Syrian Kurdish groups and their allies said on Thursday they approved a blueprint for a system of federal government in northern Syria, reaffirming their plans for autonomy in areas they have controlled during the civil war. The blueprint amounts to a constitution, known as the social...

A nationwide ceasefire in Syria, brokered by Russia and Turkey, which back opposing sides in the conflict, came into force at midnight on Friday, local time, (2200 GMT on Thursday) in the latest attempt to end nearly six years of bloodshed. Russian President Vladimir Putin, a key ally of...

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Wednesday he was ready to resume peace efforts with Israel if it stopped settlement building, reacting to a major speech by US Secretary of State John Kerry. "The minute the Israeli government agrees to cease all settlement activities... and agrees to...

The presence of the PKK in the Sinjar region of Iraq is a “major obstacle to reconciliation” and the return of displaced people, the U.S. said Tuesday. “We believe that the PKK which is a U.S. designated terrorist organization should have no role in Sinjar,” State Department...