Top US military officer General Martin Dempsey has clashed with Secretary of State John Kerry over the merits of bombing Syria's regime at a White House meeting, media reported Wednesday. Kerry reportedly argued for air strikes against regime air bases used to employ chemical weapons against Syrian rebels at a discussion last week in the White House Situation Room, wrote Bloomberg columnist Jeffrey Goldberg, citing unnamed sources.

By Asher Levine and Tatiana Ramil SAO PAULO/FORTALEZA, Brazil (Reuters) - Brazil's two biggest cities agreed on Wednesday to revoke an increase in public transportation fares that set off demonstrations that have grown into nationwide protests against poor public services, inflation and corruption. The decisions, made separately in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, followed another day of protests across Brazil, which also included a march by demonstrators around a major international soccer game in the northeastern city of Fortaleza.

ATHENS, Greece - Greece's governing coalition failed to end a political crisis triggered by the closure of state broadcaster ERT, but said talks would continue Thursday to try to avoid a snap election that could delay vital economic reforms and disrupt the country's bailout program. Conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras held his second meeting in three days Wednesday with his coalition partners — the Socialist Pasok and Democratic Left parties — who oppose his decision to switch off ERT's signal and fire its 2,700 employees.

Syrian troops and rebels were locked in fierce clashes on Wednesday night outside the Damascus district of Qabun as the army tried to storm the area, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. At least two rebel fighters have been killed, with others wounded, the Britain-based group said. "The district has come under continuous, heavy shelling over the last few hours, killing at least two civilians and wounding others," the Observatory said.