Islamic State group fighters seize around 2,000 civilians to use as "human shields" Friday as they fled their stronghold of Manbij in northern Syria, according to US-backed forces and a monitor.

Aid including one month's worth of food and medicine can reach for 40,000 people trapped in Madaya, a besieged Syrian village as early as Sunday morning, the World Food Programme says.

The Syrian government agrees to allow aid into the besieged rebel-held village of Madaya, the UN says, amid reports of residents starving to death.

Germany's parliament votes to send military support to the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria.

Forget principles and morality. Forget, or try to forget, the quarter-million deaths for which Bashar al-Assad is responsible, directly or indirectly, since choosing to respond with violence to a peaceful uprising of the Syrian people.

The recent turmoil in Syria proves that the country has turned into a hot zone for international politics thanks to the dual role of the world's decisive countries.

The fortunes of President Bashar al-Assad, and the possibility of peace in the region, have suffered many setbacks, and they face so ...