U.S. bolsters Middle East forces amid rising Iran threats. This is what happened overnight

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

• The United States will send additional warships and fighters to the Middle East due to threats from Iran and its allies Hamas and Hezbollah - 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 statement says these moves aim to enhance the protection of U.S. forces in the region, reinforce support for Israel, and ensure 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 actions. 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, Nicolas Maduro received 52%, while opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez received 43%.

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