61.   Afghanistan has always been a volatile cauldron of ethnic groups, political alliances and local and tribal agendas that have either caused wars or fought them for outsiders.

62.   Among the biggest backers to end the exile is the conservative political alliance of ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi.

63.   Antonio Di Pietro is running under the banner of the Olive Tree coalition, the center-left political alliance which is governing the country.

64.   Assailants using meat cleavers, clubs and guns attacked members of a political alliance of Tamil parties.

65.   As his political alliances fray and his legal troubles thicken, former Premier Silvio Berlusconi is searching for a big-name partner for his media empire.

66.   Battles to redraw political alliances threatened to pull apart a key centrist party Saturday as members split over whether to join a movement to challenge former Premier Silvio Berlusconi.

67.   Both Lebed and Korzhakov have recently spoken of forming a political alliance.

68.   But they doubt the government will do much given its political alliance with the fundamentalists.

69.   Coalition spokesman Cedomir Jovanovic told reporters after a closed-door meeting that a majority of leaders of the political alliance voted to sack Obradovic.

70.   Deputy Parliament Speaker Vladimir Lukin said Sunday that Russia could join NATO if it was transformed from a military to a political alliance and Russia was offered equal terms.