French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said he hopes the five permanent members of the UN Security Council will be able to set a date on Friday for so-called Geneva 2 peace talks on the Syrian conflict.   The five - France, Britain, Russia, China and...

 In the photograph the two robed men stand shoulder-to-shoulder, one tall and erect, the other more heavyset. Both smile for the camera. The picture from Tehran is a rare record of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei meeting Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the head of Hezbollah, the...

U.N. chemical weapons inspectors in Syria  are investigating seven cases of alleged chemical or biological weapons use, including three incidents around Damascus after the August 21 attack which almost triggered U.S. air strikes. The inspectors expect to finalize their work...

 The Iraqi government is taking measures to provide accommodation, food and security for a surging number of displaced Syrians in that country.   Iraq has received 210,000 Syrian refugees so far, a sudden increase from 160,000 just over a...