By The Associated Press MADRID, Spain (AP) - Afghanistan was among the first to recognize Kosovo's independence, leaping at the chance to acknowledge a majority Muslim nation in Europe. Taiwan did too, hoping Kosovo would reciprocate and poke a thumb in the eye of archrival China.

By Vesna Peric Zimonjic KOSOVO CRISIS Serbia's relationship with the EU is in crisis after Belgrade's failure to intervene to halt violence sparked by the West's endorsement of Kosovo's independence.

Serbia called Kosovo's independence declaration illegal and its ally Russia denounced it, saying it threatened to touch off a new conflict in the Balkans. Russia called for an emergency session of the U.N. Security Council, which met later on Sunday.

By Anne Penketh Diplomatic Editor When is a state not a state? When it's a place named Kosovo. What will be recognised today by a core of European nations and the United States is a kind of protectorate where the EU takes over the supervisory role played thus far in Kosovo by the United Nations.

By Christine Spolar, Chicago Tribune Feb. 18--PRISTINA, Serbia -- Kosovo's regional parliament declared independence Sunday, a much-anticipated break with Serbia that swiftly triggered an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.