The death toll from Saturday's air strikes on the Syrian city of Raqqa, de facto capital of the Islamic State group, has risen to 40 civilians, including eight children, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday. The group, which monitors the conflict in Syria through...

Islamic State militants kidnapped at least 400 civilians when they attacked government-held areas in the eastern Syrian city of Deir Ezzor on Saturday, a monitoring group said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday families of pro-government fighters were among...

International sanctions on Iran have been lifted after a watchdog confirmed it had complied with a deal designed to prevent it developing nuclear weapons. The EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said the deal would contribute to improved regional and international peace and...

Condemning Syria's "barbaric" sieges, the United Nations demanded Friday immediate access to besieged towns to deliver food, medicine and other life-saving aid to civilians facing starvation. "There can be no reason or rational, no explanation or excuse, for preventing aid from reaching...