The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party has not announced its stance on borrowing funds from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to ease the country's reserves problem, a member of the party's economic committee said, Al-Masry Al-Youm reported Feb. 22.

Iran's Civil Defense Organization plans to conduct drills in the country's petrochemical trade zone to boost crisis response capabilities, the organization's Caretaker of Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) Affairs Mansour Rostamifar said Feb. 22, Fars News Agency reported.

Pakistan will support any Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-driven peace efforts in Afghanistan, Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said in a Feb. 22 speech in London, Reuters reported. Afghan leadership is Islamabad's first and last prerequisite, Khar said.

The U.N. Security Council on Feb. 22 unanimously passed a British resolution to increase the strength of the African Union Mission in Somalia to more than 17,730 personnel, providing the mission with a clearer mandate, DPA reported.

Ethiopian and Somali troops captured the central Somali town of Baidoa as Somali Islamist militant group al Shabaab left its positions in the town, a regional government official and residents said Feb. 22, Reuters reported. There was no resistance from al Shabaab, the official added.

Dialogue on Syria is futile, Saudi King Abdullah told Russian President Dmitri Medvedev during a Feb. 22 phone conversation, AFP and NOW Lebanon reported, citing SPA. Russia should have coordinated with the Arab League before vetoing a resolution on Syria in the U.N. Security Council, King Abdullah said.

Iran could resume exporting oil to France and the United Kingdom if they sign long-term supply contracts without preconditions, National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) head Ahmad Qalehbani said Feb. 22, MarketWatch reported, citing Iranian Oil Ministry website Shana.

Russia could close part of its airspace to EU airlines if Brussels requires Russian airlines to participate in its carbon emissions quota program, Russian Deputy Transport Minister Valery Okulov said Feb. 22, DPA reported, citing Interfax.

Juba has begun reviewing all oil contracts signed by Sudan before South Sudan gained its independence, the secretary-general of the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement party, Pagan Amum, said Feb. 22, Sudan Tribune reported.

Fitch downgraded Greece's long-term foreign and local currency issuer default ratings from CCC to C and affirmed the country's short-term foreign currency rating at C, indicating that a default in the near term is highly likely, RIA Novosti reported Feb 22.