The latest Gaza war is over, but its wreckage still litters the purple bedroom of 9-year-old Shrouq al-Masri and her 4-year-old sister, Razan. Their toys are coated with gray dust, the ceiling is bent and buckled, and the cracks in the walls slice through the cartoons that decorated...

For decades, Syria’s Republican Guard forces have been the last frontline of defence for the ruling Assad family in Damascus.  The Republican Guard forces, or the Presidential Guard, were founded in the early 1970s by Hafez al-Assad, as the first shield of his regime in...

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s defense minister on Monday distanced himself from comments made by his military chief after Israel bombed a Gaza Strip high-rise housing an Associated Press office and other news outlets, saying the remarks were not meant to be taken literally. In an article...

Naomi Osaka wrote on Twitter on Monday that “the best thing for the tournament” would be if she withdrew from the French Open, a dramatic turn of events for the four-time Grand Slam champion and former No. 1-ranked player. She had declared she would not speak to the media during Roland...