For almost 10 years, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has presided over a country that has been brought bitterly to its knees. More than half a million people have died and more than half of its 17 million population has been displaced, while the number of those rendered disabled disappeared...

A major non-profit health emergencies group has set up a global laboratory network to assess data from potential COVID-19 vaccines, allowing scientists and drugmakers to compare them and speed up selection of the most effective shots. Speaking to Reuters ahead of announcing the labs...

Saudi Arabia will reopen the Muslim holy places for the year-round umrah pilgrimage Sunday, scaled back and with extensive health precautions, seven months after coronavirus prompted its suspension. The umrah, the pilgrimage that can be undertaken at any time, usually attracts millions of...

 Kuwait's new emir has big shoes to fill and formidable issues to deal with -- balancing relations with regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran, steering the economy through crisis, and selecting a new crown prince. The hot topic of whether to establish ties with Israel, and how to...