BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Tens of thousands of people rallied in Serbia’s capital on Saturday for a fifth time in a month, following two mass shootings that shook the nation, even as the country’s populist president rejected any responsibility for the crisis and ignored the protesters' demands to step down.
25 NATO-led peacekeepers injured in Kosovo in clashes with Serbs outside municipal building
May 30, 2023 GMTZVECAN, Kosovo (AP) — The NATO-led peacekeeping force said on Monday that 25 of its troops were injured in clashes with ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo after they tried to take over the offices of one of the municipalities where ethnic Albanian mayors took up their posts last week.
Protesters encircle Serbian state TV building to press government to ease its grip on media
May 27, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Huge crowds of anti-government protesters on Saturday encircled the Serbian state television building in downtown Belgrade to press their demand for autocratic President Aleksandar Vucic to ease his tight grip on the mainstream media and allow alternative voices.
Serbian border troops to maintain highest state of alert after ethnic clashes inside Kosovo
May 27, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia on Saturday condemned NATO-led peacekeepers stationed in neighboring Kosovo for their alleged failure to stop “brutal actions” by Kosovo police against ethnic Serbs, and said that its armed forces stationed near the border will remain on the highest state of alert until further notice.
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A U.S. senator on Thursday said he hopes Serbia would adopt Western sanctions against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, telling the Balkan country that “there is no future” in an alliance with Moscow.
More protests against violence in Serbia as authorities reject opposition criticism and demands
May 20, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Tens of thousands of people rallied in Serbia's capital on Friday for a third time in a month in protest at the government's handling of a crisis after two mass shootings in the Balkan country earlier this month, even as officials rejected the criticism and ignored their demands.
Serbian state TV: Girl wounded in school shooting has died, bringing death toll to 10
May 15, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A girl who was gravely wounded in a mass shooting in a school in Belgrade earlier this month has died, bringing the death toll to 10, authorities said on Monday.
The girl died on Monday morning at a children's clinic in Belgrade, Serbia's health ministry said, according to official media.
Serbia: Guns, grenades and rocket launchers among 13,500 weapons surrendered after mass shootings
May 14, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Authorities in Serbia on Sunday displayed stacks of guns and cartons of hand grenades from the thousands of weapons, including anti-tank rocket launchers, that they said people handed over since back-to-back mass shootings stunned the Balkan nation.
Thousands march in silence in Serbia after mass shootings
May 9, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Thousands marched in silence on Monday in Serbia in a major outpouring of grief and anger against the populist government and how it reacted after two mass shootings last week that left 17 people dead and 21 wounded, many of them children.
Serbia’s education minister resigns following mass shootings
May 7, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia's education minister submitted his resignation Sunday following two mass shootings, one of them at a primary school, that left 17 people dead, and the country's government urged citizens to turn in all their unregistered weapons or run the risk of a prison sentence.
8 fatally shot in Serbia town a day after 9 killed at school
May 5, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A shooter killed at least eight people and wounded 13 in a drive-by attack near a town close to Belgrade late Thursday, the second such mass killing in Serbia in two days, state television reported.
Tachlowini Gabriyesos runs for refugees at Belgrade Marathon
April 23, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Tachlowini Gabriyesos fled his native Eritrea and walked through the desert to reach Israel when he was just 12 years old. He is now running marathons, sending a message of hope and endurance to all refugees like himself.
Serbian, Hungarian leaders attend military display in Serbia
April 22, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The populist leaders of Serbia and Hungary observed a Serbian military exercise Saturday, an event seen as a display of lethal firepower amid the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Balkans.
Serbian press marks unpunished 1999 killing of journalist
April 11, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Independent Serbian journalists on Tuesday marked the 24th anniversary of the killing of a prominent editor and newspaper publisher who was fiercely critical of the government in Belgrade.
Springtime snow and gusts sweep across Balkans
April 4, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — An unusual occurrence of wintry weather in spring swept through the Western Balkans Tuesday, bringing snow and gusts that snarled traffic in the region.
Residents in the capitals of Serbia, Bosnia, and Kosovo woke to the sight of trees and bushes blanketed in snow.
4 children die in fire in southwestern Serbia
March 5, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A fire in a southwestern Serbian town has killed four children and injured their parents, police said on Sunday.
The fire broke out around 7 a.m. in one of the apartments in a residential building in Novi Pazar, about 200 kilometers (120 miles) southwest of Belgrade.
Serbs rally in support of replaced anti-graft prosecutors
March 2, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — About 2,000 people in Serbia rallied Thursday in support of two anti-corruption prosecutors who allegedly were replaced after investigating corruption at the country's state-run power company.
5 held for alleged violent bid to overthrow Serbian leader
February 16, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s police on Thursday arrested five people on suspicion of calling for the violent overthrow of the Balkan country’s president during a protest a day earlier, and of arms possession.
Serbian right-wingers rally against Western plan for Kosovo
February 15, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Hundreds of Serbian nationalists rallied in Belgrade on Wednesday, demanding that President Aleksandar Vucic rejects a Western plan to normalize ties with breakaway Kosovo and pulls out of negotiations.
