MOSCOW  – Russia has halted plans to deploy missiles near the Polish border, a Russian news agency quoted the military as saying on Wednesday, in what could be a sign Moscow is seeking better ties with the new U.S. president. But there was no official confirmation and a Kremlin official …

LONDON  – Private security companies are expanding operations in Afghanistan as the war there heats up, but industry experts say those that made fortunes in Iraq may find business much tougher in the new market. As Iraq has grown more stable, Afghanistan, where the Taliban insurgency is strong, has been …

BAGHDAD  – Iraq will send Syria its first ambassador since around the time Saddam Hussein became president in 1979, a government official said Wednesday. Alaa al-Jawadi would leave Wednesday to become Iraq’s new envoy in Damascus, Mohammed al-Haj Hamoud, Iraq’s deputy foreign minister, told Reuters. Last October Damascus posted its …