Bashar al-Assad, once seen as a reformer but viewed by his many foes as a tyrant after a decade of war and repression, looks set to extend his family's dynastic rule of Syria further with an election on Wednesday. Branded "an animal" by the United States for gassing his people and a...

Campaign posters for Bashar al-Assad line the streets of Damascus, alongside those for two obscure rivals, but no one really doubts that Wednesday's election will extend his presidency despite 10 years of war that has left Syria in ruins. Ruled by his family for five decades, Syria is now...

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) officially withdrew from its initiative to mediate in a dispute over Sudan's border with Ethiopia, Saudi media reported on Monday. The UAE assured the Khartoum administration that it will respect Sudan's position in the crisis, Saudi-based Asharq news...

 A few hours after the latest cease-fire took effect in the Gaza Strip, a number of Palestinian journalists in the coastal enclave found they were blocked from accessing WhatsApp messenger — a crucial tool used to communicate with sources, editors and the world beyond the blockaded...