UN war crimes court appoints British lawyer as standby counsel for Radovan Karadzic

British lawyer appointed Karadzic standby counsel

‘Karadzic regretted that some Bosnian Muslims escaped genocide’

THE HAGUE - Former Bosnian Serb president and genocide-accused Radovan Karadzic regretted that some Bosnian Muslims “got away” and were not killed in the Srebrenica massacre, the United Nations war crimes tribunal was told.

Karadzic wanted Bosnian Muslims wiped off from the ‘face of the earth’

THE HAGUE - Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was overheard on phone tap intercepts plotting to wipe Bosnian Muslims from the “face of the earth”, his war crimes trial at The Hague has been told.

Lawyer: Radovan Karadzic will boycott start of his genocide trial Monday

BELGRADE, Serbia — Despite a compromise offered by U.N. war crimes judges, Radovan Karadzic won’t appear in court at the start of his genocide trial next week because they have not given him time to prepare his defense, his legal adviser said Friday.

Radovan Karadzic threatens to boycott his genocide trial, says he needs more time to prepare

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Radovan Karadzic has threatened to boycott his genocide trial at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal, saying in a letter released Thursday he needs more time to prepare.

UN rights council endorses Gaza war crimes report that suggests Hague tribunal prosecution

GENEVA — The U.N. Human Rights Council voted Friday to endorse a Gaza war crimes report that calls on Israel and Hamas to carry out credible investigations into alleged abuses — or face possible referral to international war crimes prosecutors.

UN rights body refers Gaza war crimes report to Security Council for possible prosecution

GENEVA — The U.N. Human Rights Council voted Friday to endorse a Gaza war crimes report and send it to the Security Council, possibly setting up international prosecution of Israelis and Palestinians accused of war crimes.

UN judges reject Karadzic appeal for immunity from prosecution at war crimes tribunal

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — An appeals panel has rejected Radovan Karadzic’s claim that he cannot be tried at the U.N.’s Yugoslav war crimes tribunal because he was promised immunity by an American envoy, according to a ruling released Tuesday.

American arrested in Japan for taking his kids from ex-wife as int’l custody battles intensify

TOKYO — An American father was arrested in Japan after snatching his children from his ex-wife, who had taken the kids to her native country without telling him.

Police say American arrested in Japan for allegedly kidnapping his own children

TOKYO — An American father on a mission to reclaim his young children in Japan was arrested over their alleged abduction while they were walking to school with his ex-wife, officials said Wednesday.

Ecuador rejects Chevron arbitration claim on contamination suit, says it skirts proper venues

QUITO, Ecuador — Ecuador on Thursday rejected as an inappropriate last-ditch effort Chevron Corp.’s attempt to force it into international arbitration so it might share liability in a $27 billion lawsuit over environmental damage in the Amazon rainforest.

Dutch investigators: Man who attacked royals acted alone, deliberately targeted them

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — An unemployed recluse who attempted to slam his car into an open-topped bus carrying Queen Beatrix was acting alone and targeting the royal family, police said Friday.

Serb Radicals leader Vojislav Seselj sentenced to 15 months for contempt of war crimes court

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — U.N. judges convicted the leader of Serbia’s largest political party of contempt of court Friday for revealing the names of three protected witnesses who testified at his war crimes trial.

Ruling giving oil region to government, land to rebels, bolsters peace in Sudan

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Sudan’s fragile peace overcame a major hurdle Wednesday when a legal panel drew a compromise map splitting an oil-rich region between the government-held north and the semiautonomous south controlled by former rebels.

Arbitration panel awards Sudan government disputed Heglig oil field

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — An international arbitration panel on Wednesday awarded the Sudanese government control over almost all major oil reserves in a disputed region of Sudan that erupted into violence last year between state forces and former southern rebels.

International arbitration panel sets new boundaries for disputed oil-rich region of Sudan

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — An international arbitration panel has set new boundaries for a disputed oil-rich region of Sudan.

Arbitration panel to rule on disputed oil rich Abyei region between north and south Sudan

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — An international arbitration tribunal is ruling Wednesday on the boundaries of a disputed oil rich region on the border between northern and southern Sudan.

War crimes court convicts Bosnian Serb cousins of killing 119 Muslims by burning them alive

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A U.N. war crimes court convicted two Bosnian Serb cousins Monday for a 1992 killing spree that included locking scores of Muslims in two houses and burning them alive.

War crimes court convicts Bosnian Serb cousins in ‘callous’ burning deaths of Muslims

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A U.N. war crimes court has convicted two Bosnian Serb cousins of murder and extermination for locking up scores of Muslims in two houses and burning them alive.

War crimes court to deliver verdicts in case of Serb cousins accused of torching Muslims

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — U.N. judges deliver verdicts Monday in the case of two Bosnian Serb cousins accused of atrocities that allegedly include twice locking scores of Muslims into houses and torching them.

Former southern Sudanese rebels must leave contested oil-rich area, says UN

KHARTOUM, Sudan — The U.N. expressed concern about the presence of former southern Sudanese rebels in a contested oil-rich area near the border with the north, raising fears of violence days ahead of a key court decision on the region’s boundaries.

Former Liberian leader tells tribunal that war crimes case based on ‘deceit, deception, lies’

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — His combat fatigues were replaced by a dark suit and tie, and the tinted aviator glasses gave the former Liberian leader a haughty air as he took the stand Tuesday to emphatically denounce the war crimes charges against him as “disinformation, misinformation, lies, rumors.”

Liberia’s Taylor ends 3-year silence, says war crimes case is deceit, deception and lies

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Ending three years of silence, former Liberian President Charles Taylor began building his defense against war crimes charges Tuesday, portraying himself as a peacemaker rather than the cannibalistic warlord described by prosecutors.

Liberia’s Taylor takes stand at The Hague to defend against murder, rape charges

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Charles Taylor has taken the stand in his own defense at his war crimes trial and says the case against him is built on lies.

Liberia’s Taylor to take stand at The Hague to defend against murder, rape charges

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Former Liberian president Charles Taylor will take the stand Tuesday to assert that he was trying to bring peace to Sierra Leone with his actions during a savage civil war that left hundreds of thousands dead or mutilated, his attorney said.

Liberia’s ex-leader Taylor to claim he was working for peace during Sierra Leone atrocities

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Former Liberian president Charles Taylor will take the stand to assert that he was trying to bring peace to Sierra Leone with his actions during a savage civil war that left hundreds of thousands dead or mutilated, his attorney said Monday.

World Court sets limits on Nicaraguan regulation of river travel along Costa Rican border

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The United Nations’ highest court set travel rules Monday for the Nicaraguan river that borders Costa Rica, affirming freedom for Costa Rican boats while upholding Nicaragua’s right to regulate traffic.

Charles Taylor begins his war crimes defense against Sierra Leone atrocity charges

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Lawyers for Charles Taylor began his defense against war crimes charges Monday, arguing that the former Liberian president was not responsible for the murder, rape and mutilation of civilians by rebels in Sierra Leone and should not be blamed simply out of disgust at the atrocities.

Charles Taylor begins his defense against Sierra Leone atrocity charges

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Former Liberian President Charles Taylor, on trial for war crimes, wants to set the record straight about his role in a savage civil war that tore apart Sierra Leone and left hundreds of thousands dead or mutilated, his lawyer said Monday.

Ex-Liberian President Taylor to begin his defense against Sierra Leone atrocity charges

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — For a year, prosecution witnesses accused former Liberian President Charles Taylor of atrocities ranging from cannibalism to commanding Sierra Leone rebels who hacked off villagers’ limbs, and of selling weapons and ammunition in exchange for so-called blood diamonds.