Middle Orient

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Monday on the Syrian regime to hand over control of its chemical weapons arsenal to international supervision as a way of staving off the threat of military action.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has told a US broadcaster there is “no evidence” that his government has used chemical weapons. US Secretary of State John Kerry has been lobbying hard for military action against Mr Assad during talks with EU and Arab foreign ministers in Europe.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius downplayed importance of obtaining commitments from Europe with regard to possible military participation against Syria, but praised increased political support to confront the Bashar Al-Assad’s regime.

Russian and Syrian foreign ministers say they will push for the return of United Nations inspectors to Syria to continue their probe into the use of chemical weapons. Lavrov said after Monday’s talks with his Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moallem

Lebanon is preparing itself for all eventualities, including a possible closure of Beirut’s airport, to cope with the repercussions of a potential U.S.-led military strike on Syria as officials scrambled Sunday to reassure foreign diplomats about their safety.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said on Monday that Syria could prevent a military attack if President Bashar al-Assad handed over all his chemical weapons to the international community within the next week but added that

Syrian troops launched an attack Monday on hills overlooking a Christian-majority village near the capital Damascus, two days after rebel forces captured the ancient community, an activist group said. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said fighters from the al-Qaida-affiliated Jabhat al-Nusra or Nusra Front and the Qalamon Liberation Front still control Maaloula, an ancient …

Cyprus said on Monday it would have no involvement of any kind in a potential U.S.-led strike on Syria, which lies about 100 km to its east. It would, however, be ready to offer assistance to third-country nationals evacuated from the Middle East, Cypriot government spokesman

US Secretary of State John Kerry will seek to rally EU support for military strikes against Syria after a G20 summit failed to resolve bitter divisions between Washington and Moscow. Kerry will press the case for punitive action against Syria after what the United States says was a chemical weapons …

France is urging the European Union to unanimously condemn a chemical weapons attack near Damascus and agree it was carried out by the Syrian regime, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius announced this morning.