Tirana _ The Albanian opposition has restated its demands to hold a extraordinary parliamentary hearing to grill the Albanian Premier Sali Berisha over his ties to Bosnian businessman, Damir Fazlic.

Skopje – Macedonia’s negotiators in the UN-sponsored talks over the “name row” with Greece, are leaving for New York to convey Skopje’s view on the latest settlement plan.

Skopje – Macedonia and Russia on Tuesday in Moscow have signed a deal to scrap visas for visitors to each other’s countries, local media report.

Tirana – Albania’s Justice Minister, Enkelejd Alibeaj has rejected calls by interest groups, US diplomats and Albania’s President to review a series of bills that aim to reform the justice system.

Pristina – The UN Mission in Kosovo has denied reports that the mission’s envoy for talks with Belgrade, Andrew Landley, proposed the administrative partition of Kosovo.

Pristina – Arms, ammunition and other military supplies from the old Yugoslav army were confiscated during a raid on a Kosovo police officer’s home.

Pristina – Germany is against Kosovo’s partition and fully backs the blueprint for Kosovo’s independence devised by ex-UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari, says Germany’s Defence Minister.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Hundreds of Christian families who fled Iraq’s northern city of Mosul in fear for their lives this month have returned home in the past few days, a senior Christian lawmaker said Tuesday.

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdish separatist targets on Tuesday in northern Iraq with the backing of artillery fire from Turkey, the military said.

GAZA (Reuters) – Hamas said Tuesday Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s security forces had arrested 170 of its members in the West Bank in the past four weeks in a campaign that could hamper Egyptian-sponsored unity talks.