Riots in England, Middle East tensions, Venezuela re‑elects. This is your morning news summary

It happened while you were sleeping. Here’s what global agencies reported overnight from Friday to Saturday.

• The United States will bolster its military presence in the Middle East, deploying additional warships and fighter jets to protect US personnel and defend Israel amid soaring tensions in the region - said a Pentagon spokesman. The spokesman clarified that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin approved the deployment of additional cruisers and destroyers to the Middle East and Europe capable of shooting down ballistic missiles. Furthermore, an additional squadron of fighters will be sent to the Middle East. The published statement says these moves aim to enhance the protection of U.S. forces in the region, reinforce support for Israel, and readiness to respond to various scenarios.

• In northeastern England, more riots broke out following Monday's murder of three girls in Southport near Liverpool. This time, clashes with the police occurred in Sunderland. Demonstrators set a police station on fire, among other things. At least eight people were arrested.

• The authorities of Venezuela confirmed the incumbent president's victory. The National Electoral Council (CNE) reported that after counting nearly 97% of the votes, Nicolás Maduro received 52%, while the opposition candidate Edmundo González received 43%.

• The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the popular platform TikTok. These allegations concern the violation of the privacy of underage users. It has been explained that children under 13 could create accounts without parental consent, and the platform unlawfully collected their data.

• Slovakia and Hungary rejected the European Commission's suggestion that they could replace lost Russian oil supplies with an alternative route through Croatia. They claim this would be too costly.