World

LONDON, (Reuters) – Lakhdar Brahimi’s holiday truce may have saved Syrian lives yesterday, as government troops and rebels drew breath on several fronts – though dozens still shed blood on Eid al-Adha, the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice.

(Reuters) – The family of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, a leader known for his humble roots and compassion for ordinary Chinese, has accumulated massive wealth during his time in power, the New York Times reported yesterday.

-US worried about ‘Frankenstorm’ MIAMI, (Reuters) – Hurricane Sandy, a late-season Atlantic cyclone that threatens to be one of the worst storms to hit the U.S.

MILAN, (Reuters) – Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was sentenced to four years in jail yesterday for tax fraud in connection with the purchase of broadcasting rights by his Mediaset television company.

GUATEMALA CITY,  (Reuters) – Archaeologists in Guatemala have discovered the grave of an ancient king credited with laying the foundations for the Mayan civilization more than two thousand years ago, experts said yesterday.

BEIRUT/GENEVA – Syria’s army command announced a ceasefire on Thursday to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al Adha but said it reserved the right to respond to any rebel attack or moves to reinforce President Bashar al-Assad’s armed foes.

SEATTLE,  (Reuters) – “Millennium bomber” Ahmed Ressam, whose original 22-year prison term was deemed too lenient by a U.S.

KHARTOUM, (Reuters) – Sudan said yesterday that an Israeli air strike had caused the huge explosion and fire at an arms factory in Khartoum that killed two people, but Israel’s defence minister declined to comment.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – A sex scandal gripping Britain’s BBC deepened yesterday with claims that a paedophile ring had existed involving some of its stars, as its former director general said his handling of the case shouldn’t stop him becoming the boss of the New York Times.

DUBAI, (Reuters) – Iran’s judicial authorities have again denied a request by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to visit Evin prison where his top media advisor is serving time, Iranian media reported yesterday, in another sign the president’s power is on the wane.

SAN JOSE, (Reuters) – Apple Inc will begin to sell an 8-inch version of the iPad on Friday to compete with Amazon.com

COTONOU, (Reuters) – Benin authorities arrested the niece and personal doctor of President Boni Yayi, claiming they had tried to poison him at the behest of an angered businessman, the country’s state prosecutor said.

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – Pollution from factories and mines is putting the health of 125 million people at risk worldwide and is as dangerous in the developing world as malaria or tuberculosis, according to a report published on Tuesday by two environmental advocacy groups.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Voters say U.S. President Barack Obama did a better job than Republican challenger Mitt Romney in Monday’s debate but their opinions of each candidate did not shift significantly, according to Reuters/Ipsos poll released yesterday.

GAZA,  (Reuters) – Israel killed three Hamas gunmen in Gaza Strip air strikes on Tuesday which the military said targeted squads preparing to launch rockets into the Jewish state.

MIAMI,  (Reuters) – Tropical Storm Sandy was expected to become a hurricane today as it approaches the south coast of Jamaica, the U.S.

CANBERRA, (Reuters) – Chinese telecoms equipment firm Huawei Technologies Co Ltd has done a poor job communicating about itself and in trying to dispel myths surrounding the company, the chairman of its Australian business, a retired admiral, said yesterday.

BEIRUT – Syrian rebels are battling to seize an army base close to the main north-south highway and say its capture would be a big step towards creating a “safe zone” allowing them to focus on Bashar al-Assad’s southern strongholds.

BOCA RATON, Fla (Reuters) – President Barack Obama aggressively attacked Republican challenger Mitt Romney on foreign policy yesterday in their third and final debate in an effort to blunt his opponent’s surge in the polls with two weeks left until Election Day.

LONDON (Reuters) – The head of the BBC goes before lawmakers today with the publicly funded British broadcaster facing one of the biggest crises in its history over accusations it pulled a probe into sexual abuse by a former presenter as part of a wider cover-up.