India, separatists agree violence in Kashmir must end: The Indian

India, separatists agree violence in Kashmir must end: The Indian government and a moderate faction of Kashmiri separatists on Thursday agreed at historic peace talks here that all forms of violence in strife-torn Kashmir must end and pledged to hold another meeting in March. Indian Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani, who led government officials into the discussions, later said the separatists would pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Friday. -- AFP

54 Iranian MPs pledge to boycott 'unfree' elections: Fifty-four members of the Iranian parliament pledged on Thursday not to take part in next month's parliamentary elections if the poll does not give voters a free choice of candidates. AFP correspondents said the 54 were continuing to collect more signatures to their commitment among reformist colleagues in the 290-seat parliament who are facing wholesale rejection by a conservative candidate- vetting body. -- AFP

Karen rebels win provisional cease-fire: The Karen National Union (KNU) won a provisional cease-fire with Myanmar's junta in talks aimed at ending their long-running rebellion, and is set to continue negotiations on a written agreement, a spokesman said on Thursday. A 21-member delegation led by Gen. Bo Mya, the commander of the rebel group's military wing, returned to Thailand Thursday after six days of talks in Myanmar's capital Yangon, said KNU foreign secretary David Taw. "The military has already ordered their regional commander on Jan. 17 to cease all military activities on the frontline," he told AFP. "We didn't reach agreement on paper but we know it's a concrete deal. AFP