The death toll from the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela has risen to at least 1,430. Rescue workers are continuing to search for survivors in the hardest-hit areas along the coast and around Caracas, where aftershocks are still occurring.

Meanwhile, more than 1,600 foreign rescue workers have arrived in the country, and additional teams are on their way. The situation is most dire in the coastal state of La Guaira, where, according to witnesses, residents in several locations have been searching for their relatives in the rubble with their bare hands due to a lack of equipment and rescue resources.

Authorities reported that thousands of people were injured and many families have found temporary shelter in evacuation centers. Electricity is gradually being restored, but access to the hardest-hit areas remains restricted to allow rescue teams to move freely.

The government has recorded hundreds of people missing or trapped under the rubble. However, the opposition has compiled data on more than 55,000 missing persons. The United States has already pledged $150m in humanitarian aid and is preparing another package of financial support.

(Reuters, Lud)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced that he will step down from office within a few weeks and that early presidential and parliamentary elections will be held in the country. After 13 years in power, he has been facing pressure from anti-government protests led by students that have lasted for over a year and a half.

The demonstrations erupted after a shelter at the Novi Sad train station collapsed in November 2024, killing 16 people. Protesters, the opposition and human rights organizations claim that the tragedy exposed systemic failures in the management of public construction projects and widespread corruption.

They also accuse Vucic and his allies of election manipulation, violence against political opponents, restrictions on media freedom and ties to organized crime. The president denies these allegations.

Vucic stated that he will assist his Serbian Progressive Party in the election campaign. He has not yet announced a date for his resignation or the dissolution of parliament.

The leader of the opposition movement, Savo Manojlovic, declared that by resigning, the president is trying to prevent his "inevitable fall", since, according to him, the student movement enjoys greater support than Vucic himself.

Serbia is a candidate country for accession to the European Union.

(Reuters, Lud)

The Paks nuclear power plant in Hungary reduced the output of one of its four reactors due to high water temperatures in the Danube during a record-breaking heat wave. The plant's operator, MVM, announced on Saturday that it had reduced the output of the third reactor by 243 megawatts.

Early morning measurements showed that the temperature of the cooling water downstream of the plant reached 29.7C, exceeding the intervention threshold of 29.5C. According to Hungarian regulations, the temperature of the water downstream of the plant must be checked regularly whenever the temperature of the Danube exceeds 25C.

Engineers began reducing the output of the third reactor on Saturday afternoon. Plant experts are scheduled to take further measurements on Sunday morning and will decide on any further steps based on the results.

Hungarian Energy Minister Istvan Kapitany stated that households should not notice the reduction in the plant's output. However, he had previously called on residents to limit their electricity consumption in the early evening hours to help ease the load on the grid.

(Reuters, lud)

France is considering implementing reciprocal measures in response to Burkina Faso's decision on Friday to immediately sever diplomatic relations. The West African nation, which has been battling a bloody Islamist insurgency spilling over from neighboring Mali for a decade, has severed ties with its former colonial ruler due to long-standing deteriorating relations.

The main reasons for the rift are disputes over sovereignty, security and alleged foreign interference.

Burkina Faso's Minister of Communications, Gilbert Ouedraogo, directly accused Paris of supporting subversive networks and terrorists. France categorically rejects these accusations, and its ministry of foreign affairs has described this move as a hostile and unfounded decision.

According to Paris, the situation clearly illustrates a troubling shift in the stance of the current Burkinabe authorities. Given the escalating tensions in the region, where the insurgency has already claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions of people, French diplomats are urging all French citizens in Burkina Faso to exercise the utmost caution.

(Reuters, Max)

More than 10,000 people took part in the Budapest Pride march on Saturday, the first since the April parliamentary elections, in which long-time Prime Minister Viktor Orban was defeated by the Tisza Party led by Peter Magyar. Participants marched through the streets of Budapest carrying rainbow flags and European Union flags despite the extreme heat.

Last year's march turned into a mass protest against Orban's government after the prime minister attempted to ban it as part of his policy of restricting the rights of the LGBT+ community. Following the change in government, the ban was lifted, and the event took place without incident this year.

