Australian special forces and aircraft will not be sent into Iraq until the Cabinet considers a risk assessment and the United Nations gives the operation the nod.

A cruise through ancient lands exposes kids to a diverse culture and religion, writes Heidi Douglas.

James Foley's death only perpetuates greater US involvement in the Middle East, writes Jack Tame.

Hundreds of Yazidi women who were captured by Islamic extremists are being subjected to deliberate attempts to co-opt them into service as the wives of fighters.

The Sydney grandfather of a 7-year-old boy pictured clutching the severed head of a Syrian soldier has urged the Australian Government to bring the boy home.

US air strikes are boosting Kurdish morale as they hit Isis fighters, and a road is now open for thousands of Yazidis cut off in the mountains.

An Australian jihadist has tweeted a photo of his young son holding up a severed head of a dead Syrian soldier.

Dubai is more than skyscrapers, mega-malls and man-made islands, writes Linda Herrick.

Qantas has reassured passengers it's still safe to fly over Iraq, despite network partner Emirates' deciding to steer clear of the conflict-torn nation.

A plan to blow up a plane on Christmas Day in 2009 failed because the explosives became 'degraded' after he wore the same pair of underpants for two weeks.

Despite the danger of daily rocket fire, life carries on as normal under the Iron Dome, writes Rhys Davies.

Hamas has ruled out a ceasefire deal unless Israel "lifts the siege" on Gaza, the organisation's political chief has said.

Israel has resumed its air campaign against Gaza after Hamas rejected a six-hour truce and fired dozens of rockets over the border.

Social media has become one of the weapons of war. The Israeli army, which has been on Twitter since 2009, now has 286,000 followers.

Washington has warned Israel against any ground invasion of Gaza, as the UN says more than 40 of the 176 dead were children.

Kurdish leaders accuse Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of being hysterical and unbalanced, while he says the Kurdish capital, Erbil, is a centre for the Islamic State (Isis) and adherents of Saddam Hussein.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed leader of the Islamic State stretching across Iraq and Syria, has promised to lead the conquest of Rome.

This winter was not a good one for farmers in the Fertile Crescent.

New Zealand is not likely to be part of a military intervention in Iraq, according to Prime Minister John Key.

Liam Dann asks, "What sort of economic fallout can we expect if Baghdad falls? It is a question that has carried serious geopolitical weight for thousands of years."

Pope Francis sacked the five-man board of the Vatican's financial watchdog - all Italians - in the latest move to break with a murky past under his predecessor.

Socotra has been called the Galapagos of the Middle East, writes Bhanu Bhatnagar.

Singapore's Changi Airport, a traditional stopover for New Zealanders but facing increased pressure from other airports in the Middle East, is expanding rapidly.

Pope Francis has called for Christians, Jews and Muslims to work together for peace as he toured holy sites in Jerusalem on the final day of his Middle East pilgrimage.

A billionaire businessman that was responsible for the biggest bank fraud Iran has ever seen has been executed, Iranian state media has said.

Egypt's former Defence Minister, Abdul-fattah al-Sisi, has failed to make any personal appearances in his campaign to win next week's presidential election.