Rebels agree weapons handover to troops

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.

Nato and ethnic Albanian officials said the insurgents pledged yesterday to hand in their weapons to a force of 3,500 troops that may be deployed before the end of the week, provided all weapons fall silent in coming days.