South Korea and the United States agreed not to use force to free 21 Korean hostages in Afghanistan on Tuesday, but Afghan troops warned villagers of a possible offensive in the area where the captives are.

One of Egypt’s most prominent secular opposition parties received two serious blows on Tuesday when a court declined to free its ailing leader Ayman Nur on health grounds and handed his job to a rival.

Egypt has increased security at its international airport in response to threats of an Al Qaida strike.