SERBIA was back on the offensive over Kosovo’s independence yesterday, blaming the United States for the crisis in the Balkans while its ally Russia accused the Americans of destroying “world order”.

America gave Serbia a blunt warning against inciting violence after an angry mob protesting at the independence declared by its former province of Kosovo stormed and set fire to the US Embassy in Belgrade.

Serbia tonight recalled its ambassador to the US in response to the Bush administration’s recognition of Kosovo’s independence.

THE narrow re-election victory of Serbia’s pro-West president, Boris Tadic, drew EU applause yesterday, but piled pressure on an unstable government in Belgrade as Kosovo prepares to declare independence.

Serbia is planning retaliatory measures against Western states if they recognise Kosovo’s independence, including the possibility of severing diplomatic ties with the US and EU countries.

Serbia today demanded more talks with ethnic Albanians on the future status of Kosovo, saying an independence declaration by the province would be an “experiment with unforeseeable consequences”.

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.

An ally of late President Slobodan Milosevic was elected as Serbia’s new parliament speaker today, signalling a return of ultranationalists to power in the troubled Balkan country.

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.

Serbian president Boris Tadic today called on pro-democratic parties to put differences aside and quickly form a coalition government to stave off gains made by ultranationalists in the weekend parliamentary election.

Serbian ultra-nationalist Radicals won most votes in Serbia’s parliamentary election, but several pro-democratic groups won enough seats to form a new government if they can settle their differences.

Serbs voted today in a closely-contested parliamentary election between pro-Western democrats and ultranationalists to determine whether the troubled Balkan nation drifts toward mainstream Europe or returns to its wartime nationalist past.

Top Serbian and ethnic Albanian leaders met face-to-face in Vienna today in unprecedented talks aimed at resolving the dispute over the breakaway province of Kosovo. But with the two sides intractable, chances of a breakthrough are slim.

The pro-Serb camp in Montenegro has demanded a recount of the referendum results which resulted in a slim margin in favour of secession from Serbia in favour of a separate nation.

Faced with possible European Union sanctions, Serbia’s deputy prime minister today urged an emergency leadership meeting to hasten the arrest of war crimes fugitive Gen Ratko Mladic.

Serbia’s security services know where top war crimes fugitive Gen Ratko Mladic is hiding, the foreign minister has said.

Slobodan Milosevic’s Socialist party threatened to topple Serbia’s minority government if the former Yugoslav president was not buried with state honors in Belgrade and if his widow was not allowed to attend the funeral.

BOSNIAN Serb war crimes fugitive General Ratko Mladic has been located and was last night negotiating his surrender, according to Serbian security officials.

BOSNIAN Serb war crimes fugitive General Ratko Mladic has been located and was last night negotiating his surrender, according to Serbian security officials.

UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari arrived in Kosovo today on a fact-finding mission before crucial talks that will determine whether Kosovo becomes an independent nation or a self-governing region within Serbia.

Serbian police have arrested at least eight men they say are shown in a video killing a group of Bosnian Muslim prisoners from Srebrenica, a top Belgrade official said today.

One of the most trusted allies of former President Slobodan Milosevic, the ex-Yugoslav army chief Gen Nebojsa Pavkovic, was to surrender to the UN war crimes tribunal in Belgrade today.

A top Serb wanted in connection with alleged atrocities in Kosovo was being handed over to the UN war crimes court today.

The UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague released two top aides to former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic today pending the start of their trials.

SERBS went to the polls yesterday to choose local leaders in key elections expected to be a tight race between pro-Western reformers and loyalists of former President Slobodan Milosevic.

Serbs were today choosing local leaders in key elections expected to be a tight race between pro-Western reformers and loyalists of former President Slobodan Milosevic.

THE TRIAL of eight Serbs accused of committing war crimes during vicious fighting for the Croatian town of Vukovar in 1991 opens today in a special Serbian court.

SLOBODAN Milosevic’s Socialists yesterday offered to back a pro-democratic Serbian government but set a high price in return – an end to Serb extraditions to the UN war crimes tribunal.

Serbia faced becoming a pariah state again tonight after an extreme nationalist party made massive gains in a general election.

Serbs had the pick today of voting Slobodan Milosevic’s allies into power and returning to international isolation or backing pro-democracy parties that ousted the authoritarian leader but later failed to live up to voters’ expectations.

SERBIA was heading for a major political crisis yesterday after it failed for a second time to elect a president and the top contender, Yugoslav president Vojislav Kostunica, said he would not recognise the outcome.

Serbia was heading for a major political crisis today after it failed for a second time to elect a president and the top contender, Yugoslav president Vojislav Kostunica, said he would not recognise the outcome.

A Yugoslav weapons dealer has exported military equipment to Iraq, and Serb experts are helping Saddam Hussein defend air space against US attacks, it was claimed today.

Serbia’s first presidential elections since Slobodan Milosevic was ousted from power failed today because of low turnout that invalidated the entire process, independent vote monitors said.

SERBIAN voters went to the polls yesterday to choose a new president from among 11 candidates, all of whom have promised to end the political and economic limbo left behind by Slobodan Milosevic.

Serbia and Montenegro have signed an agreement that will radically restructure Yugoslavia.

The Yugoslav president says he has rejected the resignation of Slobodan Milosevic's top general, who is still in charge of the country's military.

Slobodan Milosevic's lawyers have flown to The Hague to meet the fallen leader and prepare for his appearance before the war crimes tribunal.

Yugoslavia’s president says he will "facilitate and support" a law in his country to co-operate with the United Nations war crimes tribunal, which is seeking the extradition of Slobodan Milosevic.

Serbian President Vojislav Kostunica has ruled out extraditing Slobodan Milosevic to the Hague anytime soon.

New Yugoslavia President Vojislav Kostunica today promised ‘‘step by step’’ cooperation with the United Nations war crimes tribunal.