Russia's foreign ministry says Moscow's policy on Syria has not changed, after a top diplomat was quoted as saying Syria's opposition may win its battles against President Bashar al-Assad.

The ministry, on Friday, said Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov had not made any statements or conducted "special interviews" with journalists over the past few days regarding Syria.

Chinese state media say a man stabbed 22 children and an adult at an elementary school in central China on Friday.

The official Xinhua news agency says the knife-wielding man attacked the children outside a school in Chenpeng village in Henan province. It said the children, whose ages are not known, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Police say the attacker was later detained, but gave no motive for the stabbings.

Schools in China have increased security following a series of deadly attacks on students in recent years, mostly involving mentally unstable men.

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta has signed an order that will deploy 400 U.S. personnel to Turkey to support the deployment that NATO agreed to recently of Patriot missile capability there, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

Panetta signed the agreement en route to Turkey as he wrapped up a trip this week that included time in Kuwait and Afghanistan with civilian and military leaders.

He visited the troops to thank them for their dedication and sacrifice, and for spending another holiday season away from family and friends.

President Barack Obama has announced formal U.S. recognition of the Syrian opposition coalition, calling it the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

The announcement comes after months in which Obama and U.S. officials carefully assessed capabilities and the composition of the Syrian opposition, and the cohesiveness of the new coalition formed in Qatar in November.

The president made the announcement during an interview with Barbara Walters of ABC News on the eve of a meeting in Morocco of Syrian opposition leaders and supporters.

The United States has declared a Syrian Jihadist force as a terrorist organization, while Western powers gathered in Morocco to push international support for Syria's new opposition coalition.

The State Department designated Jabhat al-Nusra as a terror group on Tuesday, saying that it serves as an alias of al-Qaida in Iraq as it attempts to infiltrate the Syrian conflict.

The U.N. Security Council has expressed concern that the instability in northern Mali is threatening peace and security in the rest of the Sahel.

At a meeting Monday on the Sahel, the 15-nation Security Council said in a statement there is a need to “respond swiftly” to the crisis through a comprehensive and strategic approach that includes restoring Mali’s territorial integrity and preventing further destabilization of other countries in Africa's Sahel region.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the meeting that there is “a sustained, systemic crisis” across the entire region.

Officials in Pakistan say suicide bombers have attacked a police station in the northwest, killing at least six people.

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack Monday near Bannu.

Authorities say the militants attacked the station using grenades and rockets, sparking an hour-long gunbattle with police. Three of the attackers were killed, but officials say one bomber managed to escape.

Officials say three police officers and three civilians were killed, and that eight other people were wounded.

Sunday's rescue of an American doctor officials say was kidnapped in Afghanistan by the Taliban cost a U.S. service member his life.

A NATO spokesman on Monday discussed the rescue of Dr. Dilip Joseph from what he described as kidnappers "heavily armed" with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades.

"The operation took part in eastern Afghanistan and very sadly one of the soldiers who was taking part in the rescue operations died, and our thoughts and condolences go to the families and to the friends of this individual," said Brigadier General Gunter Katz.

African Union forces and Somali government troops have captured the town of Jowhar from al-Shabab militants.

Witnesses said troops entered the town Sunday morning and briefly fought with militants before gaining control.

Several al-Shabab members have confirmed that their forces have pulled out of Jowhar.

The town is about 90 kilometers north of the capital, Mogadishu and is the regional capital of Middle Shabelle region. It has been under Islamist control since 2009.