Macedonia’s top security body is tentatively endorsing the interior minister’s plan to regain control over ethnic Albanian strongholds, despite warnings from Western officials that the move jeopardises the peace plan in the troubled Balkan country.

Nato is insisting that efforts to collect weapons from ethnic Albanian militants are right on schedule despite delays by Macedonia’s Parliament.

The EU, worried that a security vacuum will develop in Macedonia after troops withdraw, is considering sending its own force to protect civilian observers.

The speaker of Macedonia’s Parliament today urged Ministers to end the debate over the NATO-designed peace accord and move quickly to vote.

An international human rights watchdog has accused the Macedonian Government of murdering ethnic Albanian civilians and burning their houses in a village near the capital, Skopje.

A key debate on the NATO-backed peace plan for Macedonia has been postponed by the country’s parliament.

NATO is to start collecting 3,300 weapons from ethnic Albanian militants in Macedonia.

An explosion has shaken an Albanian neighbourhood in Macedonia's capital, Skopje.

A disagreement over weapons in Macedonia has delayed NATO’s mission to help disarm the ethnic Albanian National Liberation Army.

Nato was expected to give the go-ahead today for the full deployment of a British-led force to disarm ethnic Albanian rebels in Macedonia.

Ethnic Albanian rebels and Government forces have clashed in Macedonia, straining a ceasefire before a visit by a top Nato general.

Ethnic Albanian rebels and Government forces clashed into the early hours today, straining a ceasefire ahead of a visit by Nato’s commander to assess whether it is safe to send thousands of British led troops into Macedonia.

Fighting broke out between rebels and government forces in Macedonia as British troops and equipment today continued to arrive to join the massive Nato weapons collection operation.

Nato soldiers streamed into Macedonia today ahead of a key visit by a senior alliance general who will help determine whether the country is stable enough to start an effort to collect rebel weapons.

Nato has reached deals with the Macedonian Government and ethnic Albanians on the deployment of thousands of alliance soldiers and the disarming of rebels after six months of bloody conflict in the impoverished Balkan country.

Macedonia's minority ethnic Albanians and majority Slavs are expected to sign a peace accord later today aimed at ending a six-month insurgency in the north of the country.

A new demand by the Macedonian Government for ethnic Albanian rebels to disarm completely prior to final approval of a deal has temporarily stalled peace negotiations.

Gunmen ambushed Macedonia’s interior minister yesterday, spraying his car with bullets as he travelled to visit refugees returning to their homes.

The Macedonian government and ethnic Albanian leaders have resumed talks on a peaceful end to a conflict that threatens to develop into civil war.

Macedonian Government officials and ethnic Albanian leaders have gathered in the southern city of Ohrid to resume high-level peace talks aimed at ending a rebel insurgency in the north of the country.

Ethnic Albanian rebels have remained in the four villages in northern Macedonia which they invaded earlier this week, despite a promise to withdraw as part of a new ceasefire deal.

Hundreds of residents have begun leaving the Macedonian city of Tetovo after a government-issued deadline for the ethnic Albanian rebels to lay down their arms expired at noon.

Two European officials monitoring the ceasefire between the Macedonian Government and ethnic Albanian rebels have died along with their translator after their vehicle crashed near the city of Teotvo today.

The Macedonian Government has announced a nationwide ceasefire with ethnic Albanian rebels.

President George W Bush today moved to choke off the funds and mobility of ethnic Albanian insurgents in Macedonia - part of what the White House called an effort to ‘‘face down extremists’’.

European Union foreign ministers will seek tomorrow to salvage diplomatic efforts to avert a full blown civil war in Macedonia as renewed fighting dims peace hopes.

Macedonian Government forces pounded rebel strongholds with artillery, tanks and helicopter gunships today despite the resumption of talks between ethnic Albanian and Slav politicians aimed at ending the violence.

With a barrage of heavy artillery fire, Macedonian Government forces pounded rebel positions near the capital today, despite a tentative ceasefire offer from ethnic Albanian insurgents.

Macedonian security forces have pushed towards two ethnic Albanian rebel strongholds, setting several houses on fire and touching off explosions that rocked the hills along the rugged border with Kosovo.

The Macedonian Government says it has made tentative gains in clashes with ethnic Albanian insurgents in northern villages.

EU foreign leaders have appealed to Macedonia not declare a state of war with ethnic Albanian rebels.

Macedonia's army has launched a fresh offensive to clear ethnic Albanian rebels from the hills along the northern border with Kosovo.

The EU’s security affairs chief today reaffirmed his push for a peaceful solution to end Macedonia’s ethnic Albanian insurgency, urging the rebels to let the political process run its course.

Nato Secretary General Lord Robertson is heading to Macedonia to try to find a political solution to the Balkans crisis.

Macedonia has given ethnic Albanian rebels 24 hours to end their armed insurrection or face all-out assault.

Foreign Secretary Robin Cook has pledged Britain’s ‘‘full support’’ for the government of Macedonia in its struggle with ethnic Albanian separatists who have begun an armed insurrection in the north of the country.

Ethnic Albanian rebels are willing to negotiate a peaceful settlement to end their week-old insurgency in Macedonia.