Regime forces have seized dozens of towns and villages in northwest Syria from jihadists following days of violent clashes, fuelling an exodus of civilians, a war monitor said Sunday. The fresh advances in Idlib came as Russian warplanes continued to pummel the province's south,...

Prominent street leaders Sunday shunned an invitation by Lebanon's prime minister-designate to sit for talks over the formation of a new government, saying they are not ready to extend support. Debt-burdened Lebanon has been without a fully functioning government since former prime minister...

The death toll from storms that have battered Spain, Portugal and France rose to nine on Sunday as the region braced for more violent winds and heavy rain. Storms Elsa and Fabien have flooded rivers, brought down power lines, uprooted trees and disrupted rail and air travel across the...

Sudan has opened an investigation into crimes committed in the Darfur region by members of the regime of ousted former president Omar al-Bashir, the state prosecutor said Sunday. The conflict between pro-government forces and ethnic minority rebels left around 300,000 people dead and 2.5...

U.S. President Donald Trump has invited British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to visit him in the White House in the new year, British media reported on Sunday. Trump’s invitation was made after the British prime minister’s election win this month, The Sunday Times newspaper reported....

Kuwait’s oil minister said on Sunday he hoped Kuwait and Saudi Arabia will resolve the Neutral Zone issue by the end of 2019. The two countries halted output from the jointly-run oilfields- Khafji and Wafra - in the so-called Neutral Zone more than three years ago, cutting some 500,000...

 Egypt will reinstate the country's information ministry and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has put the prime minister directly in charge of the government's investment portfolio, in a cabinet reshuffle approved by parliament Sunday. Osama Haikal, who served as information minister...

Turkey will increase its military support to the internationally recognized government of Libya if necessary and it will evaluate ground, air and marine options, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday, after the two sides signed a military cooperation accord last month. Turkey backs Fayez...

Thin mattresses, children's toys, a gas heater: Abu Ismail packed a pick-up truck with scant belongings before fleeing a northwest Syria town nearly emptied of residents by recent regime attacks. "I don't know where I am going, if I will find a house for my family, or what will happen to...

Rafi Tabakian’s clothing store in a Beirut suburb is usually buzzing with customers during the holiday season, but with Lebanon’s economy in ruins, shoppers are in short supply. “We’ve been in business for 30 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said, adding that sales have...

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Sunday that Russia was prepared to include the heavy Sarmat missile and the Avangard hypersonic missile in a new START strategic arms reduction treaty, should it be extended, Interfax reported. Russia is also ready to demonstrate the Sarmat...

 French President Emmanuel Macron, whose plans to reform the pension system have run into fierce public opposition, will forego a special presidential pension payout when he eventually steps down, his office said Sunday. Under a law dating back to 1955, France's presidents are entitled...

Thousands took to the streets in Iraq's capital and across the south Sunday to protest against Iran's kingmaking influence as the latest deadline for choosing a new prime minister loomed. Anti-government rallies have rocked Baghdad and the Shiite-majority south since October 1, with...

Syria regime forces have seized dozens of towns and villages in northwest Syria from their jihadist rivals following days of violent clashes, a war monitor said Sunday. The fresh advances in Idlib province bring regime loyalists closer to capturing one of the largest urban centres in...

Hong Kong riot police broke up a solidarity rally for China's Uighurs on Sunday -- with one officer drawing a pistol -- as the city's pro-democracy movement likened their plight to that of the oppressed Muslim minority. The initially peaceful rally descended into chaos when a small group of...

Croatia went to the polls for a presidential vote Sunday that could weaken the ruling conservatives just as the country takes the helm of the European Union's rotating presidency. The pre-Christmas election, likely to be decided in a January 5 run-off, has evolved into a tight race between...

Following days of violent, sometimes deadly protests across India against a new citizenship law critics say discriminates against Muslims, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead a rally later Sunday for his Hindu nationalist party in the capital. New Delhi's state election early next year...

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un discussed strengthening his country's military capability with top military officials, state media reported Sunday, with Pyongyang's end-of-year deadline for the US to offer concessions approaching. The North promised an ominous "Christmas gift" earlier this...

Turkey's parliament approved a security and military cooperation deal with Libya's UN-recognised unity government based in Tripoli on Saturday. Oil-rich Libya has been mired in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi eight years ago. The North...

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani was on track to win a second term Sunday, after election officials announced he had scored a majority in the presidential polls. But despite Ghani's apparent clean win, the fallout from the bitterly contested September 28 election looked set to continue,...