Afghanistan peace hopes

Taleban leaders in Afghanistan say they've agreed in principle with proposals from the anti-Taleban alliance that a commission of Islamic scholars from both sides be formed to try to end the country's civil war.

A Taleban spokesman said their supreme leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, told Pakistani officials that if they were able to approve all members of the commission, the Taleban would accept any decision it made.

The move follows a rare visit to Pakistan last week by one of the leaders of the anti-Taleban alliance, the ousted President Burhanuddin Rabbani.

There's also been talk of fresh hopes for peace from the United Nations special envoy Norbert Holl, who is ending his assignment in Afghanistan.

He called recent developments -- including meetings of all Afghanistan's neighbours with the United States and Russia -- very positive.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service