Russia has given rebels a draft version of a new constitution for Syria drawn up by Moscow to speed up political negotiations to end the conflict, the Kremlin's envoy said Tuesday. "We have handed the Syrian armed opposition a draft constitution of Syria prepared by Russian specialists for...

The head of the Russian delegation at Syrian talks in the Kazakh capital Astana said on Tuesday the negotiations had been positive and that he believed a new process had been born to kickstart negotiations between warring Syrian parties. "Despite a lot of time spent on agreeing the...

The United Nations said on Tuesday it will need a total of $8 billion this year to provide life-saving assistance to millions of Syrians inside their shattered homeland and to refugees and their host communities in neighboring countries. The first part, a $4.63 billion appeal for 5 million...

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Tuesday he hoped Syrian truce negotiations in Kazakhstan would be successful and lead to a resumption of peace efforts in Geneva. Speaking at news conference on a visit to Saudi Arabia, he added that the new U.S. administration of President...

 Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov on Tuesday confirmed that troops from the mainly Muslim Caucasus region were serving as Russian military police in the war-torn Syrian city of Aleppo. Kadyrov wrote on Instagram that MP Adam Delimkhanov and Chechnya's chief mufti, Salakho-Khadzhi...

Russia, Turkey and Iran on Tuesday were working on a statement to reaffirm a fragile ceasefire between Syrian warring parties that could agree to establishing a mechanism to observe its compliance and pave the way for a U.N.-led peace settlement. Delegations from the Syrian government...

(The Guardian)- James Mattis, the new US defence secretary, has reassured his British counterpart that Washington has an “unshakeable commitment” to Nato, despite Donald Trump previously casting the military alliance as obsolete. During a phone call with Michael Fallon on his first full day...

The talks on Syria in Astana involving the delegations of the regime and the opposition, Russia, Turkey, Iran, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and US Ambassador to Kazakhstan George Krol acting as an observer entered their second day on Tuesday. The Syrian regime and the...

President Enrique Pena Nieto on Monday outlined a new foreign policy plan that would redefine the country’s relationship with the U.S. and to seek new trade partnerships with other countries after Washington withdrew from a multinational trade deal. “It's clear that the U.S. has a new vision...

The Pentagon on Monday denied that it had coordinated air strikes with Russia in Syria, after Russia's defense ministry said the United States had provided coordinates for Islamic State militants. The Russian defense ministry said the Russian military had received coordinates of Islamic...

A 21-year-old man arrested in Germany on suspicion of planning an Islamist attack has admitted links to a man being held by the Austrian police for the same reason, German investigators said on Monday. Police in Vienna said they would remain on high alert until they could rule out that...

(The Guardian)- Indirect talks between Syrian rebel factions and government representatives have opened in Kazakhstan, as Russia takes on the role of Middle East power broker. The meetings, scheduled to last two days at a luxury hotel in the Kazakh capital, Astana, will focus on how to...

The new U.S. administration must fully understand the importance of the "one China" policy and appreciate that the issue of Taiwan is highly sensitive for the Beijing government, China said on Monday. U.S. President Donald Trump, who was inaugurated on Friday, said in December the United...

Businesses around the world bearing U.S. President Donald Trump's name face an increased risk now that he is in the White House, security experts warn, especially as several are in areas previously targeted by violence. As Trump remains a brand overseas, criminal gangs or militants could...

Iran's official news agency says search teams have found four more bodies of victims from last week's deadly building collapse in Tehran. IRNA's report on Monday quotes Jalal Maleki, spokesman for the fire department, as saying the four bodies do not belong to any of the firefighters still...

The dollar slipped broadly on Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump struck a protectionist tone in his inauguration speech, offsetting optimism that he will follow through on promises of tax cuts and other stimulus. Japan's Nikkei dropped 1.1 percent while shares in Australia dropped 0.7...

(The Wall Street Journal)- Russia and Turkey, which for years have backed opposing sides in Syria’s civil war, say they will work to map the outlines of a peace agreement during negotiations this week, the first major test of whether the powers’ newfound cooperation can achieve a breakthrough to...

 A 23-year-old French man whom international authorities allege was a leading recruiter for ISIS has been arrested and given preliminary terrorism charges in France. A judicial official said Sunday that Kevin Guiavarch will remain in custody pending further investigation. Guiavarch...

A Syrian rebel group called on Russia to withstand pressure from Iran and the Syrian government to help ensure that a ceasefire agreed last month holds, the head of a delegation at peace talks told Reuters on Sunday. Mohammad Alloush said a failure by Moscow to end what the opposition...

At least 36 people were killed and 50 injured on Saturday night when nine coaches of a passenger train derailed in eastern India, in the latest disaster to hit the vast and accident-prone state railways, police said. The Hirakhand express train from Jagdalpur to Bhubaneswar derailed at...