News In Brief

Lebanese factions discuss peace conference agenda

Lebanon's warring factions sat down Thursday to draft an agenda for talks to cement their cease-fire, although three of the nine groups refused to attend. It was the first meeting among Lebanese factions on such a large scale since the first months of the 1975-76 civil war. The main conference is due to start Oct. 20.

Cease-fire violations continued southeast of Beirut at Souk al Gharb, where Druze Muslim militiamen attacked the Lebanese Army with mortar and machine-gun fire, Beirut radio reported. Meanwhile, some 10,000 Lebanese Christians marched to the Foreign Ministry, appealing for help in returning Christian refugees to their homes in the Shouf mountains.