UPDATED
Protesters upset over Kosovo set fire to US mission in Belgrade
Los Angeles Times Feb 21, 08 5:25 PM CST
(Newser)
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Serb protesters angry about Kosovo independence set the US embassy in Belgrade on fire today, and at least one charred body has been found, the Los Angeles Times reports. The victim apparently is a protester because all US personnel have been accounted for. The fire, now under control, came after an estimated 150,000 marched through the city to protest Kosovo's declaration of independence Sunday.
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Troops called in after mobs burn border posts
BBC Feb 20, 08 5:07 AM CST
(Newser)
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NATO peacekeepers have sealed off Kosovo's northern borders after angry mobs torched border posts, the BBC reports. US troops have blocked the main road to Serbia, and French and Estonian troops have cut off the crossing to Montenegro. The move is bound to infuriate Serbs both in Kosovo and Serbia, where the foreign minister yesterday vowed that Kosovo would be a part of his nation forever.
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New country 'inches away from partition'
Reuters Feb 19, 08 10:25 AM CST
(Newser)
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Hundreds of Serbs torched government and UN buildings in Kosovo today in the worst violence since the country declared independence on Sunday, raising fears of an ethnic split, Reuters reports. Seemingly well-organized gangs rampaged near the border, driving off peacekeepers who tried to intervene. No injuries were reported. “We are inches from partition,” said one Western official.
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PM vows to pull diplomats from all nations that support Kosovo independence
BBC Feb 18, 08 8:26 PM CST
(Newser)
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Serbia called home its US ambassador today to protest America's recognition of Kosovo's independence, the BBC reports. Serbian PM Vojislav Kostunica called the move Serbia's "first urgent measure," and warned that envoys in other countries that recognize Kosovar autonomy will soon be withdrawn.
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UPDATED
Spain withholds nod; prez gets ahead of US State Dept.
Reuters Feb 18, 08 11:41 AM CST
(Newser)
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The US and major European states recognized Kosovo as an independent state today, reports Reuters. Condoleezza Rice issued an official statement several hours after President Bush jumped the gun by saying in a speech in Africa that Kosovo is "now independent." His Secretary of State said later: "We congratulate the people of Kosovo on this historic occasion."
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Some fear feisty new nation could inspire separatists elsewhere
BBC Feb 18, 08 6:11 AM CST
(Newser)
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A meeting of EU officials today to discuss Kosovo is likely to reveal deep-seated divisions within the European Union. While Britain, France and Germany are expected to recognize the newly independent Kosovo immediately, other states like Cyprus, Greece, Romania and Spain worry about the message such recognition will send to their own restive separatists, BBC reports.
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Serbia enraged as US, EU expected to recognize new country tomorrow
BBC Feb 17, 08 10:30 AM CST
(Newser)
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Kosovo's parliament declared independence from Serbia today by a unanimous vote, the BBC reports. "We have waited for this day for a very long time,” said PM Hashim Thaci, before reading the declaration, which promised respect for the Serbian minority. Serbia’s PM, meanwhile, slammed the US and other western nations for their plans to recognize Kosovo, saying they had created a “false state.”
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2,000 police and judges to help smooth transition
BBC Feb 16, 08 9:39 AM CST
(Newser)
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As Kosovo stands poised to declare independence from Serbia, the European Union is preparing to send a civilian police and justice mission to help enforce the rule of law in the fledgling country. The US and most of the EU support Kosovar independence; Serbia and Russia oppose it, but will not intervene with the EU mission, BBC reports.
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Belgrade won't sever ties with countries that recognize new state
Guardian (UK) Feb 15, 08 5:43 PM CST
(Newser)
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After earlier threatening to sever ties with countries recognizing an independent Kosovo, Serbia softened somewhat today in announcing it would merely pulls its ambassadors in those nations, the Guardian reports. Kosovo is likely to make official its break from Serbia—a move that worries the province's ethnic Serbs—on Sunday, and diplomatic recognition from EU states and the US would soon follow.
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Serbia won't cooperate, Putin hits 'hypocrasy'
of Western support
Guardian (UK) Feb 14, 08 1:09 PM CST
(Newser)
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Serbian and Russian leaders today lambasted Kosovo's imminent declaration of independence from Serbia, the Guardian reports. Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica declared the move illegal, and said his government won't cooperate with European efforts to keep Kosovo running. Russian President Vladimir Putin blasted as "immoral and illegal" Western nations' plans to recognize the province's independence.
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UN showdown looms over unilateral declaration
Los Angeles Times Feb 8, 08 7:27 AM CST
(Newser)
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Kosovo is set to declare independence next Sunday, Feb. 17, despite strong opposition by Serbia and Russia, according to US and EU diplomats. The date had been reported in Kosovo newspapers but only received confirmation at the UN yesterday, writes the Los Angeles Times. Russia has said it will block any Security Council recognition for the breakaway province.
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Crisis looms only days after presidential vote
Associated Press Feb 5, 08 9:40 AM CST
(Newser)
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Serbia's coalition government approached collapse today, only days after voters gave a new mandate to pro-Western president Boris Tadic. His reelection has led to a face-off with his PM, who opposes his intention to sign a new EU trade agreement. The PM sees EU overtures as a ploy to trick Serbs into letting Kosovo secede. One minister told the AP that the government could collapse within 48 hours if Tadic signs as expected Thursday.
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Loser Nikolic warns EU not to blackmail Serbia over integration
BBC Feb 3, 08 5:05 PM CST
(Newser)
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Pro-West Serbian President Boris Tadic won a second-round reelection today that many saw as a referendum on Serbia’s entry into the European Union. He nabbed more than 50% of a vote that drew Serbia's highest turnout in 7 years. In defeat, challenger Tomislav Nikolic warned the EU not to blackmail Serbia over integration. Nikolic ran as a nationalist, urging tight relations with Moscow.
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