SARAJEVO (Reuters) – Foreign investigators will soon join a special team in the Bosnian chief prosecutor’s office investigating the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of Muslims by Bosnian-Serb forces, a prosecution official said yesterday. The move to boost the investigation follows the suspension in July of 35 active Serb policemen suspected of involvement in the atrocity, seen as Europe’s worst since World War Two. They were suspended by the country’s international peace overseer, Miroslav Lajcak, in one of his first actions. “Recent events have put great pressure on the Srebrenica team,” David Schwandiman, the registrar of the prosecution special department for war crimes, told a news conference. “The Srebrenica team needs help,” he said, explaining that nearly one-third of all Bosnia’s prosecution resources had been allocated to helping the five-member team.

PRISTINA (Reuters) – The United Nations wants an independent inquiry into Kosovo’s top-security Dubrava prison after seven inmates – including convicted murderers and terrorists – escaped with the help of their guards. Five prison guards have been charged with aiding Saturday’s breakout, and four other people have been arrested on suspicion of providing covering fire for the escape outside the prison walls with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. The UN mission in charge of Kosovo since the 1998-99 war said yesterday it wanted to hold “an independent evaluation of conditions at the Dubrava prison.” The probe would try to “ascertain all the facts and ensure there are safeguards in the future to avoid anything else like this happening again,” said spokesman Alexander Ivanko.

Romania will hold its first elections to the European Parliament on November 25, Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu said yesterday, ending months of suspense. “The eyes of Europe will be on us and the government will take all necessary measures to pass this test without any problems,” Tariceanu told a press conference in Bucharest. “Romania will be represented by 35 deputies and I think that organizing good elections, not only logistically, but also creating a framework for a political debate on European themes, is an important test.” According to its EU accession treaty, Romania must organize elections before December 31. (AFP)