Albania signed a £14m (€20.73m) deal with Britain’s MedOil PLC today for oil exploration rights in its Ionian and Adriatic Seas, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Energy said.

British Airways said today it would operate three flights a week to the Albanian capital Tirana, the first ever time the two countries have been directly linked.

John O’Shea has revealed how Manchester United team-mate Wes Brown gave him an insight into the hostility he will face against Albania here tomorrow night.

IRISH soccer fans travelling to Albania have been warned about the country’s high levels of robberies, mobster assassinations and car-jackings.

HEAD coach of the Irish basketball team, Gerry Fitzpatrick, has announced his squad for next week’s friendly against England and the European Championship semi-final round games against Germany, Croatia and former Macedonia (FYROM).

A Muslim, who served with the Yugoslav army in Kosovo, today described the slaughter of civilians and said his brigade commander ordered his men ‘‘not to leave any survivors.’’

Britain’s former defence attache in Belgrade told Slobodan Milosevic’s war crimes trial today that Yugoslav army units were ordered to bypass the normal military chain of command during the Kosovo conflict.

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