Participants spoke of a noticeably more optimistic atmosphere and hope for equality. They believe that the new government might address the issues of same-sex marriage and adoption in the future.

During his tenure, Orban pushed through laws that made it impossible to change one's gender on official documents, restricted adoption by same-sex couples and banned school materials deemed to promote homosexuality or gender transition.

Prime Minister Peter Magyar, who describes himself as a conservative, is calling for patience regarding any potential changes to this legislation.

(Reuters, Lud)

Criminal police officers in the Polish city of Zielona Góra detained a 36-year-old Ukrainian citizen who had publicly threatened to kill Polish President Karol Nawrocki online. According to polsatnews.pl, the statements and threats directed at the head of state were made during an interview published on an online channel.

After the police obtained the incriminating video recording, investigators immediately located the suspect's whereabouts and detained him.

Local police spokeswoman Anna Baran confirmed that the detained foreign national was brought before the prosecutor's office on Saturday, which was reviewing the case files at that time. The 36-year-old suspect will most likely face formal charges of insulting a constitutional body of the Republic of Poland in connection with threats against the president.

If found guilty, the perpetrator faces a fine or imprisonment for up to two years.

(max)

The iconic Italian Vespa scooter, known for its distinctive waistline design, is celebrating its 80th anniversary this week in Rome. To mark the occasion, a special four-day event is taking place in the capital from 25 to 28 June.

Piaggio launched the Vespa in 1946, and it immediately became a symbol of the economic rebirth of a country devastated by World War II. It was designed to be affordable, yet stylish and practical enough to navigate the narrow streets of Milan, Rome and Naples.

The scooter was also made famous by Hollywood stars Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn, who rode a Vespa through the streets of Rome in the legendary film Roman Holiday.

Over eight decades of continuous production, this world-famous design export has undergone approximately 160 upgrades.

To date, nearly 20 million units have been sold, with over two million sold in the past decade alone. Currently, the Vespa is sold in 100 countries around the world, primarily in Europe and Southeast Asia, and is manufactured at three plants, in Italy, India and Vietnam.

(Reuters, Max)

More than 1,600 members of foreign rescue teams have already arrived in the country, and another 25 planes are expected to arrive within the next 24 hours. The US is mobilizing $150m in aid, easing sanctions and deploying troops and ships to support relief operations.

The situation is worst in the state of La Guaira and in the capital, Caracas. While the government speaks of hundreds of missing or trapped people, an opposition website puts the number in the tens of thousands.

Local residents are criticizing the lack of heavy equipment. Power outages are further complicating the situation in the affected areas. Fortunately, the oil industry and fuel production have not suffered extensive damage.

In an effort to speed up the passage of rescue teams, the government has completely closed the main road between Caracas and La Guaira to civilians without special passes, which has brought traffic on secondary routes to a standstill. Looting has also been reported in the affected areas, where 14,000 soldiers and police officers are on patrol.

(Reuters, Max)

A sudden change in weather in the United Kingdom, where a heat wave gave way to severe thunderstorms, has caused massive disruptions to air travel. According to the BBC, flight delays at London's major airports, Heathrow and Gatwick, are reaching up to six hours, and dozens of flights have had to be canceled entirely.

According to the flight-tracking service FlightAware, at least 367 flights were delayed at Heathrow Airport and 352 at Gatwick Airport on Saturday. The most critical situation for air traffic control is reported in the airspace between southeastern England and northwestern Europe, where storm fronts are present.

The British air traffic control service NATS and airport authorities warn that restrictions and adverse conditions will persist until the end of the day. Some passengers, such as those on EasyJet flights, were stranded on planes on the runway for hours before their flights were canceled.

The problems are also spilling over abroad. British Airways passengers were stranded without air conditioning at airports across Europe, such as Venice, Italy, as flights from London were unable to take off on their scheduled routes.

Airlines, including British Airways and EasyJet, apologized for the complications and explained that they had to adjust their flight schedules due to strict air traffic control restrictions. Air routes outside the storm-affected areas are currently operating without restrictions.

(max)