DAMASCUS (AFP) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Tuesday after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that he was ready to cooperate with all efforts toward stability in his strife-torn country.

THE HAGUE (AFP) - The Dutch government recalled its ambassador from Syria on Tuesday, following similar steps by a number of other European countries.

COLOMBO (AFP) - The newly appointed president of the Maldives Mohamed Waheed vowed to uphold the "rule of law" Tuesday in a statement issued just hours after the dramatic resignation of his predecessor, Mohamed Nasheed.

RIYADH (AFP) - The six Gulf Cooperation Council states have decided to expel Syria's envoys and withdraw their own from Damascus over the "mass slaughter" of civilians in Syria, a joint statement said.

LAGOS (AFP) - A blast that targeted an army barracks in the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna on Tuesday was a "foiled" suicide attack, defence spokesman Colonel Mohammed Yerima told AFP.