Belgrade - Serbian bishops on Wednesday asked their ailing Patriarch Pavle to remain at the helm of the Serbian Orthodox Church, effectively turning down his plea to be relieved of his duties.

The Serbian bishops' conference, the Sabor, formally issued its request to Pavle after marathon sessions Tuesday and Wednesday.

New York - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged the Kosovo government to show flexibility and agree to a revamped UN mission there following its secession from Serbia.

A six-point plan to reorganize the UN mission was accepted by Belgrade, but opposed by Pristina. Ban had decided to change the UN mission's mandate in Pristina and draw down its personnel after Pristina declared independence from Serbia.

Belgrade - Feuding Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) bishops met Tuesday to discuss their leadership amid uncertainty surrounding the succession of the ailing current Patriarch, Pavle.

The 46 bishops of the SPC are divided whether to vote for the new patriarch immediately after they accept Pavle's plea to be relieved of his duties.

Belgrade - Serbian police raided several locations Monday in search of the alleged war criminal Ratko Mladic, Belgrade media reported quoting sources.

Raids involving special police forces were reported from several locations in and around Valjevo, a town 70 kilometres south-west of Serbia.

The capture of Mladic and his extradition to the United Nations war crimes tribunal is the key remaining condition for Serbia's further progress toward European Union membership.

Brussels  - Serbia could become a candidate for European Union membership in 2009 if it proves that it is doing its best to catch war-crimes suspects, the EU's executive said Wednesday.

Belgrade - The violent disintegration of Yugoslavia - the fragmentation, corruption and shadowy political interests - have spawned a ruthlessly efficient, unbiased and deadly network of organized crime spanning the entire Balkans, experts warn.

A Croatian criminal may kill as a favour to Serbian partner. He may then pass the tab to a Montenegrin "businessman" he owes. And so on - all under the umbrella of trafficking drugs, people, weapons and money laundering. And under the noses of secret services also in the know.

"It's all intertwined. Organized crime is unhampered by borders that block police from different countries," said Hajrudin Merdanovic, a retired Croatian policeman.