(The Guardian)- The UN has hired scores of friends and political associates of Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, as part of its relief operation in the country, according to documents leaked to the Guardian. The staff lists show that relatives of high-ranking ministers have been on the...

Turkey expects to take delivery of its first Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) F-35A fighter jets in 2018 and has decided to order a second batch, the Undersecretariat for Defense Industries said on Friday. It did not say how many more of the fighter jets it planned to order but two U.S....

Syrian rebels launched a major assault Friday aimed at breaking a months-long siege of opposition-held districts of Aleppo, as regime ally Russia held off on renewed air strikes. The European Union said late Friday its top diplomat Federica Mogherini was heading to Iran and Saudi Arabia for...

(Middle East Eye)- A Russian fighter flew dangerously close to a US warplane over eastern Syria, US defence officials said on Friday, highlighting the risks of a serious mishap in the increasingly crowded airspace. The near miss occurred late on 17 October, when a Russian jet that was...