The battle to oust Islamic State from its stronghold in the Syrian city of Raqqa should end within two months, a top-ranking Kurdish commander told Reuters, but said she expects the fighting to intensify. Nowruz Ahmed sits on the military council of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces...

By Tim Ramadan ( The Guardian )- Around three months have passed since the Syrian Democratic Forces launched a military operation to wrest back control of Raqqa from Islamic State. These forces are backed directly by the US-led international coalition, and they have so far succeeded in...

( The Guardian )- Iraqi forces have retaken almost all of Tal Afar, Islamic State’s stronghold in the north-west of the country, the military has said. Fighting was ongoing in al-Ayadiya, a small area just outside the city. Iraqi forces were waiting to retake the city’s surrounding areas...

British Airways (BA) has called on UK border authorities to address “serious inefficiencies” causing long delays at airport immigration controls ahead of Britain’s exit from the European Union. BA said difficulties processing passengers after a new electronic gate system was introduced...