Kashmir´s blast kills 7 Indian soldiers

A bomb has exploded near an army convoy in the India-controlled Kashmir, killing at least seven soldiers and wounding 20 others. The bomb was reportedly buried along a highway north of Srinagar, the main city in the India-controlled Kashmir, and exploded as the army convoy passed by.

Officials said that the explosives were detonated as  the bus drove over it [AFP]

Officials say the army bus was badly damaged, in what was the biggest attack on Indian soldiers in recent months. No militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. The blast came ahead of Monday's new round of India-Pakistan peace talks that Kashmiri separatist militants oppose.

US, Iraq agree to seek US troop timeframe

The United States and Iraq have agreed to seek a "general time horizon" for deeper reductions in American troops in Iraq.

The White House says US President George W. Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki discussed the matter via a secure video conference on Thursday. The two leaders agreed the accord should include the resumption of Iraqi security control in cities and provinces, and further reductions in U.S. combat forces in Iraq.

Both leaders agreed all of their future discussions were based on conditions on the ground. And also on how much progress has been made on Iraq's security situation, rather than an arbitrary date for withdrawal.