographer Jose Guadalupe Posada made her a character in the early 1900s.
During the Mexican City International Festival of Lights for the Day of the Dead, a monumental La Catrina stands next to the statue.
A fashionable French hat and feathers are on La Catrina. Posada’s writings were a counterpoint to the Mexicans’ desire to imitate the elite of Europe.
Posada’s famous saying, “We are all skeletons,” makes reference to how we are all the same in the absence of expensive clothing, jewelry, and other accessories.
In a 1947 mural, Diego Rivera named Posada after her in the Latin word “the rich” (the rich) and added her name.
During the International Festival of Lights and the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico City, pedestrians and tourists pass an illuminated La Catrina.
Day of the Dead is a daylong event that goes on for more than one day.
November 1 and November 2 are the main days of the holiday. However, some countries start their celebrations on October 27, which also includes their deceased pets. The following days are dedicated to creating altars.
The Philippines, which was colonized by Spain in 1565, are also celebrated throughout Latin America, including in Spain, some areas of the country with large Mexican-American populations, and in Mexico, where the Day of the Dead is celebrated.
The month of November is typically dedicated to “angelitos” (little angels), which are typically referred to as “angelitos” (little angels). Toys and balloons are adorn their graves.
49 people have already been killed by Hurricane Melissa, but that number is expected to rise as search and rescue efforts continue to traverse the northern Caribbean’s trail of destruction.
At least 30 people died and 20 were missing, according to Haitian authorities on Thursday. The lumbering storm caused days of torrential rains to the impoverished country, which was not directly affected. The Reuters news agency reports 19 fatalities in Jamaica, according to Reuters. Before the hurricane made landfall elsewhere, one death has been reported in the Dominican Republic.
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One of the strongest Atlantic storms ever, Melissa, made landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday as a Category 5 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of up to 295 kilometres per hour (183 miles per hour). According to government officials, the hurricane did not directly hit Kingston, but it did strike Jamaica’s western side, causing “devastation.”
Melissa then made contact with Cuba, moving along a Category 3 hurricane, before cutting off its path on Wednesday night. According to the US National Hurricane Center, it will pass close to Bermuda and be within 60 kilometers (37 miles).
Even though the storm’s strength has steadily decreased over the past week, it has caused destructive winds, rain, and flooding in the Caribbean.
Although neither the island of Hispaniola and Haiti, which share it, were directly hit, neither country’s island nor the Dominican Republic, reported heavy flooding.
On Wednesday, October 29, 2025, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, people are residing inside a shelter for families who have been displaced by gang violence and the flooding brought by Hurricane Melissa.
Although the eastern half of Cuba was heavily impacted by strong winds, Reuters reported no deaths in Cuba as of yet.
According to the newswire, hundreds of thousands of people in the Caribbean are still without power, including 70% of Jamaica’s electricity users.
Local authorities are assessing the extent of the damage done to the infrastructure, including power lines and downed trees.
UN Resident Coordinator Dennis Zulu claims that the island has experienced “never before” devastation despite preliminary assessments for Jamaica, where UN agencies claim they are still calculating the damage caused by Melissa.
The US Disaster Assistance Response Team has been assigned by Secretary of State Marco Rubio to assist Jamaica, Haiti, the Bahamas, and Cuba, according to a statement released by the US State Department on Thursday.
In order for Republicans to end a week-long federal government shutdown, President Donald Trump has requested that the Senate vote to end the filibuster rule.
The US leader criticized “Crazed Lunatics” in a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday.
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“It is now time for the Republicans to play their “TRUMP CARD” and choose the “Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW” mantra. Trump authored .
“We are in power, and if we did what we should be doing to [end the filibuster], it would IMMEDIATELY end this ridiculous, country-destroying “SHUT DOWN,” he continued.
A seasoned Senate practice that delays or blocks votes on legislation by keeping debate open is known as the filibuster. To pass the majority of legislation, the Senate requires a supermajority of 60 of the chamber’s 100 members.
Senate rules, including the filibuster, can be changed at any time by simple majority vote. A 53-47 majority in the Senate is currently held by Republicans.
Senate Democrats have voted against passing a government bill that would provide funding for federal agencies since October 1st, the start of the new fiscal year.
Democrats have urged Republicans to reverse the proposed sweeping cuts to Medicaid, which would allow tens of millions of low-income Americans to receive healthcare coverage, and lower premiums for those who don’t.
Friday marked the end of the deadlock’s 31st day. If it surpasses the 35-day gap that occurred during the first Trump administration, it will lead to the longest deadlock in history.
Federal employees who are “essential” continue to be paid until their pay is paid off during government shutdowns.
Concerned that the already understaffed staff members who manage thousands of flights each day may be subject to increased financial stress, the most recent news was on Tuesday when US air traffic controllers were informed they would not receive their paychecks this month.
The US economy could lose between $7 billion and $ 14 billion, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office’s report on Wednesday.
Trump recently flew back to the US after a major summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Qatar, Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea.
The US leader claimed in his Truth Social post that despite the success of the trip, conversations had taken the filibuster issue into consideration.
However, the question that kept surfacing was “how the Democrats SHUT DOWN the United States of America, and why did the powerful Republicans permit them to do so?” In fact, I had a lot of thought about the question, “WHY?” when I flew back. he wrote.
