Turkish and Kuwaiti charities on Wednesday distributed humanitarian aid to Syrian children and women.  Istanbul-based Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) and Sama distributed school bags, stationery and toys to hundreds of children in the displaced persons camps in Syria's...

The United Nations Security Council is due to vote on Thursday on rival draft resolutions that call for a truce in northwest Syria after Russia and China put forward their own text in response to a proposal by Kuwait, Germany and Belgium. Syria's northwest corner, including the Idlib...

A fresh appeal for the release of jailed media mogul Nabil Karoui who has a reached a runoff in Tunisia's presidential polls was turned down on Wednesday, his lawyer said. "The judge has refused to give a ruling, saying it was not in his jurisdiction," Kamel Ben Messoud told AFP, after...

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says a long-sought agreement has been reached on the composition of a committee to draft a new constitution for Syria. The U.N. chief told reporters Wednesday that U.N. special envoy Geir Pedersen "is doing the final work with the parties in...

The Palestinians are prepared to engage in dialogue with any future Israeli leader, Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said Wednesday in Oslo, the day after general elections in Israel ended in deadlock. "Whoever will be able to form a government, we are ready to sit with him or her in order...

After living and crooning for years in Las Vegas, French-Canadian superstar Celine Dion has returned home to Quebec to kick off her first world tour in a decade on Wednesday. At 51, the Grammy winner also recently announced the release of a new album entitled "Courage," which will be her...

 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to win a ruling majority in an election that produced a virtual tie between his right-wing bloc and a center-left grouping that would be led by former military chief Benny Gantz. The outcome, according to almost complete results...

 U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he had ordered his Treasury Secretary to “substantially increase sanctions” imposed on Iran, in the wake of an attack on Saudi oil facilities that some U.S. officials have blamed on Tehran. He did not give details on the move and Tehran...

A Moscow court freed an opposition protester from custody on Wednesday, as school teachers and Orthodox priests told authorities to rein in a crackdown following the biggest anti-Kremlin protests in the capital for years. The court released Aidar Gubaydulin, who faced years in jail for...

The United States wants to build a coalition of European and Arab partners to deter Iran after an attack on Saudi Arabia that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described on Wednesday as “an act of war” against the world’s top oil exporter. “This is an attack of a scale we’ve just not seen...

A 22-year-old from Minneapolis who is jailed in northern Syria says was recruited to join ISIS on Twitter when he was just 18 years old. Abdelhamid Al-Madioum, a naturalized US citizen, told CBS News his story from a prison run by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Al-Madioum...

Saudi Arabia alleged Wednesday that Iranian cruise missiles and drones attacked the heart of the kingdom's oil industry, showing journalists the remains of the weapons while stopping short of directly accusing Iran of launching the assault. Saudi military spokeperson Col. Turki al-Malki...

Germany has decided to extend an embargo on exporting weapons to Saudi Arabia by another six months, a spokesperson for the German government said Wednesday. "Until March 31, 2020 no applications [for arms exports] to Saudi Arabia will be approved," the spokesperson said. German...

Yemen's Houthi group, which claims it was behind the weekend attack on Saudi oil facilities, said Wednesday it has dozens of sites located in the United Arab Emirates listed as possible targets for attacks. A military spokesperson of the Iran-aligned organization said the Houthis have new...

Algeria's military has ordered police to block protesters from outside the capital entering Algiers, the army chief said Wednesday, taking a tougher line after months of mass anti-regime rallies and ahead of December elections to fill a presidential vacuum. "I have instructed the national...

Facebook  unveiled new models of its Portal video chatting devices on Wednesday, making the company’s first foray into TV streaming hardware but offering a limited selection of subscription services. The launch comes as Facebook is trying to pivot toward more private forms of...

Russia’s Ministry of Defense on Wednesday accused the U.S. of escalating the situation in Syria to justify its presence in the country.  "The U.S. and its allies are indifferent to the fate of ordinary Syrians. The Americans need hotbeds of tension in Syria only to justify their...

A Turkish court ruled Wednesday that a US consular staffer would remain in jail while his espionage trial continued, in a case that has added to tensions with Washington. Metin Topuz, a Turkish citizen and liaison for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), was arrested in 2017....

Twenty Yemeni pupils listen to their teacher with textbooks balanced in their laps as they sit under trees in their southern village, where the school building remains unfinished. In war-torn Yemen, the students of Al-Kashar began a new school term without a building, tables or chairs....

Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday urged voters to give his Socialist party a clear majority in a repeat general election in November, so they could tackle the country's economic and political challenges. Sanchez late on Tuesday announced that Spain would return to the...