(Reuters) - Kurdish militia backed by U.S.-led air strikes are making rapid advances against Islamic State forces in rural areas around Kobani after driving the group from the Syrian border town last week, the Kurdish militia and a monitoring group said on Monday. A spokesman...

(Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday he wanted to debate the possibility of Japan's military rescuing Japanese citizens abroad, a day after Islamic State militants said they had beheaded a Japanese journalist. The militants said on Sunday they had beheaded...

(Reuters) - Tunisia's moderate Islamist party Ennahda has agreed to join its main rival secular party Nidaa Tounes in a coalition government, party leaders said on Sunday. The agreement could bolster stability in Tunisia , which is just emerging from its transition to full...

(Reuters) - Syria's prime minister said on Sunday the country wanted to drive all insurgents out of its territory in 2015 and was prepared to back any attempts to fight global militancy. Speaking in parliament, Wael al-Halqi said Syria's main aim was to "flush out all...