GENEVA, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The United Nations hopes countries backing the Syria peace process will agree on Thursday to salvage the ceasefire, enabling a return to peace talks within weeks, U.N. Deputy Special Envoy for Syria Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy said.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept 21 (Reuters) - A U.S. class-action lawsuit over corruption at Brazil's Petrobras will not overshadow the state oil company's $74 billion, five-year plan to slash its crippling debt and refocus on its core business, chief executive officer Pedro Parente said on Wednesday.

(Reuters) - Lennar Corp , the No. 2 U.S. homebuilder, said it would buy WCI Communities Inc , which makes luxury homes, in a $643 million-deal that will combine two of the largest homebuilders in Florida.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The Social Security Administration needs to up its game when it comes to helping retirees decide when to claim their benefits.

Sept 22 (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican rival Donald Trump face off on Monday in the first of a series of televised debates that could prove crucial to who wins the White House on Nov. 8.

MANILA (Reuters) - Firebrand Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday invited U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the European Union to investigate his deadly anti-drugs crackdown, after hurling insults at them for interfering in it.

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan officials initialed a peace deal on Thursday with a party led by one of the country's most notorious Islamist warlords, a move that inspired both hope and fear as it dredged up tension dating back decades.

LONDON (Reuters) - The University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world and feeder for the British elite, has topped a global education ranking for the first time, but its vice-chancellor warned that Brexit could damage its long-term prospects.

MOSCOW, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Data showing how many Russian citizens in Syria took part in a weekend election for a new Russian parliament suggests the Kremlin may have around 4,000 military personnel based there backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.