Syrian regime forces encircled a key rebel area northwest of Damascus Thursday that serves as the capital's main water supply, a monitoring group said. Clashes have rocked the Wadi Barada region for more than a month, despite a fragile nationwide truce aimed at smoothing the way for...

Saudi Arabia's government should end the kingdom's ban on women driving and reform the male guardianship system, a United Nations independent expert said Thursday. Philip Alston spoke at the end of a 12-day visit during which he met cabinet ministers, people living in poverty, activists,...

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said he believed Russian-backed peace talks in Kazakhstan aimed to produce local "reconciliation" agreements with rebel groups whereby they would give up their weapons and receive a government pardon. Assad said in an interview with a Japanese TV station that...

(Financial Times)- When the Syrian government and rebels meet in Kazakhstan next week, the chances of the warring parties agreeing on a political solution to end their near six-year conflict will be slim. But for Moscow, the main sponsor of the talks, one crucial thing has already been...