Syrian troops backed by war planes battled on Monday to dislodge Islamist rebels from a border crossing and northern town in the coastal province of Latakia, heartland of President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite minority. Fighters from the Islamic Front and al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front...

Gebran Bassil, Lebanon's foreign minister, has warned of a "plot" to extend the stay of Syrian refugees sheltered in his country, with an aim to establish military blocs there. At least a million Syrians have sought asylum in neighbouring Lebanon as peaceful...

The United Nations peace mediator for Syria has said it is unlikely talks in Switzerland between the Syrian government and opposition will resume soon, Lebanon's state news agency reported on Monday. Lakhdar Brahimi mediated two rounds of talks in Geneva this year but failed to bring...

The head of the organization overseeing the destruction of Syria's chemical weapons stockpile said he still hoped Damascus could meet a final deadline of June 30 but it might miss that target. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government agreed to destroy its chemical weapons...