Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Moscow's goal in Syria was to "stabilize the legitimate authority" and strike a "decisive blow" against terrorism. "We have no plans to interfere in Syria's internal affairs," he told a group of naval officers returning from Syria, where...

Syria's state grain buyer has signed contracts with local traders for 1.2 million tonnes of Russian wheat, a government source said, the country's second attempt at a huge wheat deal since October as it tries to secure supplies of the food staple. "We have signed six contracts each for 200,000...

Iraqi forces on Thursday thrust into Mosul airport on the southern edge of the jihadist stronghold for the first time since the Islamic State group overran the region in 2014. Backed by jets, gunships and drones, forces blitzed their way across open areas south of Mosul and entered the...

A government official says Afghanistan is ready to seek United Nations sanctions against suspected terrorist networks and their supporters, a veiled reference to neighbor Pakistan - whom Kabul accuses of aiding Taliban insurgents, particularly the Haqqani network. At a conference Thursday,...