25 suspected human traffickers arrested

Croatia has arrested 25 people suspected of being part of human trafficking networks smuggling mostly Kosovo and Turkish nationals to the EU, police says.

• People smuggler faces extradition to Aus
• EU orders detention of 10 human traffickers
• Human trafficking pays €2.5bn

Croatians protest against Cyrillic signs

Thousands have staged a protest against plans to introduce street signs written in the Cyrillic alphabet for the minority ethnic Serbs of Vukovar, a Croatian town ravaged by Serb rebels in the 1990s.

• Russia denounces UN tribunal
• Mladic taunts survivors at start of trial

5 dead due to heavy snow

Freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall have killed at least 5 people and caused travel chaos across the Balkans.

• Snow delays Dutch flights
• Wintry US storm slows Sandy recovery
• Snow and gales hit Europe, 4 dead

Croatia arrests fugitive 'playboy priest'

A fugitive Croatian priest who allegedly ran off with almost $1.3m and a married woman after illegally selling church property has been arrested, say police.

• Ex-priest faces abuse charges
• Priest fired: beat drug addicts

Croatia rescues 65 immigrants at sea

Croatia's coast guard has rescued about 65 illegal immigrants after their ship, heading to Italy, broke down in the Adriatic sea.

• Israel gives migrants 2 weeks to leave
• 113 arrested trying to head for Australia
• Israel expels South Sudanese

100s of police deploy for gay march

Hundreds of riot police are securing a gay pride event in the Croatian town of Split because of threats of violence from extremists.

• Gay marriage ban set for US Supreme Court
• Vatican slams nun's book on sex
• Gay marriage blocked in Washington state

Mladic taunts survivors at start of trial

Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic has made a throat-slitting gesture to a woman who lost her son, husband and brothers in the Srebenica massacre at the start of his trial.

• Mladic genocide trial to begin in March
• Mladic hospitalised with pneumonia
• Two war crimes sought against Mladic

EU cars to dial for emergency help

The European Union is moving ahead with plans to ensure an automatic emergency call system is installed in all new cars, in case of accidents, from 2015.

• Toyota to get social network service
• Cars might 'ban' drunk drivers
• Microsoft to power Toyota cars online

Attractive Brazilian boy amazes

A Brazilian child has been dubbed Magnet Boy after it was discovered that metal objects cling to his skin when placed near him.

• Magnetic discs may kill cancer
• Quantum physics research lab planned
• Fat fathers pass on diabetes

Croatia issues arrest warrant for ex-PM

Croatia has issued an international arrest warrant for a former prime minister under investigation for graft who has left the country, says the interior ministry.

Divers join search for balloonists

Scuba divers have joined the search for two American balloonists who went missing in the Adriatic Sea, but searchers say that hope of finding them alive is fading.

• Still hope for missing balloonists
• 2 US balloonists go missing
• US balloonists 'fell at 80km/h'

Serbian fugitive to be extradited

A Croatian court has approved the extradition to Serbia of a fugitive convicted of the murder of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, a spokesperson has said.

• Interpol hunts Serbian suspect
• Man held for Serb PM’s killing

Cow negotiates its life back

A cow that escaped from an abattoir in Croatia has won the right to life as its owners have decided to spare it, it has been reported.

Interpol hunts Serbian suspect

Global police agency Interpol has issued an alert for Dragan "Captain Dragan" Vasiljkovic, a Serbian war crimes suspect who has gone missing in Australia.

• Passport fraud 'a global threat'
• Interpol to help UN
• Interpol to track pirate money

Croatians go to the polls

Polls have opened in Croatia in elections for the country's third president since its independence, with the winner expected to lead the nation into the EU.

• 12 to run for president
• Croat deputy premier resigns

New life for griffon vultures

Rescued and nurtured for nearly a year, then fitted with a satellite transmitter, eight endangered griffon vultures have been released into the wild.

Richards tops IAAF shortlist

Sanya Richards could cap her season with the athlete of the year award as the 400m star is on the final shortlist of the women's ballot.

• Bolt tops IAAF award shortlist
• Members turn on ASA
• Olympic torch crosses Arctic

Croat deputy premier resigns

Croatia's deputy prime minister says that he has resigned after media implicated him in a corruption case.