The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces took credit for defeating the Islamic State group in its last stronghold in eastern Syria, celebrating the victory in front of throngs of journalists at a ceremony in March following a bloody four-year war. But the Kurdish-led force now faces...

 Moscow does not plan to send more Russian military specialists to Venezuela, RIA news agency quoted Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov as saying Thursday. The Kremlin said in March that Russian military specialists are in Venezuela to service pre-existing contracts for the...

North Korea fired an unidentified projectile Thursday, South Korea's joint chiefs of staff said, less than a week after its leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test-firing of multiple rockets and missiles. The projectile was fired at about 4:30 p.m. (0730 GMT) from a location in North Korea's...

Three people were killed Thursday in a suspected hit-and-run attack by Daesh (ISIS) militants on a town in southern Libya, residents and a military official said, the second such attack within days. Gunmen stormed the town of Ghadwa, opened fire before retreating back into the desert,...

European powers said Thursday that they still backed the nuclear deal with Iran, but rejected any "ultimatums" from Tehran to keep it alive. "We reject any ultimatums and we will assess Iran's compliance on the basis of Iran's performance regarding its nuclear-related commitments" under a...

The Middle East's biggest airline, Emirates, says profits were down almost 70% in the past fiscal year, reaching lows of $237 million, compared to last year's whopping $762 million. The Dubai-based airline's parent company Emirates Group also posted lower profits at $631 million, down 44%...

The first tickets for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics went on sale on Thursday, with Japanese residents able to enter a lottery to watch the sport of their choice. Tickets for the 33 sports range from the cheapest general tickets at 2,500 yen ($23) to an eye-watering 300,000 yen ($2,730) for the...

With the eyes of the world on Washington for this week's high-stakes trade talks between China and the United States, none will be more focused than those of Chinese exporters who are increasingly worried about the impact of more tariffs. Companies shipping a range of products from seafood...

Venezuelan intelligence agents arrested on Wednesday a senior leader of the opposition-dominated National Assembly, in the latest action against lawmakers who joined a failed uprising against President Nicolas Maduro last month. Edgar Zambrano is deputy to National Assembly speaker Juan...

The recent military escalation in northwestern Syria in an "unacceptable violation of international law", EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said on Wednesday. "The recent military escalation in Northwester Syria, with air attacks and artillery shelling targeting schools and...

The U.N. Security Council will meet Friday to discuss the escalation of fighting in Syria's northwestern region of Idlib, where hospitals and schools have been hit by strikes, diplomats said. Belgium, Germany and Kuwait, three non-permanent council members, requested the closed-door meeting...

 In part of northern Syria's last rebel enclave, doctors have pulled back into cave shelters to treat the wounded and protect their patients from a government offensive that has hit health centers and hospitals. The assault began in late April with air strikes, barrel bombs and...

A lack of health funding in Gaza means 1,700 people shot by Israeli security forces may have to have amputations in the next two years, Jamie McGoldrick, the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for occupied Palestinian territory, told reporters Wednesday. McGoldrick said 29,000 Palestinians had...

The Iraqi judiciary has tried and sentenced more than 500 foreigners since the start of 2018 for joining Daesh (ISIS), the country's Supreme Court announced Wednesday. It said "514 verdicts were issued, for both men and women, while another 202 accused are still being interrogated and 44...

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday compared her Brexit battle with Brussels to Liverpool footballers' stirring Champions League comeback against Barcelona -- risking ridicule from the left-leaning city. The English club lost the first leg of the semi-final clash 3-0 in Spain...

A report by a US government commission has warned of "serious" security risks from Hong Kong's plan to allow extraditions to mainland China, which has sparked protests in the financial hub. The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, which was set up by Congress to advise on the...

Washington is counting on Middle East allies to help prevent its sanctions on Iran's oil exports from sending oil prices skyrocketing, but analysts warn that this could further destabilise the already precarious balance within OPEC. The US reimposed sanctions on Iran -- including its crude...

Sudanese protest leaders on Wednesday threatened to launch a nationwide campaign of civil disobedience after accusing the country's military rulers of delaying the transfer of power to a civilian administration. Thousands of people remain camped outside the military headquarters in Khartoum...

President Emmanuel Macron reiterated France's support for Libya's beleaguered Government of National Accord (GNA), after talks Wednesday with Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, the French presidency said in a statement. "In this context, a proposal was made for tracing a ceasefire line, under...

An escalation in attacks on northwest Syria has displaced more than 150,000 people in the past week, the UN said on Tuesday, as the regime and Russia stepped up bombardment. "We are alarmed by ongoing reports of aerial attacks on population centres and civilian infrastructure, resulting in...