Sunni Muslim fighters clashed on Thursday with Iraqi troops trying to regain control of two western cities, in a serious escalation of their confrontation with the Shi'ite-led government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Tension has been running high in the Sunni-dominated province of...

Amid a corruption scandal that has called into question the independence of the judiciary in Turkey, President Abdullah Gul is urging his country to respect the rule of law. In a statement marking the new year, Gul noted "a tough year for both our country and the world."...

 Jordan takes over the U.N. Security Council presidency on Wednesday, the first day of its two-year stint on a 15-nation body struggling to cope with conflicts in Syria, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Mali and elsewhere. Jordan will join Chad, Chile, Lithuania and Nigeria...

  At least 70 journalists were killed on the job around the world in 2013, including 29 who died covering the civil war in Syria and 10 slain in Iraq, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. The dead in Syria included a number of citizen...