1.   A government-run press centre in the tense Presevo valley area bordering Kosovo claimed special police had thwarted the abduction attempt.

2.   A police reservist was shot dead early Sunday in a tense area mostly populated by ethnic Albanians, police said.

3.   Boskoski on Monday announced tougher police action against rebels in the tense northwestern areas of Tetovo and Gostivar, but also in the relatively quiet southwestern region of Struga.

4.   But the U.N. refugee agency urged creation of a larger force, capable of assisting in the return of tens of thousands of displaced people to tense areas.

5.   But those decisions are often up to the discretion of young, inexperienced soldiers manning the checkpoints in tense areas.

6.   Ethnic Albanian militants fired on Serb police for a second straight night in the tense area near the boundary with Kosovo, a Belgrade television station reported Wednesday.

7.   French troops patrolling tense Serbian areas of Sarajevo blasted cannon fire at unknown assailants during wild shooting to celebrate Orthodox Christmas Eve.

8.   Gunmen fired several machine gun bursts at Serbian police officers who were guarding a tense area in southern Serbia on the border with Kosovo, the government said Tuesday.

9.   In several tense areas, funerals for the Palestinians were planned Sunday, and large crowds were expected.

10.   In several tense areas, huge crowds gathered for the Sunday funerals of Palestinians.