Iraqi troops including elite counter terrorism forces resumed an offensive on the eastern front of Mosul on Monday, a military statement said, targeting the eastern bank of the Tigris river which divides the northern Iraqi city.x
The elite counter terrorism unit had paused its advance last week after it made ground quicker than forces on other fronts, to allow them to close the gap.
Reuters
Hideki Matsuyama has set his sights on a maiden major title after maintaining his brilliant recent form with an historic victory in the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.
Matsuyama carded a flawless closing 66 at Sheshan International to finish 23 under par and become the first Japanese player to win a World Golf Championships title.
The 24-year-old, who won the Japan Open a fortnight ago and was second in Malaysia last week, finished seven shots clear of Open champion Henrik Stenson and American Daniel Berger.
Rory McIlroy moved to second in the world rankings after sharing fourth place with Bill Haas on 15 under, McIlroy having missed from three feet for birdie on the 18th in a closing 66.
Matsuyama took a three-shot lead into the final round and was never in danger of being caught after a front nine of 33, with a hat-trick of birdies from the 13th making certain of his first European Tour title.
"I was really nervous at the start of the day, but I was able to birdie hole number one," said Matsuyama, whose win lifts him to a career-high sixth in the world rankings. "I kind of got myself into the rhythm of the day and after that it was smooth sailing.
"I really don't know why I played well this week. Over the last three years I've had to withdraw (from this tournament) twice, and I didn't play very well the other year.
Read more here:
"But I got off to a good start and I really didn't make any changes to my golf swing or anything else. I have putted really well these last three weeks and that's probably the difference.
"I knew YE Yang won the US PGA Championship and actually I was surprised when they announced that I was the first Asian to win a WGC event.
"Winning today I feel has got me closer to being able to compete a lot better in the major tournaments. So my next goal is, of course, to win a major, and I'm going to do all that I can to prepare well for that."
Stenson surged through the field with a bogey-free 65 and takes over from Danny Willett at the top of the Race to Dubai, with Masters champion Willett finishing 14 over par and 75th in the 78-man field.
"I was chasing Danny and so was Rory and I could see Rory was going at it," said Stenson, who started the week more than 400,000 points behind Willett, but ended it 261,387 in front.
"I just tried to keep up and it was nice to sneak that birdie in on the last to go one ahead of him.
"It's going to be tight all the way to the end, and that's the way we like it. It would be nice to go into the last one knowing that if you win in Dubai, you win overall."
McIlroy trails Stenson by more than a million points and has just one event left to play - the season-ending DP World Tour Championship - after withdrawing from next week's Turkish Airlines Open.
"Obviously there are a couple of good scores in there mixed with a couple of ones that I'd like to take back," said McIlroy, who has won the Race to Dubai for the last two years.
"It wasn't the win that I wanted, but overall, the week's been pretty good."
Defending champion Russell Knox, who began the final round three shots off the lead, struggled to a closing 74 to finish in a tie for ninth with Sergio Garcia.
Press Association
A Government commitment to equal pay for equal work could help to resolve ongoing industrial action by teachers, trade union Unite has said.
The union called on the Government to issue a statement confirming its stance on pay equality as a matter of urgency.
Industrial action by members of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) forced 507 schools across the country to close on Thursday.
Jimmy Kelly, Unite's regional secretary, said differences in pay for new teachers need to be addressed immediately.
"I don't think anyone can stand up for two people doing the same work and one walking out with less wages than the other person," he said.
"I think the Government needs to declare 100pc support for equal pay for equal work."
Mr Kelly also said that a declaration from Government would "give the opportunity to resolve the current dispute".
He added that unions needed to support each other in seeking equality in different sectors.
"This is not just a matter for ASTI members. It is totally unacceptable to all workers that their colleagues doing the same work are not paid the same wages," he said.
"Equal pay for equal work is a fundamental principle and its application was hard-won by the trade union movement."
Irish Independent
A Dublin teacher has said she and other better paid teachers will continue to picket, despite losing pay, as the profession needs an urgent overhaul.
She and other colleagues in Pobalscoil Neasáin in Baldoyle, Dublin, who are on the higher pay scale warned that a brain drain would rob the country of its highly trained teachers, and it would struggle to lure them back.
No resolution has been reached in the ongoing disputes which will see teachers strike for six more days over pay for younger colleagues.
