In the World

COLOMBIA

Rebels announce unilateral cease-fire

Colombia's largest rebel group announced an indefinite, unilateral cease-fire Wednesday, saying guerrillas will refrain from attacks so long as they aren't targeted by the U.S.-backed military.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia made the announcement in Cuba at the end of another round of peace talks aimed at ending Latin America's oldest insurgency.

In a statement signed by the FARC's ruling Secretariat, the rebels expressed hope that the cease-fire beginning at midnight Saturday would "transform into an armistice."

But it remains to be seen whether the government will accept the rebels' conditions. In two years of talks, President Juan Manuel Santos' centrist government has steadfastly rejected a two-way truce, fearing the rebels would use the opportunity to rearm as they have in past.     - AP
WEST AFRICA

U.N. chief to visit

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will visit the African countries suffering the most from the Ebola outbreak to express his support and press for continued international response until the epidemic ends. Ban told reporters Wednesday that he would leave New York for Accra, Ghana, where the emergency U.N. mission on Ebola is based. Two months ago, Ban shelved the idea of visiting the West African nations to avoid disrupting response efforts.

- Bloomberg
GREECE

No presidential pick

Parliament has failed to elect a new Greek president in the first round of voting, leaving another two tries before the government falls. The conservative-led government's candidate, former European Commissioner Stavros Dimas, received 160 votes Wednesday, far short of the 200 needed for an outright win. - AP