Pristina - Some 200 Kosovo Serbs blocked on Thursday all access to a Kosovo police station in the northern town of Leposavic, after the announcements that the director of Kosovo police and an official of the European Union would visit.

Police director of the European Union's law enforcing mission in Kosovo (Eulex) Reiner Kuehn and Kosovo police director Sherement Ahmeti visited the Kosovo-Serbia border crossing in Leposavic earlier but when they tried to enter the police station in the city they were stopped by the demonstrators.

Pristina - The number of international troops in Kosovo (Kfor) will be reduced but they will not be completely withdrawn, Kfor commander general Giuseppe Emilio Gay said on Tuesday.

"We are in the phase of reducing our troops and this will happen in every corner of Kosovo", Gay said in Pristina.

Serbian daily Politika reported earlier Tuesday that NATO was set to drastically reduce troop numbers in Kosovo by June, leaving only "a symbolic number of troops". Gay denied the reports.

Pristina/Belgrade - Kosovo Albanians began celebrating the first year of independence Tuesday, while minority Serbs and Belgrade leaders vowed to continue challenging the secession.

Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and President Fatmir Sejdiu addressed the parliament in Pristina at a solemn session and paid respect to prominent politicians and rebels who launched the fight against Serbian authority in the 1990s.

Pristina/Belgrade - Kosovo Albanians were set to celebrate the first year of independence Tuesday, while minority Serbs and Belgrade leaders vowed to continue challenging the secession.

Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and President Fatmir Sejdiu were scheduled to address the parliament in Pristina at a solemn session, before paying respect to prominent politicians and rebels who launched the fight against Serbian authority in the 1990s.

Kosovo Serb deputies said they would boycott the session.

Pristina  - Although the 90-per-cent Albanian majority in Kosovo unanimously sought and welcomed the declaration of independence from Serbia a year ago, by now many have realized that it takes much more than political statements to end hardship and turn lives around.

"My life hasn't changed since independence ... I'm still jobless. It turned out that stories how everything will improve with independence and about investors were just that - stories," says Admir Llapashtica, a 25-year-old unemployed economist.

Pristina - Kosovo on Wednesday began creating its own secret service, appointing former police officer Bashkim Smakaj as director of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (KIA).

President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim Thaci made the appointment at a ceremony in Pristina, two months later than expected since Kosovo had to wait for international approval.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia last February and was recognized by more than 50 countries, including the United States and most of the European Union. Serbia, backed by Russia, however, bitterly opposes Kosovo independence.