Qayyarah: Jihadist leaders are fleeing Mosul, a top US general in the coalition battling the Islamic State group said on Wednesday as Iraqi forces closed in on the northern city. Representational image. Mosul was where Islamic State supremo Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared his “caliphate” two years ago but is now the group’s last major stronghold in Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who announced the launch of a broad offensive... 

BAGHDAD/ERBIL: Residents of Mosul said ISIS was using civilians as human shields as Iraqi and Kurdish forces captured outlying villages in their advance on the terrorists‘ stronghold. Around 1.5 million people are still living in Mosul. The leader of ISIS and one of its main explosives experts were reported to be among thousands of the hardline terrorists still in Mosul, suggesting the group would go to great lengths to fend off any ground... 

Syria Democratic Forces greet civilians who were evacuated from neighbourhood of Manbij. BEIRUT: US backed forces have seized full control of the northern Syrian city of Manbij near the Turkish border after the last remaining ISIS fighters, who had been using civilians as human shields, left, a spokesman for the group said on Friday. Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) were now sweeping the city after the departure of a last remaining group of militants... 

Barack Obama said the US has to do a better job disrupting terror networks. WASHINGTON: The ISIS will probably continue to be a threat to the US even after it is ousted from key strongholds in Iraq and Syria, President Barack Obama said Thursday, warning that lone-wolf believers will still be inspired to launch attacks that are harder to detect and prevent. Speaking to reporters after meeting with his top national security advisers in the Pentagon,... 

Donald Trump said that it would be nice for the US to get along with China and Russia. WASHINGTON: Pitching for a good relationship with China and Russia, Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump has said that it would be nice for the US to get along with China and Russia, as he slammed Hillary Clinton for having bad relationship with Vladimir Putin. “As far as I’m concerned, I want to get along with China. Wouldn’t it be great... 

By now it seems that that the audacious coup attempt in Turkey by a section of the country’s military forces has failed to unseat President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. If that is the case — the situation is extremely fluid still — it is probably for the better because toppling of the country’s elected leader may dangerously destabilise a western ally in a region already reeling from war, terrorism and mass migration. Turkey President Recep... 

Mr Blair apologised that the pre-war intelligence had been wrong and for mistakes in planning, but not for getting rid of Saddam. LONDON: A British inquiry into the Iraq war strongly criticised former Prime Minister Tony Blair and his government today, saying they had led the country into war based on flawed intelligence that should have been challenged. The long-awaited inquiry report also said Britain had joined the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003... 

Barack Obama In Orlando To Console Grieving Families in International Airport ORLANDO, UNITED STATES: President Barack Obama arrived on Thursday in Orlando, where he will console loved ones devastated by a shooting rampage that has fueled America’s culture wars and a fresh push for gun controls. Air Force One touched down shortly before 1:00 pm (1700 GMT) in Florida, where Obama will call for national unity and meet families whose lives have... 

Washington: Terror outfits like the ISIS are “perverting” Islam to justify their “murderous, false agenda” as part of which they claim the mantle of the religion to describe themselves as “holy warriors” fighting with the US, the White House has said. Terror outfits ‘perverting’ Islam to justify agenda: White House “What is true that many of those organisations pervert the religion of Islam to...