A United Nations team observing Syria’s violence-ridden truce visited the restive Damascus suburb of Douma…  Activists and amateur videos reported shelling and gunfire in the area, a day after 55 people were purportedly killed across Syria – mostly in Hama, a city the monitors had visited the day before…  The Arab American Institute, based More »

A nearly two-week old U.N.-brokered ceasefire in Syria continued to fray Tuesday, amid reports of government shelling in the country’s third and fourth largest cities of Homs and Hama, despite visits to those areas by U.N. observers. A bomb blast was also reported in the center of Damascus. U.N. observers continued their mission to Syria’s More »

Syrian activists say government forces have killed at least 28 people in the city of Hama, one day after residents of the opposition hub welcomed several United Nations monitors sent to observe a shaky ceasefire in the country’s year-long conflict. The activists say Syrian security forces attacked Hama on Monday morning, shelling its Arbeen district, More »

The United States announces plans to impose technology sanctions on Syria and its ally, Iran, in light of the Syrian government’s continued brutal crack-down on dissent…  The United Nations Security Council is sending up to 300 unarmed observers to join the small advance team already on the ground in Syria…  The deadline for the More »

A small group of U.N. observers in Syria is visiting the Damascus suburb of Zabadani in hopes of solidifying a tenuous ceasefire that has failed to end 13 months of conflict. Neeraj Singh, a spokesman for the U.N.’s eight-member advance team in Syria, said the group will be joined by two additional observers on Monday. Meanwhile, More »

Attacks by Syrian government and rebel forces have killed at least 17 people across the country as a small U.N. team visited more towns to monitor a tenuous ceasefire that has failed to end 13 months of violent conflict. The Local Coordination Committees, a Syrian activist group, said Sunday’s deaths included six people in the More »

Sebastian Vettel wins the Grand Prix, the Bahrain secret police comes in second, government spin doctors – third, democracy retires with engine trouble – this is how one tweet summed up the results of this year’s prestigious race. Although hailed by many as a success, posts on social media have highlighted another side of the More »

Syrian activists say government soldiers backed by tanks have killed three people near Damascus, even as international envoy Kofi Annan called the U.N. Security Council’s decision to deploy 300 ceasefire monitors in Syria a “pivotal moment” for the country. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported shelling and heavy gunfire Sunday as forces loyal More »

Concerns that diplomatic efforts to end the violence in Syria will fall short — and the international community considers options; Bahrain protesters clash with security just days ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix and Turkey and Kurdish Iraq talk about trade and strengthening ties. But Syria’s crisis complicates things. Davin Hutchins guests More »

This is our ongoing coverage of the events surrounding this week's Bahrain Grand Prix Formula One race. Team bosses continue to insist the course is safe, but the Force India team skipped the second practice session so its people would not have to travel to their hotel after dark. An open letter declared support for the race and the Bahraini government, but thousands of protesters turned out in a rally against the race and the ruling family. Meanwhile, drivers continue to stay mostly close-mouthed about the political conflict, insisting on focusing on the race only.  More »

Two days ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix Formula 1 race in Bahrain, a group calling itself Citizens for Bahrain has written an open letter to the world, welcoming the fact that the planned race will go on as scheduled and expressing hope that “the worst is over” and criticizing anti-government protesters for “acts More »

Syrian activists report government forces are pounding a rebel-held section of the central city of Homs, the latest violence to grip a nation already losing its hold on an ever shakier cease-fire. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says Syrian forces are bombarding the Khaldiyeh neighborhood in Homs with mortar rounds, reporting explosions every More »

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for tough U.N. sanctions to be imposed on Syria if it fails to implement a U.N.-backed peace plan aimed at resolving the country’s year-long uprising. Kofi Annan’s Six-Point Peace Plan - A Syrian-led political process to address the aspirations and concerns of the Syrian people. - A U.N. supervised More »

The U.N. Security Council is considering a request from the secretary-general to deploy up to 300 monitors to Syria, as a week-old truce is tested by reports of escalating violence. In a letter to the Security Council on Wednesday night, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon proposed an initial deployment of up to 300 unarmed U.N. military observers More »

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told a congressional panel on Thursday that the Pentagon is providing “nonlethal aid” to the civilian-led opposition in Syria and that it is preparing additional measures if it becomes necessary to help protect the Syrian people. Amid concern from some members of the U.S. Congress that the United States might More »

Amid a ceasefire repeatedly marred by violence, Syria’s government and the United Nations have agreed on a plan for implementing the peace agreement brokered by U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan. A spokesman for Annan said Thursday the agreement outlines the role of an advance team of observers in Syria, as well as provisions for monitoring More »

The House Armed Services Committee held a hearing headlined “Recent Developments in the Middle East: The Security Situation in the Syrian Arab Republic.” Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee was Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey.  At the same time, Senator John Kerry presided More »

A U.S. House of Representatives committee is holding a hearing today headlined "Recent Developments in the Middle East: The Security Situation in the Syrian Arab Republic." Testifying before the House Armed Services Committee will be Defense Secretary Leon Panetta; and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Martin Dempsey. More »

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says Syria has yet to fully implement a ceasefire deal, but he is calling on the U.N. Security Council to authorize a three-month observer mission. In a letter to the president of the Security Council, Ban said President Bashar al-Assad’s government has not pulled back its troops and heavy weapons, More »