The death toll from devastating mudslides and floods that swept through a mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro state has reached 44, local authorities said Wednesday. The city of Petropolis was slammed by a deluge on Tuesday, and Mayor Rubens Bomtempo said the number of dead could rise as...

The U.N.'s special envoy for Syria said Wednesday he expects a committee representing the Syrian government and the opposition to resume talks next month over draft constitutional reforms. Geir Pedersen spoke to reporters in the capital of Damascus after he met with Syrian officials,...

Russia said Wednesday it was returning more troops and weapons to bases, yet another gesture apparently aimed at easing fears it is planning to invade Ukraine, even as the U.S. said the threat of an attack remained. Russia has massed about 150,000 troops east, north and south of Ukraine,...

A Syrian refugee was shot dead by a Lebanese robbery gang in the Central Bekaa Valley, one of the victim’s relatives told Zaman al-Wasl Tuesday. The gang pretended to be security officers when they broke into his house in al-Omariya town on Sunday but soon a quarrel erupted, and the gang...