war and conflict
US-backed Syrian fighters take Manbij city, Islamic State's gateway to Europe
Some Syrians in the town celebrated by cutting off Islamic State-required beards and burning burqas, while others took part in previously prohibited activities like smoking and dancing.
Hundreds of secret Russian mercenaries are dying in Syria's civil war, report alleges
On Wednesday, Sky News reported that a private military company called 'Wagner' — illegal under the Russian constitution — has been recruiting hundreds of men and flying them down to Syria on Russian military transport planes.
Two million people are without water in Syria's Aleppo
The UN called for an "immediate halt to the hostilities and, at a minimum, a two-day weekly humanitarian pause" to allow the city's crippled water and electrical networks to be repaired.
Colombian rebels have finally agreed to a disarmament plan
Peace talks between the government and the FARC rebels now seem certain to produce a final accord ending half a century of conflict.
British professor and Canadian university student arrested over terror attack in Bangladesh
On Thursday, the two men appeared in court as suspects in the massacre claimed by the Islamic State that left 22 people — mostly foreigners — dead.
The US could send its new F-35 to fight the Islamic State
After many years of troubled development, the most expensive warplane ever produced is ready for combat. Not everybody is convinced, but its pilots say it's great.
Syrian women burned a burka after being freed from the Islamic State
Video footage from the city of Manbij in northern Syria shows a crowd cheering as a woman waves a swath of black fabric and sets it on fire.
Syrian rescuers allege chlorine gas dropped on town near where a Russian helicopter was shot down
Saraqeb was first hit by chemical attacks in 2013, with strong evidence suggesting it came from government helicopters
A Russian helicopter was shot down in Syria, killing 5
Russia said the five passengers on board the aircraft are dead, marking the most deaths at once for Russian forces in Syria since the air campaign began last year.
Al-Shabaab claims a car bomb attack that killed 10 in Mogadishu
The radical Islamist group says it carried out an assault on the headquarters of Somalia's Criminal Investigation Department in Mogadishu.
Hostage situation at police station triggers violent protests in Armenia
A standoff that began on July 17 is still ongoing, and the situation has escalated to include clashes between riot police and hundreds of protesters.
How the US can retaliate if Kremlin hackers tried to influence the presidential election
US intelligence and private cybersecurity firms say Russia almost certainly hacked the Democratic National Committee and leaked documents, and now the question is whether the US government is going to do something about it.