Iraqi special forces have entered the outskirts of Mosul, taking the state television building and advancing despite fierce resistance by Islamic State (IS) fighters who hold the city.

THE crisis over chemical weapons in Syria has underlined a central dilemma for the West as it tries to deal with the country’s civil war — the lack of attractive alternatives to President Bashar Assad.

Al Qaeda discussed trying to convert Irish people to Islam because of their disenchantment with the Catholic Church over the child abuse scandals and also anger over the economic crisis.