Serbian right-wingers rally against Western plan for Kosovo
February 15, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Hundreds of Serbian nationalists rallied in Belgrade on Wednesday, demanding that President Aleksandar Vucic rejects a Western plan to normalize ties with breakaway Kosovo and pulls out of negotiations.
Serbian right-wingers rally against Western plan for Kosovo
February 15, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Hundreds of Serbian nationalists rallied in Belgrade on Wednesday, demanding that President Aleksandar Vucic rejects a Western plan to normalize ties with breakaway Kosovo and pulls out of negotiations.
Love blossoms in Serbia between Ukrainian, Russian ‘enemies’
February 14, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — She is from Ukraine and he is from Russia. Their love blossomed online, but with their nations at war, the odds of carrying on their relationship were stacked against them. Even so, it didn't take long for the young couple to beat the odds.
Western envoys visit Kosovo, Serbia to defuse tensions
January 20, 2023 GMTPRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Western envoys on Friday visited Kosovo and Serbia as part of their ongoing efforts to defuse tensions and help secure a reconciliation agreement between the two former war foes.
Man’s body found in Serbia as Balkans struggles with floods
January 20, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A man's body has been pulled from a swollen river in southwestern Serbia and rescuers are searching for another man, state television said Friday, as floods across the Balkans closed down schools, hampered traffic and soaked homes and farmland.
Ex-Bosnian Serb commander given 15 years for war crimes
January 19, 2023 GMTSARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — A former Bosnian Serb military commander was sentenced to 15 years in prison Thursday for crimes against civilians during the country’s 1992-95 interethnic war.
Serbia: 2nd ammonia leak in month sickens a dozen people
January 13, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — An ammonia leak in a town outside Serbia's capital has sickened around a dozen people and forced the evacuation of nearby homes, authorities said Friday.
The leak, the second such incident in less than a month, happened late Thursday in a factory complex in Pancevo, an industrial town northeast of Belgrade, a statement from the local prosecutor's office said.
US envoy says Russian Wagner Group’s activities intolerable
January 12, 2023 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A senior U.S. envoy expressed strong concern Thursday about the activities of the Russian private military contractor Wagner Group and its alleged attempts to recruit soldiers in Serbia and elsewhere in the world.
Serbia names pro-Russian politician new spy chief
December 1, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s government on Thursday named a staunchly pro-Russian politician as the Balkan state's new spy chief.
Aleksandar Vulin, who served as Serbia’s interior minister in the previous government and held the defense ministry portfolio prior to that is taking over as the director of BIA, Serbia’s intelligence agency, the government said in a statement.
EU fails to defuse tense situation between Serbia and Kosovo
November 21, 2022 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union's top diplomat held eight hours of fruitless talks Monday with the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo and blamed them for their failure to settle a dispute over vehicle license plate.
Austria, Hungary, Serbia hold top-level meeting on migration
November 16, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Austria, Hungary and Serbia on Wednesday held another top-level meeting dedicated to curbing migration, including by sending more than 100 police officers, vehicles equipped with night vision cameras and drones to the border with North Macedonia.
Injured Vlahović included in Serbia’s World Cup squad
November 11, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Center forward Dušan Vlahović was included in Serbia’s squad for the World Cup on Friday despite missing his last four matches with Juventus because of a groin problem.
Serbia toughens visa rules as migration prompts EU pressure
October 26, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia is seeing a sudden tourism boom from countries whose citizens never had its sightseeing and shopping opportunities on their radar. That's largely due to the Balkan country's generous entry rules, which made it a key stop for migrants seeking to reach Europe without risking a perilous sea crossing.
Serb arrested in Hungary for alleged war crimes in Kosovo
October 18, 2022 GMTPRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — The Kosovar prosecutors’ office on Tuesday said an ethnic Serb accused of killing ethnic Albanians in 1999 was arrested in Hungary.
Austria, Hungary equipping Serbia to curb border crossings
October 6, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Austria and Hungary will help Serbia curb migrant crossings at its southern border, Hungary's foreign minister said Thursday, citing an “explosion” in the number of people entering European countries without authorization in recent months.
Stanković appointed coach of last-place Sampdoria in Serie A
October 6, 2022 GMTGENOA, Italy (AP) — Former Lazio and Inter Milan midfielder Dejan Stanković was appointed coach of last-placed Serie A club Sampdoria on Thursday.
Stanković replaced Marco Giampaolo, who was fired following a 3-0 loss at home to promoted side Monza last weekend.
Romania investigates leaks from Russian-owned company
October 4, 2022 GMTBUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Authorities in Romania have opened a criminal investigation into suspected data leaks against four employees of the local branch of neighboring Serbia's NIS Petrol, which is majority-owned by Russia's Gazprom Neft.
EU, US question Serbia’s EU commitment after Russia deal
September 26, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The European Union and the U.S. on Monday questioned Serbia’s proclaimed commitment to join Europe’s 27-nation bloc after Belgrade signed an agreement with Moscow pledging long-term “consultations” on foreign policy matters amid Russia's war in Ukraine.
