DAMASCUS: Israel and Syria are in direct contact and have in recent weeks held face-to-face meetings aimed at calming tensions and preventing conflict in the border region between the two longtime foes, five people familiar with the matter said. The contacts mark a significant development...

In a country exhausted by war and poverty, citizens are emerging from the oppression of the Assad regime—and are using metal detectors. Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December, residents of Damascus have noticed new faces roaming the streets at night, their owners carrying...

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Monday that Israel’s recent attacks on Gaza are taking a humanitarian toll on civilians that can no longer be justified as a fight against terrorism. “Harming the civilian population to such an extent, as has increasingly been the case in recent...

Türkiye is seeking to establish an airbase and a naval base in Syria to “bolster counter-terrorism efforts, especially in the fight against ISIS,” revealed media close to the Turkish government. Security sources said the armed forces are determined to set up the two bases as part of a...