Syria’s former defense minister Mustafa Tlass, a close friend of President Bashar Assad’s father and predecessor Hafez, died in Paris Tuesday, his son Firas said. He was 85. Tlass, whose other son Manaf was among the most high-profile regime officials to defect during the early days of...

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday that global trade was not a zero-sum game and that she would seek to establish a rules-based commerce system that benefits all, striking a compromising tone before a G20 summit next week. Merkel, who will host leaders of the G20 leading...

Three Syrians went on trial in Germany on Tuesday, accused of human trafficking after a boat that they allegedly used to smuggle people to Europe capsized and killed 13 people. The case was heard by a court in the southern German state of Bavaria, the residence of one of the three accused...

( Al-Monitor )- Turkey supposedly ended Operation Euphrates Shield, its military mission in northern Syria, March 29. But instead of withdrawing its troops, Ankara actually expanded its military activities between Azaz and al-Bab. It's becoming increasingly clear that Turkey has a new plan for...