WORLD BRIEFS

SYRIA: Truce OK greeted skeptically

Syria accepted a cease-fire drawn up by UN envoy Kofi Annan on Tuesday, but the diplomatic breakthrough was swiftly overshadowed by intense clashes between soldiers and rebels that sent bullets flying into Lebanon. The opposition accuses President Bashar Assad of agreeing to the plan to stall for time as his troops make a renewed push to kill off bastions of dissent. The UN said the death toll had passed 9,000 in the year-old crackdown on the uprising. Annan's announcement was met with deep skepticism. "We are not sure if it's political maneuvering or a sincere act," said Louay Safi of the opposition Syrian National Council. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Assad must act now.

SUDAN: Rumblings of war continue

Sudan sent military aircraft over a key South Sudanese city Tuesday as part of a two-day bombing campaign that has targeted military positions along the disputed border. No explosives fell from the aircraft, a pair of Russian-made Antonov cargo planes Sudan has long used to drop bombs on opposing forces, as they "hovered" above Bentiu, the capital of South Sudan's Unity state. The Obama administration expressed alarm about an escalation of violence and is calling for the leaders to meet to resolve their differences. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday that the greater responsibility lies with Sudan, which has more advanced weapons. Her comments, along with a White House statement of deep concern, came as Sudan's military bombed an oil field in the south.

JAPAN: 6.4 quake off northern coast

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake shook northern Japan on Tuesday evening, but there was no risk of a tsunami.The epicenter was about 6 miles below the sea surface off the coast of Iwate, in the region heavily damaged by last year's earthquake and tsunami.