Television in america and around the globe. After months of conflict, will the sound of guns and mortar shells fall silent in syria on friday . The Syrian Military says it will adhere to a ceasefire for the muslim holiday. But a statement on television says that the Army Reserves the right to retaliate against rebel attacks. The fragile truce was negotiated by those who hope it could lead to a broader peace process. Caroline hawley has the story. Largest city today, the front line has shifted after weeks of stalemate. The rebels say they have made significant advances in aleppo, taking territory they have never held before. But can they keep it . And will these men now put down their guns . Tonight, on staterun television, a statement from the military. It says it will observe a truce before the muslim holiday. The man who negotiated a truce the said at the start of the job that was nearly impossible. Most rebel groups have seemed to agree to the ceasefire, but they do not fight under a single combined. At least one Islamist Group said it will not observe the true spirit the troops. Of the world is watching on friday morning. We all understand there is a lack of trust between the parties, and therefore, we all understand that we cannot be sure yet what will transpire. The hope is that the guns will fall silent. For the people of syria. It is this is syrias border with turkey on the eve of the truce. Since the conflict began, no ceasefire has taken hold. The expectations for this one are low. To the conflict in afghanistan now, where the u. S. Military says two of its shoulders have been shot dead by a man wearing an Afghan Police uniform. It is the latest in a series of insider attacks against international troops. Yesterday there was a an attack on two british soldiers cannot helmand program british soldiers in helmand province. Now there are some who say a rival state may not be achievable. The unit of marines was on patrol in one of the toughest areas of homeland. Two marines were hit by gunfire and fatally wounded. A one Afghan Policeman was also killed. The m. O. De said in a statement that the provision patrolman were not in working with any afghan partners of the time. We do not yet know what initiated the exchange of gunfire. The investigation is ongoing. The female british soldier has been has been named Lance Corporal channing day. She was just 25. She was proud to be an army medic and always wanted an army career. The corporal who died alongside her was david oconnor, age 27. He was called one of the best, brave, committed, and a true friend. The u. K. May have to recognize that creating a viable state in afghanistan is achievable and ps on the International Development community has failed in working alongside the afghan government. A huge amount of life has been lost in afghanistan. Gains have been made since the taliban were in charge. But we have to focus on securing those gains, rather than more ambitious objectives, for tebow, like building a viable state. For example, like building a viable state. In kabul, one afghan mps said it is a threatened culture. One of the biggest problems is that corruption is everywhere. The focus here now is very much on what the west can realistically achieve as International Combat forces prepared to leave by the end of 2014. Many lives have been lost. Nobody wants those sacrifices to have been in vain. But it is increasingly clear that while the International Community wants to continue to help, much of what happens next is up to the afghans themselves. And a quick look at some other news from around the world. 66 are now known to have been killed in an upsurge of Ethnic Violence between muslims and buddhists in burma. The more than half the fatalities were within, and more than 2000 homes have been burned down. The u. N. Says large numbers of people are fleeing the violence and heading for already over the crowded camps. Already overcrowded camps. One activist is accused of causing a riot. He is thought to have been snatched in kiev last week and taken back across the border. There are still some high levels of contamination, which had thought to have declined by now, more than any year after the japanese earthquake. The storm has battered at jamaica, haiti and cuba, killing at least two. Hurricane sandy tore through the eastern part of cuba during the night, crossing the entire region while hardly the in the intensity, as usually happens when such storms cross overland. Towns and villages were drenched in torrential rains. Wins write a maximum sustained speed of 170 Kilometers Per Hour not the wind was at a maximum sustained speed of 170 Kilometers Per Hour. Several residents were moved out of harms way. Others rode out the storm as best they could. We are handling it ok. But at this evacuation center, some who found themselves in the hurricanes path have needed treatment. As the hurricane moved off north to the bahamas compaq to the bahamas, daylight met them without power. Before Hurricane Sandy had cuba, it had battered at jamaica. Power lines were down and many were forced to be taken to emergency shelters. An elderly man was said to have been killed when a boulder crashed into his house. Ibegs a there are many that are trapped in the keys. They were told to evacuate before and refuse to do so. They are now trapped. They called for help, which was by that time to late. While jamaica begins couldnt cleaning up and council cost and counts the costs, the hurricane is headed for the bahamas and there is a Tropical Storm warning for florida. Election day in america is not for another 12 days, but that has not stopped millions across the country from already casting their votes. In the past halfhour, there was one notable figure at about the box, barack obama. He is the first one ever to get there