The Pentagon announced the US currently has "approximately 2,000" troops in Syria, more than double the previously disclosed number of 900, a Defense Department spokesperson said at a press briefing on Thursday.
"There are diplomatic and operational (...)
US diplomats are in the Syrian capital Damascus where they plan to meet representatives from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group now in charge but which Washington still designates as a terrorist organization.
The visit follows those of (...)
Nearly three decades after being nominated for an Oscar, British actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste is back in the awards race thanks to a tremendous performance in director Mike Leigh's new drama, Hard Truths.
The 57-year-old jokes she feels "older and (...)
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said the British government has had "diplomatic contact" with the Syrian rebel group that toppled the Assad regime.
Lammy said Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) remains a proscribed terrorist organization, but the UK (...)
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed Saturday that American officials have been in direct contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group that led the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Speaking at a news conference in (...)
President Joe Biden has said the US will try to bring home one of the longest-held American hostages following the sudden collapse of the Syrian government.
Speaking at the White House, Biden said the US believes Austin Tice is alive, but they must (...)
Fianna Fáil has won the most seats in the Dáil (lower house of parliament) following the Republic of Ireland's general election.
It won 48 seats while Sinn Féin - the main opposition party in the last Dáil - won 39.
Fine Gael, which has been in (...)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant after months of clashes over domestic politics and Israel's war efforts.
In a recorded statement Tuesday evening, Netanyahu said that "trust between me and the (...)
US election officials have been responding to claims spreading online questioning the integrity of the vote, including one from Donald Trump alleging "massive cheating".
They have rejected some accusations of voting malpractice as well as clarifying (...)
The Biden administration has said that around 8,000 soldiers from North Korea are now in Russia near Ukraine's border and are preparing to help the Kremlin fight against Ukrainian troops in the coming days.
The new figure is a dramatic increase from (...)
Israel's parliament has voted to ban a nearly eight-decade-old United Nations agency that provides essential services for Palestinian refugees, a move that could have devastating consequences for millions of Palestinians living under Israeli (...)
An Israeli MP behind a bill that would prevent the main UN agency in Gaza and the West Bank from working in Israel has accused the US ambassador in Israel of lobbying opposition leaders to block the move.
If the bill passes in the Israeli (...)
Antony Blinken has told Israeli leaders that "much more needs to be done" to get humanitarian aid to civilians in besieged northern Gaza, raising possible consequences in US law if action isn't taken, a senior Biden administration official says.
On (...)
The US says it has carried out "precision strikes" against five weapons storage locations in areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthi movement.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said B-2 Spirit stealth bombers were part of the operation that targeted (...)
The US threatened Israel with cutting some military assistance if they do not boost humanitarian aid access to Gaza within 30 days.
The written warning from the Biden administration to Netanyahu's government is the strongest known formal caution (...)
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressed concern over Israel's recent attacks on UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) positions during a telephone call on Saturday with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The attacks, which took place in (...)
RIYADH — Minister of Defense Prince Khalid bin Salman held phone talks with United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday.
They reviewed the strategic Saudi-U.S. relationship and ways to enhance it within the framework of the defense (...)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the country's military to continue fighting with "full force" against the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, despite calls from the US and other allies for a ceasefire.
Lebanon's health ministry said (...)
Israel has made the safe return of residents to the north of the country an official war goal, the prime minister's office has said.
The decision was taken by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet late on Monday.
About 60,000 people (...)
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered two American carrier strike groups to remain in the Middle East on Sunday after intense cross-border fire between Israel and Hezbollah overnight.
The decision was detailed in a Pentagon readout of Austin's (...)
Lebanese group Hezbollah announced on Sunday that it had launched hundreds of rockets and drones deep into Israel as part of the "first phase" of its response to Tel Aviv's assassination of its senior commander, Fouad Shukr.
The announcement came (...)
The USS Abraham Lincoln strike group has arrived in the Middle East following a recent order from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, according to a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday.
"The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), equipped (...)
Israel and the United States are preparing for a potential Iranian attack on Israel, as efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza intensify ahead of the expected resumption of formal negotiations this week.
Mediators have urged Israel and Hamas to (...)
Iran has dismissed calls from the UK and other Western countries to refrain from retaliation against Israel for the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month.
Amid a flurry of international diplomacy to de-escalate tensions, UK (...)
Hamas has said that any resumption of ceasefire talks about the conflict in Gaza should be based on previous plans rather than holding new rounds of negotiations.
Last week, international mediators from Qatar, Egypt and the US urged Israel and Hamas (...)
