Elite Iraqi unit hunts for militant holdouts

Two crudely armored pickup trucks cruised along an eastern Mosul highway. A masked Iraqi officer riding shotgun yelled "Go! Go! Go!" and switched the radio from Iraqi folk music to fast, patriotic battle hymns as the vehicles sped up and weaved through the busy afternoon traffic.

Iraqi forces push into Mosul’s main military base by airport

Smoke rises from the western side of Mosul following a U.S.-led coalition airstrike, in Abu Saif, outside the western side of Mosul, Iraq, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017. Smoke rises from the western side of Mosul following a U.S.-led coalition airstrike, in Abu Saif, outside the western side of Mosul, Iraq, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017.

the News of the Weird 2.22.17

San Francisco's best-paid janitor earned more than a quarter-million dollars cleaning stations for Bay Area Rapid Transit in 2015, according to a recent investigation by Oakland's KTVU. Liang Zhao Zhang cleared almost $58,000 in base pay and $162,000 in overtime, and other benefits ran his total income to $271,243.

News of the Weird

San Francisco's best-paid janitor earned more than a quarter-million dollars cleaning stations for Bay Area Rapid Transit in 2015, according to a recent investigation by Oakland's KTVU. Liang Zhao Zhang cleared almost $58,000 in base pay and $162,000 in overtime, and other benefits ran his total income to $271,243.

News of the Weird

San Francisco's best-paid janitor earned more than a quarter-million dollars cleaning stations for Bay Area Rapid Transit in 2015, according to a recent investigation by Oakland's KTVU. Liang Zhao Zhang cleared almost $58,000 in base pay and $162,000 in overtime, and other benefits ran his total income to $271,243.

The Russian-Turkish-Iranian axis: Strange bedfellows

Russia has fulfilled a long-held dream of reaching the warm water of the Mediterranean and is casting itself as the hegemon in the region. RUSSIAN PRESIDENT Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan arrive for a joint news conference following their meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, last year..

Mosul could be liberated in 3 months, top Iraqi commander says

Iraqi security forces flash the victory sign outside Mosul's al-Salam hospital, which was badly damaged in the battle to retake it from Islamic State militants. Iraqi security forces flash the victory sign outside Mosul's al-Salam hospital, which was badly damaged in the battle to retake it from Islamic State militants.

Mosul could be liberated in 3 months, top Iraqi commander says

Iraqi security forces flash the victory sign outside Mosul's al-Salam hospital, which was badly damaged in the battle to retake it from Islamic State militants. Iraqi security forces flash the victory sign outside Mosul's al-Salam hospital, which was badly damaged in the battle to retake it from Islamic State militants.