A Republican U.S. senator touring the Middle East this week got access to Saudi royals that some in the State Department at times, lately, could only dream of. That includes a three-hour session ending at 3 a.m. with Prince Bandar bin Sultan, the kingdom’s intelligence chief and...

   Fighters linked to al-Qaeda have kidnapped and executed an Iraqi freelance cameraman working in northern Syria, the first foreign journalist killed by fighters in the rebel-held north, according to a press freedom watchdog.  The Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said...

A unit of Russian security forces is training to fight Islamist militants battling in Syria  on fears they may migrate from the Middle East conflict to join an insurgency in the North Caucasus, Chechnya's Kremlin-backed leader said. The Kremlin is worried that Russian-born...

Al-Qaeda main branch In Syria claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s suicide bombing in central Damascus, Jabhat al-Nusrah has confirmed in statement posted online. Activists reported 4 people have been killed and 17 others have been wounded on Tuesday after a...

The United States sees value in getting to know Islamist militias in Syria, in order to better understand their intentions in the civil war there and their possible links with al Qaeda, the top U.S. military officer said on Wednesday. General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the U.S. Joint...

  Jihadists in northern Syria have kidnapped more than 50 Kurds in the past three days, in the second such case of mass hostage-taking since July, a monitoring group said Thursday.   The kidnappings come months into major battles for control of several...

The head of the mission charged with destroying Syria's chemical weapons says preparations are on track to move the most dangerous chemical agents from sites in the war-torn country to the port of Latakia but there are serious security issues on key roads. Sigrid Kaag told reporters...

Syria's Islamic Front in a statement announced withdrawing from the Free Syrian Army’s Joint Chiefs of Staff over accusations to the Syrian Military Council (SMC) of affiliation to a political body in reference to the National Council. The statement came hours after an...

Syria’s National Coalition has appointed Dr. Osama Kadi as its executive director for Aid Coordination Unit, according to Zaman Alwasl.  F ew hours ago,  Kadi denied to Zaman the news of being the head of ACU instead of Suhair Attasi. The rumors came...

Schools principals of Syrian refugee camps in rebel-held areas demanded the education commission in the National Coalition to provide  curriculum . ''However, this request was ignored by the coalition,’’ Abdul Razzaq (preferred not to mention his last name), t eaching...

Hackers have stolen usernames and passwords for nearly two million accounts at Facebook, Google, Twitter, Yahoo and others, according to a report released this week. The massive data breach was a result of keylogging software maliciously installed on an untold number of computers...

The revolutionary council in Aleppo's Salah al-Din  has completed restoration of the neighborhood's mosque, which was badly affected by shelling of the Assad forces. Many holes happened in the ceiling, walls, sanctuary and the stand, only the outside square was the only...

The president of the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday accepted an invitation to visit Iran, the WAM state news agency said, as Tehran looks to mend ties with Gulf states. The Sunni monarchies of the Gulf, particularly Saudi Arabia, have long viewed Shiite Iran as a regional rival and...

The Pope has called on people to pray for a group of Orthodox nuns missing in Syria since Monday, December 2. During his weekly audience at St. Peter’s Square in Rome, Pope Francis said: “Now I would like to invite everyone to pray for the religious sisters of the Greek Orthodox...

Young Americans are unhappy with virtually every major thing President Barack Obama has done since he was re-elected, but they would still vote for him today, according to the results of a Harvard University survey released on Wednesday. The national poll by Harvard's Institute of...

Rocket fire against government-held areas of Syria's main northern city of Aleppo killed at least 18 people on Wednesday, a monitoring group said. Among the dead were "five regime troops, including an officer," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The attack on the Furqan...

Turkey’s popularity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has shrunk over last three years, with particular sharp drops among the Syrian and Egyptian public, a field study conducted by a Turkish think-tank says. While 78 percent of respondents in the 16 countries subject to the...

Economic consultant Dr. Osama Kadi denied the claims of being the new head of Aid Coordination Unit of the National Coalition, instead of Suhair Attasi, according to Zaman Alwasl reporter. The rumors came out amid news of termination of Atassi over corruption claims....

    Syria’s winter is forecast to be one of the harshest in years Within Syria, more than 4 million people are displaced — twice as many as last year — and an additional 6   million need life-saving aid. Their needs become far more intense when temperatures dip below...

Pro-Jihadis' websites posted online undated photo for Moroccan family purporting fighting in Syria; the Father appeared with his 5 rebel sons. Since 2011, large numbers of Muslims have gone to Syria to fight with the rebels.   The Syrian conflict began as a...