Europe

Netherlands partially responsible for Srebrenica massacre, court rules

20 July 2019; DW: The Dutch Supreme Court upheld a ruling that Dutch UN peacekeepers had failed to protect 350 people in Bosnia in 1995. The judges found, however, that the Dutch government was only 10% liable for the atrocity.

The Dutch Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the Netherlands had "very limited liability" for the deaths of 350 men and boys during the 1995 Srebrenica genocide.

Russian suspect in tainted oil scandal seeks asylum in Lithuania

20 July 2019; DW: Russian authorities detained several suspects after huge amounts of crude oil were found to be tainted. Roman Ruzhechko, the man charged with the alleged conspiracy, has sought refuge in Lithuania.

A Vilnius court ordered a three-month detention for Russian national Roman Ruzhechko, who had asked for political asylum in the country, Lithuanian authorities said on Friday.

Kosovo PM Haradinaj resigns after court summons on suspicion of war crimes

20 July 2019; DW: Ramush Haradinaj, Kosovo's prime minister and a former guerilla commander, gave up his post after being summoned as a war crimes suspect before a special court. He has already been acquitted twice before in The Hague.

An EU-backed war crimes court called on Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj to show up for questioning in the Hague, causing Haradinaj to unexpectedly resign on Friday.

Britain says to seek diplomatic way but warns of consequences after Iran's tanker seizure

LONDON, July 20 (Xinhua) -- British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned late Friday that serious consequences would ensue if Iran's seizure of a British-operated oil tanker is not resolved quickly.

Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps on Friday seized the oil tanker Stena Impero in the Strait of Hormuz, saying that "the British vessel was captured for failing to respect the international maritime rules while passing through the Strait of Hormuz."

5.1-magnitude quake shakes Athens, no serious injuries, major damages

ATHENS, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The Greek state mechanism has been put on alert and there was no cause for alarm, Greek officials said after an earthquake measuring 5.1 magnitude on the Richter scale shook Athens on Friday.

No serious injuries or major damages were reported and Acropolis and other treasures in museums and archaeological sites were intact, officials said, as several aftershocks measuring 3 to 4.4 have been recorded by scientists.

UK lawmakers warn of lost residency rights in no-deal Brexit

BRUSSELS (AP) — British lawmakers met the European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator on Friday, seeking an iron-clad guarantee that the 1.3 million U.K. citizens in the bloc won’t have their rights removed and their lives disrupted if Britain leaves the EU without a deal.

The rights of U.K. citizens living in the 27 other EU nations, and those of the more than 3 million EU citizens in Britain, are one of the thorniest issues of the Brexit negotiations.

Iran’s seizure of UK tanker in Gulf seen as escalation

LONDON (AP) — Iran seized a British-flagged oil tanker Friday and briefly detained a second vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, intensifying tensions in the strategic waterway that has become a flashpoint between Tehran and the West.

The seizing of the British tanker marked perhaps the most significant escalation since tensions between Iran and the West began rising in May. At that time, the U.S. announced it was dispatching an aircraft carrier and additional troops to the Middle East, citing unspecified threats posed by Iran.

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