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...

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are said to want two more children and are thinking of adopting a Syrian orphan from a refugee camp in Jordan. Prolific humanitarian Angelina is said to have made the decision in Jordan last week, and hopes the high-profile adoption would help raise awareness of...

The Assad army, backed by Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite group, declared victory over a second city in the central province of Homs, Al Arabiya television channel reported on Wednesday. The city was already under the regime control in most of it Activists said. The...

 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...