The Afghan government lost control or influence of nearly 5% of its territory between January and May, the US government's top watchdog on Afghanistan said in a report, an indication of the challenges its forces are facing.
Russia told the United States on Thursday to get to the bottom of a hacking scandal involving Democratic Party emails itself and rejected what Donald Trump said was a sarcastic suggestion that Moscow should dig up Hillary Clinton's "missing" emails.
In a move to expand its international presence and focus efforts on growing markets, Qatar Tourism Authority is set to open new offices in Turkey and the United States.
France and the United States are preparing a coordinated strike against Islamic State on the militant group's stronghold in Mosul, Iraq, French government spokesman Stephane Le Foll said.
Saudi Arabia warned Thursday that any military cooperation between the United States and Russia in Syria must help advance a political transition to end the war without Bashar al-Assad in power.
The United States is stepping up its military campaign against Islamic State (IS) by sending hundreds more troops to assist Iraqi forces in an expected push on Mosul, the militants' largest stronghold, later this year.
The son of slain al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has threatened revenge against the United States for assassinating his father, according to an audio message posted online.
Nato allies have promised the United States they will help fund Afghan security forces to the tune of around $1bn annually over the next three years despite public fatigue in Western countries about their involvement in the conflict.
The United Arab Emirates has advised its citizens to avoid wearing traditional Arab clothing in Western countries after US police "brutally" detained an Emirati businessman suspected of being a jihadist.
The United States and its allies conducted 24 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and one in Syria on Saturday, the coalition leading the operations said in a statement.
Iran on Saturday denied supporting cyber-attacks against the United States after a New York court indicted seven Iranians over hacking dozens of American banks and a major dam.
North Korea released a new propaganda video Saturday menacingly titled "Last Chance", showing a submarine-launched nuclear missile laying waste to Washington and concluding with the US flag in flames.
