SARAJEVO: A Bosnian court on Monday jailed a Bosnian Serb for 15 years for the killing of five Muslims during the Balkan nation&#39;s 1990s war. Dusko Zoric, a 55-year-old extradited by Germany last year, was found guilty by Bosnia&#39;s state court of crimes against humanity during the 1992-95 conflict, which left about 100,000 people dead. At least 69 Bosnian Muslims, half of them women and children, were killed by Bosnian Serb forces in the village of Zecovi, near Prijedor, a Bosnian Serb-majority city, in July 1992. Prijedor is notorious for the creation of the Omarska, Keraterm and Trnopolje detention camps -- collectively known as the &quot;Triangle of Horror&quot; -- where around 6,000 people, mainly Bosnian Muslims and Croatians -- were killed by Bosnian forces between April and August 1992. Judge Saban Maksumic said the five men killed by Zoric had just been arrested in their homes in the village. The defendant, who was 21 at the time, killed them with an automatic rifle on a roadside. Maksumic said Zoric&#39;s involvement had been proved &quot;beyond all reasonable doubt&quot;. Zoric was acquitted however of charges of taking part in the killing two days later of about 30 women and children who were hiding in two houses in Zecovi. A survivor of the massacre, aged 15 at the time, identified Zoric, but the judge said there was no definitive proof. Five other Bosnian Serbs were jailed for between five and 20 years in 2023 for the massacre.

Europe

Bosnia’s state court sentenced Bosnian Serb Dusko Zoric to 15 years for killing five Muslim men during the 1992 Zecovi massacre near Prijedor.

Bosnian Serb jailed for wartime killing of Muslims

BEIRUT: More than half of Lebanon&#39;s population depends on humanitarian aid, a European Union official said on Friday, as Israel continues its attacks on the country despite a ceasefire in the two-month-long war with militant group Hezbollah. &quot;At present, more than three million people, meaning more than half of the population here in Lebanon, depend on humanitarian aid to survive,&quot; EU crisis management chief Hadja Lahbib told reporters after meeting Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Beirut. Lahbib said that since the start of the war on March 2 the 27-member bloc has provided 100 million euros in aid and sent six planes carrying humanitarian aid, with a seventh expected on Saturday. Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed more than 2,700 people and displaced over one million since early March, according to authorities. The UN launched an emergency appeal in March for $308 million in humanitarian aid for Lebanon, but in two months it has raised just $126 million, according to UN agencies. Lahbib, who said that the ceasefire has opened &quot;a narrow window of hope&quot;, called for Hezbollah &quot;to cease its attacks and be disarmed&quot; and said that &quot;Israel must put an end to its bombardments&quot;. &quot;For a ceasefire to lead to peace, courage is needed -- political courage to address the root causes of this conflict.&quot; Israel and Lebanon are set to hold a third round of talks in Washington next week to end the war, despite Hezbollah&#39;s opposition to direct negotiations.

Middle East

More than half of Lebanon’s population depends on humanitarian aid, the EU said, as Israeli strikes continue despite a ceasefire and Washington talks seek to end the war.

More than half of Lebanon population depends on aid: EU official

KYIV: Russia fired a record number of long-range attack drones at Ukraine in April, AFP analysis of data published by Kyiv&#39;s air force showed. The wave of attacks came with US-mediated talks on ending the conflict frozen and saw Moscow significantly increase the number of long-range drones fired in the middle of the day, a tactic Kyiv condemned as trying to inflict more civilian harm. Russia launched 6,583 long-range drones during the month, according to a compilation of daily reports published by Ukraine&#39;s air force. That was two percent more than the number fired in March, which was also a record at the time. According to the data, Ukraine managed to shoot down 88 percent of all incoming drones and missiles. Kyiv has touted its defences against drones as the best in the world, developed over four years of nightly Russian barrages of Iranian-style attack craft. Russia previously fired long-range drones at Ukraine almost exclusively in overnight attacks, but in recent weeks, daytime attacks have become more frequent in what analysts have called an approach designed to inflict more damage. &quot;Russia&#39;s new tactic of coupling a large nighttime strike with an equally large daytime strike will likely cause increased civilian harm,&quot; the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in April. &quot;Russia may aim for the daytime strike series to more heavily target civilians and civilian infrastructure including public and open-space areas, especially as warmer weather arrives and more Ukrainians are likely outside,&quot; the US-based think tank added. Pavlo Palisa, the deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelensky&#39;s office said the daytime attacks were a new attempt to &quot;terrorise civilians&quot; now that winter is over. Russia had barraged Ukraine&#39;s power and heating grid over the winter, leaving millions without hot water or communal heating in -20C temperatures. &quot;There is also an economic component here. Massive attacks in the middle of the working day significantly paralyse business,&quot; Palisa said in an interview with Ukrainian media in early April. Moscow denies targeting civilians and says its attacks target military and military-connected energy sites. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed since Russia invaded in February 2022, including hundreds in drone and missile strikes on apartment buildings across the country.

This handout photo taken and released by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine on April 29, 2026, shows a firefighter at the site of a Russian strike on a residential building in Shostka, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (AFP)

Russia fired a record number of long-range attack drones at Ukraine in April, AFP analysis of data published by Kyiv's air force showed.

Russia fired record number of drones at Ukraine in April: AFP analysis

BRUSSELS: The EU unveiled Wednesday plans to address the energy crisis triggered by the war in the Middle East, including improved monitoring of jet fuel supplies as the prospect of shortages rattles Europe ahead of the summer travel season. Rather than any flagship measures, Brussels outlined recommendations for member states and initiatives to be presented as part of what the European Commission called a &quot;toolbox&quot; to help navigate current and future straits. Here are some of the steps that EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said &quot;will bring both immediate and more structural relief measures to European citizens and businesses&quot;. Jet fuel&nbsp;The commission said it would establish a &quot;fuel observatory&quot; to track EU production, imports, exports and stock levels of transport fuels. While Brussels has said there is currently no evidence of &quot;actual shortages&quot;, focus will initially be on aviation fuels. The commission will coordinate with member states, fuel suppliers, airports and airlines on the sourcing of alternative jet fuel supply and propose measures to optimise its distribution across the bloc to ensure availability. About 20% of jet fuel consumed in the 27-nation EU relies on imports via the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed by the war. Next month, the EU will also issue guidance on &quot;flexibilities&quot; allowed by current rules on the handling of airport slots and of anti-tankering -- provisions limiting how much fuel a plane can take off with -- as well as public service obligations. EU transport chief Apostolos Tzitzikostas said Tuesday that Brussels was also considering importing more jet fuel from the US and requiring member states to hold minimum reserves. Gas and fertilizers&nbsp;The EU said it would coordinate both gas storage filling to avoid price hikes and, as for jet fuels, any possible oil stock releases that might become necessary. It suggested that nations consider filling gas tanks a little less than usual, up to 80% of capacity rather than 90%, and added that it could further lower the threshold to 75% if needed. Since the beginning of US and Israeli strikes against Iran, the EU has spent an additional 24 billion euros ($28.2 billion ) on energy imports because of higher prices, according to Brussels. For fertilizers, whose prices have also skyrocketed, the EU will present an action plan in May to diversify supplies and support European production. Relaxed rules and best practices&nbsp;The commission will adopt a temporary state aid framework to allow member states more wiggle room to support the &quot;most exposed sectors&quot;. European countries will be able to help heavy industry, agriculture, and fishing, among others. Brussels will share best practices from across the bloc to reduce energy consumption and speed the uptake of renewables, such as incentives for heat pumps and solar energy. By the summer, it will present an &quot;electrification action plan&quot; to further accelerate &quot;the shift to homegrown clean energy&quot;, which is to include a new &quot;electrification target&quot;. The commission said it would propose a review of production criteria for renewable hydrogen to speed up the development of hydrogen-based alternative fuels such as Sustainable Aviation electro-Fuels (eSAF).

France's Government Spokesperson and junior Minister for Energy and Digital economy Maud Bregeon speaks next to France’s junior Minister for Public Accounts David Amiel during a press conference following the weekly cabinet meeting at the Elysee President

Rather than any flagship measures, Brussels outlined recommendations for member states and initiatives to be presented as part of what the European Commission called a "toolbox" to help navigate current and future straits.