However, talks this week are likely to focus on a second dispute involving substitution and supervision duties. A withdrawal of ASTI teachers from these duties will see schools close indefinitely.
Read more: Disputes and pay deals: it's simply a case of 'déjà vu'
Clare MacLoughlin, a resource teacher at Pobalscoil Neasáin, said foreign recruiters were coming to Ireland to lure teachers abroad "earlier and earlier" because they "smell blood" in the profession.
"We will have difficulties attracting people to the profession and the number of men in the profession will drop even further. As it is they seem to be the ones going to teach in other countries," she said.
"The gender balance, which is already laughable, will get even worse," she said.
With several days of strikes on the cards, the experienced teacher said she and others would stand resolute until a solution was reached.
"We are fighting for the rights of our colleagues and for the rights of the students in our care to have the best that's due to them," she said.
"It has to be noted that the Government knew this was coming... they have sat on their hands and turned this into a battle in the media, trying to make us look like the bad guys," she said.
"Because maybe people have had bad experiences down through the years with teachers, it is easy to vilify us but c'est la vie... If you're going to strike you are going to go out with intent and I have every intention of following through on my union's mandate.
"These people that I work with, I'm telling you they are worth fighting for," she added.
Online Editors
Thirty years after the group began its epic outdoor theatrics, Macnas launched its most spectacular Halloween parade to date, 'Savage Grace'.
President Michael D Higgins was among the 44,000-strong crowd who flocked to the streets of Galway to catch a glimpse of the gothic and ghoulish parade.
The good weather helped boost numbers and spirits.
"An October evening in Galway that is both rain-free and wind-free is rare," Noeline Kavanagh, artistic director of Macnas said.
"We are feeling blessed, that's for sure."
The name Macnas means 'joyful abandonment' and the company was founded in 1986 by Páraic Breathnach, Tom Conroy, Ollie Jennings and Pete Sammon.
In the last 30 years, Macnas has brought its distinct brand of site-specific theatre to abandoned warehouses, football pitches, beaches and community halls in over 25 different countries.
In 1988, Macnas floated a 70-foot figure of Gulliver down the Liffey in Dublin and left him sprawled out in the land of Lilliput (Dollymount Strand).
The company designed the giant U2 papier-mâché heads that became synonymous with the 1993 Zooropa tour - and featured in the MTV music awards.
They celebrated the millennium by suspending a giant baby over New York's Times Square and in 2010, the 'Boy Explorer' and his butterfly wandered through all four provinces of Ireland and Australia.
"Macnas is for the dreamers and schemers," Ms Kavanagh said. "I think people like the imagination, the unpredictability and the fun of Macnas.
"Watching these larger-than-life characters populate civic spaces and crowd our landscape is magic."
Last night, actors, dancers and artists snaked their way through Galway's Shop Street re-enacting births, deaths and weddings.
Crowds gasped as towering ravens, barn owls and gargantuan grey wolves crept down laneways. Gnarled and haggard white witches carrying glowing lanterns and shadow puppets illuminated the crisp night sky.
"It is a ballad and a deliriously dark waltz between love and loss," Ms Kavanagh explained.
Costume designer Cherie White has been working on the Savage Grace parade for the past five weeks and began working with the company 14 years ago.
"We reuse and recycle everything so parts of previous parades get a new lease of life. It adds to the cultural fabric of the parade," she said.
"The atmosphere on the street was incredible this evening. I think everyone was glowing with pride at being part of the 30th birthday party."
Tonight, Savage Grace's magic will be transported to Dublin as part of the Sleep No More parade which runs in conjunction with the Bram Stoker Festival.
"Galway one night and Dublin the next," Ms Kavanagh said. "There's no rest for the wicked."
Ms Kavanagh hopes the next generation of theatre makers in Ireland will help keep the legacy of the company alive.
"We have young ensemble workshops and a new generation working on this parade and hopefully they will be part of Macnas in 30 years' time," she said.
Macnas will present the epic of Gilgamesh as part of Galway 2020.
The large-scale project will be staged in three acts over one year and will see the company collaborate with playwright Marina Carr and puppeteer Julian Crouch.
Irish Independent
The iconic lines spoken by Al Pacino, playing ageing Mafia don, Michael Corleone, in 'Godfather Part III' come to mind. "Just when I thought I was out - they pull me back in."
