Serbia

Serbia heads for early elections

Serbia's president has resigned after more than a year of student-led protests and growing public discontent over allegations of government corruption. Aleksandar Vučić said his administration had preserved peace and…

Read More Here

Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladic to be buried with ‘state honours’

Serbia's Justice Minister Nenad Vujic said Friday that former Bosnian Serb military leader and convicted war criminal Ratko Mladic "will receive all the military and state honours to which he…

Read More Here

Serbia to hold snap elections on Oct 18 or 25

Serbia will hold snap parliamentary elections on October 18 or 25, President Aleksandar Vucic said, more than a month after he pledged at his party rally to schedule them. “The…

Read More Here

German and Serbian authorities launch joint strike against Syrian migrant smuggling group

A coordinated international operation has dealt a significant blow to two international migrant smuggling networks with close links to Libya and the Western Balkans, leading to the arrest of three…

Read More Here

Opponents and loyalists of Serbia’s autocratic president clash in Belgrade

Hundreds of riot police separated opponents and loyalists of Serbia’s autocratic president, Aleksandar Vučić,in central Belgrade on Sunday as political tensions boiled after a year of anti-government protests. Several thousand…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Shots fired outside Serbian parliament, one detained

Shots were fired outside Serbia's parliament building in Belgrade on Wednesday and one person was injured, local media reported. A video posted on the NOVA media outlet, the location of…

Read More Here

Serbia to raise minimum wage by 10% starting January

Serbia’s government said it will increase the country’s minimum monthly net wage by 10.1% to 64,554 dinars ($647/551 euros) starting Jan. 1, after failing to reach an agreement with employers…

Read More Here

Spain, Serbia and Slovenia register record hot temperatures

A heatwave continues to grip large parts of Europe, with authorities in many countries issuing health warnings amid searing temperatures. Southern Spain is the worst-affected region, with temperatures in the…

Read More Here

Serbia’s Vucic says he wants to join EU

Serbia remains committed to its plan to join the European Union and wants to speed up its membership bid, President Aleksandar Vucic said on Tuesday after his recent trip to…

Read More Here

Politically inexperienced medical professor appointed as Serbia’s prime minister

Serbia's parliament on Wednesday approved politically inexperienced medical professor Djuro Macut as Prime Minister of the Balkan country, following months of anti-corruption protests that led his predecessor to resign. The…

Read More Here

Mystery sound at Serbia protest sparks sonic weapon allegations

Tamara Bojanovski was in a crowd of anti-government protesters in Belgrade on March 15 when she heard a sound "like some powerful machine hurtling up from behind". Thousands of others…

Read More Here

Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević resigns after months of protests

Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević resigned on Tuesday following months of protests over a deadly awning collapse in November that killed 15 people. Vučević's resignation came just a day after…

Read More Here

Belgrade rocked once more by anti-government protests

Tens of thousands of people gathered in central Belgrade on Sunday to protest against President Aleksandar Vucic and his ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), whom they blame for a railway…

Read More Here

People in Serbia, Montenegro advised to shelter indoors from heatwave

People braving scorching temperatures sought relief in Belgrade's Ada Ciganlija lake, fountains and cafes on Thursday while the Serbian government ordered employers to protect outdoor workers from the heatwave. Meteorologists…

Read More Here

Serbia’s ruling SNS party wins elections in capital Belgrade

Serbia's ruling party defeated the opposition on Sunday in a vote for Belgrade city council and partial local elections across the country, marked by scuffles between opposition supporters and those…

Read More Here

High winds and flash floods bring chaos to Serbia

Strong winds, hail and flash floods caused havoc across Serbia on Tuesday, with one person killed when a tree toppled on to her car. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said the…

Read More Here

Mladic defence seeks his release to Serbia on health grounds

Defence lawyers for Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic, who is serving a life sentence for his role in the bloody 1992-95 war in Bosnia, are seeking his urgent release to…

Read More Here

Eight police injured, 38 detained in Serb opposition protest over election

Eight policemen were injured and 38 people detained during and after an opposition protest over election results, Serbia's police said on Monday. Thousands gathered in the centre of Belgrade on…

Read More Here

Serbian elections marred by president’s involvement, vote buying – observers

Serbia's snap elections have been marred by "unjust competition" by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), the presence of President Aleksandar Vucic in the campaign, media bias and vote buying, an international…

Read More Here

Serbian ruling party faces snap Sunday vote after outrage over shootings

By Ivana Sekularac and Aleksandar Vasovic Poll sees President Vucic's SNS party as frontrunners He conducts folksy campaign after mass shootings shake grip on power Opposition accuses SNS of pressuring,…

