Islamic State (ISIS)
Royal Air Force releases video of Hellfire strike that stopped an ISIS execution in Syria
Britain’s Ministry of Defense has released footage of a Royal Air Force drone strike that it claims disrupted a public execution being staged by ISIS in Syria back in May.<p>The strike was reportedly carried out by a Reaper drone on May 9 as ISIS militants were preparing to kill a pair of shackled …
Royal Air ForceRussia threatens retaliatory strikes against U.S. troops and their allies in Syria
MOSCOW – Russia on Thursday raised the threat of a direct confrontation with U.S. forces in Syria, saying that the Russian military would target …
Canadian NewsAmerican journalist and her mother, friends of Kayla Mueller, killed in Turkey
An American-born journalist and her mother, who were active in opposition to the Syrian regime, were found murdered in Istanbul yesterday.<p>Halla …
SyriaU.S. and Russia Battle Last of ISIS Amid Reports of Fires and Floods in Syria
Two rivals are battling ISIS in the jihadists' final stronghold of Deir Ezzor. One seeks to return Syria to its former self, the other wants more …
SyriaSyrian asylum seeker given refuge in UK posted Isil material on Facebook, court hears as he is jailed for two years
A Syrian asylum seeker who was given refuge in UK posted Isil material on Facebook, a court has heared as he was jailed for two years.<p>Former electrical engineering student Saer Shaker, 35, posted vidoes and messages on his social media account including a shocking film of blindfolded Iraqi officers …
Greater Manchester PoliceTurkish missile deal with Russia reflects stormy relationship with NATO
ABOARD THE TCG ALEMDAR (Reuters) - In blazing sunlight, two dozen U.S. and Turkish sailors on a NATO exercise lower an American diving bell from an advanced Turkish rescue ship, sending it deep under the Aegean Sea where it is secured to a submarine.<p>Part of a combined NATO rescue simulation this …
TurkeyWhoops: ISIS Backers Reveal Location on Instagram
So much for Islamic State's reputation for being media savvy. It turns out that hundreds of the group's supporters took to Instagram in recent weeks …
PrivacyThe Latest: Kurd leader says referendum will go forward
BAGHDAD (AP) — The Latest on developments in Iraq (all times local):<p>6:20 p.m.<p>The President of Iraq's Kurdish region says the controversial referendum on support for independence will go forward Monday, despite increasingly urgent calls from the international community to delay the vote.<p>Speaking to …
World NewsParsons Green, and why more attacks on the West by Islamic State are inevitable
This is the new normal.<p>It’s worth saying aloud what everyone already privately accepts: this is the new normal. The attempted bombing of a London …
Parsons GreenCivilians trapped as IS mounts last stand in Syria's Raqa
Among the ruins of a street in Syria‘s Raqa, an anti-jihadist fighter’s call echoes from a loudspeaker: “Civilians, we are waiting for you to leave …
SyriaKurdish independence vote: A historical perspective
The upcoming vote has little to do with Kurds' real grievances and much to share with conflicting geopolitical agendas.<p>With the possible exception of 17th-century philosopher, Ahmad-i Khani, there is no evidence that any Kurd thought in terms of a whole Kurdish people until the end of the 19th …
Iraqi KurdistanMan arrested in probe linked to attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils
A man has been arrested for alleged links to the extremist cell in the attacks in Barcelona and a nearby town, Spain's interior ministry said.<p>The …
News (Ireland)Russian submarine fires cruise missiles at jihadi targets in Syria
MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian submarine fired cruise missiles at jihadi targets in Syria's Idlib province on Friday, the Russian Defence Ministry said, saying it had targeted Islamist militants who had tried to trap a group of Russian military policemen earlier in the week.<p>The strike, launched from …
World NewsHow 9/11 created a feedback loop for international jihadism
Each year, the anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, brings a torrent of reflections on the attacks, Osama bin Laden and the future of terrorism. But the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, justified in part by alleged links to 9/11, has had a far greater global impact. The invasion’s unintended consequences …
PoliticsThe Iraqi militia helping Iran carve a road to Damascus
Ties between the Shi'ite-led governments in Tehran and Baghdad have become stronger, and Iran has acquired growing influence in Iraq.<p>In late May, an …
World NewsISIS now using Instagram stories to recruit members
As the Islamic State continues to search for new methods to recruit members and share its propaganda, it’s increasingly turned to social networks, …
LifestyleWho are the Kurds?
Ahead of the Kurdish independence referendum, CNN's Becky Anderson explains everything you need to know about the Kurds.
World NewsRethinking the U.S. Alliance with Kurdish Fighters in Syria
As the ISIS “Caliphate” in Syria and Iraq faces annihilation in coming weeks, the U.S. must rethink relations with its highly problematic but …
TurkeyHow to Help Iraq’s Religious Minorities
Trump should undo an Obama policy that largely blocks them from getting U.S. aid.<p>As Islamic State heads toward defeat in Iraq, Christian and Yazidi survivors of genocide should be returning to their hometowns in Nineveh province. Instead, these fragile minority communities mostly remain stranded at …
United StatesHow ISIS supporters' love for Instagram stories could be their downfall
Islamic State militant group (ISIS) supporters love for photo-sharing social site Instagram could be their downfall, as it has emerged that jihadis …
Social MediaKurds head to the polls Monday for independence vote
Iraq's Kurdish population is planning a referendum vote for independence and the creation of a Kurdish state. Regional leaders fear the vote will …
Saddam HusseinUN Security Council announces opposition to Kurdish independence vote
The 15-member council voted unanimously to officially oppose the referendum.<p>The United Nations Security Council has announced its opposition to the …
World NewsThe torment of Christians living in Syria’s Khabur valley
In the last few years, Syria’s Christians have been subjected to violent attacks and kidnappings by the Islamic State group. Churches have been burnt and entire villages in the northeastern Khabur River valley have been destroyed. Despite the jihadist threat, Christians still living in Syria refuse …
World NewsAfrica: UN Study Finds Government Action a Main Factor of Extremism in Africa
Many African leaders used their speeches at the U.N. General Assembly this week to express concerns about the growing threat of violent extremism in …
AfricaUS set to ease curbs on drone strikes
Donald Trump's administration is ready to lift restrictions on military drone strikes, according to reports in the US.<p>The New York Times reports that senior officials are preparing to scrap curbs which were put in place by the Obama administration.<p>Under the proposed changes drone strikes would not …
DronesIraq reconstruction conference in Kuwait planned for early 2018
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. presidential envoy to the coalition fighting insurgent group Islamic State said on Friday that Kuwait would hold a conference on reconstruction in Iraq early next year.<p>The envoy, Brett McGurk, also told reporters that military rules of engagement with Russia aimed at …
World NewsDonald Trump plans to roll back limits on where Special Forces and the CIA can kill Islamist militants
President Donald Trump is set to water down limits imposed by his predecessor Barack Obama on drone strikes and commando raids abroad, allowing …
WarKurdistan referendum: UN Security Council says it could destabilise refugee rehabilitation efforts
It said the referendum, scheduled for Monday, could jeopardise efforts to ensure the safe return of those displaced by the fight against the Islamic …
Middle EastAmal Clooney describes UN investigation into ISIL war crimes as step in the right direction
Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney has described the United Nations’ unanimous vote to create an investigation into the war crimes committed by ISIL as a major step forward for victims of the militant group to “finally get their day in court”.<p>Clooney, who has been representing Nobel Peace Prize …
Amal ClooneyAustralia joins push against Kurdish poll
Australia fears a referendum on Kurdish independence risks further destabilisation of Iraq and could distract from the fight against Islamic State …
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei