Kosovo's charter enters into force

Kosovo's constitution went into force yesterday, handing its ethnic Albanian government power after nine years of UN administration.

The charter - a milestone that comes four months after leaders declared independence from Serbia - gives the government in Pristina sole decision-making authority.

But it threatens to worsen ethnic tensions between Kosovo's Albanians and Serbs. Security in the divided northern town of Mitrovica was high a day after a gunman attacked a police station, wounding one officer.