Christians have been rooted in the Middle East since the very beginnings of the religion, but they have always been minority communities forced to co-exist with conflict.

From the resounding setbacks in Congress to the stunning policy flip-flops, Donald Trump has certainly been confronted with a steep learning curve in his opening months at the White House.

While the new US president has shown a capacity to change both his tone and his positions, Trump has struggled to convey a clearly articulated worldview.

Centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who go head-to-head in the second round of France's presidential election on May 7, are diametrically opposed on issues ranging from taxes to Europe.

The battle to become France's president comes down to a clash of two visions -- Emmanuel Macron is pro-globalization and pro-EU, while Marine Le Pen rages against both.

A gunman shot and killed a policeman and wounded two others on the world-famous Champs Elysees avenue in Paris on Thursday night, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group.

Thursday's attack on the Champs Elysees in Paris saw a gunman kill a policeman and wound two others in bloodshed claimed by the Islamic State group just days before an election.

Satellite dishes have been sprouting on the rooftops of east Mosul since it was retaken from the Islamic State group, who punished anyone caught with a dish with the lash.

"Now we know what is happening in the world," Mohammad Turki says as he installs one in the Al-Qahira district.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's narrow victory in a referendum to strengthen his powers is likely to swiftly test his already worsening relations with the European Union.

Turkey voted narrowly to Sunday expand the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a knife-edge poll that left the country bitterly divided.

If there were a global contest for winning elections, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would see himself as the undisputed -- and undefeated -- heavyweight champion of the world.