In Brief

* AGREED – The Burundian government and the central African country’s last active rebel group agreed to “stop hostilities” and negotiate a permanent ceasefire over the next two weeks.

* CONFLICT – The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) pressed the world to end the conflict in Somalia, where a powerful Islamic militia has been battling with US-backed warlords, or risk a worsening humanitarian crisis. * KIDNAPPED – Gunmen kidnapped 10 employees of a bakery in a Baghdad Shi’ite neighbourhood as the Iraqi authorities battled to quell a surge in violence that has left dozens dead despite a heavy security crackdown.* VOTE – Slovak left-wing opposition Smer party came top in Saturday’s legislative elections, giving leader Robert Fico an opportunity to roll back liberal economic reforms that have split the country.* UNREST – A government security alert was in place across Sri Lanka after Tamil Tiger rebels vowed to retaliate for a day of heavy battles on land and sea that left more than 50 people dead.* ATTACKS – British troops said they had killed six Taliban rebels who had been firing mortars at one of Afghanistan’s few functioning hydro-electric dams.* ENDORSED – The diplomatic quartet on Middle East peace endorsed a European Union proposal for a temporary mechanism to funnel aid to the Palestinians, bypassing the Hamas-led government.* DECAPITATED -Chechnya’s pro-Russian leaders claimed to have “decapitated” the rebel movement by killing its self-styled “president”, but the rebels named as his successor a hardline veteran fighter who rejects any compromise with Moscow.* SHUTTLE – The US space shuttle Discovery is scheduled for a new launch on July 1, NASA announced, plunging ahead with the troubled space shuttle program while admitting that certain safety issues have not been resolved.* TRANSPLANT – A London hospital is set to give the go-ahead for a surgeon to conduct the world’s first full face transplant, The Sunday Times newspaper said.- Nampa-Reuters-AFP* KIDNAPPED – Gunmen kidnapped 10 employees of a bakery in a Baghdad Shi’ite neighbourhood as the Iraqi authorities battled to quell a surge in violence that has left dozens dead despite a heavy security crackdown.* VOTE – Slovak left-wing opposition Smer party came top in Saturday’s legislative elections, giving leader Robert Fico an opportunity to roll back liberal economic reforms that have split the country.* UNREST – A government security alert was in place across Sri Lanka after Tamil Tiger rebels vowed to retaliate for a day of heavy battles on land and sea that left more than 50 people dead.* ATTACKS – British troops said they had killed six Taliban rebels who had been firing mortars at one of Afghanistan’s few functioning hydro-electric dams.* ENDORSED – The diplomatic quartet on Middle East peace endorsed a European Union proposal for a temporary mechanism to funnel aid to the Palestinians, bypassing the Hamas-led government.* DECAPITATED -Chechnya’s pro-Russian leaders claimed to have “decapitated” the rebel movement by killing its self-styled “president”, but the rebels named as his successor a hardline veteran fighter who rejects any compromise with Moscow.* SHUTTLE – The US space shuttle Discovery is scheduled for a new launch on July 1, NASA announced, plunging ahead with the troubled space shuttle program while admitting that certain safety issues have not been resolved.* TRANSPLANT – A London hospital is set to give the go-ahead for a surgeon to conduct the world’s first full face transplant, The Sunday Times newspaper said.- Nampa-Reuters-AFP