AT CHECKPOINTS across the country, Iraq’s many and various security forces cheer Russia’s arrival as an answer to their failure to turn the tide after 16 months battling the jihadists of Islamic State (IS) in north-western Iraq. “The US and its coalition did nothing,” says a...

German Chancellor Angela Merkel travels to Istanbul on Sunday desperate to secure Turkey's help in stemming the flow of migrants from the Middle East to Europe, but without being seen to sacrifice their human rights. Dubbed a "punch-bag" for her own party by some German media due...

Italy said Saturday that UNESCO has approved its suggestion to have the United Nation’s famous Blue Helmets protect heritage sites around the world from attacks by Islamist militants. “UNESCO has said yes to the Cultural Blue Helmets,” Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said in a...

Thousands of migrants surged into tiny Slovenia on Saturday as an alternative route opened in Europe for them after Hungary sealed its border for their free flow, adding another hurdle in their frantic flight from wars and poverty toward what they hope is a better life in Western Europe. The...