The sacking of Myanmar's prime minister prompted concern among

The sacking of Myanmar's prime minister prompted concern among
the country's neighbors on Wednesday, with key players warning
that the change could be a blow to hopes of democracy in the
military-ruled state. Developments after senior junta figure Soe
Win replaced Khin Nyunt were being watched particularly closely
by fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members,
including Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. Indonesia said the
leadership change, which Myanmar attributed to health reasons,
further reduced the chance of detained opposition leader and
democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi being released. -- Agencies

Darfur cease-fire
not holding: UN

A cease-fire in Sudan's Darfur region is not holding, with
reports of an aerial bombardment and attacks by rebels, the
United Nations said on Wednesday. The top UN envoy in Sudan, Jan
Pronk, will meet Sudan's foreign minister on Thursday to discuss
the deteriorating security situation in Darfur, which is
hampering humanitarian operations, said Radhia Achouri,
spokeswoman for the U.N. Advance Mission in Sudan. "Definitely
the cease-fire is not holding," she told reporters in Khartoum, a
day before the government and rebels were due to resume African
Union-sponsored peace talks in the Nigerian capital Abuja. --
Reuters