(BBC)- The Syrian jihadist group Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (JFS), known as al-Nusra Front until it broke off formal ties with al-Qaeda last July, has merged with four smaller Syrian factions and rebranded itself as "Tahrir al-Sham". The new group's leader has been named as Hashim al-Sheikh, who...

By Ali Eid (Zaman al-Wasl)- During a prisoner swap on the outskirts of Hama, Rasha Sharbaji from Daraya was released few days ago. Rasha spent around three years in Assad prisons. She was a mother of three children before she was detained and became mother of five. She had a twin in the...

Western-backed Syrian forces should isolate Islamic State's de facto capital in Syria "by the spring" before an offensive on the city itself, British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said on Saturday. The Syrian Democratic Forces, which includes the powerful Syrian Kurdish YPG militia,...

Iran's supreme leader said on Saturday the United States and Western powers are regarded with suspicion in the Middle East because of their interference, but that Sweden has a good name among Iranians and is seen as a reputable economic partner. Iran has had relatively good relations with...