Beirut  - Lebanon's rival political factions vowed on Monday to carry out a peaceful legislative election in June, a statement by the Lebanese presidential palace said.

The conferees pledged "not to resort to any kind of violence," President Michel Suleiman's office said in a statement.

The pledge came during the fifth round of national dialogue talks between the ruling majority in parliament that is against former Lebanese powerbroker Syria and the opposition led by the pro-Syrian Islamist group Hezbollah.

Harare - Leading Zimbabwean human rights activist Jestina Mukoko was granted bail Monday, along with several other political prisoners, whose detention had threatened to scupper the country's fragile power-sharing government.

A magistrate's court in Harare ordered Mukoko's release on bail of 600 US dollars and on condition that she surrender her passport. The state did not oppose the ruling.

Johannesburg/Harare  - Two of 16 political prisoners held by Zimbabwean authorities for up to five months and allegedly subjected to torture have been released on bail, their lawyers said Sunday.

Fidelis Chiramba, a 72-year-old local Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) activist who developed cardiac failure following his arrest in October, and Broderick Takawira, a programme officer with a respected local NGO, were freed Saturday, said lawyer Andrew Makoni.

The release of the detainees follows an undertaking made by President Robert Mugabe last week to MDC leader and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

The detainees were abducted by state secret police and held in secret locations for three months before being handed over to police.

Brussels  - European Union leaders gathered in Brussels on Sunday for a summit designed to shore up the bloc's beleaguered unity in the midst of a damaging row over protectionism and fears that the EU may risk breaking into splinter groups.

"We do not want any new dividing lines; we do not want a Europe divided along a North-South or an East-West line; pursuing a beggar-thy-neighbour policy is unacceptable," Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, who is to chair the meeting as current holder of the EU's rotating presidency, said on the eve of the summit.

Prague/Brussels  - The Czech Republic, current holder of the European Union's rotating presidency, called for the emergency EU summit on Sunday to reject protectionism as France vowed that a plan to support the auto industry would not break EU rules.

"We do not want any new dividing lines; we do not want a Europe divided along a North-South or an East-West line; pursuing a beggar-thy-neighbour policy is unacceptable. That the internal market remains united is of vital importance," Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek said in a statement on Saturday.

Amman - Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon on Saturday discussed with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh the latest efforts to re-launch peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, according to a foreign ministry statement.

"Judeh underscored the importance of a serious international move to resolve the conflict peacefully on the basis of the two-state formula, a solution that is winning universal consensus," the statement said.