A newly formed U.S.-backed Syrian rebel alliance on Saturday launched an offensive against Islamic State in the northeast province of Hasaka, a day after the United States said it would send special forces to advise insurgents fighting the jihadists.

• October 31, 2015

Turkish jets on Saturday launched bombing raids against Islamic State targets in Syria, the day before Turks are due to vote in a parliamentary election, a senior government official said.

• October 31, 2015

A United Nations human rights investigator on Thursday raised concerns that North Korea has forced more than 50,000 people to work abroad and urged countries where they have been sent, mainly Russia and China, to grant him access to investigate.

• October 29, 2015

Washington stuck to its demand on Thursday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad leave power, ahead of peace talks which will include Assad's main ally Iran for the first time, reflecting his stronger position since Russia joined the war on his side.

• October 29, 2015

Upcoming Syrian peace talks will be meaningful only if all relevant parties take part in the discussions, the White House said on Wednesday, adding that Iran's invitation to participate does not absolve it of any role in the crisis.

• October 28, 2015

France will host talks on the Syria conflict on Tuesday with representatives from the United States, Europe, Jordan and Turkey but without Syria's allies Russia and Iran, the foreign ministry said.

• October 27, 2015

Further diplomatic discussions on ending the Syrian conflict could occur as soon as the end of this week, a State Department spokesman said on Monday, acknowledging that Iran would eventually need to be involved in the talks on a political transition in Syria.

• October 26, 2015

Russian President Vladimir Putin said his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad had told him he was ready to talk to armed opposition groups if they are genuinely committed to dialogue and to combating Islamic State.

• October 22, 2015