Tal Afar battle: Iraqi forces ‘breach IS defences to reach city centre’
Craig TaylorTroops reach the centre of the IS-held city in north-western Iraq, a spokesman says. BBC News – Middle East
Middle East
Syria war: UN urges pause in assault on IS bastion Raqqa
Up to 25,000 civilians are believed trapped in Raqqa as fighting rages with so-called Islamic State. BBC News – Middle East
Yemen war: Air strike on hotel outside Sanaa ‘leaves 30 dead’
Rescuers are pulling bodies from the rubble of the two-storey building on the outskirts of Sanaa. BBC News – Middle East
IS conflict: Iraq army makes advances on Tal Afar
The northern city was once a strategic IS supply route between Mosul and the Syrian border. BBC News – Middle East
IS conflict: Iraq launches ground offensive in Tal Afar
The northern city, one of the last held by IS, has been a target since the fall of Mosul in July. BBC News – Middle East
Saudi border to open for Qatari pilgrims attending Hajj
The move comes after the first high-level meeting between the two neighbours since ties were cut. BBC News – Middle East