EU unveils plans to tackle energy crisis

ANTALYA: Turkey hosts a high-stakes forum Friday bringing together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as Islamabad pushes diplomatic efforts to end the Middle East war. Pakistan&#39;s powerful army chief met senior negotiators in Tehran on Thursday as Washington and Iran considered a fresh round of talks to end the six-week war. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will address the three-day Antalya Diplomacy Forum when it opens on Friday in the Mediterranean holiday resort of Antalya. The foreign ministers of Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt are to meet on the sidelines of the forum, with the war and the blockade of the crucial Strait of Hormuz expected to dominate. The timing of the meeting has not yet been announced. Pakistan has positioned itself as a key mediator in regional diplomacy having hosted rare talks between Iran and the United States last weekend, which ended inconclusively. &quot;We are making the necessary efforts to reduce tensions, extend the ceasefire, and continue the negotiations,&quot; Erdogan said in an address to his ruling AKP party in parliament this week. &quot;Negotiations cannot take place with clenched fists. Weapons must not be allowed to speak again instead of words. The window of opportunity opened by the ceasefire must be fully utilised.&quot; The White House has said further talks with Iran would &quot;very likely&quot; be in Islamabad, where Vice President JD Vance led the US delegation in the last round of negotiations. - Push for peace -Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who met Qatar&#39;s ruler in Doha on Thursday as part of a regional tour, will also join the forum and meet Erdogan on its margins, as Islamabad pushes for a US-Iran second round. &quot;We will continue to provide all the support we can to ensure that the ongoing temporary ceasefire turns into a permanent one,&quot; a Turkish defence ministry source said on Thursday. &quot;We hope that this war -- whose effects are being felt increasingly not only regionally but also globally -- will come to an end as soon as possible, and that the parties will act constructively in the ongoing negotiation process,&quot; the source said. Turkey, while a vocal critic of Israel, has joined diplomatic efforts with Egypt and Pakistan to help reach a ceasefire in the conflict. Ankara has said the Middle East ceasefire should include Lebanon which is facing Israeli attacks. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Monday also the strategic Strait of Hormuz should be reopened &quot;as soon as possible&quot; while warning that its status would remain a key point of contention. He described the waterway as an &quot;international free passage zone&quot;, adding that any disruption to freedom of navigation is not something parties want to see.&quot; More than 150 countries are expected to take part in the Antalya gathering, including more than 20 heads of state and government. Among the participants are Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Turkey’s Antalya forum brings together key regional powers as Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Egypt intensify diplomacy to secure a lasting ceasefire, reopen Hormuz, and advance renewed US-Iran talks.

Turkey hosts latest diplomatic push on Middle East war

Web Desk

Americas

Twenty days into the war, Washington and Tel Aviv trade blame over energy strikes. Trump says he warned against targeting Iranian gas fields, while Netanyahu dismisses claims Israel pushed the United States into conflict.

All you need to know about Day 20 of US-Israeli war on Iran

TEHRAN: The United States said it pounded Iranian missile sites near the key Strait of Hormuz as the Islamic Republic fired missiles Wednesday around the region, vowing to avenge the killing of its powerful security chief. Two people died from the missile barrage inside Israel, whose defences have helped it avoid mass casualties since it launched the war alongside the United States. With Iran mostly closing off the Strait of Hormuz, the gateway for one-fifth of the world&#39;s oil, the US military said it brought out some of the heaviest bombs in its arsenal to penetrate adjacent missile sites. The United States dropped several 5,000-pound (2,250 kg) bombs -- estimated to cost $288,000 each -- on &quot;hardened Iranian missile sites&quot; near the coast that posed a threat to international shipping, Central Command said. Iran has sought to extract a heavy toll on the global economy in retaliation for the US-Israeli attack, including by driving up the cost of oil. US President Donald Trump earlier Tuesday fumed that American allies, which have largely distanced themselves from his war, were not lining up behind the United States to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. But Trump earlier Tuesday boasted that the US military did not need its allies, writing on his Truth Social platform: &quot;WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!&quot; &#39;National awakening&#39;&nbsp;Israel announced Tuesday that it killed security chief Ali Larijani, a key force leading Iran since the death of the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the first strikes of the war on February 28. Iran&#39;s elite Revolutionary Guards in a statement said that the &quot;pure blood of this great martyr, like other dear martyrs, will be a source of honour, power and national awakening against the front of global arrogance and international Zionism&quot;. Iran will hold funerals Wednesday for Larijani and another powerful figure killed Tuesday by Israel, Gholamreza Soleimani, the head of the Basij paramilitary force, the Fars and Tasnim agencies reported. Israel vowed also to target Iran&#39;s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared in public since the ruling clerics chose him to succeed his father. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again called for the end of the Islamic republic, although he and Trump have stopped short of saying that is their goal. The overthrow of Iran&#39;s authorities by the people &quot;will not happen all at once, it will not happen easily. But if we persist in this -- we will give them a chance to take their fate into their own hands,&quot; Netanyahu said in a televised statement. In contrast to Mojtaba Khamenei, Larijani, 68, had walked openly with crowds at a pro-government rally last week in Tehran. &quot;He has effectively been the figure in charge of the regime&#39;s survival, its regional policy and its defence strategy,&quot; David Khalfa, co-founder of the Atlantic Middle East Forum, told AFP.

US President Donald Trump speaks during a Friends of Ireland luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on March 17, 2026. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP)

The United States said it pounded Iranian missile sites near the key Strait of Hormuz as the Islamic Republic fired missiles Wednesday around the region, vowing to avenge the killing of its powerful security chief. 

US pounds near key strait as Iran vows to avenge killing of security chief

Israeli army soldiers are seen among military vehicles in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon on March 16, 2026.

UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Tuesday that Britain will not allow itself to be pulled into a broader conflict in the Middle East.


All you need to know about Day 17 of US-Israeli war on Iran

WASHINGTON: Oil prices kept rising as markets opened Sunday, with both benchmarks higher as the war in the Middle East disrupts global supplies. At around 00:15 GMT, the US benchmark West Texas Intermediate was up 0.01 percent at $98.72 a barrel, while the price of Brent, the international benchmark for oil, was up 0.6 percent to $103.76. On stock markets, South Korea&#39;s Kospi attempted a cautious rebound and was up 1.3 percent in early trade in Asia, while Japan&#39;s Nikkei was flat. With Gulf states slashing production and oil tankers stuck in the Gulf, oil prices have risen 40 to 50% since the United States and Israel first attacked Iran on February 28. Investors fear the higher costs will slow economic growth and stoke inflation. The Strait of Hormuz, which usually sees passage of 20 percent of global oil and gas exports, remains effectively shut. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Sunday that the closure was &quot;short-term pain&quot; causing higher prices, adding that the war could end &quot;in the next few weeks.&quot; The International Energy Agency has warned that the Middle East war &quot;is creating the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market.&quot; US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets, including the oil export hub of Kharg Island, have also disrupted supplies.

An employee fills the tank of a motorcycle at a gas station in the Donkoi district of Vientiane on March 10, 2026, amid rising petrol prices (AFP)

Oil prices rise as Middle East war disrupts global supplies, with Brent above $103 and WTI near $99. Gulf production cuts and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz raise fears of inflation and slower economic growth.

Oil prices open higher as war in Middle East rages

LONDON: US President Donald Trump said the historical relationship between his country and Britain was &quot;not like it used to be&quot;, in an interview to British daily newspaper The Sun, amid a major transatlantic fall out over US-Israeli strikes against Iran. &quot;This was the most solid relationship of all. And now we have very strong relationships with other countries in Europe,&quot; he said, singling out France and Germany, after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer&#39;s initial refusal to allow the United States to use British military bases in its war with Iran. Trump said Starmer &quot;has not been helpful&quot;, adding: &quot;I never thought I&#39;d see that. I never thought I&#39;d see that from the UK. We love the UK.&quot; In a telephone interview from the White House on Monday evening, Trump said: &ldquo;This was the most solid relationship of all. And now we have very strong relationships with other countries in &nbsp;Europe.&rdquo; &quot;It&#39;s a different world, actually. It&#39;s just a much different kind of relationship that we&rsquo;ve had with your country before. &quot;It&rsquo;s very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was,&quot; he added. The scathing comments come a day after Trump described Starmer&#39;s reaction as &quot;very disappointing&rdquo; in an interview with The Daily Telegraph. He added that Starmer&rsquo;s later decision to allow the use of UK bases on specific grounds as &quot;useful&quot; but said it &quot;took far too much time&quot;. Any potential military action in the Middle East is politically sensitive in the UK following former prime minister Tony Blair&#39;s disastrous support for the US-led invasion of Iraq. &#39;National interest&#39;&nbsp; Starmer defended his position to parliament on Monday. &quot;President Trump has expressed his disagreement with our decision not to get involved in the initial strikes, but it is my duty to judge what is in Britain&#39;s national interest,&quot; he told lawmakers. &quot;That is what I have done and I stand by it,&quot; he added. After initially refusing to have any role in the strikes, Starmer on Sunday announced that he had agreed to a US request to use British military bases for a &quot;specific and limited defensive purpose&quot;. His Downing Street office said Starmer took the decision after Iran fired missiles over the weekend that put British interests and people &quot;at risk&quot;. &quot;We all remember the mistakes of Iraq, and we have learnt those lessons. Any UK actions must always have a lawful basis and a viable thought-through plan,&quot; he added in parliament. The prime minister also said that British military bases in Cyprus &quot;are not being used by US bombers&quot; during the US-Israeli war with Iran. Britain&#39;s Akrotiri air force base on Cyprus came under attack by an unmanned Iranian drone that hit the base&#39;s runway early on Monday. Starmer said the strike &quot;was not in response to any decision that we have taken,&quot; adding that the British government believed the drone &quot;was launched prior to our announcement&quot;. Iran&#39;s approach is becoming &quot;more reckless and more dangerous&quot;, Starmer said. &quot;They are working ruthlessly and deliberately through a plan to strike, not only military targets, but also economic targets in the region, with no regard for civilian casualties. That is the situation we face today and to which we must respond,&quot; he added.

United Kingdom

Trump told The Sun the US-UK relationship is “not like it used to be,” criticizing PM Keir Starmer for denying Cyprus base access in the Iran war, while praising ties with France and Germany.

Articles tagged with "War"