Populist Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic resigned today (Sunday) in order to run for prime minister in early parliamentary elections.
Vucic's second presidential term ends in May next year. The Serbian constitution prevents him from running for a third term, and he said that he would resign to lead the right-wing Serbian Progressive Party in the elections that will be held next October 25.
The ruling populists face a major challenge in the elections from a youth-backed movement that led the protests sparked by the collapse of a train station canopy on November 1, 2024, killing 16 people in the city of Novi Sad, northern Serbia.
University students called for those responsible for the tragedy to be held accountable. Their struggle for justice and against corruption has developed into a powerful movement that will attempt to overthrow Vucic's government after 14 years in power. Vucic himself has been either prime minister or president of the country for the past 12 years.
Vucic said, while reading the text of his resignation: “I resign from the position of President of the Republic.”
The elections are scheduled to be held in October against a backdrop of intense political tensions as populists led by Vucic seek to remain in office despite widespread popular discontent. His decision to run for prime minister is seen as an attempt to retain a senior position and strengthen his party's chances against the student movement.
On Sunday, Yonhap News Agency quoted the South Korean presidential office as expressing its “deep regret” over what it described as Ukraine’s repudiation of an agreement with Seoul to not disclose the transfer of prisoners of war from North Korea to its southern neighbor.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated before the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday that Ukraine had transferred two prisoners from North Korea to South Korea. He explained that the two men were recently sent, after being captured while fighting, to the side of Russia during the ongoing war with Ukraine.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung later said it was "extremely regrettable" that Ukraine announced the transfer, adding that the two sides had agreed not to reveal it.
Yonhap news agency quoted Seung Ji-hong, the presidential chief secretary for public relations, as saying in a statement that the presidential office “expresses its deep regret over Ukraine’s unilateral disclosure (of the transfer), and its later false announcement that there was no non-disclosure agreement.”
The agency added that the South Korean official indicated that the government is considering taking additional measures on this issue if necessary.
Ukraine captured the two North Korean soldiers in the Russian Kursk region in January 2025. They were the first two North Korean soldiers to be captured alive since Pyongyang entered the Russian-Ukrainian war in 2024.
The handover comes at a time when South Korea supports efforts to revive dialogue with North Korea, while US President Donald Trump renewed his readiness to communicate with Pyongyang.
British police arrested five men near an air base in southwest England, used by the US Air Force, on Sunday, on suspicion of involvement in crimes related to explosives and terrorism, after receiving a report that three small trucks were heading towards the military airport that was used to launch strikes on Iran. US President Donald Trump said that the suspects intended to cause “serious harm,” adding that British and American authorities had already been investigating them for some time.
Counter-terrorism investigators conducting the investigation reported that police received a report during the early hours of Sunday about three suspicious vehicles that appeared to be heading towards the Royal Air Force’s Fairford base in western England. Armed police officers arrested the five men and later placed them in custody on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. Police said they believe the matter is now under control.
Circumstances of the incident
Vicky Evans, senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism police, said in a statement: “We are still in the early stages of the investigation, and the five remain in custody.” She added: “As expected, we are working closely with our partners to understand the circumstances of the incident.” The police said that they imposed a security cordon for a distance of 400 meters around the base, while a unit specialized in defusing explosives examined the trucks. Residents of the area were evacuated, and armed police patrols were deployed at the site. The British government said that Prime Minister Andy Burnham was receiving updates on the incident.
The British government granted the United States permission to use the British Royal Air Force's Fairford base to carry out strikes on Iranian missile sites attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Burnham expressed his thanks to the police and the armed forces, and wrote on “X”: “I realize that today’s incident near the Royal Air Force base in Fairford will raise great concern among the residents of the area and many who are following developments throughout the country.”
Britain stated in July that its armed forces were ready to protect the country from any attack after the Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned Britain of the consequences of allowing American bombers to take off from the Fairford base. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned that any base used in these strikes would be a legitimate target. The police did not disclose who they believed was behind Sunday's incident. A source familiar with the investigation said that the hypothesis of a motive linked to Iran remains the most likely, noting that the possibilities that also come into consideration include Russia’s involvement in an act of sabotage, or a conspiracy by Islamic extremists. Trump told reporters: “The arrests in Britain are amazing... amazing work.” He added: “We were investigating them.” They intended to cause serious damage... Cooperation with the British yielded excellent results... We detected them a long time ago and captured them.”
Armed police closed the roads leading to the base, and heavy equipment prevented access to it. Reuters witnesses reported tightening security measures at other bases used by the United States. Armored vehicles and soldiers were seen at the gates of the Royal Air Force's Lakenheath and Mildenhall bases in eastern England.
It is noteworthy that “Fairford” is a British base that includes the “501st Combat Support Wing”, which is an administrative wing of the US Air Force. The US Air Force announced in a statement that the incident did not involve any of its personnel, saying: “We continue our close coordination with our British partners to ensure the security of our soldiers and residents.”
Last March, former Prime Minister Keir Starmer granted the United States permission to carry out “defensive” operations against Iranian missile sites from two British bases, including Fairford. According to British media, specialized devices have been deployed in the region, including a team specialized in interventions in dangerous areas.
“A serious incident”
Richard Okon, assistant chief of Gloucestershire Police, told reporters: “Emergency services have carefully thought-out plans to deal with serious incidents... A security cordon has been imposed as a precautionary measure, and the public can see the continued heavy presence of emergency services in the area for some time.” The Daily Mail website published a picture of five men, which it said were those arrested by the authorities. A US Air Force spokesman declined to discuss specific procedures to protect forces. He said: “The (501st Combat Support Wing) and our other wings stationed in the United Kingdom remain vigilant, and will take appropriate measures to ensure the safety and security of American service members, civilians, contractors and their families.” He continued: “We constantly evaluate a variety of factors that determine the measures we implement or modify to protect our facilities, individuals, and their families.”
British ministers briefed operators of critical infrastructure on the threat posed by Russia, at a time when the government is increasingly concerned about the possibility of sabotage and cyber attacks. Russia denies launching hybrid or multi-means attacks on Western countries. The “Palestine Action” protest movement stormed a British military air base in central England in June 2025, before it was later classified as a “terrorist organization.”