before polling day. Here is why. I travel a lot in my work and im not sure if i will be in dc on election day. Why not get it 0 get it out of the way now . One of the 1 million americans were casting their ballots early. What is driving his vote . A fundamental change in the direction of our government. Repare needless to say, i voted for mitt romney for president. I feel he has the experience and the solutions that are likely to put our country on a more successful track. Also dropping in, patrice weddie, who runs a small business. She is sticking with barack obama because of his Health Care Reform prepared reform. A couple of days after the reforms kick in, i got a notice that my monthly premium would go down 10. I have all the proof i need to know that the current president and administration are doing a great job. At least 35 are expected to go to the polls before election day, up from 30 four years ago. In ohio, close to half the votes will be cast early. In florida, two thirds. In colorado, a projected 85 will be cast before november 6. The most famous early bird of all cast his ballot in chicago. The first sitting president to vote early in person. I just want everybody to see how incredibly efficient this was. From bill to burris, democrats have lined up their biggest stars to encourage early voting. Of voting matters. Elections matter. They are offering transport to polling stations, allowing the campaign to lock in the vote of young people in particular, who otherwise may not turn out. Everybody who votes, they know that. That is the information that the Election Officials share with the campaign. They know if someone has voted early. They scratch that person off the list and go down to the next person. Republicans are better organized than four years ago, but still find themselves at outmuscled on the early vote. Does it matter . Traditional republicans are more reliable in turning out on polling day. In a country where just about Everything Else is reliant on convenience compaq civic duty is as well. For more on why early voting has become so important in this president ial race, i am joined by adam sorensen, the associate editor of time magazine. Why are more americans voting early and does it affect the outcome of the race . Greggs it absolutely does. It absolutely does. And have campaigns trying to turn more out. Especially democrats. If you look at ohio, you have 1 million that have already voted there. The margin of victory between barack obama and john mccain in 2008 was only 200,000 votes. And that was a fairly large margin, 2, historically. And early voting across the nation does tend to lean democratic . It does. You can capitalize on these voters the do not necessarily vote in every election and it also appeals to minority groups. I was down in ohio last week and i spoke to the romney dara and they said they were not worried about early voting because republicans are more traditional by nature. They like the ceremony of going and voting. What republicans will also tell you is that they feel democrats are using out some of their vote early. Once you go in on election day, republicans will have more success turning out their voters. That is a little bit of spin, and it is hard to say. But just because, for instance, obama was leading earlier on, that does not necessarily mean he will hunt win in ohio by the same margins. On the campaign trail, the president is talking about getting people out on the early voting. But he is also trying to sway any undecided voters. Are there any left in the country . Greta i think there are. I think there are. We have seen the number of undecided voters shrink closer to the election, but also at this time of the election, there are fewer and fewer undecided voters. But there are a few people who do not really Pay Attention to politics who tune in late. They are persuade a ball up to the last minute. After two years theyre able to be persuaded of to the last minute. After two years and lots of coverage, it is amazing that people have not made up their minds. Greggs is amazing, but there are those out there. It is amazing, but there are those out there. Thank you. Still to come, why the world of magic is in russian politics. A disappearing act by dmitri metgod of. Dmitri medvedev. It is being billed by been billed as a massive computer giant. The question everybody is asking is how it will fare against apples ipad. Our correspondent had a look and he reports back. This is what computing house looked like for decades, the age of the windows pc. But now we move into a different era of touchscreen mobile computing and microsoft needs to catch an accurate catch up. If sheer enthusiasm for his company counts, Steve Ballmer can make that happen. I love this company. Yeah he has three imagined windows in windows 8. And more than a decade after that, microsofts boss is still excited. This time, about windows 8. He has decided to bring his company, rather late, into the touch screen age. It is an epic of thing for microsoft. It is up there with the top two or three big moment, including windows 95 and the launch of the ibm pc. It starts us on this new era of computing. But microsoft has been slow to turn ideas into successful products. Bill gates was showing off Tablet Computers a decade ago, but it was the apple ipad that made money from that idea. But this, the microsoft surfaced in tablet power by windows is designed to show the Company Moving forward in a mobile world. At the new york launched tonight, Steve Ballmer was speaking again about windows 8. If consumers do not share his excitement, there could be trouble for him and his company. It is barely six months since Dmitry Medvedev left the kremlin as president to become russias Prime Minister. In the short time frame he has seen his power and