WORLD BRIEFS

SYRIA: U.S. training fighters in Jordan

The United States is training secular Syrian fighters in Jordan in a bid to bolster forces battling President Bashar Assad's regime and stem the influence of Islamist radicals among the persistently splintered opposition, U.S. and foreign officials said. The training has been going on for several months in an unspecified location, concentrating on Sunnis and tribal Bedouins who formerly served in the Syrian army, officials told The Associated Press.

EGYPT: Anti-Brotherhood arrests

Tensions between the Islamist-led government and the opposition increased Monday as the prosecutor general ordered the arrest of five activists, including a prominent blogger, for violent protests against the Muslim Brotherhood over the weekend. The arrest warrants and complaints against scores of other opposition figures came a day after President Mohamed Morsi threatened to crack down on political groups he said were behind a surge in attacks on Muslim Brotherhood offices. Nearly 200 people were injured Friday in a protest at the Brotherhood's Cairo headquarters.

TANZANIA: Chinese leader's trade push

Chinese President Xi Jinping will set out plans for mining and infrastructure development in Africa this week, seeking to reassure leaders on the continent who have voiced unease about trade relations. During his eight-day trip, Xi, 59, stops in Tanzania, Congo Republic and South Africa, where he'll sign business cooperation deals and attend a summit of nations. Africans welcome the investment and job creation, but leaders from Botswana's Ian Khama to Nigerian bank chief Lamido Sanusi are asking whether the deals have benefited Africa as much as they have China.

BRITAIN: Spy chief ending 33-year run

The head of the domestic spy agency, MI5, will step down next month at the end of his contract. Jonathan Evans has led MI5 as director general since 2007, and Home Secretary Theresa May announced Monday he would be "moving on" after 33 years. May praised Evans' leadership through "particularly challenging" times, such as the aftermath of the 2005 bomb attacks.