BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The body of the former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic, who died last week while serving a life sentence for genocide and other atrocities during the war in Bosnia, will be flown to Serbia on Thursday, President Aleksandar Vucic said.

Vucic told reporters that the U.N. court in The Hague, Netherlands, has released Mladic’s body after he died in a hospital there. The court did not immediately comment.

Vucic said Mladic’s family will announce funeral plans in the coming days. He predicted that Mladic’s admirers could come to the funeral in large numbers. Many Serbs consider Mladic a hero despite his conviction for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity by the U.N. tribunal.

“It will be hard to secure and guarantee security to everybody,” Vucic said. He added that Serbia’s police and the state security agency predict that “tens of thousands” could attend. “It will be a demanding job for our (security) services and we will use everything at our disposal to provide security.”

Mladic was sentenced in 2017 for orchestrating the massacre of more than 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica in 1995; the yearslong siege of Bosnian capital of Sarajevo during the 1992-95 conflict; and other war crimes, including setting up concentration camps for detained non-Serb civilians and enemy soldiers.

After Mladic died last Thursday, thousands of Serbs held vigils and marches in his honor. That drew condemnation in the volatile region that remains ethnically divided more than three decades after the war, which started when Bosnia’s Serbs took control over swaths of the country’s territory to form their own state.

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Families of Mladic’s victims have said that his conviction by the U.N. court brought at least some justice for the brutal deaths of their loved ones.

Serbia, which backed the Bosnian Serbs during the war, is formally seeking European Union entry but remains defiant over its war role. Vucic last week accused the West and The Hague tribunal of blaming only Serbs for the crimes and bringing no justice for the Serb victims. He also accused the court of uncivilized behavior for not releasing Mladic on humanitarian grounds to die at home.

The massacre in Srebrenica was Europe’s first acknowledged genocide after World War II. A U.N. “safe haven” for Muslims, Srebrenica ended up being overrun by Serbs who forced men and boys to strip, killed them and bulldozed their bodies into mass graves.

Mladic was one of the most notorious figures of the war in Bosnia that left more than 100,000 people dead and over 1 million homeless before it ended in 1995 in a U.S.-brokered peace agreement.

Krisstoffer Henshall was walking on the eastbound carriageway of the M56 between junctions 14 (Hapsford) and 12 (Runcorn), at around 12.50am on Monday when he was involved in a collision with three cars – a black Dacia Duster, a red Kia Niro and a black Ford Focus.

Sadly, despite the best efforts of all those involved, 38-year-old Kriss, from Golborne, was pronounced dead at the scene.

His next of kin have been informed and they are being supported by specialist officers.

Enquiries to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident are still ongoing and officers are continuing to appeal for information from the public.

Detective Sergeant Russ Sime, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said:

“We are aware of a number of rumours circulating in relation to this collision, including reports that Kriss had been to Creamfields, which are simply incorrect and I would urge people not to speculate.

“This is an extremely difficult time for his family and friends, and our priority is to establish what took place.

“As part of the investigation we are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident or believes they may have seen Kriss on the motorway prior to the collision, to get in touch.

“The same goes for anyone with any dashcam footage which may aid our investigation.

“Anyone with any information should contact Cheshire Police on 101 or via www.cheshire.police.uk/tell-us, quoting IML-2407733.”

Following Kriss’ death, his family issued a tribute.

They said: “Our family is heartbroken by the sudden loss of Kriss, and we are struggling to understand and process this devastating news.

“He will be missed beyond words. We respectfully ask for privacy as we mourn his loss and support one another through this difficult time.”

Detective Sergeant Tom Barker, from North Yorkshire Police, said it is believed that the offenders were trying to steal car keys from the homes in Pateley Bridge, Dacre Banks, and Summerbridge on Thursday morning (September 3).

He said no one has “come to any physical harm”, as he moved to reassure residents by saying “incidents like this are rare”.

DS Barker said it is “unusual for offenders to return to the same area in quick succession”, but urged residents to “remain vigilant”.

He said there will be an increased police presence as the force investigates the three reports of burglaries at homes in Pateley Bridge, Dacre Banks and Summerbridge.

The detective said residents should “ensure appropriate security measures are in place to make it as difficult as possible for criminals to target their homes and vehicles”.

Anyone with information that could help the police investigation is asked to phone 101 quoting reference 12260172459.

Information can be passed anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

​Wilson’s Food Hall in Seamer, near Scarborough, wants to construct a “modest” glass extension which would replace a currently “undefined outdoor seating area”.

​The popular and well-rated establishment said that the extension aims to provide additional, “comfortable seating that can be used throughout the year, rather than only during favourable weather”.

​“This would allow the business to trade consistently across all seasons, reducing its exposure to seasonal fluctuation and improving its long-term financial resilience.

The Type Of Glass Extension Propsoed By Wilson’S Food Hall In Seamer. Courtesy Of Applicant

​“The additional capacity would enable Wilson’s Food Hall to meet existing demand that currently cannot be accommodated, safeguarding both the business itself and the local jobs it supports,” it added.

​If plans are approved by North Yorkshire Council, the glass extension would protrude 3.2 metres from the front elevation and would be 7.3 metres wide.

​The business’s outdoor seating hours were extended to 7.30am to 7pm, Monday to Sunday, earlier this year.

​“Although the scheme was found acceptable, some initial concerns were raised regarding the impact on amenity by local representation and the council’s environmental health team. This proposed development would, in fact, reduce the impact on amenity by controlling the noise emissions,” the applicant said.

​“The proposal is a modern intervention and would improve the overall appearance of the existing building. In regard to heritage, the application sits within the Seamer conservation area and as such, the proposal is considered to preserve, and to some extent, enhance the conservation area,” according to a planning statement submitted to the council.

Elevations Of Extension Propsoed By Wilson’S Food Hall In Seamer. Courtesy Of Applicant, Harrison Pick.

​It comes as the business is hoping to turn the Newby and Scalby Community Hall into Wilson’s Food & Community Hall. However, the proposal has been met with objections from local residents who are concerned about a lack of consultation by the trustees of the current community hall.

​North Yorkshire Council has not set a date for deciding on the proposed extension plans which are currently open to representations from members of the public.

Hazel McQueen, one of the organisers from the Say NO To Larbert Data Centre group, told the Press Association: “When you see the amount of people here today, and the fact that Larbert alone had 7,000 objections, [Mr Swinney] needs to listen to the people, he needs to listen to the people of Larbert and the people of Scotland.

The war of words between the two camps has escalated in recent days with accusations flying around

Former South Africa head coach Nick Mallett has accused the All Blacks of “basically cheating” as the war of words between the two camps continues ahead of their blockbuster third Test in Johannesburg this weekend.

‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’ has exploded into life in recent days, as the Springboks levelled the series with a victory in the second Test in Cape Town on Saturday. After watching his side fall to the 33-26 defeat, frustrated New Zealand boss Dave Rennie hit out at their opponents’ scrummaging technique, accusing the world champions of “walking around” during scrums.

Rennie alleged that the South African forwards were gaining an unfair advantage by illegally angling sideways rather than staying square and driving straight, claiming that the hosts were “able to walk around and go straight through our tighthead.”

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That prompted a furious response from Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus, who slammed Rennie’s comments as “nonsense” and told reporters: “We’re not f***ing walking around. We’re scrumming through.”

Now, Erasmus’ comments have been echoed by former Boks chief Mallett, who has in turn accused the All Blacks of turning the scrum into “a joke” by repeatedly collapsing it in the hope of having it reset or winning a penalty.

“What they do now is they don’t want to stay up because if they collapse, they force the referee to make a decision between one or the other side,” he told the Talking Boks podcast. “So you have a 50 per cent chance of getting it right, of actually getting a penalty.

“Whereas the referees should be good enough to see who is actually pancaking, who’s going down. So this Saturday, we’re going to come as hard as we can in the scrums and hopefully we’re going to get better reward for our dominance in that area of the game.”

“If Rassie is correct in saying the first six scrums went down and there was only a penalty in the 35th minute when Marx and Ox Nche came on, then that’s inexcusable,” Mallett added.

“You’re turning it into, basically, a joke because the side that puts the ball in just collapses the scrum. How can you go forward if the scrum is lying on the ground? You can’t. So, in fact, they are basically cheating to stop themselves giving a penalty away.”

Mallett’s comments come after Springboks scrum guru Daan Human hit back at Rennie’s claims and insisted that his side have been scrummaging legally throughout the series.

Rezart Balesi, 44, used the Village Bistro on Vernon Street in Greenmount as a hub for his drug dealing business that involved his son Joshua Balesi, 22, and brother Refail Balesi, 39.

Their operation having been cracked open in a police investigation earlier this year, they were brought before Manchester Crown Court this week alongside their co-conspirators.

Judge Sarah Johnston said: “This operation was not characterised by hand-to-mouth dealing by those addicted to the substances themselves.

“This was a commercial enterprise, and a profitable one.”

The case was heard at Manchester Crown Court (Image: Phil Taylor)

Turning to Rezart, who she described as the “senior figure” in the drugs operation, Judge Johnston said: “You tried not to get your hands dirty but were prepared to do so.”

