Iraqis voting in first election since Islamic State For the first time since driving out Islamic State, Iraqis go to the polls on Saturday in an election that will shape attempts to heal the country’s deep divisions and could shift the regional balance of power. Iraq’s three main ethnic and […]

Israel strikes Iranian targets in Syria after rocket fire Israel said it attacked nearly all of Iran’s military infrastructure in Syria on Thursday after Iranian forces fired rockets at Israeli-held territory for the first time in the most extensive military exchange ever between the two adversaries. It was the heaviest […]

Indonesia police say hostage crisis at high-security jail over A hostage crisis at a high-security jail in Indonesia ended on Thursday after Islamist militant prisoners who killed five police surrendered and released an officer they were holding, police said. The five members of an elite counter-terrorism force had been “sadistically” […]

Trump’s Iran move reminds some of run-up to Iraq war Fifteen years after invading Iraq over weapons of mass destruction and ties to al Qaeda that both proved non-existent, the United States is again steering toward a possible confrontation with a Middle East power for suspected work on nuclear weapons […]

Malaysia’s Najib raises doubt that Mahathir will succeed him Malaysia’s Najib Razak appeared to raise doubt on Thursday that his mentor-turned-foe Mahathir Mohamad would succeed him as prime minister following the stunning defeat of his ruling coalition in the country’s general election. Najib said he accepted the “verdict of the […]