Andhra Pradesh welcomes ceasefire

The government of the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has welcomed a month-long ceasefire announced by the communist rebel organisation, the People's War Group.

The authorities say they're ready to begin talks, and have agreed to provide safe passage to the rebel delegation -- although they have ruled out sending government representatives into the group's jungle hideouts to negotiate.

The People's War Group has been running a violent campaign to establish a communist state since 1980.

Battles between the group and government forces have resulted in more than six-thousand deaths since then. Previous ceasefires have not held.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service