Middle East
ISIS ‘bulldozed’ ancient Mosul ziggurat
IRAQ says its forces have captured the ancient ruins of Nimrud alongside the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul. But its famous ziggurat appears to have been bulldozed flat.
Deadly Taliban blast targets US air base
FOUR Americans have been killed in a huge explosion inside the largest US military base in Afghanistan.
UN: ISIS ‘using chemical weapons’
IRAQI troops are inching closer to retaking Mosul from Islamic State, as the UN revealed fresh evidence that the group have used chemical weapons.
Islamic State banned budgie smugglers
WHILE France may have banned the burqa, an Islamic State dressing guide reveals the extremists had outlawed budge smugglers and even boxer shorts.
Russian warships make Dutch sub flee
TWO Russian warships in the eastern Mediterranean Sea drove away a ‘clumsy’ Dutch submarine shadowing the squadron, the military said.
Children targeted in nursery bombing
GRAPHIC: Distressing images have surfaced of the aftermath of a deadly bomb attack on a kindergarten in Syria, which has killed six children.
Aussie ‘grabbed at gunpoint’ in Kabul
AN Australian aid worker has been grabbed at gunpoint in Afghanistan in what has all the hallmarks of “a kidnapping for ransom”.
Fears for Aussie kidnapped in Kabul
DFAT is desperately trying to confirm reports an Australian woman has been kidnapped in Afghanistan, just months after another citizen was rescued.
Troops storm ISIS-held town near Mosul
IRAQ’S police forces and army troops have fought their way into the ISIS-held town of Hammam al-Alil, south of Mosul, restoring a foothold as the battle continues.
IS orders parents to enlist kids in war
ISLAMIC State militants have told parents to hand over boys as young as nine in a recruitment drive for child soldiers to fight in Mosul.
Two US trainers killed in Jordan
TWO US trainers were killed and a third American wounded in an exchange of fire at a Jordanian air force base, the Jordanian army said.
Iraqi forces enter city of Mosul
ISLAMIC State head Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is losing control of his troops, a US military official says, as Iraqi troops enter the city of Mosul.
‘They look terrible, you can see it in their eyes’
AS IRAQI troops reach the outskirts of Mosul, brutal stories are beginning to emerge of life inside the town that has been ruled by Islamic State for two years.
IS leader releases dark message
THE leader of Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has purportedly risen from obscurity for the first time this year.
Islamic State child soldiers butchered
MORE than 300 children trained to fight for IS have reportedly been killed in Mosul, amid information the terror group’s leader is hiding in the city.
Saudi prince flogged in prison
A PRINCE of Saudi Arabia’s ruling family has been lashed in jail, just weeks after another was executed for murder.
‘We will cut the head off the snake’
IRAQI forces have for the first time entered the eastern outskirts of Mosul, facing shelling, suicide bombers and fierce clashes with IS fighters.
Iraqi forces near Mosul’s outskirts
IRAQI troops are less than 1.5km from the eastern outskirts of Mosul and poised to enter the Islamic State stronghold.
Russian submarines raise attack fears
THREE cruise-missile armed submarines have joined the Russian aircraft carrier battlegroup en route to Syria, raising fears of an impending blitz on Aleppo.
Car bomb blasts Baghdad market
A PARKED car bomb has exploded in Baghdad’s northwestern neighbourhood of Hurriyah, killing at least 10 and wounding 34.
Saudi-led airstrikes on Yemen kills 60
SAUDI-led coalition air strikes on rebel-held security buildings in Yemen’s west, including a detention centre, killed 60 people.
Jihadists go ‘Mad Max’ in desperate battle
“MAD Max” style suicide drivers are leading Islamic State’s defence of the critical city of Mosul. Their armoured SUVs are facing battle tanks.
Putin rejects Syrian air strikes
VLADIMIR Putin has rejected the military’s request for the resumption of air strikes in Syria on the rebel-held eastern part of the city of Aleppo.
Aussie reporter under attack from IS
NINE News has reported that senior correspondent Mark Burrows has come under fire from Islamic State militants in Iraq.
‘Astonishing’ discovery at Jesus’ tomb
RESEARCHERS are peeling away the outer layers of Jesus’ tomb in Jerusalem, seeking what remains of the original cave.
Israel claims First Temple relic find
TEMPLE Mount: It’s the hill at the heart of much of the Middle East’s turmoil. Now, for the first time, archaeologists say they have found evidence of King Solomon’s temple.
Mosul prepared for IS chemical attack
THE UN has trained Iraqi medics in “mass casualty management,” focusing on chemical attacks, as Islamic State desperately tries to hold onto Mosul.
IS ‘kneaded kids in bread machines’
A HORRIFIED mum has claimed Islamic State militants in Syria kneaded 250 children to death and baked men in ovens. WARNING: Graphic.
Civilians evacuated from Mosul
IRAQI special forces have moved more than 1000 people out of villages near the front lines of the battle to retake the Islamic State-held city of Mosul.
‘Our life under ISIS was good’
AS the battle rages on to retake Mosul from ISIS one civilian, who was forced to evacuate, has detailed why he enjoyed his life under ISIS rule.
‘The crisis will get much bigger’
IT’S a city under siege from air strikes, suicide bombings, shells and gunfire, but another crisis could dwarf everything else going wrong in Mosul.
This is the ‘world’s fattest woman’
AN obese Egyptian is believed to be the fattest woman in the world after her weight ballooned to an incredible 500kgs — so big she can no longer walk.
Forces close in: ‘It will be a big fight’
IT HAS been described as one of the most important battles this century, but it is not expected to end in a quick victory.
Kurds seize IS town in dawn raid
KURDISH troops have seized control of a town close to Mosul as part of a military campaign to retake the Iraqi city from the Islamic State.
Court upholds Morsi’s 20-year sentence
OUSTED Egyptian leader Mohamed Morsi has lost an appeal against a jail term for his part in deadly clashes that took place while he was president.
IS militants killed as Iraqi flag raised
SECURITY forces are inching closer to Mosul, overcoming an assault by Islamic State militants in Kirkuk and regaining control of the northern Iraqi oil city.
Captured IS jihadist spills secrets
JIHADISTS staged a brazen raid on the Iraqi city of Kirkuk, but it didn’t quite end as planned — and now one member is revealing why.
Militants attack Iraq city of Kirkuk
GUNMEN wearing suicide vests attacked government targets in the Kurdish-controlled city of Kirkuk, as troops advance on the Islamic State group stronghold of Mosul.
US soldier killed in Mosul fight
A US soldier has died from wounds inflicted by an improvised explosive device planted by Islamic State near their besieged Iraq stronghold, Mosul.
Aussie kidnap victim in ransom video
AN AUSTRALIAN soccer coach kidnapped in Yemen has appeared in a video saying his captors demand the government pay a ransom for his release.
Selfie from world’s deadliest city
WE TAKE selfies at concerts, the beach or when having brunch. In Iraq photos are taken from deadly war zones. WARNING: Graphic images
IS living like rabbits underground
AS ISLAMIC State leaders and fighters flee the battle for Mosul, a network of booby-trapped tunnels reveal an extremist group living like rabbits underground.
New battle engulfs future of Mosul
EVEN before the Islamic State stronghold has fallen, fractures are appearing among the shakey alliance of political, religious and ethnic groups determined to shape Mosul’s future.
Putin’s blunt, fiery message
RUSSIA is deploying “two of the most powerful warships in the world” - and sending a message to the US. What is Vlad up to?
Aussie man kidnapped in Yemen
FOREIGN Minister Julie Bishop has confirmed that an Australian man has been kidnapped in war-torn Yemen.
Saudi prince executed for murder
SAUDI Arabia has executed a member of the royal family for shooting dead his friend during a mass brawl in a desert camp in 2012.
IS chemical weapons fears in Mosul fight
THE US has warned it expects Islamic State will use chemical weapons in the battle for Mosul and accused jihadists of using civilians as human shields.
Australia’s bloody fight to take Mosul
AUSTRALIAN special forces soldiers will assist Iraqi forces in the assault on Mosul - Islamic State’s final stronghold in Iraq.
Showdown with suicide bomber
EMERGING from a tunnel, an Islamic State suicide bomber was met by a convoy of armed forces, ready to strike.
‘Secret chambers’ likely in Great Pyramid
SCIENTISTS studying the Great Pyramid of Giza using hi-tech equipment say the landmark structure could contain two previously unknown ‘cavities’.
Map reveals Islamic State’s true power
ISLAMIC State’s stronghold in Iraq is under siege. But don’t be deceived — as this map shows, the war is far from over.
