Former Calgarian Robert Hall and fellow Canadian John Ridsdel were kidnapped in the middle of the night by extremists in the Philippines. The pair was held captive for months then ruthlessly murdered.

Pakistani police gunned down one of the country's most-feared Sunni militant leaders and 13 followers in a mysterious pre-dawn shootout Wednesday.

A former Egyptian army officer who became one of the country's most wanted militants has called on Egyptians to wage holy war against President el-Sissi, describing him as a "new pharaoh."