
Russia and China are calling for restraint on the Korean peninsula, where the North responded with midnight crisis meetings and more fist-shaking Friday to an overflight by U.S. nuclear-capable B-2 bombers.

Through his foreign ministry, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said his government is open to sitting down and discussing peace with members of the armed opposition force.

A group of 18 former military and national security officials wrote to President Barack Obama on Friday urging the administration to cancel plans for further cuts in United States nuclear warheads, warning that new arms reductions would undermine U.S. security.