Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chun Ping has called for social reconciliation and national stability in Egypt as soon as possible. The call comes in the wake of the decision to dissolve the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as the announcement of Mohamed Morsy’s much-anticipated trial on 4 February. Ping also …

Syrian army troops and Shi’ite militia fighters loyal to President Bashar al-Assad captured two southern suburbs of Damascus on Friday, killing at least 70 people, opposition activists said. The fighters, including some from the Lebanese Shi’ite movement Hezbollah and Iraqi Shi’ites backed by Syrian army tanks, searched al-Thiabiya and Husseiniya, …

US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived on an unannounced visit to Kabul Friday to try to advance troubled negotiations with Afghanistan on some US troops staying in the country after 2014. President Hamid Karzai said this week that he was prepared to walk away from the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) talks …