Fighting raged near a military base in Syria’s north as a ceasefire in the bloody civil war was set begin on Friday at dawn, activists said, illustrating the difficulty of enforcing even a limited truce coinciding with a Muslim holiday.

One of Pakistan’s most feared Islamists has accused President Barack Obama of starting a religious war against Muslims over his handling of a film mocking the Prophet Mohammed.

A Syrian military helicopter has crashed in a rebellious suburb of Damascus, state-run TV says.

France's decision to send direct aid to Syria's opposition amounts to so little that it is all but useless, rebels and activists say.

Gunmen snatched 47 Iranian pilgrims just outside Damascus in a brazen attack that revealed the growing instability at the centre of President Bashar Assad’s power.

Humanitarian conditions have grown even more dire in the besieged Syrian city of Aleppo with activists reporting dwindling stocks of food and cooking gas and only intermittent electricity supplies as droves of local residents flee almost two weeks of intense clashes between rebels and regime forces.

The Syrian government launched an offensive yesterday to retake rebel-held neighbourhoods in the nation's commercial hub of Aleppo, unleashing artillery, tanks and helicopter gunships against poorly armed opposition fighters.

The Syrian government launched an offensive to retake rebel-held districts in the nation's commercial hub of Aleppo today, unleashing artillery, tanks and helicopter gunships against poorly armed opposition fighters.

Syrian government tanks backed by attack helicopters swept into Aleppo today as the regime launched an assault to regain control of the city.

Syrian troops clashed with rebels in the city of Aleppo for a second day today, forcing inhabitants to flee to safer areas in some of the fiercest fighting to date in the heart of the country’s northern commercial hub, activists said.

THE Boss blew into town and left a trail of devastation in his wake,

Gunmen killed eight people in an attack on a Pakistani army camp near a city where thousands of hardline Islamists stopped on their way to the capital to protest against the decision to reopen the Nato supply line to Afghanistan, police said.

President Bashar Assad’s forces killed at least 50 civilians, including 13 children, in central Syria, activists said.

Syrian forces have opened fire on thousands of protesters in Aleppo, a day after a raid on dormitories at the city's main university killed four students and forced the closure of the state-run school.

Syrian troops have stormed and shelled districts in a suburb of the capital Damascus, activists said.

The Pakistani militant leader with a $10m (€7.6m) bounty on his head has mocked America and dared it to arrest him.

Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor will no longer have a team of horses running under his name in the United States.

The Pakistani cricket team ploughed on with their British tour today, dogged by accusations of match-fixing, after the man at the centre of the alleged plot was bailed by police.

ENGLAND’s cricket series victory yesterday over Pakistan was marred by allegations that their opponents were involved in match-fixing.

New Planet looked a useful recruit for the John Quinn stable when landing a gamble on his debut in the Welcome To Yorkshire Action Packed Outdoors Maiden Stakes at Pontefract today.

It was girl power all the way at Haydock as Hayley Turner gave Barshiba a brilliant ride to win back-to-back renewals of the Bet365 Lancashire Oaks.

A hardline cleric suspected by India of masterminding the Mumbai massacre will remain free after Pakistan’s top court ruled today the government did not have enough evidence to jail him.

Exhausted Sahil Saeed was today enjoying his first full day back home since being freed from his two week kidnap ordeal in Pakistan.

THE five-year-old boy freed by kidnappers in Pakistan after his family paid a £110,000 ransom was reunited with his mother in Britain last night.

A five-year-old boy freed by kidnappers after his family paid a £110,000 ransom was reunited with his father today.

KIDNAPPERS released a five-year-old British boy unharmed almost two weeks after abducting him from his grandparents’ house in central Pakistan, British and Pakistani officials said.

Hopes that five-year-old British boy Sahil Saeed had been found were dashed today as the police chief leading the investigation in Pakistan confirmed the search is ongoing.

The five-year-old British boy allegedly kidnapped by gunmen in Pakistan has been found, it was reported today.

A five-year-old British boy was kidnapped today after his relatives were ambushed by gun-wielding robbers in Pakistan.

The leader of a banned Islamist group which India has accused of carrying out attacks on its financial capital late last year was placed under house arrest again today.

A hard-line cleric accused of being a fund-raiser for the Mumbai terror attack group is to be arrested, Pakistan said today.

The sole surviving gunman from last year’s Mumbai massacre dramatically admitted his guilt today in a detailed account of the plot that left 166 people dead.

India today demanded the arrest of 22 Pakistanis it accused of masterminding last year’s Mumbai terrorist attacks.

A terror suspect arrested in New Delhi was a close aide of a prime suspect in the Mumbai terror attacks, India’s Home Minister said today.

A lawyer for the leader of an Islamic group suspected in the deadly terrorist attacks in Mumbai last year said a Pakistani court has ordered his release.

The Pakistani-based militant group blamed for the Mumbai attacks kept an Indian militant as a “pointman” to shepherd gunmen across the porous border, police said.

A step up to the top table in the Darley Dewhurst Stakes is next on the agenda for Ashram after John Hills’ colt romped away with the Somerville Tattersall Stakes at Newmarket.

A top Pakistani police official accused an al-Qaida linked militant today of orchestrating the deadly attack on former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, saying police had “solid evidence” of his role in the killing.

Iraq FA president Hussein Saeed has confirmed that talks have taken place with coach Jorvan Vieira with regards to the Brazilian continuing at the helm of the national team.

A MUSLIM leader spoke yesterday of his fears of a “rising hostility” towards the Asian community in Scotland after the car bomb attack on Glasgow Airport.

A Muslim leader spoke today of his fears of a “rising hostility” towards the Asian community in Scotland after the car bomb attack on Glasgow Airport.

Blythe Knight bids to add a Group Three contest at Epsom on Saturday to his impressive list of achievements.

All eyes will be on Discreet Cat tomorrow when the unbeaten four-year-old makes his eagerly-awaited return to action in the Group Three Lahan Burj Nahaar under the floodlights at Nad Al Sheba.

Frankie Dettori is eagerly-awaiting the leg-up on Discreet Cat when the unbeaten four-year-old makes his return to action at Nad Al Sheba on Thursday.