No agreement in Palestinian talks

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the exiled chief of the rival Hamas faction failed Sunday night to resolve differences over forming a unity government, dashing hopes for a quick end to deadly clashes between their supporters.

But Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said in a statement they “achieved major progress” during the meeting – their first since July 2005 – and hoped to resume talks within two weeks.

The two sides stressed that recent Palestinian fighting, which has killed at least 62 people, was unacceptable and pledged to exert efforts to avoid political friction.

KHARTOUM, Sudan

Rebels report Darfur bombings

Government planes breached a cease-fire by bombing villages in northern Darfur, rebel commanders said Sunday as the United States called on Sudan to let insurgent factions meet to discuss holding joint peace talks with the regime.

The reports on the bombings, which could not be independently confirmed, came days after Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir vowed to adhere to a truce brokered by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and others during a visit earlier this month.

Sudan’s military spokesman denied that the government conducted any bombings, which would violate the new cease-fire as well as a May peace accord between the government and one rebel group, and several U.N. Security Council resolutions.

BELGRADE, Serbia

20 parties share parliament vote

Serbs scattered their votes among 20 political parties in parliamentary elections Sunday, leaving no group with enough power to rule alone, according to partial returns.

The vote was the first since Serbia became independent last year with the end of its union with Montenegro, its last partner from the former Yugoslav federation. Soon after the vote, the U.N. was expected to propose a plan for the future of Serbia’s breakaway Kosovo province.

Challenges facing the next parliament and government include Western demands for the arrest of war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic and the dispute over Kosovo, where a predominantly ethnic Albanian population seeks independence over the strong opposition of most Serbs.

ISTANBUL, Turkey

Youth admits killing journalist

A teenage boy has confessed to fatally shooting an ethnic Armenian journalist outside his newspaper office in a brazen daytime attack, a prosecutor said Sunday.

Ogun Samast, who is either 16 or 17 years old, was caught in the Black Sea city of Samsun late Saturday, a day after Hrant Dink was gunned down in Istanbul. Police said the youth was captured following a tip from his father after his pictures were broadcast on Turkish television.

Istanbul prosecutor Aykut Cengiz Engin said authorities were investigating whether Samast acted alone. Police detained six other suspects in the nearby city of Trabzon on Saturday and three more on Sunday, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported.