Syrian government forces have launched a counter-attack to recapture a gas field seized by hard-line extremists, activists said Saturday, as the death toll from three days of fighting there rose to more than 200 people killed.

Turkish President Abdullah Gül has urged for a solution to be found on the divided island of Cyprus, speaking at a ceremony in Nicosia to mark the 40th anniversary of Turkey’s military intervention on July 20, 1974. “The Cyprus problem has been on the agenda of the international community since …

French President Francois Hollande on Friday promoted a new military operation being rolled out in West Africa to take on a multi-faceted menace from Islamist groups that he warned threatened France’s interests and citizens. France led a military intervention in its former colony Mali last year, halting the advance of …