Three car bombs target Damascus, 20 killed
One of the suicide bombers blew himself up in Tahrir square in central Damascus after being encircled by the authorities
Iraqis prepare to celebrate Mosul victory blocks away from raging battles
Mosul's fall would mark the effective end of the Iraqi half of the caliphate which Islamic State declared three years ago in parts of Iraq and Syria
Fire destroys Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon, kills one
Initial indications suggest cooking stove caused fire
Rebels accuse Syrian army of chlorine attack, army calls it fabrication
They Syrian army has denied using chlorine gas against rebels in battles east of Damascus
Mosul mosque where Islamic State took world stage lies in rubble
Civilians, mostly women and children, rushed past the demolished mosque as they crossed the frontline towards Iraqi forces
Nearly half a million Syrians return to own homes this year - UNHCR
"Most of these people are returning to check on properties, to find out about family members"
Five suicide bombers attack Lebanese army during raids
The army said a girl was killed after one of the suicide bombers blew himself up in the midst of a family of refugees
Islamic State counter attack causes fierce clashes in Syria's Raqqa
Beyond Raqqa, Islamic State still retains most of the 200 km stretch of the Euphrates valley
EXCLUSIVE-Syrian wheat crop to fall far short of government forecast - sources
A population that has endured unrelenting war could struggle to feed itself this year
Iraqi forces close in on IS redoubt in Mosul after declaring end of caliphate
Battles ahead will be difficult as most of the militants are foreigners expected to fight until the death.