The United Arab Emirates on Sunday called for political action to stop what it called "the repressive machine" in Damascus, ahead of an international conference aimed at resolving the Syrian conflict. "We call on all concerned parties to take decisive political action to stop the repressive machine in Damascus," UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan said at a news conference with his Australian counterpart Bob Carr. "The international community cannot remain silent and inactive about the humanitarian situation" affecting Syrians, he said.

Iran on Sunday condemned a call by French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian for "decisive sanctions" against the Islamic state over its disputed nuclear programme, the ISNA news agency reported. Such comments indicate "that so far sanctions have been ineffective and fruitless," Defence Minister Ahmad Vahidi said. Le Drian said on Friday that the United States and European nations should take firmer action against Iran over its controversial programme of uranium enrichment.

An Arab League committee on Syria will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday ahead of an international peace conference on ending the country's civil war, the bloc's deputy leader said on Sunday. The foreign ministers of Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Oman, Qatar and Sudan would discuss a US-Russian push for a conference aimed at finding a political solution to the Syria conflict, Ahmed Ben-Hilli told reporters. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates would also join the meeting "to follow up on developments in Syria in light of the US-Russian understanding," he said.

The Foreign Ministry in Islamabad said Sunday that Pakistan and China will sign several memorandums of understanding during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Pakistan, starting Wednesday. Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani said as many as 12 MOUs will be signed, including three linked to the development of the strategic Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea, which China has been managing since February.