The Washington Post stepped up a campaign for the release of its jailed reporter in Iran, Jason Rezaian, on Wednesday, appealing to the U.N. Human Rights Council to help secure his release after a year of what it called "arbitrary" detention. The newspaper filed a petition with...

Syrian rebels on Wednesday took two checkpoints in Zabadani city after fierce clashes with Syrian regime army and its allied Shiite militia Hezbollah, activists told Zaman al-Wasl. Activist Anas al-Qalamouni said rebels had seized control of al-Moura and al-Karazat checkpoints as well...

Kurdish militants claimed responsibility for the assassination on Wednesday of two Turkish police officers in what they said was retaliation for a suspected Islamic State suicide bombing which killed 32 mostly young students. The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) said in a statement...

The United Nations envoy for Syria has voiced deep concern about civilians in the city of Zabadani, the focus of an offensive by the Syrian military and Lebanon's Hezbollah aimed at wresting control of the area from insurgents. Citing local sources in a statement late on...