CAIRO (Reuters) – Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's deputy began talks on sweeping reforms with the opposition on Monday, as pressure from street protests, Western allies and the army appeared to be ending Mubarak's 30 years of one-man rule.

As with Iran 30 years ago, American leaders again are wrestling with the moral conflict between Washington's demands for democracy among its friends and strategic coziness with dictatorial regimes seen as key to stability in an increasingly complex world, particularly the Middle East.

Police in Tunisia have placed two key allies of former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali under house arrest and detained the owner of a private television channel who has family ties to the ousted leader.

State media reported Sunday that Larbi Nasra, the owner of Hannibal TV and a relative of Ben Ali's wife, was arrested on charges of treason.

South Korea's military says it has started five days of live-fire artillery drills in the waters on all sides of the Korean Peninsula.

The military has warned vessels to avoid 29 locations where firing is scheduled, including Daechong Island near the disputed sea border with North Korea.