FORMER Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic was extradited to the Netherlands yesterday to face genocide charges at the UN war crimes tribunal after 16 years on the run.

Protesters throwing stones and bottles clashed with baton-wielding riot police in Belgrade after several thousand Serbian nationalist supporters of jailed war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic rallied outside the parliament building to demand his release.

After 16 years on the run, a frail and haggard Ratko Mladic was hauled before a judge in the first step towards charges for international war crimes, including the 1995 slaughter of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica.

THE Group of Eight leaders, meeting in France yesterday, piled pressure on Greece to sort out its debt crisis, saying the debts of some European governments were weighing down a labouring world economy.

Ratko Mladic, the ruthless Bosnian Serb military leader charged with orchestrating Europe’s worst massacre of civilians since the Second World War, was arrested at a relative’s home in a tiny Serbian village today after a 16-year hunt.

Serbia’s foreign minister has said that the upcoming ruling by the International Court of Justice on the legality of Kosovo’s declaration of independence will create “an unprecedented opportunity” for compromise between rival Serbs and ethnic Albanians.

A former president of Bosnia accused of war crimes was in British custody today after being arrested at Heathrow airport as he tried to leave the country.

A former president of Bosnia was arrested at Heathrow airport today over alleged war crimes, British authorities confirmed.

Serbia’s gay pride march was cancelled by organisers after authorities said they could not guarantee protection for the event from extremist groups.

Video clips showing war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic living freely in Serbia have emerged on Bosnian state TV.

A plane believed to be carrying former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic landed today in the Netherlands, where a United Nations war crimes tribunal will try him for genocide.

Hard-line supporters of Serbian mass killer Radovan Karadzic are threatening to bring violent chaos to Belgrade tomorrow with a huge rally in his support.

The deadline for Radovan Karadzic to appeal against his handover to the United Nations war crimes court passed today with the lawyer for the ex-Bosnian Serb warlord refusing to confirm he had taken that step.

The head of human rights watchdog the Council of Europe today hailed the arrest of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic as “wonderful news”.

Hundreds of Serbs took over a United Nations court in northern Kosovo today in protest over the country's declaration of independence.

Hundreds of Serbs took over a United Nations court in northern Kosovo today in protest over the country’s declaration of independence.

Kosovo marked its first full week of independence with prayers and protests today as outraged Serbs geared up for demonstrations across Europe.

America gave Serbia a blunt warning against inciting violence after an angry mob protesting at the independence declared by its former province of Kosovo stormed and set fire to the US Embassy in Belgrade.

Serb rioters set fire to an office inside the US embassy today as police clashed with protesters after an estimated 150,000 people demonstrated against Kosovo’s declaration of independence.

Thousands of Kosovo Serbs took to the streets in protest today over their ethnic Albanian leadership’s declaration of the province’s independence from Serbia.

The move by Kosovo to become an “independent and democratic state” is backed by the US and key European allies but bitterly contested by Serbia and Russia.

Kosovo took another step towards announcing its independence today by creating a government office to handle the concerns of Serb minorities.

SERBIA is planning retaliatory measures against western states if they recognise Kosovo’s independence, including the possibility of severing diplomatic ties with the US and EU countries.

Serbia is planning retaliatory measures against Western states if they recognise Kosovo’s independence, including the possibility of severing diplomatic ties with the US and EU countries.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon received a report yesterday confirming a deadlock in negotiations between Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian leaders and Serbia over the future status of Kosovo.

Kosovo’s voters were choosing a new parliament today they hope will deliver independence from Serbia.

Kosovo’s prime minister today vowed to declare independence if internationally brokered talks fail to “open a way for us,” staking out a tough position at last-ditch negotiations on the province’s future status.

Serbia’s new parliament today convenes to reject a UN plan that gives Kosovo virtual independence, shattering a compromise for the breakaway province.

Masked special police, backed by helicopters, searched a western Serbian town today as part of a stepped up hunt for UN war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic, witnesses and media said.

A European Union deadline for Serbia to surrender war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic has expired with no sign of the former army commander, threatening the nation’s efforts to join the bloc.

Dutch foreign minister Ben Bot said Bosnian Serb war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic was reportedly sick and considering surrender.

President Ibrahim Rugova died of lung cancer today, leaving a leadership vacuum in Kosovo’s fraction-ridden political scene before crucial talks on whether the province should gain the independence that was his lifelong dream. He was 61.

Chief UN war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte said today that top war crimes suspect Gen Ratko Mladic is hiding in Serbia under the protection of the Serbian army.

A Belgrade newspaper today claimed that Bosnian Serb wartime commander and top war crimes suspect Gen. Ratko Mladic is in Russia.

CROATIAN war crimes suspect Ante Gotovina pleaded not guilty yesterday to seven counts of murder, persecution and expulsion of Serbs during the critical final months of the Croatian War in 1995.

Croatian war crimes suspect Ante Gotovina pleaded not guilty today to seven counts of murder, persecution and expulsion of Serbs during the critical final months of the Croatian war in 1995.

Slobodan Milosevic’s party allies today demanded a six-week adjournment of the former Yugoslav president’s UN war crimes trial, citing his deteriorating health.

A UN tribunal today set January 2007 for the beginning of former Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj’s war crimes trial.

A former Yugoslav army chief wanted by the UN war crimes tribunal today agreed to surrender to the Netherlands-based court after spending several weeks in hiding, the Serbian government said.

A senior Bosnian Serb general indicted in the 1995 massacre of nearly 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica surrendered to the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague today.

A senior Bosnian Serb general indicted in the 1995 massacre of nearly 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica was expected to surrender to the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague today.

A retired Bosnian general surrendered to the war crimes tribunal in the Netherlands today.

A top Bosnian Serb general who was a close aide to wartime commander Ratko Mladic is to surrender voluntarily to the UN war crimes tribunal.

THE TRIAL of eight Serbs accused of committing war crimes during vicious fighting for the Croatian town of Vukovar in 1991 opens today in a special Serbian court.