Islamabad  - Pakistan's government Saturday announced a proposal that it hopes will calm growing political tensions in the nuclear-armed country.

The announcement came after US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton placed separate calls to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, in last-ditch efforts to end a stand-off between them over the restoration of a top judge sacked by former military strongman Pervez Musharraf in 2007.

Nairobi/Khartoum - Three western hostages who work for international aid organization Doctors Without Borders are free after being kidnapped earlier this week in western Sudan, according to reports in a local newspaper.

Quoting a government official, the Sudan Tribune reported the release Saturday without citing any further details.

On Friday, the Italian government had announced the release of the Canadian nurse, Italian physician and a French coordinator, but then had to withdraw its announcement.

Valletta, Malta  - EU Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot made a "solemn appeal" for Europe-wide solidarity Saturday in an attempt to help Malta deal with illegal immigration problems.

Barrot was in Malta as part of a fact-finding mission into conditions faced by illegal immigrants, mostly Africans, who try to enter the EU by reaching the island.

Harare  - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe said Saturday his party's fight with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change was over and demanded an end to political violence in the country.

Mugabe was addressing mourners, including Tsvangirai, at the burial of former army commander Vitalis Zvinavashe at Heroes' Acre cemetery in Harare.

Tsvangirai attended, despite being himself in mourning for his late wife, Susan.

Islamabad  - The Pakistani government has put its troops on standby ahead of a planned anti-government rally in Islamabad by opposition groups, an army spokesman said Saturday.

Major General Athar Abbas said the military had been formally asked to keep the troops ready. "These can be deployed in sensitive areas of some districts if the situation gets out of control," he added.

Antananarivo - Madagascar's opposition declared it had taken power Saturday without force from President Marc Ravalomanana's government and named opposition leader Andry Rajoelina as president of a transitional two-year government.

The opposition met no resistance in installing its candidate for prime minister in government offices and in taking over the president's city-centre offices Saturday.