Bashar al-Assad, once seen as a reformer but viewed by his many foes as a tyrant after a decade of war and repression, looks set to extend his family's dynastic rule of Syria further with an election on Wednesday. Branded "an animal" by the United States for gassing his people and a...

The Emirates Red Crescent has launched the first phase of a vaccination programme for Syrian refugees in Jordan. It aims to vaccinate 12,000 refugees in the Emirati-Jordanian camp of Mrajeeb Al Fhood, as well as the camps of Zaatari, Al Azraq and Al Hadiqa, state news agency Wam reported on...

Campaign posters for Bashar al-Assad line the streets of Damascus, alongside those for two obscure rivals, but no one really doubts that Wednesday's election will extend his presidency despite 10 years of war that has left Syria in ruins. Ruled by his family for five decades, Syria is now...

 A few hours after the latest cease-fire took effect in the Gaza Strip, a number of Palestinian journalists in the coastal enclave found they were blocked from accessing WhatsApp messenger — a crucial tool used to communicate with sources, editors and the world beyond the blockaded...