Taleban insurgents in the troubled north-western Swat valley of Pakistan have announced an indefinite ceasefire.
The announcement follows a deal struck last week between a radical cleric and authorities that brings Sharia law in return for an end to the insurgency.
The Taleban have been assessing that deal and Tuesday’s move followed a meeting under the group’s leader in the region, Maulana Fazlullah.
The scenic valley of Swat has long been blighted by militant violence.

Israel’s prime minister denied media reports that it is negotiating with the militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza, but said there will be Israeli “consultations” Sunday “regarding the situation in the south.”
“Should a decision of any kind be required, it will be made only via a meeting of the Security Cabinet and after taking into account all of the new political circumstances that have been created in the wake of the recent Israeli elections,” Yanki Galanti, the media adviser for Ehud Olmert, said Saturday night in a statement.

Hamas officials said Friday that an announcement of an 18-month cease-fire with Israel was days away and would include a substantial opening of Gaza’s borders with Israel in exchange for an end to Hamas rocket attacks on Israeli southern communities. But a senior Israeli official said nothing had been agreed on yet.
Meanwhile, rockets were fired into Israel on Friday, causing no damage or injuries, and Israeli warplanes struck the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis, wounding two Popular Resistance Committee fighters.

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak held talks here Monday morning with Palestinian National Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal on Gaza situation and the long-stalled inter-Palestinian dialogue.
They discussed Egypt’s efforts to broker a long-time ceasefire in the war-torn Gaza between Israel and the Hamas-led Palestinian factions, as well as the opening of the Gaza border crossings to allow humanitarian aid into the enclave, said Egypt’s official MENA news agency.

ELEANOR HALL: For the first time in almost a year the rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have held talks aimed at reconciliation.
The discussions took place in Egypt on the sidelines of meetings to try to cement a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
While tensions between Fatah and Hamas increased during Israel’s three-week assault on Gaza, analysts say both sides privately recognise the need for some kind of unity government.

The conflict between Israel and Hamas can be resolved, former UK prime minister Tony Blair has insisted.
Mr Blair, now a Middle East envoy, said there was a “basis” for an immediate ceasefire if the supply of arms into Gaza from Egypt was halted.
But Mr Blair warned of a “more protracted campaign” if firm action was not taken and said the people of Gaza were living through “hell”.

The 12 remaining peacekeepers in the troubled Philippines province of Mindanao are to leave the area, despite government appeals for them to stay.
The Malaysian peacekeepers are to leave on Sunday after the Philippines government pulled out of the latest peace talks with the indigenous Muslim separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Milf).
The two sides have failed to agree on the mandate of the peacekeepers.

The first democratic poll in more than 20 years is to be held after a 2005 peace deal that ended a north-south civil war.
A U.N. panel of experts has suggested that Sudan delay elections due for July 2009 by at least four months because of expected heavy rains and logistical problems, a senior U.N. official said on Friday.
The first democratic poll in more than 20 years is to be held after a 2005 peace deal that ended a north-south civil war in Africa’s biggest country.

GENEVA (AP) — Mediators succeeded Wednesday in getting direct talks going between Russia and Georgia, pressing the two neighbors to resolve security and refugee issues from their August war in the troubled Caucasus.
In all, eight parties met behind closed doors at the U.N.’s European headquarters in Geneva for the one-day talks and agreed to meet again next month, EU representative Pierre Morel said.

KABUL, Afghanistan (CNN) — A Taliban spokesman said Monday that Afghan President Hamid Karzai did not have the authority to make a peace offering to its reclusive leader, Mullah Omar.
Karzai said over the weekend he would “go to any lengths” to provide protection to Mullah Omar if the militant leader agrees to enter peace talks.
Taliban spokesman Qari Yousif told CNN that Karzai’s offer is meaningless because he has to rely on the British and the Americans to provide his own security.