Iraqi forces said they faced tough resistance Monday from Daesh (ISIS) fighters driven out of the city of Tal Afar to a small town where they had "nothing to lose" by fighting to the end. An advance by the Iraqi army and Shi'ite paramilitary groups into al-'Ayadiya was being slowed by...

Hamas and Iran have patched up relations, the Palestinian militant group’s new leader in Gaza said on Monday, and Tehran is again its biggest backer after years of tension over the civil war in Syria. “Relations with Iran are excellent and Iran is the largest supporter of the Izz el-Deen...

The Syrian army and Hezbollah on Monday prepared to escort Islamic State fighters to eastern Syria from their enclave on the border with Lebanon under an agreement following a week-long offensive against the jihadist group. It will end any Sunni militant presence on the border, an important...

Countries need to quadruple spending to $150 billion a year to deliver universal safe water and sanitation, helping to reduce childhood disease and deaths while boosting economic growth, said the World Bank. Investments should be better coordinated and targeted to ensure services reach the...