International Court of Justice backs Kosovo's independence

Kosovo's declaration of independence on 17 February 2008 did not violate international law, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) announced on Thursday in an eagerly awaited ruling, the first ever issued on a declaration of independence.

For almost two years, the judges had been analysing the differing legal positions of those with a stake in the issue.

Presenting a rather technical opinion, the reading of which took him more than two and a half hours, ICJ-President Hisashi Ow...