Sudan Sudan's government and main southern rebel group pledged in writing to conclude marathon talks to end Africa's longest civil war by the end of the year. Africa A landmark regional summit aimed at bringing peace and stability to the troubled Great Lakes region of Africa opened in the Tanzanian commercial capital Dar es Salaam. Russia The Russian government said it would auction off Yuganskneftegas, Yukos's main production unit, on December 19 in a move that will pluck the crown jewel from Russia's embattled oil giant. Iraq US-backed Iraqi commandos were poised to storm rebel strongholds in the northern city of Mosul, as US military commanders said they had "broken the back" of the insurgency with their assault on the rebel bastion of Fallujah. Chile US President George W. Bush was to join an Asia-Pacific summit already immersed in his "war on terror", fighting nuclear proliferation and trying to keep mobile missile launchers from extremists. NKorea North Korea angrily rejected reports that portraits of leader Kim Jong-Il have been taken down, claiming they were lies spread by countries wanting to overthrow the Pyongyang regime. Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf said he was dismayed by India's response to his efforts to bring peace to Kashmir, and vowed to save Pakistan from the clutches of Islamic extremism. Myanmar Win Tin, one of Myanmar's best-known journalists and a key opposition figure, was released from prison with several other members of the pro-democracy movement, a party source said. UN The United States was headed to another UN defeat over the Bush administration's hopes to apply a worldwide ban on all forms of human cloning, including for medical research. Spain Al-Jazeera television reported the re-arrest in Spain of its star reporter, Tayssir Alluni, who was charged there last year with membership in the Al-Qaeda terror network. Namibia President Sam Nujoma's chosen successor, Hifikepunye Pohamba, was headed for victory in elections in Namibia as partial results showed that he was way ahead of his opponents.