(The Wall Street Journal)- The Obama administration pursued secret communications with elements of Syria’s regime over several years in a failed attempt to limit violence and get President Bashar al-Assad to relinquish power, according to U.S. and Arab officials. Early on, the U.S....

(Zaman Al Wasl)- At least 20 civilians, including 8 children and 2 women, have been killed and dozens wounded in  the regime's vacuum missiles fired into a local marketplace in Damascus suburbs, local media center and monitoring group said Thursday. Douma Media Center said the death tool...

A close adviser to Syrian President Bashar al Assad said on Wednesday Damascus was ready to join U.N.-sponsored peace talks with its position bolstered by both Russian backing and the West's retreat from a hardline anti-Assad approach. Bouthaina Shaaban said her government...

Amnesty International said on Wednesday that nearly three months of Russian air raids in Syria have killed hundreds of civilians, many in targeted strikes that could constitute war crimes. Some strikes "appear to have directly attacked civilians or civilian objects by striking...