Nikola Knežević

BELGRADE - Red Star Belgrade are through to the quarter-finals of the Serbian football cup after beating Radnicki Nis 5-0 at home on Wednesday evening.

Nikola Knezevic (12 min), Aleksandar Katai (19 min), Cherif Ndiaye (20 min), Vladimir Lucic (27 min) and Jean-Philippe Krosso (38 min pen) scored for Red Star.

KRUSEVAC  - Red Star Belgrade are through to the round of last 16 of the Serbian football cup after a 6-0 win over Trayal in Krusevac on Wednesday.

The hosts' Nemanja Spasojevic opened the scoring with an own goal in the 9th minute and Cherif Ndiaye (53 min), Jovan Sljivic (75 min, 90 min) Nikola Knezevic (77 min) and Jovan Mijatovic (89 min) all netted for Red Star.

Patriarch Irinej's statement, saying Serbs should use force if Kosovo becomes a member of UNESCO and all peaceful attempts to stop it gaining control over Serbian religious monuments fail, was condemned on Wednesday by experts who warned that it could provoke instability.

The plan to erect the 33-metre-tall cross near the town of Kraljevo in central Serbia has provoked much debate about the role of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the country after it was announced earlier this week.

The Serbian Orthodox Church has called for talks with the Catholic Church about the expected canonization of a controversial Croatian bishop Alojzije Stepinac - who was archbishop of Zagreb during the Second World War and later a cardinal.

The annual Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church on Wednesday said it was relieving from duty its Canadian Bishop, Georgije Djokic, following complaints of misconduct and corruption.

Serbia's daily Blic newspaper reported that the Bishop has denied the charges, claiming that he turned round one of the Church's most neglected dioceses.

Russian patriarch to visit Belgrade in mid-November

BELGRADE -- Russian Patriarch Kirill will in mid-November visit Belgrade and along with Serbian Patriarch Irinej consecrate a monument to Russian Emperor Nicholas Romanov.

Tanjug said this was confirmed on Tuesday by the Belgrade Patriarchate of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

BELGRADE - Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia will in mid-November visit Belgrade, where he will, with Patriarch Irinej of the Serbian Orthodox Church, consecrate a monument to the Russian Emperor Nicholas Romanov, recently erected in Devojacki park, the Belgrade Patriarchate has confirmed to Tanjug.