German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday that arming Syrian rebels is a bad idea, and parliamentary leaders ought to think long and hard before acting. “The risks would be incalculable,” she said in an address to Parliament, The Associated Press reported. Ms. Merkel also...

President Mohamed Mursi offered opponents a say on Wednesday in amending a controversial new constitution and a forum to seek "national reconciliation", as he sought to avert a violent showdown in the streets. In a televised address lasting more than two and a half hours, the Islamist...

 Russia has evacuated all military personnel from its small naval base in Syria, Russian news organizations reported Wednesday. The base, at Tartus on the Mediterranean, has been Russia’s only foothold in the Middle East. Although it is a minor facility, its importance has...

Susan Rice has called the UN Security Council's inaction on the Syrian war "a stain" on the body, in final remarks as US ambassador to the organisation. She criticised Russia and China for vetoing three resolutions that would have increased pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad....