IN BRIEF (Page 12)

Afghanistan

Effort to revive peace talks begins

Delegates from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States held talks on Monday to resurrect a stalled peace process and end 15 years of bloodshed, even as fighting with Taliban insurgents intensifies. Peace efforts last year stalled after the Taliban announced that their founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar, had been dead for two years, throwing the militant group into disarray as rival factions fought for supremacy.