Syrian President Bashar al-Assad flew to Moscow on Tuesday evening to personally thank Russia's Vladimir Putin for his military support, in a surprise visit that underlined how Russia has become a major player in the Middle East. It was Assad's first foreign trip since the outbreak of...

UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned Israelis and Palestinians on Tuesday they were at a "dangerous abyss" and must act quickly to calm nearly three weeks of unrest before it spirals further out of control. The stark comments came as the UN secretary general made an unannounced visit to...

Turkey is ready to accept a political transition in Syria in which President Bashar Assad remains in symbolic power for six months before leaving office, two senior government officials said on Tuesday. "Work on a plan for Assad's departure is underway ... (Assad) can stay for six months and...

Rebels battling the Syrian army and its allies near Aleppo said on Monday they had received new supplies of U.S.-made anti-tank missiles from states opposed to President Bashar al-Assad since the start of a major government offensive last week. The rebels from three groups...