War to rid Mosul of ISIS begins
THE battle to seize Mosul from Islamic State has begun, as the terrorist group lose their grip on the Syrian town where it promised a final, apocalyptic doomsday.
Rebels seize ‘doomsday’ IS stronghold
SYRIAN rebels have dealt a major blow to the Islamic State by capturing the town of Dabiq. That holds special significance for the murderous group.
Kuwaiti parliament dissolves
KUWAIT’S ruler dissolved parliament by royal decree over unspecified security concerns, setting the stage for early elections in the tiny, oil-rich country.
ISIS bomber kills dozens at funeral
AN ISLAMIC State suicide bomber walked into a funeral service in Iraq before blowing himself up and killing at least 35 mourners and injuring 60.
UN warns of biblical-style exodus in Iraq
A MAJOR relief operation has begun in Iraq as Coalition-trained troops prepare for an assault to free the city of Mosul from Islamic State occupation.
‘It was the biggest story in the world’
AUSTRALIAN photographer Stephen Dupont took a picture of American soldiers doing the unthinkable. It became the biggest story on the planet. WARNING: Graphic.
Is World War III already upon us?
SUPERPOWERS clashing and tensions mounting in global hotspot — could we already be in World War III and not know it?
Satellite images reveal decimation
SATELLITE images reveal the shocking difference a week can make in Syria’s worst war zone, which has been appropriately labelled “death city”.
Map that exposes Donald Trump’s mistake
DONALD Trump has been accused of falling for dangerous Russian “propaganda”. This map reveals the full extent of his mistake.
‘More dangerous than the Cold War’
TENSIONS between the US and Russia are so high that trust between them has all but gone. And there are warnings things could get worse yet.
US warship off Yemen under fire
MISSILES fired from rebel-held territory in Yemen narrowly missed a US warship, as a Saudi-led strike killed more than 140 mourners at a funeral in the capital.
Dozens of IS militants killed in Syria
MORE than 30 IS militants have been killed as the Syrian government regains control of rebel-held regions. Meanwhile, Russia has blocked the UN’s call for an Aleppo ceasefire.
Car bomb blast kills 18 in Turkey
KURDISH militants have detonated a car bomb outside a military checkpoint in southeast Turkey, killing ten soldiers and eight civilians.
Abbas hospitalised for heart tests
PALESTINIAN president Mahmoud Abbas has been hospitalised for a heart test after the 81-year-old complained about feeling “tired.”
Child’s nine-word plea to bombers
BANA desperately wants to be like the other kids around the world. Instead, she’s making pleas on Twitter. Warning: Graphic.
IS leader ‘poisoned by assassin’
ABU Bakr al-Baghdadi has been rushed to an unknown location after a mystery assassin struck against the reclusive terror chief, it was reported.
Syrian women ‘scared to stay in hospitals’
HALF of the pregnant women in Syria have planned Caesarians in order to limit their time in the hospitals that are under heavy aerial attack.
‘We can’t handle what we’ve been through’
THE world was moved by footage of a Syrian rescue worker weeping after he saved a tiny baby. The story behind the video is even more heartbreaking.
Bombs cripple Aleppo’s largest hospital
RUSSIAN war planes have struck rebel-held areas north of Aleppo as barrel bombs rained down on the besieged city’s largest hospital in a renewed assault by Syrian forces.
World leaders farewell ‘giant’ Peres
US PRESIDENT Barack Obama called Shimon Peres a 20th century giant as he joined a host of world leaders for the Israeli elder statesman’s funeral.
‘I beheaded them, I cooked their heads’
MEET Um Hanadi. The self-described Iraqi housewife claims to chop and cook the heads of IS fighters — and she has the social media posts to prove it. WARNING: GRAPHIC
Butcher of Kabul’s horror return
DESPITE a history of war crimes, the “butcher of Kabul”, accused of killing hundreds of thousands of people, is back. WARNING: Graphic.
Aleppo ‘worse than a slaughterhouse’
THE US has threatened to suspend its talks with Russia over the conflict in Syria following escalating attacks in Aleppo, including on two hospitals.
Rescuers: People of Aleppo ‘fear massacre’
GRAPHIC IMAGES: This is the reality of life in Aleppo, where just 35 doctors remain to care for more than 250,000 frightened people with nowhere to go.
Shimon Peres dies aged 93
UPDATE: ISRAELI ex-president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres has died two weeks after suffering a stroke.
The horror that comes after Islamic State
A NETWORK of highly skilled fighters is set to be deployed all around the world. This is what comes after Islamic State.
