The U.S. on Thursday blamed the Syrian government for slow progress in removing its stockpiled chemical weapons, urging Damascus to take “necessary steps” to expedite the process.

The Montenegrin government said it would engage in “increased political activity to win greater public support for NATO membership.” Leaders of political parties in the ruling coalition are said to

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to push for a “constructive dialogue” in Ukraine amid the ongoing unrest in the country. Merkel held telephone talks with the Russian leader asking him to “push at his end for a constructive dialogue between the opposition and government,” the Chancellor’s office said in a statement.