Bulgarian authorities have detained a former Kosovo prime minister on an international arrest warrant.

Kosovo’s prime minister today vowed to declare independence if internationally brokered talks fail to “open a way for us,” staking out a tough position at last-ditch negotiations on the province’s future status.

Kosovo was widely expected to take its first tentative step toward statehood today with the unveiling of a UN proposal for the future of the bitterly-contested province.

A FORMER rebel commander accused of war crimes by Belgrade was asked yesterday to head Kosovo’s new government in a move that could further strain tense ties with Serbia.