Man shot dead for sharing a cartoon
A MAN has been shot dead on the stairs of a courthouse for sharing an anti-Islam cartoon on Facebook.
PM calls for new Syrian ceasefire
MALCOLM Turnbull has urged Russia to help reinstate Syria’s broken ceasefire, saying Vladimir Putin alone has the influence to help. WARNING: Graphic.
Pictures enough to make you weep
THEY’RE hard to look at, but these pictures reveal the tragic life-and-death reality facing Syrian residents every day. WARNING: GRAPHIC
Children pulled from rubble of Aleppo
GRAPHIC: Harrowing images of children being pulled out alive from under rubble have emerged from Syria as missiles rained down on rebel-held areas of Aleppo.
‘The sea is littered with bodies’
RESCUE workers have pulled out more than 160 bodies from the sea with many more feared dead after a boat carrying migrants capsized off Egypt’s coast.
Syrian truce in tatters as conflict worsens
WORLD leaders were ready to celebrate the Syrian ceasefire at the UN, instead bombs were raining down on Aleppo and fingers were being pointed at Australia.
Australia’s attack on troops ‘intentional’
SYRIA’S President has accused Australia and the United States of intentionally targeting his forces in an air strike that killed 83 soldiers.
Russia, US clash at UN over Syria
RUSSIA and the US have butted heads in a fiery exchange over the carnage in Syria, as air strikes pounded Aleppo following the collapse of a ceasefire.
ISIS ‘launches mustard gas attack’
ISLAMIC State terrorists may have fired a chemical weapon containing mustard gas at a military air base used by US and Iraqi troops.
‘This isn’t a joke’: US blows up at Russia
THE time for friendly chat is officially over. The United States has unleashed on Russia over its broken promises and flat out lies.
‘Sickening, savage, deliberate attack’
POLITICAL leaders say there’s no point in prematurely pointing the finger of blame over the bombing in Syria that “erased the (UN) convoy from the face of the earth”.
UN suspends all aid to Syria
THE United Nations has suspended all aid to Syria following a “savage attack” on an aid convoy in Aleppo, as the US blames Russia for the deadly strike.
Aid workers killed in convoy strike
A UN aid convoy inside Syria was hit by airstrikes, killing at least 12, as the Syrian military declared the week-long US-Russian brokered ceasefire had failed.
‘Friendly fire’ kills eight Afghan police
US forces have been accused of killing eight Afghan police in the first “friendly fire” incident since troops were given greater powers to strike at insurgents.
Russia’s fury over bomb blunder
A WAR of words has erupted between the US and Russia over a bungled air strike in Syria, involving Australia, that killed 80.
Defence bombed Syrian soldiers
AUSTRALIAN Defence may have killed Syrian soldiers by accident in a bombing raid meant to target Islamic State terrorists.
Contenders to lead Islamic State
ISLAMIC State leader Abu Muhammad al-Adnani is dead and one of the top jobs is up for grabs. Here are the contenders.
Hanged from tree for having ‘an affair’
A WOMAN and man were hanged from a tree and a man charged with shooting dead his mother in the latest shocking “honour killing” cases.
Shimon Peres showing improvement
FORMER Israeli President Shimon Peres is showing signs of improvement after a major stroke with physicians saying he squeezed his doctor’s hand.
Secret labyrinth of terror tunnels
THESE tunnels were supposedly destroyed in 2014, but the builders kept reconstructing them at a rate of 10km a month.
Israel’s Shimon Peres suffers stroke
FORMER Israeli president Shimon Peres, 93, has had a stroke and been rushed to hospital.
Sailor ‘didn’t know she was pregnant’
A US Navy sailor who didn’t realise she was pregnant has given birth on an aircraft carrier while fighting ISIS in the Persian Gulf.
Islamic State leader’s death confirmed
ISLAMIC State have promised retribution to the killers of senior leader Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, who died during air strikes in Syria.
‘Last chance to save a united Syria’
A CEASEFIRE led by the United States and Russia has begun in Syria, but powerful rebel groups say they won’t commit to the deal.
Dozens injured in car bomb explosion
MORE than 50 people have been wounded in a car bomb attack near government headquarters in Turkey, a day after two dozen mayors were sacked.
Inside world’s most brutal court
STARTLING footage has emerged from inside an ISIS courthouse, where extremist “judges” handed down horrific sentences.
