In brief

Syria

AMMAN — Syrian government jets bombarded the Damascus ring road yesterday in a bid to halt a rebel advance which threatens President Bashar al-Assad’s hold on the capital, insurgent commanders and opposition activists said. Activists said 46 people had died yesterday, mostly from heavy army bombardment on the contested neighbourhoods of Jobar and Zamalka which are near compounds housing Alawite forces.

Egypt

CAIRO — Egyptian security officials yesterday beefed up security around the homes of Egypt’s main opposition politicians, citing the possibility of a Tunisia-type killing after edicts, or fatwas, by several clerics who said opposition leaders must be killed.

Iran

CAIRO — After decades of mistrust, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday his country wanted closer relations with Egypt. He spoke at a news conference in Cairo of forging “comprehensive” and “unfettered” ties, something that if realized could mean a new and powerful alliance that could reshape the turbulent Middle East. Ahmadinejad’s visit to Egypt is the first by an Iranian leader in three decades. He used his three-stay stay to try and cement ties while attending an Islamic summit.

China

BEIJING — China’s new leader said the ruling Communist Party should tolerate “sharp” outside criticism, in comments that are being viewed sceptically by a public accustomed to pervasive censorship. Xi Jinping also asked all party organizations to “actively accept” and “sincerely welcome” advice and criticism from outside the party.

Solomon Islands

SYDNEY — Aid workers struggled to reach remote, tsunami-ravaged villages in the Solomon Islands and the death toll rose to at least nine as more bodies were found in wrecked homes and debris in the South Pacific country. A strong aftershock rocked the islands this morning following the initial 8.0-magnitude earthquake on Wednesday.

Zambia

LUSAKA — A bus operated by Zambia’s postal service carrying passengers toward its capital Lusaka smashed into a semi-truck and another car yesterday, killing at least 53 people in one of the worst traffic crashes in the nation in recent history, officials said.

Bangladesh

DHAKA — Tens of thousands of protesters rallied in cities across Bangladesh for a third day yesterday to demand the execution of an Islamist leader sentenced to life in prison for war crimes committed during the 1971 independence conflict. The sentencing of Abdul Quader Mollah on Tuesday for charges including murder, rape and torture was the second verdict in trials that have reopened the wounds of Bangladesh’s struggle to break away from Pakistan.