Gray is a dying town, its residents lament. Big businesses have moved away, taking jobs with them. Though it still lives up to its nickname "Gray la jolie," or "Gray the pretty," many stores now lie vacant, with fading "to rent" signs in their windows. But for one Syrian family, the...

Syria is prepared for "open battle" against insurgents in the province where Damascus has been allowing them to gather under ceasefire deals, said the government official in charge of negotiations that have seen rebels yield swathes of territory. The past year has seen President Bashar...

In Syria’s Wadi Barada valley, the six days since a nationwide cease-fire was declared have only brought more bombs. Residents say the bombs have rained down daily, deepening the misery caused by a government-imposed siege that has emptied market shelves and left residents relying on wood...

(BBC)- The Iraqi military says it has launched a new offensive aimed at re-capturing western towns near the Syrian border from the jihadist group Islamic State. The operation will involve army and federal police units, along with tribal fighters. Their main targets are the towns of...