Read More Here

Serbia buys Cypriot helicopter gunships to bolster air force

BELGRADE, (Reuters) - Serbia has acquired 11 Russian-made Mi-35 helicopter gunships from Cyprus as it seeks to bolster its air force and maintain regional military supremacy, country's President Aleksandar Vucic…

Read More Here

Serbia’s police detain over 4,500 migrants, seize weapons

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbian police have detained thousands of migrants in two weeks of daily raids in northern and eastern areas of the Balkan country, as part of a nationwide…

Read More Here

Serbian police round up hundreds of migrants in north and southeast

BELGRADE, (Reuters) - Serbian police have rounded up a total of 738 migrants in several raids this week in northern and eastern areas of the Balkan country, part of a…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Serbia’s Vucic dissolves parliament, sets snap vote for Dec 17

BELGRADE, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic dissolved parliament on Wednesday and called an early election on Dec. 17, aiming to cement his authority as he works out…

Read More Here

France, Germany and Italy urge Serbia to ‘de facto’ recognise Kosovo

The leaders of France, Germany and Italy called on Serbia to "deliver on de-facto recognition" of Kosovo, which declared independence in 2008 but which Belgrade has continued to regard as…

Read More Here

Serbian police step up migration patrols on border with Hungary

SUBOTICA, Serbia, Sept 13 (Reuters) - Serbia has sent special forces to the border with Hungary as hundreds of migrants a day try to reach the European Union. With Serbia…

Read More Here

EPA’s Eye In The Sky: Sava River, Belgrade, Serbia

A woman cleans a river house on the Sava river in Belgrade, Serbia. Via EPA-EFE/ANDREJ CUKIC

Read More Here

Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia fight African swine fever, ask for help

BELGRADE/SARAJEVO, (Reuters) - An outbreak of the African swine fever has forced pig breeders in Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia to cull thousands of pigs since June and is putting pressure…

Read More Here

Several people dead after Balkans hit by powerful storm

Six people have died in a powerful storm which has battered much of the Balkans - while Southern Europe continues to face a searing heatwave. Dozens of people have also…

Read More Here

Serbia releases three detained Kosovo policemen, easing crisis

Serbia released three Kosovan policemen on Monday, more than a week after detaining them in a border area, easing a mounting standoff between the neighbouring countries and former wartime foes.…

Read More Here

Flooding in Serbia and Bosnia; torrential rains trigger evacuations

BELGRADE/SARAJEVO, (Reuters) - Days of torrential downpours have caused flooding in Serbia and Bosnia, forcing authorities to declare a state of emergency in many areas, with the rain not expected…

Read More Here

Kosovo PM presents plan to de-escalate tensions in the north

Kosovo's prime minister on Tuesday (June 12) presented a plan to defuse tensions in its Serb-majority north that would include fresh local elections and cuts in special police, bowing to…

Read More Here

Kosovo, Serbia presidents meet under EU pressure to defuse crisis

By Andrew Gray and John Irish BULBOACA, Moldova, (Reuters) - The presidents of Kosovo and Serbia held talks on Thursday on resolving a political crisis that has spiralled into violence,…

Read More Here

Tens of thousands gather in Serbia in Vucic’s show of power

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Tens of thousands gathered in the center of Belgrade on Friday in support of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic in a show of power following big anti-government protests…

Read More Here

Serbians surrender over 3,000 pieces of weapons after mass shootings

BELGRADE, (Reuters) - Serbians have surrendered more than 3,000 illegal weapons and parts in the first two days of a gun amnesty introduced after two mass shootings in which 17…

Read More Here

Serbia takes steps to prevent school violence after shooting

The Serbian government said it had introduced a set of measures on Thursday to prevent potential violence in schools a day after a 13-year-old boy shot and killed eight students and…

Read More Here

Serbia takes steps to prevent school violence after shooting

BELGRADE (Reuters) - The Serbian government said it had introduced a set of measures to prevent potential violence in schools a day after a 13-year-old boy shot and killed eight…

Read More Here

Girl and guard wounded in Serbia school shooting still in critical condition

BELGRADE, May 6 (Reuters) - A girl who was shot in head in a school shooting in Serbia that killed eight pupils and a guard is still in critical condition,…

Read More Here

Serbia recent mass shootings: what are the country’s gun laws?

