Bashar al Assad's

The United States (US) will not move to restore diplomatic relations with Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime, the White House said Monday after the Arab League's weekend move to reinstate Damascus.

There were no details on the cause of death, but the 79-year old had for years been in poor health with heart problems.

Turkey's foreign minister called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's immediate removal on Friday, saying a transitional government must be established.

Tens of thousands of civilians have fled eastern neighbourhoods of the battered city since President Bashar al-Assad's regime began its latest offensive in mid-November.

Moscow insisted its air strikes in support of President Bashar al-Assad's regime had stopped extremists taking over the country.

US President Barack Obama does not regret stepping back from his "red line" on the use of chemical weapons by Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, saying he was 'proud' of the decision.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's response when asked whether Europeans should fear refugees from Syria.

President Vladimir Putin said Monday that Russia had not ruled out air strikes in support of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's forces in their battle against rebels.

Leon Panetta, who was defense secretary from July 2011 to February 2013, said the president should not have threatened military action against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Russia insists the attack on the Damascus suburb of Ghouta was a "provocation" by opponents fighting Syria President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Putin welcomed Washington's willingness to engage with the Moscow initiative, but he rebuked Obama for his previous threat to launch US military strikes to punish Bashar al-Assad's regime.

President Barack Obama postponed threatened missile strikes against Syria on Saturday in a risky gamble that he can win more support for his plan to punish Bashar al-Assad's regime.

The White House released an intelligence summary that it said showed that Bashar al-Assad's regime killed more than 1,400 civilians in a nerve gas barrage.

Al-Qaeda-linked Syrian jihadist group Al-Nusra Front on Sunday vowed revenge strikes against villages from President Bashar al-Assad's community over claims his forces used chemical weapons.

Barack Obama expressed skepticism that setting up a no-fly zone in Syria or other major US military action could save lives or tip the balance against President Bashar al-Assad's regime.