AMMAN / Reuters Syrian jets and artillery struck rebel-held eastern Damascus suburbs a day after a Russian sponsored ceasefire with a rebel group agreed a halt of fighting in the last opposition enclave in the capital, rebels and witnesses said. The Russian defence ministry said it had reached a ceasefire that took effect with Failaq al Rahman, the main Free …

Bloomberg Iranian President Hassan Rouhani won lawmakers’ approval for 16 of his 17 ministerial nominees, in an overwhelming show of support for his policies. Parliament on Sunday voted to reappoint Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, top Rouhani allies during his first term. The only candidate to lose a vote of confidence was Energy Ministry …

Bloomberg New Zealand’s main opposition Labour Party, buoyed by a surge in the polls under new leader Jacinda Ardern, launched its campaign to win next month’s election with a pledge to close the gap between rich and poor. Speaking to party faithful in Auckland on Sunday, Ardern highlighted child poverty as a key issue heading into the September 23 vote. …