The United States and Iraq are embarking on a new phase in their relationship despite the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from the country next month, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said in Baghdad Wednesday.

"Our troops... are leaving Iraq and we are embarking on a new path together, a new phase in this relationship... between two sovereign nations," Biden said at the opening of a meeting of the U.S.-Iraq Higher Coordinating Committee.

The United States and the European Union on Monday called on the Syrian government "to end violence immediately" in a joint statement issued after White House talks.

"We call on the Syrian government to end violence immediately, permit the immediate entry of human rights observers and international journalists, and allow for a peaceful and democratic transition," the statement said.

Tens of thousands of Syrians demonstrated in the capital Monday against the Arab League decision to impose crippling sanctions on President Bashar Assad's regime, an Agence France Presse correspondent reported.

Protesters waved Syrian flags and carried giant portraits of the embattled leader as they belted nationalistic songs in Damascus' central Sabaa Bahrat square.

China said Monday it was "deeply shocked" by NATO air strikes that left 24 Pakistani soldiers dead, and demanded an investigation into the incident.

"China is deeply shocked at the incident and expresses strong concerns and deep condolences to the victims in Pakistan," foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a regular news briefing.

The transfer of power to a civilian government in Egypt must be "just and inclusive" and take place "as soon as possible," the White House said Friday.

"Most importantly, we believe that the full transfer of power to a civilian government must take place in a just and inclusive manner that responds to the legitimate aspirations of the Egyptian people, as soon as possible," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said in a statement.

Members of the Amish community in three states have been frightened by recent hair-cutting attacks in Ohio, making fearful calls to authorities and arming themselves with pepper spray and shotguns, a sheriff said.

Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdullah said Amish in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana were concerned about the attacks that led federal authorities on Wednesday to raid the compound of a breakaway Amish group and charge seven men, including group leader Sam Mullet, with hate crimes.

President Dmitry Medvedev says Russia will aim its missiles at the U.S. missile defense sites in Europe if Washington fails to address Russian concerns on its missile defense plans.

Medvedev said that Russia will deploy missiles in its westernmost Kaliningrad region and other areas if Russia and NATO fail to reach a deal on the U.S.-led missile defense plans.

Pakistan's U.S. envoy has been forced to step down as the government launches an investigation into claims that he sought U.S. help, allegedly at the president's behest, to forestall a feared military coup.

Ambassador Husain Haqqani, a close aide of President Asif Ali Zardari, has played a key role in helping Pakistan's government navigate turbulent relations with Washington which nosedived over the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

The United States said Tuesday it has placed a suspected Saudi member of an Islamist militant group based in Lebanon on its list of international terrorists.

The State Department said it had designated Ibrahim Suleiman Hamad al-Hablain, known as Abu Jabal, a "specially designated global terrorist," a classification that bars Americans from doing business with him or on his behalf.

Russia said on Tuesday new sanctions unveiled by Western states against Iran over its nuclear drive were unacceptable and illegal, warning they risked impeding the chance of dialogue with Tehran.

"Russia sees such measures as unacceptable and against international law," the foreign ministry said in a statement. "This practice seriously complicates moves for constructive dialogue with Tehran."