BELGRADE AFP) – Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic signed and submitted his resignation, stepping down as president. “I am now signing the text that reads as follows: ‘Pursuant to Article 116, paragraph 5 of the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia, I submit my resignation from the office of President of the Republic.’...Ana, this goes to the Parliament, and tomorrow you go to the handover,” said Vucic. Under Serbia’s Constitution and Law on the president, the president’s term ends when the written resignation is formally received by the National Assembly, without requiring approval. The Speaker of the National Assembly Ana Brnabic then assumes presidential duties for up to three months and must call a presidential election within that period.

 

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FRANKFURT(AFP) - A Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Lisbon was diverted to Lyon in France after a passenger’s powerbank battery caught fire, the airline said. The incident happened on Saturday while the Airbus A321-200 carrying 198 passengers was heading to the Portuguese capital. A Lufthansa spokesperson said the crew immediately secured the battery in a protective bag specially designed for lithium batteries, and no one was injured. The pilot decided to divert to Lyon as a precaution, and the flight landed without incident. Passengers resumed the flight on Sunday after an overnight stay in a hotel.

 

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GEORGIA (AP) - Eleven teenagers were wounded in a mass shooting at a birthday gathering in the U.S. state of Georgia, with two of them in critical condition, media reports said Sunday. The shooting occurred around midnight during a “large gathering” at Carolyn Crayton Park in Macon, about 85 miles (137 kilometers) southeast of Atlanta, CBS News reported, citing the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office. The victims were four 18-year-old men, two 18-year-old women and five 17-year-old boys. An 18-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy remained in critical condition, while the other nine victims were stable. Bibb County Sheriff David Davis said the gathering appeared to be a birthday party that had originally been planned at another location before attendees moved to the park.

 

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BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany on Monday vowed continued support for the International Criminal Court, ahead of a trip by its foreign minister to the Hague-based court that is currently in the US administration’s crosshairs. U.S. President Donald Trump has long opposed the ICC and recently urged countries to leave the “evil” court immediately. His administration has sought to punish the court over investigations into U.S. personnel as well as its arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Many governments, especially in Europe, have reacted by rallying behind the court, describing it as a cornerstone of international justice.

 

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BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Senator Flavio Bolsonaro remain statistically tied in a simulated runoff ahead of next month’s election, while the leftist incumbent widened his lead in first-round voting intentions, a BTG Pactual/Nexus poll showed on Monday. In a potential runoff, Lula would receive 46% of voter support, compared with 44% for the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, the poll said. Lula’s narrow runoff lead remains within the survey’s margin of error. A September 21 survey had Lula leading Bolsonaro by 46% to 45%.