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BELGRADE, Serbia-Montenegro (AP) -- Mourners began gathering in central Belgrade on Saturday for a final farewell to Slobodan Milosevic, who died while on trial for some of Europe's worst atrocities since World War II. Several hundred people, some clutching photographs of the late Serbian leader, stood in front of the downtown federal parliament building as workers set up an outdoor stage for Milosevic's coffin. Some carried Serbian flags or banners of Milosevic's Socialist Party, which organ ...

By Mohammed Abbas CAIRO (Reuters) - A 30-year-old Egyptian woman has died of bird flu, the country's first human victim of the virus, Egypt's health ministry said on Saturday. It said the woman from Qaloubiyah province, about 40 kms (25 miles) north of Cairo, where the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain has been detected in poultry, was taken ill on Wednesday. "They (doctors) took samples for analysis at the ministry of health laboratories ... They confirmed she was infected with bird flu. She die ...

By Alexandra Hudson THE HAGUE (Reuters) - A Congolese militia leader accused of conscripting children for war will be the first suspect to face trial at the International Criminal Court, the chief prosecutor of the ICC said on Saturday. Thomas Lubanga arrived at an ICC temporary detention centre late on Friday night after having been flown from the Democratic Republic of Congo aboard a French mi ...

By Ellie Tzortzi and Beti Bilandzic BELGRADE (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Serbs gathered in central Belgrade on Saturday to pay their last respects to Slobodan Milosevic ahead of his burial, a week after he died in his cell at the U.N. war crimes tribunal. Pro-democracy activists who ousted Milosevic six years ago threatened to hold their own rally nearby later in the day in an effort to show that diehard nationalists no longer hold sway. Supporters of the former president, a central figu ...

MUMBAI (Reuters) - An Indian court sentenced two Britons to six years in prison on Saturday for beating and sexually abusing young boys at a shelter for street children in the financial hub of Mumbai. Duncan Grant and Allan John Waters were found guilty of indulging in "unnatural offences" and "using the custody of a minor for immoral purposes", defence lawyer Majid Memon said. The charges again ...

By Michael Georgy BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The defence minister warned on Saturday that further delays in forming an Iraqi government would allow insurgents to capitalise on the impasse and boost their campaign to destabilise the country. "Terrorists love a vacuum," John Reid told reporters before holding a series of talks with Iraq's political leaders. But Reid said moving too quickly could backfire in Iraq, a country where every political move risks fuelling sectarian tensions that have pushed I ...

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Christopher Cook led an England one-two in the final of the men's 100 metres breaststroke on Saturday. Cook won the gold in one minute 00.98 seconds, pipping his team mate James Gibson by 0.12 seconds. Australia's Brenton Rickard was third in 1:01.17. This was the third time in 24 hours that England finished first and second in a men's final. Ross Davenport and Simon Burnett went one-two in the 200m freestyle and Matthew Clay and Liam Tancock did the same in the 50m back ...

By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA (Reuters) - Hamas on Saturday completed forming a Palestinian cabinet that will put loyal members of the Islamic militant group in charge of key ministries, including interior, foreign affairs and finance, Hamas officials said. More moderate factions, including President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement, refused to form a government with Hamas. Hamas's inability to win coalition partners and its decision to appoint its own members to the three key ministries could bols ...

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - England ended Australia's winning streak at the Melbourne Park velodrome with victory in the Commonwealth Games team pursuit on Saturday. Rob Hayles, Paul Manning, Steve Cummings and Chris Newton won in a time of four minutes, 2.699 seconds to push the hosts' quartet of Matthew Goss, Ashley Hutchinson, Mark Jamieson and Steve Wooldridge into silver medal position. Manning, Hayles and Cummings had filled the medal positions in the individual pursuit on Thursday. New Zeala ...

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Andrew Strauss's aggressive 85 not out saw England reach a commanding 158 for one at tea on the opening day of the final test against India on Saturday. The left-handed opener put on 106 in an unbroken second wicket stand with Middlesex team mate Owais Shah, who marked his test debut with a half century (50). The visitors accelerated the scoring rate in the second session without losing a wicket. The 29-year-old Strauss struck nine boundaries and a powerful six off leg-spin ...