Pak province bans 2000 NGOs
Holding non-governmental organisations (NGOs) responsible for allegedly committing financial irregularities and encouraging ``immorality'', the Punjab government in Pakistan has banned as many as 2000 NGOs and has decided to ban more such organisations.

Sharon stalls Barak's grand coalition plan
Prime minister-elect Ehud Barak took personal charge of negotiations to form a coalition government today, but he quickly ran into trouble when Ariel Sharon, head of the right-wing Likud bloc, refused to meet him at the headquarters of his Labour Party.

Kosovo conflict's costing its Balkan neighbours a bomb
The Kosovo conflict has cost several billion dollars for its Balkan neighbours, already struggling to move from communism to a market economy .

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