The two-day hearing had previously been told by Lee Fish, prosecuting, that Rezart had not controlled a mobile phone line, known as “the deal line”, himself.

Instead, it was controlled by his son and younger brother, who reported to him and they had led a gang of “trusted street dealers” working under them.

They were Fatos Vrenezi, 53, Immanuel Lumaj, 30, Fjoraldo Lukaj, 31, and Lorenzo Canovi, 48, who each sat with the Balesis in the dock.

Rezart Balesi used his bistro as a hub for his cocaine business (Image: Public)

Another man, named in court as Konstantinos Vaso, was also said to be a regular controller of the drug line and was still at large.

Their conspiracy had first come into focus in May 2024 and ended with a series of police raids in March 2026.

Joshua Balesi had also been involved in leading a separate cannabis conspiracy with Antonino Precaj, 33.

Judge Johnston said: “This was not oppressive but collegiate; all of you were willingly involved.”

Rezart Balesi (Image: NWROCU)

She added: “No one who spends any amount of time in the crown court can fail to see the problems drugs, particularly but not always of Class A, cause to our community.”

But she said despite this, the Balesis and their associates had decided to profit off the “misery” wrought by drug abuse.

She said that prosecution had struggled to identify the true scale of the operation but the messages between the group showed that at times this involved making £9,000 over a single night.

Judge Johnston also noted other messages that alluded to buying cocaine in bulk for £36,000.

Joshua Balesi (Image: NWROCU)

Rezart Balesi, of Caldy Drive, Ramsbottom, Refail Balesi, of Links View Court, Whitefield, and Joshua Balesi, of Hazelwood Drive, Bury, all confessed to conspiracy to supply cocaine.

Vrenezi, of Sunny Bank Road, Bury, Lumaj, of Heathway, Dagenham, Lukaj, of Albert Avenue, Hull, and Canovi, of Lune Close, Whitefield, all admitted to the same charge.

Joshua further confessed to conspiracy to supply and to conspiracy to produce cannabis, while Precaj, of Capstan Ride, Enfield, confessed to being concerned in the production of cannabis.

The absent Vaso’s wife, Megi Zaimi, 32, was also involved in collecting cash and dealing with street dealers and confessed to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Refail Balesi (Image: NWROCU)

At a previous hearing, she was sentenced to 25 months, suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 10 days of rehabilitation activity requirement days with 100 hours of unpaid work.

No further evidence had been offered against Rezart’s wife Claire Balesi, 33 of Caldy Drive, Ramsbottom, and a not guilty verdict was recorded.

Sentencing Rezart, a former landlord of the Lord Raglan pub in Radcliffe before he took over the Village Bistro in Greenmount, Judge Johnston said he had played a leading role.

Dressed in the dock in a plain white T-shirt, he showed no visible reaction as Judge Johnston told him, “It should be to your eternal shame”, that he had led his then 18-year-old son into the plot.

Fatos Vrenezi (Image: NWROCU)

Judge Johnston jailed Rezart Balesi for seven years and six months.

Turning to his younger brother Refail, Judge Johnston noted that he had been granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK and sentenced him to five years and three months in prison.

Turning to Joshua, Judge Johnston said that “the presence of your father and uncle in the dock is an important feature to note” and jailed him for four years.

She jailed Vrenezi, who had become involved in drugs despite coming from an “upstanding family”, for four years and Canovi, a “trusted street dealer acting under instruction”, for 37 months.

Fjoraldo Lukaj (Image: NWROCU)

Lumaj was jailed for three years and nine months, while Lukaj, who had come to the UK illegally and will be subject to a deportation order, was jailed for three years and six months.

Finally, Judge Johnston jailed Precaj for 27 months, telling him that even if it were possible for her to suspend his sentence she would not do so.

The men all went down from the dock in silence, and Judge Johnston closed by thanking the officers involved in the case.

Speaking after the hearing Detective Inspector Michael Robinson from the North West Regional Organised Crime Unit said: “This was a lengthy and complex investigation, but the results speak for themselves.

Imanuel Lumaj (Image: NWROCU)

“Through months of dedication and determination, officers dismantled a significant organised crime group that was causing considerable harm to our communities.

“Let this serve as a warning to those who seek to flood our streets with drugs.

“We remain committed to targeting individuals who profit from the exploitation and misery of others.

“We will relentlessly pursue those involved in organised crime and bring them to justice.”

Aldi has confirmed that store workers will be given the chance to enjoy more time with their family and friends around Christmas, as all shops will close for 24 hours on Boxing Day.

Customers will be able to return to shopping at Aldi when shops reopen the following day on Sunday, December 27.

Aldi stores will also close on New Year’s Day and reopen on Saturday, January 2, 2027.