influence significantly reduced. President putin has been reversing many of the policies and reforms that mr. Medvedev instituted. It has suggested that he is gradually disappearing from russias political stage. Heres a report. The world of magic is strangely similar to the world of russian politics. Behind the kremlin walls, it is all smoke and mirrors. To succeed, you need a cool head, sleight of hand, and there is Something Else youve got to be good at. Making people disappear. And it Vladimir Putin is the consummate conjurer. Since becoming president again, he has begun to wave away the memory of dmitri medvedevs presidency. He has made many of his predecessors reforms and disappear. There are plenty of examples prepare. Medvedev had decriminalized slander. Putin has read criminalize it. Even medvedevs decision to scrap wintertime and keep russian clocks an hour ahead is all under review. It makes him look weak. He was and hes gone. Putin with light prudent would like things to be written in marble. No one but him. He has not been able to get rid of him completely. He is still precious Prime Minister and head of the ruling party. He with a provens actions, is seen as weaker. His decision not to run for president again men made many russian liberals feel betrayed. They were counting on him to lead them into something more democratic. Was that a mistake . No magician has been able to wave a wand and now we shall have democracy. You cannot just change the way people think. And perhaps mr. Medvedevs change of fortune is not so surprising. After all, if you take part in the spells and sorcery, there is always the risk that you will never be quite the same again. The magical disappearing act with mr. Medvedev and his reform. Humor has become an integral part in the president ial race in the u. S. We have seen barack obama and mitt romney both on latenight part a late night talk shows, while canadians have been comedians have been mocking them both. How does humor affect the president ial race . There is a new book about the politics of humor in the president ial race. When politics become so polarized in and we start barking at each other a lot, theres a lot of humor in there. I feel really restive after the night a nice, long naps after the first debate. It is nice to wear what ann and i wear around the house. I am not sure if there is a bias. The form of satire is such that is antiestablishment, and that is firmly in the liberal we house. It is not in the conservative toolbox. Michael vick moore in speedos. Rush limbaugh in speedos. Anybody in speedos. If you try to be a conservative who is then funny, it may not be as funny as if he got out there and just try to be funny. Some of in a single word the best argument for his candidacy. Gun at governor bush . Strategery. It has to hang on something everyone understands. Which means, and george bush is not articulate. Al gore stammers. Barack obama is cold. That kind of thing. I dont mean citizens and i dont mean members of our armed citizens and i dont mean southern whites. But, he has to do is reinforce the existing idea of who you are out there. The hotel california, you can check in, but you can never trust the staff with your valuables. That is true anywhere. But especially california, and j. K. , north mexico. A. K. A. , north mexico. Is more about his turn, professorial facade. With me always is my and burk translator. After the recent town hall debate and the town halt the town hall debate ive got my sweater back. When you do make a joke, it has the risk of offending a lot of people. On the iran, most canadians do not care if they have offended you, and that is on the other hand, most comedians and do not care if they have offended you. That is where, it gives them strength. That is it for our newshour. Thanks so much for watching. Make sense of International News at bbc. Com news. Funding for this presentation was made possible by the Freeman Foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu, newmans own foundation, and union bank. At union bank, our relationship managers use their expertise in Global Finance to guide you through the Business Strategies and opportunities of international commerce. We put our extended Global Network to work for a wide range of companies, from Small Businesses to major corporations. What can we do for you . Bbc world news was presented by kcet, los angeles. Presented by kcet, los angeles. Hi, neighbor my grandpere is coming over to visit for thank you day. Yay and then were going to have a thank you day party thank you for coming over to play today. Ill be right back. Is made possible in part by. The Richard King Mellon foundation. Dedicated for over sixty years to south western pennsylvanias quality of life, and competitive future. And by these pittsburg foundations. Working together to enhance and enrich the lives of children for more than seventyfive years. And by the Arthur Vining Davis foundations. Dedicated to strengthening americas future through education. Adcasting, dedicated to strengthening americas future and contributions to your pbs station, from viewers like you. And contributions in the neighborhood a Beautiful Day for a neighbor would you be mine . Could you be mine . Wont you be my neighbor . Its daniel tigers neighborhood a land of makebelieve wont you ride along with me . Ride along its daniel tigers neighborhood so much to do, so much to see wont you ride along with me . Ride along ive got lots of friends for you to meet in this land of makebelieve a friendly face on every street just waiting to greet you its a Beautiful Day in the neighborhood a Beautiful Day for a neighbor in daniel tigers neighborhood hi, neighbor today is thank you day we say thank you to everyone we love so thank you for coming over today happy thank you dayyyyy