Syrian TV: Army breaks long rebel siege of Shiite villages
By BASSEM MROUE and JAMEY KEATEN Syrian troops and allied militiamen blasted their way into two Shiite villages in northern Syria on Wednesday, breaking a long-running rebel siege during a…
War and unrest
Israel’s Netanyahu warns Gaza militants against attacking
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned the Islamic militant group Hamas that rules Gaza on Sunday that his country will retaliate with “greater force” than deployed in the 2014 Gaza…
Iran says it flew drone over US aircraft carrier
By NASSER KARIMI and JON GAMBRELL Iran flew a surveillance drone over a U.S. aircraft carrier and took “precise” photographs of it as part of an ongoing naval drill, state…
Vatican says Iran now called on to combat terrorism.
By FRANCES D’EMILIO Pope Francis met with the Iranian president Tuesday, joining in a cordial discussion which touched on the recent nuclear accord and Iran’s role in the region. President…
AP Poll: Public doubts Washington’s problem-solving ability
By BILL BARROW and EMILY SWANSON As the first voting nears in the presidential race, most Americans have little to no confidence in the federal government to confront what they…
Militants kill 20 in assault on Pakistani university
By RIAZ KHAN and ZARAR KHAN Islamic militants stormed Pakistani university in northwestern Pakistan on Wednesday, killing at least 20 people and triggering an hours-long gunbattle with security forces in…
Islamic State’s double standards sow growing disillusion
By HAMZA HENDAWI Mohammed Saad, a Syrian activist, was imprisoned by the Islamic State group, hung by his arms and beaten regularly. Then one day, his jailers quickly pulled him…
IS claims Jakarta attacks that left 5 gunmen, 2 others dead
By NINIEK KARMINI and ALI KOTARUMALOS Attackers set off suicide bombs and exchanged gunfire outside a Starbucks cafe in Indonesia’s capital in a brazen assault Thursday that police said “imitated”…