Kosovo Albanians will proclaim independence from Serbia on Sunday, ending a long chapter in the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia but cementing a bitter ethnic front line in the Balkans.

PRISTINA (Reuters) – Kosovo Albanians will proclaim independence from Serbia on Sunday, ending a long chapter in the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia but cementing a bitter ethnic frontline in the Balkans.

GAZA – Israeli forces killed three Palestinian militants and a civilian during fighting in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip on Sunday, medical workers said.

TEHRAN (FNA) – Japan underlined its support for Tehran’s cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

MOSCOW – Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he saw no need to hang his successor’s portrait in his office once he steps down as Russia’s president.

BELGRADE – Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica went on national television on Thursday to tell Serbia to brace for the imminent secession of Kosovo province, which their government would never accept.

MOSCOW – The near 100 percent support for the Kremlin’s United Russia party in parliamentary elections last year in the North Caucasus were legitimate and vindicated Kremlin policies, President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.

PRISTINA, Serbia – The last time Kosovo declared independence in 1990 it went unrecognized and ignored. When it splits from Serbia this weekend, it will have the support of the West, which sees no way back.

Serbia’s breakaway Kosovo province is preparing to declare independence this weekend after eight years under United Nations stewardship. Here is a look at the main economic challenges facing the new state.

MOSCOW – Following are highlights of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s comments in an annual question and answer session on Thursday.