An Iraqi force has begun a large-scale operation to recapture the city, according to state TV. Tikrit, the hometown of Saddam Hussein, lies between Baghdad and Mosul.
The South Pacific nation wants to replace its flag, which has a Union Jack and a shield that bears the country's coat of arms. The current flag was adopted in 1970 following independence from Britain.
Bearded men wielding sledgehammers are seen shattering ancient statues and friezes in the Iraqi city of Mosul. One of the militants says God commanded them to remove the idols and statues.
In an exclusive interview, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf remembers how Liberia was "the poster child of everything that could go wrong." But people lived up to the local proverb: "Go fix it."
Inside his dentist's office, Sadiqu al-Mousllie is treated like any other German. It's different when the Syrian-born man steps outside. He's trying to fight Islamophobia, one question at a time.
In Chile, a 14-year-old girl suffering from cystic fibrosis has posted an online video asking the country's president to allow her to die. The case prompted a raging discussion on assisted suicide.
Members of the Muslim minority communities In Britain, France and Germany discuss their feelings about how they fit into the culture of the countries in which they reside.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington, D.C, where he is expected to give a contentious speech before Congress on Tuesday. He appears before a powerful pro-Israeli lobby on Monday.