Syrian Leader Bashar Assad

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Syria's leader Bashar al-Assad in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, as relations between Middle East states undergo a realignment.

France no longer sees the departure of President Bashar al-Assad as a priority in the Syrian conflict, President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday, making the policy official for the first time.The new French leader said instead that fighting jihadists such as the Islamic State group had to be the international community's number one goal in a conflict...

Police in southern Spain on Tuesday staged raids targeting assets of the family of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, a judicial source said.

US President Barack Obama and the leaders of Germany, Italy, Britain and France on Monday called on parties in the Syrian war to respect an agreement to cease hostilities and make peace talks work, the White House said in a statement.

President Vladimir Putin ordered the "main part" of Russia's military forces to begin withdrawing from Syria, saying it's completed its primary objectives after an almost six-month campaign.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke Wednesday with key players in the Syria conflict, including President Bashar Assad, ahead of a US-Russia-engineered cease-fire, as the opposition voiced concerns that the truce due to begin later this week will only benefit the Syrian government.

EU leaders will demand at a summit that Russia and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, its long-term ally, immediately halt attacks on moderate opposition groups and bolster peace efforts, a draft document said today.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said today it was premature to say whether Moscow would grant asylum to embattled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, who had made "many mistakes."

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will use talks in Moscow on Tuesday to try to narrow differences with Russian leader Vladimir Putin over the role of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in any political transition, a senior State Department official said on Monday.

Saudia Arabia's foreign minister insisted today that Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad should have no role in Syria's "future," adding there had been some progress in international talks on resolving the conflict.

The leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine meet in Paris today to consolidate a fragile peace in Ukraine, as Moscow now heavily engaged in the Syria conflict eyes relief from biting sanctions.

French President Francois Hollande said today that the "neutralisation" of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad was a pre-condition to resolving the crisis in the war-torn country.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu today rubbished suggestions that talks should be held with President Bashar al-Assad, saying negotiating with the Syrian leader was no different to shaking hands with Nazi tyrant Adolf Hitler.

President Barack Obama is expected to meet with the head of Syria's opposition council in the coming days, as the US weighs the possibility of more economic sanctions aimed at changing Syrian President Bashar Assad's calculus ahead of June elections.

Syria's opposition leader on Thursday laid out his demands for talks on ending the country's civil war, calling for the creation of a transitional government that does not include President Bashar al-Assad.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold talks with Syria's leader Bashar al-Assad in Moscow on Wednesday, the Kremlin said, as relations between Middle East states undergo a realignment.

France no longer sees the departure of President Bashar al-Assad as a priority in the Syrian conflict, President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday, making the policy official for the first time.The new French leader said instead that fighting jihadists such as the Islamic State group had to be the international community's number one goal in a conflict...

Police in southern Spain on Tuesday staged raids targeting assets of the family of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, a judicial source said.

US President Barack Obama and the leaders of Germany, Italy, Britain and France on Monday called on parties in the Syrian war to respect an agreement to cease hostilities and make peace talks work, the White House said in a statement.

President Vladimir Putin ordered the "main part" of Russia's military forces to begin withdrawing from Syria, saying it's completed its primary objectives after an almost six-month campaign.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke Wednesday with key players in the Syria conflict, including President Bashar Assad, ahead of a US-Russia-engineered cease-fire, as the opposition voiced concerns that the truce due to begin later this week will only benefit the Syrian government.

EU leaders will demand at a summit that Russia and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, its long-term ally, immediately halt attacks on moderate opposition groups and bolster peace efforts, a draft document said today.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said today it was premature to say whether Moscow would grant asylum to embattled Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, who had made "many mistakes."

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will use talks in Moscow on Tuesday to try to narrow differences with Russian leader Vladimir Putin over the role of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in any political transition, a senior State Department official said on Monday.

Saudia Arabia's foreign minister insisted today that Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad should have no role in Syria's "future," adding there had been some progress in international talks on resolving the conflict.

The leaders of France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine meet in Paris today to consolidate a fragile peace in Ukraine, as Moscow now heavily engaged in the Syria conflict eyes relief from biting sanctions.

French President Francois Hollande said today that the "neutralisation" of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad was a pre-condition to resolving the crisis in the war-torn country.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu today rubbished suggestions that talks should be held with President Bashar al-Assad, saying negotiating with the Syrian leader was no different to shaking hands with Nazi tyrant Adolf Hitler.

President Barack Obama is expected to meet with the head of Syria's opposition council in the coming days, as the US weighs the possibility of more economic sanctions aimed at changing Syrian President Bashar Assad's calculus ahead of June elections.

Syria's opposition leader on Thursday laid out his demands for talks on ending the country's civil war, calling for the creation of a transitional government that does not include President Bashar al-Assad.