John Kerry arrives in Saudi Arabia to smooth ties --- America's top diplomat is expected to try to repair ties with a long-standing ally that have been frayed by the conflict in Syria and the recent US outreach to Iran. -- He first made an unscheduled stop in Egypt, where he called for an end to violence and a move to full democracy. -- Saudi Arabia is reportedly unhappy that peace talks over Syria could lead to an Iran-backed government in Damascus. -- Riyadh is also concerned about a US-Iran rapprochement over Tehran's nuclear programme. - BBC