Kosovo mission to US

The main ethnic-Albanian leader in the Serbian province of Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova, is starting a visit to the United States to discuss the conflict in the province.

Mr Rugova is due to meet President Clinton and the Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright.

The latest reports from Kosovo say heavy fighting has continued between ethnic-Albanian separatists and Serbian forces.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has opened an office in northern Albania to deal with a possible influx of refugees from Kosovo.

The situation in the province is expected to dominate a meeting of NATO foreign ministers later this week.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service