Opening times will vary locally in the days before Christmas, with many stores extending their hours to help customers pick up everything they need for the festive period.

Explaining the decision, Rachel Geary, Communications Director at Aldi UK, said: “Christmas is a special time for our customers, but it is also one of the busiest periods of the year for our teams.

“Our colleagues work incredibly hard to ensure customers can pick up everything they need ahead of the big day.

“We never take that effort for granted. Closing our stores on Boxing Day is one way of saying thank you and giving colleagues a proper chance to rest, switch off and spend more time with the people closest to them.”

Customers are encouraged to check the Aldi Store Finder nearer the time for the latest opening hours at their local store.

Aldi Store Assistants earn £13.50 per hour nationally and £14.88 inside the M25, rising to £14.47 and £15.20 respectively with length of service. Aldi also remains the only major supermarket to offer paid breaks, worth around £1,500 a year to the average store colleague.

Meanwhile, research from consumer group Which? has named the UK’s cheapest supermarket.

The budget retailer topped the list for August, according to consumer group Which?, based on a comparison of 92 popular grocery items.

Shoppers would have paid up to £30.09 less at Aldi than at Tesco, where the basket cost £189.45, and £26.19 less than at Sainsbury’s, which totalled £185.55.

Morrisons was £34.75 more expensive at £194.11, while Waitrose shoppers would have paid £223.75 for the same items—£64.39 more than at Aldi.

Julie Ashfield, chief commercial officer at Aldi UK, said: “We’re proud to have been recognised as the UK’s cheapest supermarket for the tenth consecutive month.

“This achievement reflects our continued commitment to offering dependable value every time our customers shop with us.

“As families prepare for the new school year, we know household budgets can come under added pressure, so we’re focused on making quality groceries more affordable and helping customers make their money go further.”

Aldi has topped the Which? rankings every month in 2026 so far, following its title of Cheapest Supermarket of the Year for 2025.

Billionaire investor Leon Black has taken legal action against the House Oversight Committee after refusing to show up for a scheduled congressional deposition on Thursday.

Instead, he filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block subpoenas issued as part of the panel’s probe into disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Lawmakers originally served Black with two subpoenas during a private voluntary interview in June after he reportedly declined to answer questions about nondisclosure agreements. One subpoena demanded that he produce NDAs and related files, while the second ordered him to return for a deposition.

In his lawsuit, Black argues that the subpoenas exceed the committee’s authority by seeking personal information unrelated to Epstein or any legitimate legislative purpose. The filing asks a federal judge to strike down the subpoenas as invalid and prevent the committee from enforcing them.

“The Committee is on a fishing expedition that oversteps its authority and completely ignores its responsibility,” Black’s attorney, Susan Estrich, said in a statement. “This is no longer about finding the truth about Epstein. It is about trying to destroy Mr. Black.”

Lawmaker calls for Leon Black to be held in contempt

Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, argued that Congress “must hold him in contempt immediately.”

“By refusing to testify today, Leon Black is now defying two Congressional subpoenas,” Garcia said. “Black gave Jeffrey Epstein over $180 million over six years. He funded Epstein’s abuse and trafficking of women. Multiple women have also accused Black of sexual assault. His connections to Epstein and his unwillingness to cooperate are unacceptable. We must hold him in contempt immediately.”

The committee’s chair, Kentucky Rep. James Comer, accused Black of “hiding behind litigation rather than provide answers to the American people.”

Comer’s statement cotinued, “Our investigation is examining how the federal government for decades failed survivors of Jeffery Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes and how Mr. Epstein sought to curry favor with influential individuals to avoid scrutiny. Mr. Black’s testimony is crucial to our investigation as he was one of Mr. Epstein’s fee paying clients and has several nondisclosure agreements. Our deposition is moving forward this morning for the record and there will be an empty chair for Mr. Black. I will speak with our members about next steps.”

Leon Black’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein

Black co-founded and served as chief executive of the private equity firm Apollo Global Management before stepping down in 2021 amid public fallout over his ties to Epstein.

He is one of several high-profile individuals to feature in the probe into Epstein and the network of wealth and influence surrounding him. Others involved in the investigation include former Democratic President Bill Clinton, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

Files released by the Department of Justice regarding the Epstein case mention Black repeatedly. He was also featured in a collection of birthday greetings made public by the committee last year, which included a poem attributed to Black referencing “Blond, Red or Brunette, spread out geographically.”

Prior to his June 26 interview, Black maintained that he was unaware of Epstein’s “nefarious activity” until 2019, asserting that his payments to Epstein were for legitimate advice based on his “unrivaled network of relationships” with prominent figures.