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia, where within a few days suffered two rare mass shootings, has an entrenched gun culture, especially in rural areas, but also strict gun control laws. The…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Serbian police arrest suspect in second mass shooting

By Antonio Bronic and Aleksandar Vasovic BELGRADE, May 4 (Reuters) - Serbian police arrested on Friday a gunman suspected of killing eight people and wounding 14 others in a village…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Two pupils wounded in Serbia school shooting in critical condition

By Aleksandar Vasovic BELGRADE, May 4 (Reuters) - Two pupils wounded in Serbia's first mass school shooting were in critical condition on Thursday, health officials said, as the country prepared…

Read More Here

Kosovo, Serbia fail to agree on lowering tensions in north Kosovo, says EU policy chief

Leaders of Kosovo and Serbia failed to agree on how to lower tensions in Serb-majority areas in north Kosovo, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said on Tuesday, warning that any further escalation could undermine…

Read More Here

Leaked U.S. intel document claims Serbia agreed to arm Ukraine

By Jonathan Landay and Aleksandar Vasovic WASHINGTON/BELGRADE, April 12 (Reuters) - Serbia, the only country in Europe that has refused to sanction Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, agreed to…

Read More Here

Heavy snow, strong winds sweep through western Balkans

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Heavy snow and strong winds, unusual for the springtime, swept through most of the western Balkan region. In central Serbia, a bus swerved off a snow-covered road…

Read More Here

Serbia wants to normalise ties with Kosovo but will not sign any agreement

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Serbia wants normal relations with Kosovo but still won't sign any agreement with it, President Aleksandar Vucic said on Sunday, a day after he verbally agreed to…

Read More Here

Serbia, Kosovo reach agreement to implement EU-backed deal normalising ties

OHRID, North Macedonia, (Reuters) - Kosovo and Serbia have reached an agreement on implementing a European Union-backed deal to normalise ties, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said late on…

Read More Here

Thousands in Belgrade protest against Western-backed Serbia-Kosovo deal

BELGRADE, March 17 (Reuters) - Several thousand people gathered in Belgrade to protest against a Western-backed deal to normalise ties between Kosovo and Serbia, which they view as recognition of…

Read More Here

Serbia, Kosovo deal possible this year

BELGRADE, March 16 (Reuters) - An agreement over the normalisation of ties between Serbia and Kosovo this year is "entirely" possible, a U.S. envoy said. Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic and…

Read More Here

Russia says Serbia is under Western pressure to join sanctions

Serbia is under unprecedented pressure to impose sanctions on Russia, a spokesperson for the Russia's Foreign Ministry said, after a Serbian minister said the country should join Western sanctions against…

Read More Here

Serbian nationalists march in protest against Kosovo talks

BELGRADE (Reuters) - Hundreds of Serb nationalists and Orthodox Christians marched in Belgrade on Sunday to protest against a Western plan aimed at mending ties between Serbia and its former…

Read More Here

Serbia, Kosovo back normalising ties but need more talks -EU’s Borrell

The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo agreed on Monday to a Western-backed deal to normalise relations but more talks are needed on the implementation of the pact, European Union foreign policy…

Read More Here

Serbia arrests three after nationalist calls for riots over Kosovo plan

BELGRADE, (Reuters) - Serbian police arrested three people in Belgrade after ultra-nationalist and pro-Russian activists threatened "more than" riots if Serbia accepts a Western-backed plan aimed at normalising relations with…

Read More Here

Serb nationalists pledge riots if Belgrade tries to improve ties with Kosovo

BELGRADE, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Hundreds of hardline Serb nationalists and pro-Russia activists rallied in downtown Belgrade, threatening riots if Serbia accepts a Western-backed plan aimed at mending ties with…

Read More Here

Stand-off with minority Serbs holds back Kosovo 15 years after independence

When in December Serbia put forces on highest combat alert in response to increasing violence in Kosovo between police and minority Serb protesters, a shareholder in Pristina's newest shopping mall…

Read More Here

Sanctions on Russia are main obstacle to Serbia’s EU bid – PM Brnabic

BELGRADE, (Reuters) - Serbia's refusal to impose sanctions on its ally Russia remains the main obstacle to a speedier European Union accession bid, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic said, describing the…

Read More Here

U.S. supports Serbia’s move to commit to future in EU – ambassador

The United States supports Serbia's intention to pursue an international plan to normalise ties with Kosovo and eventually join the European Union, the U.S. ambassador to Serbia said on Tuesday.…

Read More Here

Serbia asks Russia to end recruitment of its people for Ukraine war

Russia should halt its efforts to recruit Serbs to fight alongside its Wagner paramilitary group in Ukraine, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said. Vucic criticised Russia's websites and social media groups for…

Read More Here