Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi reiterated during a visit to the EU on Thursday that Syrian President Bashar Assad must step down as "a president that kills his own people is not acceptable."

At a news briefing, Morsi interjected to state "this is completely agreed upon" when European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told reporters after talks between the two sides that "we are also adamant that Assad should go."

International peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi arrived in Syria on Thursday on his first visit to the strife-torn country since his appointment two weeks ago, his spokesman said.

"During his visit to Syria, Brahimi will hold talks with the government and with representatives of the Syrian opposition and civil society," said a statement from Ahmad Fawzi, who had previously announced that the veteran diplomat would meet President Bashar Assad.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said on Thursday in a visit to the Iraqi capital that Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime is "doomed" and should not survive.

"We believe that the Assad regime is doomed, that it is not possible for it to survive, and so many crimes (have been) committed that it should not survive," Hague said at a joint news conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari.

Syrian rebels advanced into the contested central Midan district of the country's commercial capital Aleppo, witnesses and military sources said, as combat rocked several city neighborhoods on Thursday.

"They were at Bustan al-Basha (district) and had already advanced up to Suleyman al-Halabi Street. Now they have entered a street in Midan," one resident said.

Hollywood star and U.N. special envoy Angelina Jolie on Thursday visited Turkey's largest camp for Syrian refugees near the border, where overjoyed thousands welcomed her, Turkish media reported.

Jolie, accompanied by U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonia Guterres, met with some of the 12,000 refugees at Oncupinar camp in southeastern Kilis city, which lies right on the border with their conflict-wracked homeland.

Speaker Nabih Berri said on the eve of Pope Benedict XVl’s visit to Lebanon that it’s a very “important and historic” trip, Ad-Diyar newspaper reported on Thursday.

“This visit is significant for Lebanon and the Arab region, and it comes to reinforce the Christian-Muslim coexistence,” Berri pointed out.

Western countries are not considering military intervention in Syria while Russia and China oppose such action, British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond told reporters in Doha on Wednesday.

"So long as two major powers are actively opposed to any intervention in Syria, that is a major impediment to Western nations contemplating such action," said Hammond, in a clear reference to Moscow and Beijing.

An Arab League diplomat announced on Wednesday that U.N.-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi would head for Damascus on Thursday and meet with Syrian President Bashar Assad the following day, but gave no further details.

The international envoy, replacing former U.N. chief Kofi Annan who quit in August over U.N. Security Council divisions on the conflict that has gripped Syria for nearly 18 months, kicked off his peace mission with talks in Cairo.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri urged Hizbullah on Wednesday to stop sending fighters to Syria and stressed the need for the international community, led by France, to take action on Syria.

“We don't accept for any Lebanese to fight alongside the crimes” committed by the Syrian regime, Hariri said following talks with French President Francois Hollande at the Elysee Palace.

Military Tribunal Judge Saqr Saqr charged on Wednesday eight people, including a Syrian officer, with kidnapping Syrian opposition members in Tripoli in order to transport them back to their country.

Five of the suspects have already been arrested, while the rest remain at large.