The KLA insists Mr Maloku who was shot outside his home in the province's capital Pristina was killed by Serbs in revenge for

The KLA insists Mr Maloku, who was shot outside his home in the province's capital, Pristina, was killed by Serbs in revenge for the death of several Serb farmers and policemen in previous days. If anything, however, the rift seems to be widening between the political leadership under Ibrahim Rugova, which advocates peaceful means to secure independence, and the KLA, which has been waging a war for 18 months to throw the Yugoslavs out by force.That rivalry could explain the murder on Monday by unknown assassins of Enver Maloku, the chief of the pro- Rugova Kosovo Information Centre. All hope of a lasting Kosovo settlement depends on the start of serious political talks between President Slobodan Milosevic's government in Belgrade and the ethnic Albanians, who account for 90 per cent of the population of the Serbian province.The one plan currently on the table has been devised by Christopher Hill, the US special envoy to the Balkans. It calls for a restoration of the province's autonomy, but not its independence and puts off for three more years a final decision on Kosovo's status.But talks have not begun - and indeed cannot begin until the Albanians sink their internal differences and adopt a common position. This implies that the KLA prisoners could be freed later as part of an amnesty, allowing Belgrade to save face and claim victory for the time being.The peaceful resolution now gives a small - and perhaps final - breathing space for the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe to convert the fragile ceasefire, brokered last October by the US troubleshooter Richard Holbrooke, into a more solid truce, before spring and the advent of the Balkans' traditional combat season.The omens, however, are not good. The release followed intense mediation by members of the international team who monitor the ceasefire. Just a few kilometres away waited dozens of tanks of the Yugoslav army, ready to crush this latest insurgency by force had the mediation efforts failed. It seemed likely, but was not immediately confirmed, that in return for the release the Yugoslav authorities have agreed to set free at least nine KLA members they were holding prisoner.

Although the Serbian side said that the release was "unconditional," William Walker, the head of the monitors, refused to give details of what he termed a "fair and balanced agreement". More allegations about loss of pounds 1.7m in humanitarian aid money because of irregularities going back to early 1980s when the Spanish Commissioner, Manuel Marin, was in charge of programme. October 1998: Santer promises independent fraud office to replace Uclaf, Commission's fraud unit, in bid to fend off German MEPs' threats to table motion of censure. December 1998: Parliament refuses to discharge budget after Commission issues a "back us or sack us" threat. Pauline Green (right), leader of the Socialist group, tables a censure motion she knows will fail - in effect a tactic to bring about a vote of confidence in the European Commission. January 1999: News of suspension of Commission whistleblower Paul van Buitenen (below right) reaches Parliament.

He has already sent a 34-page dossier of allegations to Green group in Parliament. Support for sacking the entire Commission builds dramatically among angry MEPs across political spectrum. His $300,000 job suddenly at risk, Jacques Santer promises "zero tolerance" in an eight-point clean-up plan, including unfettered access to documents by a select committee of Parliament and an end to nepotism in appointments.. FOR THE TIME being, at least,Kosovo has edged itself back from the brink of all-out war, as ethnic Albanian fighters from the Kosovo Liberation Armyyesterday freed the eight Yugoslav soldiers they had held for five days. The men, apparently in good condition, were handed back at the village of Stari Trg, close to where they had been held since being captured last Friday. March 1998: Parliament holds up EU budget again, pending promised concessions from Commission. October 1998: Allegations in French press about cronyism in education and training department of French Socialist Commissioner Edith Cresson (right) She threatens law suits.

Early 1997: Finnish Commissioner Erkki Liikanen (above) announces plan to root out nepotism in Commission and improve financial controls. Late 1996: European Parliament, concerned by the Commission's slow response on tourism fraud, threatens to freeze 10 per cent of Commissioners' salaries Commission sets up task force. November 1996: Court of Auditors once more refuses to certify EU's accounts amid signs of lax controls over about pounds 2.5bn. Two officials face criminal charges for allegedly defrauding European Year of Tourism of up to pounds 3m The case continues. November 1995: European Court of Auditors refuses to certify EU's annual accounts after discovering that almost pounds 3bn is not properly accounted for.