Russians rush for flights out amid partial reservist call-up
September 21, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Large numbers of Russians rushed to book one-way tickets out of the country while they still could Wednesday after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilization of military reservists for the war in Ukraine.
Belgrade police clash with hooligans during Pride march
September 17, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Riot police clashed Saturday with soccer hooligans in downtown Belgrade, where a pan-European Pride march was held despite threats from anti-gay groups and an official earlier ban on the march in the traditionally conservative Balkan state.
Organizers say Pride march will go on in Serbia despite ban
September 16, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Organizers of European LGBTQ events in Belgrade this week said Friday they will hold a planned Pride march on the streets of the Serbian capital despite a police ban and threats from anti-gay groups.
Orban: EU lawmakers’ democracy declaration is a joke
September 16, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban lashed out Friday over a European Parliament declaration that stated Hungary no longer could be considered a full democracy.
Serbian police ban EuroPride march, citing security concerns
September 13, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s police on Tuesday banned a Pride march planned amid pan-European LGBTQ events being held this week in Belgrade, citing a risk of clashes with far-right anti-gay activists.
Thousands protest planned Pride gathering in Serbia
September 11, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Thousands of opponents of a pan-European LGBTQ event planned for this week in Belgrade marched through the Serbian capital on Sunday despite an announced ban of Europe’s largest annual gay gathering.
Turkey’s Erdogan pledges to bolster stability in Balkans
September 7, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday pledged his country's support in resolving long-standing disputes in the Balkans that continue to threaten stability in the troubled region.
Serbia Orthodox church head publicly supports EuroPride ban
September 6, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The head of Serbia's powerful Orthodox Church on Tuesday supported a ban on a pan-European LGBTQ event due to take place in Belgrade next week, saying that the topic has been “artificially imposed” and threatens traditional values in the Balkan country.
Serbian PM visits Kosovo Serbs as tensions still simmer
September 5, 2022 GMTMITROVICA, Kosovo (AP) — Serbia's prime minister on Monday visited a Serb-dominated part of neighboring Kosovo following a recent flareup in tensions between the former war foes that had sparked fears of new instability in the Balkans amid the war in Ukraine.
Survivor of Holocaust, Munich attack heads back to Germany
September 5, 2022 GMTBERGEN-BELSEN, Germany (AP) — They call him the ultimate survivor: Shaul Ladany lived through a Nazi concentration camp and escaped the massacre of 11 fellow Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.
3 Balkan countries to work on averting food, energy shortage
September 2, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Anticipating a tough winter in light of the war in Ukraine, three Balkan states agreed Friday to help each other with potential food or energy shortages and have urged the European Union to include the volatile region in its support plans.
Serbia populist leader Vucic says pride ban will be enforced
August 30, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia's populist leader said Tuesday a government decision to cancel the holding next month of a pan-European LGBTQ event will be enforced despite international criticism and the organizers' pledge that they will gather anyway.
Serbia opposition, rights groups condemn EuroPride decision
August 28, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Opposition parties in Serbia and international rights groups on Sunday denounced a decision by populist President Aleksandar Vucic to cancel next month’s pan-European LGBTQ EuroPride event because of what he said were threats from right-wing extremists.
EU official says Serbia, Kosovo agree on IDs in step forward
August 27, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The European Union's foreign policy chief announced Saturday that Serbia and Kosovo have agreed on how to resolve a dispute over their identity documents, settling one of the problems that have sparked the latest tensions between the former Balkan war foes.
Serbia’s leader says EuroPride won’t happen due to threats
August 27, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia won't allow a pan-European LGBTQ Pride event to take place in Belgrade next month, the president said Saturday, citing threats from right-wing extremists and fears of clashes.
Ballkani to make debut for Kosovo soccer on European stage
August 26, 2022 GMTGENEVA (AP) — The first soccer team from Kosovo to qualify for the group stage of a European competition found out its opponents Friday -- after being diverted away from the only Serbian side in the draw.
US, EU envoys meet with Serbian president on Kosovo
August 25, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — U.S. and European Union envoys met with Serbia's president on Thursday as they pressed ahead with efforts to defuse Serbian tensions with Kosovo after a meeting last week in Brussels ended with no agreement on a dispute between the former Balkan war foes.
Serb official visits Moscow, calls sanctions EU ‘hysteria’
August 22, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia’s interior minister met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday in Moscow in a rare visit by a state official from Europe, highlighting Belgrade’s refusal to join Western sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine.
EU to host Serbia-Kosovo talks in Brussels amid tensions
August 17, 2022 GMTBELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Wartime rivals Serbia and Kosovo are holding high-level crisis talks on Thursday which European Union mediators hope will de-escalate growing tensions in the Balkans, where Russia has tried to further increase its influence amid the war in Ukraine.
Draw for the playoff round of Champions League qualifying
August 9, 2022 GMTNYON, Switzerland (AP) — Draw for the playoff round of UEFA Champions League qualifying: