A close adviser to Syrian President Bashar al Assad said on Wednesday Damascus was ready to join U.N.-sponsored peace talks with its position bolstered by both Russian backing and the West's retreat from a hardline anti-Assad approach. Bouthaina Shaaban said her government...

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Media activists of the besieged Moadamiyet al-Sham town, western Damascus, said regime forces have shelled the town with 60 mortar rounds and 7 barrel bombs on Wednesday, hours after 10 people killed in regime's sarin gas attack. Moadamiyet al-Sham, also known as Moadamiya,...

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Rebel-held areas of the central province of Homs have been under fierce aerial and ground shelling for the sixth day, activists said Wednesday as 11 people have been killed in the recent 48 hours. Early Wednesday, Syrian regime warplanes carried out four air strikes on...

(Bloomberg- Josh Rogin)- Early this year, a former top White House official secretly went to Damascus and met with leaders of the Syrian regime. The visit is part of a broader effort by the Syrian government to reach out to Washington’s power brokers and gain influence. The...