At the entrance of a rural town in Lebanon's Bekaa valley, a blue sign says "Welcome to Bar Elias, population 50,000" but in the past six years, that number has more than doubled with Syrians seeking shelter from the war across the border. "They are our guests," said Mayor Mawas Araji. "But...

(The Guardian)- The graves of the children are easy to discern, little bumps on the ground squeezed in along the edges of the cemetery. A rectangle of four small concrete blocks is enough to encompass one child’s entire body. No names are carved in marble, just overgrown, withered...

Syria peace talks being hosted by the U.N. in Geneva have descended into bureaucratic wrangling since resuming this year, and even an optimist would struggle to conclude they are inching toward a settlement between the warring sides. But behind the scenes, the rumor mill has focused on one...

(The Guardian)- The number of Syrians who have fled their country has topped 5 million after six years of war, the UN’s refugee agency has said. UNHCR announced the milestone a year after participating countries at a Geneva conference pledged to “resettle and facilitate pathways for...