AFP, ALEPPO: More than 300 civilians have been killed in a three-week surge of fighting and bombardment in Syria’s devastated Aleppo city, a monitoring group said on Saturday. The battle for Syria’s second city has killed 333 civilians since July 31, when rebels launched a major push to…

AFP, HASAKEH, Syria: Syrian government warplanes were in the air again Saturday over the flashpoint northeastern city of Hasakeh, despite a US warning against new strikes that might endanger its military advisers. In another escalation of the five-year war, regime planes this week bombarded positions…

AFP, TRIPOLI: The UN used World Humanitarian Day on Friday to plead for help for Libya, saying millions of Libyans and migrants were engulfed in a worsening crisis. “More than 2.4 million people in Libya are in need of humanitarian assistance,” Martin Kobler, the UN secretary-general’s…

AFP, ANKARA: The Turkish parliament approved a deal to normalise ties with Israel after a delay caused by last month’s attempted coup, state-run media reported Saturday. Lawmakers ratified late Friday the agreement to restore relations between the two former close regional allies after a six-year…

AFP, PONTOISE, France: One of the jihadists who murdered a French priest in July was buried in a Paris suburb, where his family owns a crypt, a local official said on Saturday. Adel Kermiche, 19, was shot dead by French police after he and another assailant attacked a church on July 26 in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvroy…

AFP, LONDON: The ban on the Islamic burkini swimsuit on some French beaches has triggered disdain in English-speaking countries, where outlawing religion-oriented clothing is seen as hampering integration. Newspaper commentators have condemned the ban as an absurdity, and one questioned how a burkini…

AFP, MANILA: The Philippine government and communist guerrillas have agreed to ceasefires from Sunday, both sides said, ahead of crucial peace talks next…