Syrian top diplomat to meet Iraqi PM on visit to key ally

SYRIA’S foreign minister has arrived in Iraq for a visit to its longtime ally and talks with its premier, at a time Damascus is emerging from years of diplomatic isolation.  

The visit by Faisal Mekdad comes weeks after the Arab League agreed to end Syria’s suspension from the 22-member bloc, bringing the regime of President Bashar al-Assad back into the regional fold after years of civil war.