London / AFP The Scottish National Party heads into regional elections on Thursday hoping to strengthen its clout and secure a mandate to demand independence if Britain leaves the European Union. Victory in the vote could allow the SNP to consolidate a historic triumph in general elections in May 2015, when it swept 56 out of Scotland’s 59 seats ...

SARI RASH, Iraq This month marks the 100th anniversary of the Sykes-Picot Agreement that formed Iraq, Syria and the other fragile nations of the modern Middle East. The past few weeks have provided dramatic new evidence, if more were needed, that the old colonial framework created by Britain and France isn’t working. Iraq and Syria are coming apart: Iraq is ...

The European Union’s deal with Turkey to control the streaming of refugees into Europe has become a bittersweet issue, as some EU member states see the pact as a blackmail from Ankara to meet its longstanding demands. Finally, the EU on Wednesday gave conditional backing to visa-free travel for Turks under a migrant deal. It also announced new asylum rules ...