Talks on Kosovo end in failure

A critical round of talks on the future status of Kosovo ended in yet another stalemate today, but international mediators said rival Serbian and ethnic Albanian leaders both pledged to refrain from violence.

"Both sides have made it clear to us that they are committed to avoiding violence," European Union envoy Wolfgang Ischinger told reporters after three days of deadlocked negotiations. The stalemate raised the stakes before a UN deadline on 10 December and Kosovo's repeated vow to declare independence sometime in the coming months.