In a major diplomatic shift, US President Barack Obama has formally recognised Syria's main opposition group, who are fighting to topple embattled President Bashar al-Assad, as the sole 'legitimate representative' of Syrian people.
The United Nations has invited Iran to attend crucial Syria peace talks after it pledged to play a "positive and constructive role" but the surprise move provoked a pull-out threat from the Syrian opposition and caution from the US.
A reporter and a photographer working for a leading British newspaper have been badly beaten up in captivity by a rebel gang in war-torn Syria. Anthony Loyd and Jack Hill of The Times, were returning to Turkey from Aleppo when they were seized on Wednesday.
Syria has vehemently denied the use of chemical weapons in an attack on the eastern suburbs of Damascus, which the opposition Syrian National Coalition claimed killed 650 people.
The US and its allies must evolve a more comprehensive long-term plan to defeat the new danger that the caliphate poses to the world order. And India too must do its bit for course correction, says strategic expert Gurmeet Kanwal.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that whatever action is required in Syria should be under the UN framework, amid growing pressure on US President Barack Obama from his Russian counterpart and other world leaders not to attack the Arab country.
A dozen Turkish tanks have rolled across the Syrian border to clear a town of Islamic State militants.
United States President Barack Obama has signed into law the $618 billion defence budget for 2017, which enhances security cooperation with India and conditions nearly half of the funding to Pakistan on a certification that it is taking demonstrable steps against the Haqqani Network.
Obama asks Congress to grant war powers; vows defeat of Islamic State.
The US, in coordination with allies and partners, continued to forcefully respond to Russia's "unjustified, unprovoked and premeditated" invasion of Ukraine by imposing sanctions on Putin and Lavrov.
United States President Barack Obama will convene a meeting of the UN Security Council next month on the threat posed by foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq, the White House has said, amidst reports that another American jihadi has died in Syria fighting for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
'Why not ask for a change of leadership in Qatar, Bahrain or Saudi Arabia? Is there a constitution in Saudi Arabia? Are there elections in Saudi Arabia? Why no talk of democracy in these countries?' 'America said change the leader now, but is now ignoring the feelings of the Syrian moderate majority. Is that democracy,' asks H E Dr Riad Abbas, Syrian ambassador to India, in an interview to Cleo Paskal.
Syria has agreed with the Russian proposal to place its chemical weapons stocks under international control to "uproot US aggression", hours after President Barack Obama said he would "absolutely" put on hold any military strike on the country if it does so.
Saudi Arabia has severed diplomatic ties with Iran following attacks on the kingdom's embassy and consulate in the Islamic Republic over the execution of a Shiite cleric.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned the United States against any unilateral military stike on Syria, saying it would trigger a new wave of terrorism, result in the collapse of the United Nations and claim more innocent victims as the conflict could spread beyond Syria's borders.
On Tuesday, Trudeau called up United States President Barack Obama to convey that he would make good on a campaign promise to withdraw Canada's jets from the United States-led bombing campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Europe will have to make some hard choices if it wishes to take on the militant group responsible for the horrible attacks in Paris.
The time is over when United States President Barack Obama thought he could afford to make a joke about the ISIS.
Don't forget to make your pick for the newsmaker of 2015.
'We are going to see relatively soon an executive order that deals with H-1B and other temporary visas.' 'We are also going to see an executive order on undocumented people.' 'Undocumented Indians comprise the largest population growth of all undocumented people in this country.' 'Just because India is not named in this executive order doesn't mean it won't be in the future.'
The second and final part of former cabinet secretary Naresh Chandra's interview to Sheela Bhatt.
Read the full transcript of President Obama's State of the Union address on Wednesday at the US Capitol in Washington.
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