THE HAGUE (AP) - Judges at the UN war crimes tribunal dealt a serious blow to prosecutors yesterday by reducing a Bosnian-Croat commander’s prison sentence from 45 years to nine in a decision that inflamed emotions in the Balkans. Overturning a ruling by a lower chamber, appeals judges acquitted former Gen. Tihomir Blaskic (photo) of responsibility for the infamous Ahmici massacre of more than 100 Bosnian Muslims in 1993 and a series of attacks in central Bosnia during the 1992-1995 war. Hours after the ruling, the tribunal’s president, Theodor Meron, accepted Blaskic’s request for early release and ordered he be set free on Monday.

BELGRADE (AP) - The Serbian government urged Kosovo’s minority Serbs yesterday to boycott October 23 parliamentary elections in the UN-run province because of lack of security for their dwindling community. Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica accused the international administration in Kosovo of “a policy of inertia, irresponsibility and non-antagonization of ethnic Albanians.” He added that a Serb boycott of the elections would force international officials to face the fact that they are creating a “monoethnic” society in Kosovo. “The Serbs have been discouraged from taking part in these elections,” Kostunica said.

Turkey’s Parliament will debate last week’s high-speed train crash in which 39 people died at a special session on August 4 after the opposition lobbied for a recall, the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. (Reuters)

Three people were killed and about 2,000 left stranded by major flooding that cut off roads and railway lines in northern and central Romania, the Environment Ministry said yesterday. Officials said about 50 bridges and numerous dams were destroyed by the floods, as waters continued to rise. They said more than 2,000 houses were damaged and thousands of residents deprived of electricity. (AFP)

Bulgaria will train Iraqi police as part of its efforts to assist Iraq’s reconstruction and democratic development, the government’s press office said yesterday. Under a US$114,000 project adopted yesterday by the government, about 20 Iraqi police officers will attend the police academy in Sofia. (AP)