An Australian man has reportedly died in crossfire while helping at a refugee camp in Syria.

The parents of triplets who died in the Doha mall fire have made an emotional plea for justice after the trial over their deaths was delayed for a third time.

The hearing into the fatal fire at Doha's Villaggio mall which killed 19 people including three Kiwi triplets has been postponed for a third time.

Slow internet access is New Zealand's number one "first world problem", a survey has found.

The father of Kiwi triplets killed in a Qatar mall fire says it is distressing to see stories circulating about the fire being an act of terrorism without any facts to back them up.

Journalists and academics have questioned a Saudi news agency that claims the Qatar mall fire that killed New Zealand triplets was an act of terrorism.

Aleppo's ancient souk has fallen victim to the civil war. A fire sparked by battles between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's troops and rebel fighters tore through Aleppo's centuries-old covered market, burning wooden doors and scorching stone stalls and vaulted passageways.

Former NZ diplomat Warren Searell called Damascus home until the Arab spring made life far too dangerous. This is his story.