Saturday, January 18

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets across the Serbian capital of Belgrade, protesting against corruption in the government after a roof collapse incident in November that killed 15 people.

Back in early November, the concrete roof of a train station in the northern town of Novi Sad collapsed, killing 15 people. Protests began almost instantly, with people taking to the streets with claims that the government was corrupt. The protestors believe that government officials have been filling their pockets at the expense of Serbian lives. The train station had recently undergone a renovation, leading locals to believe that the work was made sloppy while officials pocketed the extra cash.

In November, some protests were peaceful and others turned violent. One round of protests in Novi Sad turned into a riot as some protestors began throwing objects like rocks and bottles at the town's City Hall, forcing police to use tear gas to drive them away.

Now, those protestors have returned, displaying that they have not forgotten their cause. The current protests are led by students from the University of Belgrade, who lead the crowds into the middle of the road. There, they protest in silence in the middle of the road for 15 minutes, blocking traffic to honor the 15 people killed in the incident. Students from other universities have also been taking action, blocking off all of their classes in an attempt to force the government to properly investigate the roof collapse and arrest anyone at fault.

While all of the protests are against the government, many signs seem to be directly directed towards incumbent President Aleksandar Vučić, who they claim is the center of the corruption. However, Vučić has maintained that he will not let them take power, and he will continue leading the country.

Fact of the Day (Reader's Digest): pH levels are measured on a scale of 0-14, with the lower numbers being more acidic. Human stomach acids have a pH of 1.0 to 2.0, meaning that they are so acidic that they can even dissolve razor blades. So if you ever swallow a razor blade and it makes it to your stomach, don't worry!

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.

(Warren G. Bennis)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Apprehension (noun, ap-rih-HEN-shun) - Apprehension most often refers to the fear that something bad or unpleasant is going to happen; it’s a feeling of being worried about the future. The word can also refer to seizure by legal process.

In a Sentence: There is growing apprehension that next quarter’s profits will be lower than expected.