New York  - The United Nations said Wednesday Kosovo's independence has propelled the body into assuming a political role to try to solve the sovereignty dispute between Kosovo and Serbia.

Serbia still claims Kosovo as its territory after Pristina declared independence in February, adopted a constitution in June and was recognized by a total of 52 governments, including the United States and many European nations.

The UN Mission in Kosovo, which began its work in 1999, is fast changing because Kosovo now is ruled by a government. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has ordered an accelerated reconfiguration of the mission so it can readjust to circumstances in the former Serb province.

New York  - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon ordered Tuesday an accelerated reconfiguration of the organization's mission in Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia earlier this year and is now recognized by more than 40 countries.

The UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) has ceased to carry out most of its tasks after Kosovo declared independence from Serbia, Ban said in a report to the UN Security Council, which planned to meet Wednesday to discuss the new development.

Pristina - United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's plan for a revised European Union mission in Kosovo was unacceptable and irrelevant for Pristina, Prime Minister Hashim Thaci said Tuesday.

Ban's plan was agreed with Belgrade, which insists that Kosovo is Serbian soil, although Kosovo declared independence this year and was recognized by 52 countries, including the US and most EU states.

Pristina - The three Germans arrested in connection with a bomb attack on European Union offices in Pristina were not registered as intelligence agents, Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu said Monday.

"I have no information on their accreditation. They could have entered Kosovo in a private capacity," he said, declining to comment further on the case while an investigation is in progress.

The Germans were arrested last week as suspects in the bombing of the office of the EU's representative in Kosovo. Nobody was injured when a device containing 300 grams of TNT was thrown at the building.

Berlin - Three Germans arrested in Kosovo in connection with a bomb attack on the European Union (EU) headquarters were intelligence service operatives, German media reported Saturday.

Pristina - Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched in the Kosovar capital of Pristina Wednesday in protest at a United Nations plan they see as a step toward the partition of Kosovo.

The crowd of some 30,000 assembled to back their leaders' refusal of the plan for the deployment of a European Union law-enforcing mission endorsed by Serbia.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in February and was recognized by 52 nations, including the US and most of the EU, but Belgrade launched a diplomatic fight to reverse the process.

Kosovo has a 90-per cent Albanian majority, but the northern section is dominated by Serbs.