Australian jockey Damien Oliver has described allegations that he backed a rival horse in a race in which he was riding as “hurtful”.

A handshake between Kosovan prime minister Hashim Thaci and former Serbian president Boris Tadic has triggered outrage in both countries.

Nationalist candidate Tomislav Nikolic won the Serbian presidency, a result that adds to the political turmoil in the Balkan country and could slow down its attempts to join the European Union.

Nationalist candidate Tomislav Nikolic won the Serbian presidency tonight, a result that adds to the political turmoil in the Balkan country and could slow down its attempts to join the European Union.

The leader of Serbia’s nationalist opposition today threatened to “blockade” the capital with mass rallies unless his demands for early elections are met.

Serbia’s pro-Western president Boris Tadic has declared victory in parliamentary elections, edging out ultranationalists who tried to exploit anger over Kosovo’s independence.

At least 150,000 Serbs gathered in central Belgrade today in a massive protest against Kosovo’s declaration of independence, raising fears of street violence.

The European Union was quick to congratulate pro-Western Boris Tadic after he won Serbia’s presidential election, beating an ultranationalist ally of former President Slobodan Milosevic by a narrow margin.

Pro-Western incumbent Boris Tadic won Serbia's presidential election today, beating an ultranationalist ally of former President Slobodan Milosevic by a narrow margin.

Serbians were voting today in a run off presidential election that may bring an ally of late hardline President Slobodan Milosevic back to power, before a potentially explosive split by the Serbian province of Kosovo.

KOSOVO’S declaration of independence is a matter of days away, the Serbian province’s prime minister Hashim Thaci said yesterday.

Independent monitors said an ally of late autocrat Slobodan Milosevic had edged ahead of the pro-Western incumbent in Serbia’s presidential election today, but failed to win an outright majority – forcing the two into a run-off.

NATIONALIST Tomislav Nikolic won the most votes in the first round of Serbia’s presidential election on Sunday but not enough to win outright, exit polls showed, setting up a run-off with pro-western President Boris Tadic.

An ally of late President Slobodan Milosevic was elected as Serbia’s new parliament speaker today, signalling a return of ultranationalists to power in the troubled Balkan country.

Serbian president Boris Tadic today called on pro-democratic parties to put differences aside and quickly form a coalition government to stave off gains made by ultranationalists in the weekend parliamentary election.

Serbian ultra-nationalist Radicals won most votes in Serbia’s parliamentary election, but several pro-democratic groups won enough seats to form a new government if they can settle their differences.

A witness at the trial of alleged helpers of top UN war crimes suspect, Ratko Mladic, testified today that Serbia’s top leaders were aware of the fugitive general’s whereabouts until mid 2002.

The Dutch Embassy in Moscow today granted a three-day visa to Slobodan Milosevic’s son, Marko, so he can travel to the The Hague to claim his father’s remains, the Netherlands said.

A UN appeals court in The Hague, Netherlands, today cut seven years from the 27-year sentence of a Bosnian Serb army officer convicted for his role in the massacre of more than 8,000 Muslims in the enclave of Srebrenica.

A Bosnian Serb facing war crimes charges for his alleged involvement in the massacre of Muslims at Srebrenica in 1995 delayed entering a plea today at his first appearance at the Netherlands UN tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

A PRO-WESTERN reformer won Serbia’s presidential run-off vote last night, defeating a hard-line nationalist ally of former autocrat Slobodan Milosevic, an independent election monitoring group said.

Serbians were voting for a new president today, with a nationalist, a pro-Western moderate and a business mogul leading a race that could determine whether the Balkan republic strengthens its Western ties or opts for renewed isolation.

Serbia faced becoming a pariah state again tonight after an extreme nationalist party made massive gains in a general election.

A BOSNIAN Serb prison camp commander who allowed Muslim prisoners to be raped, tortured and murdered was sentenced to 23 years in jail at the UN Yugoslav tribunal in the Hague yesterday.

Serbian presidential elections failed for the third time in a year today, triggering a major political crisis in the Balkan republic.

Serbia’s presidential elections failed for the third time in a year tonight because of a low turnout, according to exit polls.

Serbian presidential elections were on the brink of collapse for the third time in a year as few voters turned out today to choose between a pro-democracy veteran and a strident nationalist.

Australian jockey Danny Nikolic will be free to ride Mummify in the Tooheys New Melbourne Cup despite being charged with failing to give the horse every chance to win in his prep-race last Saturday.

Three Bosnian Serbs charged with genocide, were today accused of massacring thousands of Muslims “like animals” in the UN safe area of Srebrenica during the Bosnia war.