Israel is providing humanitarian aid to Syrian civilians caught up in fighting between President Bashar al-Assad's forces and rebels near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, its defence minister said on Tuesday. Israel has not publicly taken sides in the 2-1/2-year-old conflict in...

The much-anticipated "Geneva II" Syrian peace talks might not be held in Geneva due to insufficient hotel availability, UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said in an interview broadcast Tuesday. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon finally set a date last week for the peace conference,...

  Fire by snipers loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is blocking efforts to evacuate 12 Syrian and Lebanese Orthodox nuns from their convent in the town of Maalula, which was overrun by rebels on Monday, Al Arabiya News Channel reported Tuesday, citing rebel sources....

   An international watchdog group says its annual survey shows the most violent nations in the Middle East are perceived to be the region’s most corrupt and are getting worse.   Transparency International’s 2013 Corruption Perceptions Index ranks...