PARIS (AFP) – Police in France, Germany and the Netherlands yesterday arrested 10 people suspected of providing funding to Islamic extremists in Uzbekistan, officials said. Eight arrests took place in France, one in the Netherlands and one in Germany. One suspect was later released in France. The eight suspects of Turkish origin thought to have ties to al-Qaida were arrested in a suburb of the eastern city of Mulhouse and in the central Rhone region, a police source said. The source said anti-terrorism units moved in on the group as a “pre-emptive” measure and that none of the suspects had committed attacks. Police found several firearms and a large amount of cash during searches of the suspects’ homes yesterday, a police source said. Computer disks and files were seized. The suspects are believed to have helped fund the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), formed in 1998 and considered one of the most radical groups operating in Central Asia.

SOFIA (AFP) – The Bulgarian government yesterday ordered urgent measures to fight EU fund fraud after Brussels recently froze money due to corruption concerns. “We have exactly one month to pull ourselves together, concentrate our efforts and perform a huge number of tasks to present the European Commission with evidence that we have at least begun to address the areas of concern,” Deputy Prime Minister for EU funds Meglena Plugchieva told a press conference. Bulgaria, which joined the EU in 2007, has until June 16 to report on measures taken to combat misuse of European farming, infrastructure and regional development subsidies. Corruption concerns prompted the European Commission to freeze some 450 million euros of subsidies and to threaten to suspend another 6.8 billion euros available to Bulgaria until 2013, if Sofia does not show progress.

UN appeals judges yesterday suspended the war crimes trial of two former Serb security chiefs for at least three months because one of them is too ill to attend court. Jovica Stanisic and Franko Simatovic went on trial last month at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal. They have pleaded not guilty to training, arming and directing paramilitary units that murdered and persecuted non-Serbs during the Balkan wars. (AP)

Queen Elizabeth II yesterday wrapped up a four-day state visit to Turkey that aimed to stress Britain’s support for the mainly Muslim country’s EU membership prospects. The queen and her husband Prince Philip left Ankara after attending a reception given in their honor at the British Embassy. (AFP)