BEIRUT / AP Syrian government forces battling the IS group re-entered Palmyra on Thursday in their quest to again take the historic town they had lost to the militants in December, state media reported. The SANA news agency reported by early afternoon that government troops entered the town’s archaeological site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, around mid-day, then the …

  GENEVA/ AP Diplomats and negotiators have set their sights on modest achievements in the latest round of Syria talks in Geneva, after a week of discussions centering on setting an agenda for future talks. Meanwhile, fighting continued Thursday near Palmyra in central Syria. UN Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura is due for another round of meetings on …

  WASHINGTON / AP White House lawyers have instructed the president’s aides to preserve materials that could be connected to Russian interference in the 2016 election and other related investigations, three administration officials said on Wednesday. The instructions, which were sent to White House staff on Tuesday, come after Senate Democrats last week asked the White House and law enforcement …