(Middle East Institute)- While much ink has been spilled about how Iran’s involvement in the Syrian civil war has fueled sectarianism and instability in the Arab world, the implications of Iran’s increasing recruitment of Afghan and Pakistani Shiites on security and stability in South Asia have...

(Zaman Al Wasl)- The local council of al-Tall local city north of Damascus has been accused of imposing royalties on displaced people and residents, activists said. Local activists, in statement post online, warned the council members of the dangerous consequences of them imposing what they...

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Residents of the Syrian capital have been living under constant fear of violent robberies and theft. They fear thieves can enter their houses anytime due to continued electricity outage. According to the “Syrian Days” pro-regime website, instances of violent theft have become...

  (Zaman Al Wasl)- Three children were killed Wednesday when an ISIS landmine set off in western Raqqa as the Kurdish-led forces step up offensive against ISIS near the group's self-proclaimed capital, sources said. One more child was wounded due in the explosion of al-Mahmoudely village...

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Within the series of revealing informers and agents inside the revolutionary forces, Zaman al-Wasl reveals another informer who cooperate with the security branches in Jisr al-Shughour since the beginning of the Syrian revolution. In details, a phone call between an...

President Barack Obama said Wednesday it was in America's interest to have "constructive" ties with Russia, but admitted the relationship had reverted to an "adversarial spirit" when Vladimir Putin regained the presidency. "I think it's in America's interest and the world's interest that we...

 Al Mourabitoun, a group linked to Al-Qaeda's North African affiliate, claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Mali that killed at least 42 people and injured more than 100 others Wednesday, according to the Mauritanian news agency Alakhbar. Al Mourabitoun, led by veteran...

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Syrian regime’s security warned of imminent attack by Syrian resistance to regain control on the mountainous Jabal al-Akrad region in Latakia province, sources reported. Special sources reported to Zaman al-Wasl that the security committee in the coastal city of Latakia has...

Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed peacemaking efforts in Ukraine and Syria during a conference call on Wednesday, a Kremlin statement said. It said Putin informed his counterparts about preparations for...

Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has made an unannounced trip to Syria, traveling to the region two months after she sat down with President-elect Donald Trump to discuss foreign policy. The Hawaii congresswoman has frequently challenged President Barack Obama on national security issues. In...

Iraqi forces have "fully liberated" eastern Mosul from the Daesh terrorist group, Iraq’s army-affiliated counter-terrorism forces announced Wednesday. "Our forces have established total control over eastern Mosul," Lieutenant-General Talib Shaghati, a top commander of the army’s...

(The Wall Street Journal)- The White House conceded on Tuesday that President Barack Obama will not succeed in his efforts to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, before leaving office, removing the option of taking executive action to achieve one of his earliest campaign...

The attacks in Turkey came in rapid succession: twin bombs at a stadium, a Russian diplomat’s murder and then, just a few days later, a mass shooting at an Istanbul nightclub on New Year’s Eve. The assaults, carried out over a three-week period beginning in December, were a stark...

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday Russian war planes had joined forces with Turkish jets to target ISIS militants holding the town of al-Bab around 40 km (25 miles) northeast of Aleppo. Lieutenant-General Sergei Rudskoi, a senior Russian Defense Ministry official, said in...

One of Syria's strongest rebel factions, the conservative Islamist Ahrar al-Sham group, said on Wednesday it will not attend peace talks to be held in Kazakhstan on Jan. 23. Several other leading rebel groups decided on Monday that they would be at the talks, which will be attended by the...

Iran and Saudi Arabia should be able to work together to help end conflicts in Syria and Yemen, after successfully cooperating over Lebanon last year, Iran's foreign minister said. "I do not see any reason why Iran and Saudi Arabia should have hostile policies towards each other. We can in...

There is no solving the conflict in Syria without Turkey, a Middle East political analyst told Anadolu Agency. "All the supporters of the fighters on the ground in Syria are somehow [geographically] distant from Syria. They can withdraw their jets anytime and stop financing the groups they...

Iraqi forces have fully retaken east Mosul from the Islamic State group, a top commander said on Wednesday, three months after a huge offensive against the jihadist bastion was launched. Elite forces have in recent days entered the last neighbourhoods on the eastern side of Mosul, on the...

A 5.4 magnitude earthquake struck central Italy on Wednesday with the epicenter in an area covered by heavy snow which is struggling to recover from a string of deadly quakes last year. Monitors said the quake was around 5.4 magnitude. Tremors were felt across the Abruzzo, Lazio and Marche...

The participation of Saudi Arabia and Qatar in Syria talks will be discussed once they stop backing militancy, Syria's deputy foreign minister was quoted as saying on Wednesday, appearing to reject their attendance at forthcoming peace talks. "Once Qatar and Saudi Arabia halt their support...