Nov 9, 2026, 10:30 PM UTC

Following the defeat of former President Aleksandar Vučić's ruling party in Serbia's recent parliamentary elections, over 480,000 voters cast ballots to elect representatives across national minority councils. Academic Čedomir Čupić noted that the political shift has reduced state pressure on minority bodies.

Concurrently, public figures and legal experts called for reviews of state security agencies after allegations surfaced that the Security Information Agency conducted wiretapping targeting journalists and public venues. Dejan Šoškić, a former central bank governor, stated that political changes allow Serbia to rebuild regional relations, particularly with Montenegro.

Tensions persist, however, following the release of video footage showing Vučić issuing warnings to prosecutors, police, and student activists, stating that "everyone will answer."

Sources: Danas, Index, Klix, N1, Vijesti

The Canary Island of El Hierro has declared a state of emergency following an unprecedented influx of migrants along the Atlantic route. Over 8,000 people have reached the island within five weeks, including more than 1,700 arrivals over a single weekend. Local authorities warn that reception infrastructure on the island of 12,000 residents is severely overwhelmed.

Concurrently, a major maritime disaster occurred off Senegal near Kebemer. A vessel bound for the Canary Islands capsized, leaving at least 21 dead according to Senegal’s Interior Ministry, though Dutch media reports indicate the death toll has reached at least 34. Rescue operations remain ongoing to locate missing passengers. The Atlantic passage remains among the world's most perilous migration channels.

Sources: FAZ, Tagesschau, Der Standard, ORF, NRC.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot has accused Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of orchestrating cyberattacks that disabled cooling systems across hundreds of French supermarkets. French officials stated that Iran would face consequences for the operational disruptions.

The accusations coincide with wider security developments involving Tehran. Unexplained explosions were reported across four southern Iranian locations, including Qeshm Island and key port cities such as Bandar Abbas and Jask, though Iranian state media provided no official explanation for the cause. Concurrently, human rights scrutiny persists over the lethal suppression of anti-government protesters by Iranian security forces. In response to ongoing regional actions, US Central Command announced a dedicated task force to interdict Iranian land and Caspian Sea smuggling routes.

Sources: Avaz, Danas, Klix, N1, Vijesti

An explosion at a steel mill in the Aliağa district of İzmir, Turkey, has resulted in multiple worker casualties and sparked immediate government investigations.

Discrepancies emerged regarding the precise casualties and cause of the blast. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated that 16 workers died and 13 were injured during a liquid steel pouring process. However, reporting from Bianet indicated at least 17 fatalities, citing initial governorate findings that an overhead crane snapped and fell into an arc furnace. Meanwhile, Labor Minister Vedat Işıkhan attributed the blast to natural gas and oxygen pipes rupturing after material fell during maintenance work.

Emergency teams extinguished the resulting fire and launched search and rescue operations. Hospitalized victims remain under treatment as authorities continue examining the site.

Sources: TRT Haber (Turkish Radio and Television Corporation), Cumhuriyet, Anadolu Ajansı (Anadolu Agency), Bianet.

Severe weather in central Gaza has intensified the humanitarian crisis for displaced Palestinians, causing severe flooding and ground collapses in Deir al-Balah. According to local health officials, a collapsing sandbank buried a tent, killing a pregnant woman and three children while leaving two others critically injured. Hundreds of makeshift shelters were flooded following heavy rainfall.

Gaza's Health Ministry warned that approximately 2,000 damaged structures across the enclave remain on the verge of collapse, posing an immediate hazard to residents. Officials from Gaza's government media office stated that the severe impact of the weather is a direct consequence of ongoing Israeli military operations, strict blockades, and forced displacements that have restricted safe living areas for civilians.

Sources: Anadolu Agency, TRT Haber.