Taliban territory: Life in Afghanistan under the militants - Sixteen years after they were ousted in the US-led invasion, the Taliban have fought their way back to control swathes of Afghanistan. The country remains mired in conflict, and recent months have seen a series of bloody attacks. In the south, key towns are now Taliban territory. The BBC's Auliya Atrafi was invited by the militants to spend four days behind the front line in Helmand province witnessing life under their control (BBC News).
Iraqi Kurds plan independence referendum on Sept. 25 - Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region on Wednesday announced it would hold a referendum on independence, in a move the central government in Baghdad is likely to oppose strongly (Reuters).
Turkey throws support behind Qatar in rift among Arab Nations - Turkey signaled support for Qatar on Wednesday after the tiny Gulf country was isolated by several of its neighbors in a major rift among Arab nations. Meeting in a special night session of Parliament, Turkish lawmakers rushed through new laws that will allow the Turkish Army to conduct joint military exercises with Qatar and members of the Turkish gendarmerie to train their Qatari counterparts (The New York Times).
London attack: Three arrested in east London - Police investigating the London terror attack have made three fresh arrests, following raids involving armed officers in east London (BBC News).
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