INTERNATIONAL

Iraqi government forces have battled their way into another suburb of Mosul, the northern city held for more two years by the Islamic State (IS) group. Troops broke through IS defences and reached the eastern district of al-Zahra, which they say is now 90% under their control. Special forces have been fighting the jihadists in the streets and alleys. Meanwhile, ...

About 240 migrants are believed drowned in two shipwrecks off the coast of Libya, migration officials say. The UN refugee agency was told the news by survivors brought ashore on the Italian island of Lampedusa, spokeswoman Carlotta Sami said. No bodies have so far been recovered. More than 4,200 migrants have died making the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea ...

President Barack Obama has urged Democrats of all ethnic backgrounds to get out and vote for Hillary Clinton, warning that the fate of the US republic – and the world – is at stake. He said her Republican opponent Donald Trump was a threat to hard-earned civil rights. President Obama was speaking at a rally in North Carolina. Mr Trump ...

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton has stepped up her attacks on rival Donald Trump, labelling him a “bully” for criticising women for their looks. Mrs Clinton said Mr Trump had a 30-year history of “demeaning, degrading, insulting and assaulting” women. Meanwhile, Mr Trump has branded Mrs Clinton “corrupt” and said she would “destroy American healthcare forever”. He told early Clinton voters ...

A court in South Africa is hearing a bid by President Jacob Zuma to block the release of a report by former anti-corruption tsar Thuli Madonsela. She probed allegations that he let the wealthy Gupta family wield undue political influence in his government. They have denied any wrongdoing. Mr Zuma said the report was unlawful as he had not been ...

Iraqi forces have for the first time entered the eastern outskirts of Mosul, as they attempt to drive Islamic State (IS) militants from the northern city. Elite Counter-Terrorism Service troops seized control of the state television building in Kukjali hours after launching an assault on the area. But a BBC journalist embedded with them says they are facing fierce resistance. ...

The Clinton campaign has blasted FBI Director James Comey for “blatant double standards” over the new inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s email use. The comments came after US media reports that Mr Comey had urged against publically accusing Russia of interfering in the US election, including alleged email hacking. Mr Comey’s concern about releasing the information was due to the proximity ...

A snake with the largest venom glands in the world could hold the answer to pain relief, scientists have found. Dubbed the “killer of killers”, the long-glanded blue coral snake is known to prey on the likes of king cobras. Venom from the 2m-long (6ft 6in) snake native to South East Asia acts “almost immediately” and causes prey to spasm. ...

Italy’s most powerful earthquake since 1980 has left more than 15,000 people homeless, according to the country’s civil protection agency. No-one was killed in the quake but 20 were injured and damage to the area round the town of Norcia is extensive. The 6.6-magnitude quake struck near the central region where nearly 300 people were killed by a quake in ...

The European Union and Canada have signed a long-delayed landmark trade deal, following weeks of uncertainty due to opposition in Belgium. The deal was signed in Brussels by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and top EU officials. The signing ceremony initially planned for Thursday had been cancelled after Belgium’s Wallonia region vetoed the agreement. All 28 EU states approved the ...