This time last week, talk about Hillary Clinton's chances of winning the White House centred on the margin of her victory. Now, after yet another extraordinary twist in an unprecedented US presidential election, we cannot be so sure.
Mrs Clinton believed she was out of the woods on allegations that she broke the law as US Secretary of State by using a private email for official business. The FBI announced in July that she broke the rules - but did nothing criminal.
Now, a bizarre and contentious set of circumstances have led FBI boss James Comey to announce a new set of emails has been found which may be "pertinent to our investigation". It is all reminiscent of a Hollywood blockbuster centring on a discredited former New York Democratic Party congressman, Anthony Weiner.
Mr Weiner is the estranged husband of Huma Abedin, a long-time aide of Hillary Clinton. The emails showed up on a computer shared by the couple which was being examined as part of investigations into Mr Weiner's alleged serious sexual misconduct.
That has raised a row about the US constitution's guarantee of privacy. Mrs Clinton's campaign team have also raised questions about the FBI potentially breaching long-standing practice of standing well back from an election.
They also point to the US Justice Department, which was consulted by the FBI boss, advising him against publicising this latest piece of information. Mr Comey chose to disregard this advice.
The FBI boss defended his actions, saying that he had to speak given his exoneration of Mrs Clinton in July. Allegations of engaging in "vague innuendo" are countered by the reality that the FBI needs further court authorisation before it can read these emails, which surfaced when they were looking for other material.
It is a late lifeline to Republican Donald Trump, who has renewed trenchant attacks upon his rival on this issue. US pundits say 'The Donald' remains unlikely to pull off "a Brexit-style surprise" - but UK pundits said the same thing last June about Brexit.
Looked at dispassionately, Mrs Clinton appears more likely to weather this storm. The arcane arithmetic of the electoral college system, which gives each state a weighted vote to population, seems to tilt in her favour.
There is also the reality that formal polling day - tomorrow week, November 8 - is really the conclusion of the voting process. Already, 14 million people have voted early.
Even those who have yet to vote may have made up their minds. At best, this latest twist may only reinforce prejudices on each side, rather than change minds, or swing the undecided one way or the other.
But we live in strange political times. Those leaning towards Trump argue that the bigger proportion of the undecided voters are Republican supporters. There are also good grounds to mistrust the opinion polls more generally.
Yet we can say definitively that this was not the kind of final campaign week Mrs Clinton would have wanted.
Irish Independent
Rory McIlroy has withdrawn from this week's Turkish Open following recent terrorist rocket attacks.
The world number two informed European Tour officials of the decision on Saturday.
McIlroy did not give a reason for withdrawing, but it is understood he has security concerns surrounding the first of the three Final Series events.
The golfing ace had spoken of his desire to win at least one of the tour's last three events this season in Shanghai, Turkey and Dubai. However, a third consecutive Race to Dubai title now looks out of his hands.
Read more: Rory McIlroy withdraws from €6.5million Turkish Open following recent rocket attacks
The €6.5m Turkish Airlines Open will be held at Regnum Carya Golf and Spa Resort in Antalya. The event was called into question earlier this month after rocket attacks in the tourist region. Turkish media reported that two rockets were fired - one hitting a fishing company storage house from a mountainous area near Antalya.
An explosion in a car parked outside the Antalya Trade and Industry Chamber also injured around a dozen people last Tuesday.
"We respect all decisions made by our members in relation to competing in tournaments," a spokesman for the European Tour said after McIlroy's withdrawal.
Irish Independent
The public are being asked to stay away from illegal fireworks and bonfires this Halloween, which is one of the busiest nights of the year for emergency services.
Last year, Dublin Fire Brigade had more than 700 call-outs between 4pm and 8am. This was up from 120 call-outs on a standard night.
It is asking the public to refrain from building bonfires and using illegally obtained fireworks in a bid to avoid destructive fires and injuries. Dublin Fire Brigade recommends that people only attend professional firework displays sanctioned by the gardaí.
"Bonfires and fireworks can cause a lot of injuries and damage," a spokesperson for Dublin Fire Brigade told the Irish Independent. "Stay a safe distance from bonfires and fireworks. Wind can carry sparks and can cause permanent injuries.
"Keep pets indoors and don't leave material lying around that can be taken to a bonfire. Escort your children out and keep dangerous substances like oil and petrol away from fireworks and bonfires. We would also ask people to respect all the emergency services."
Dublin City Council's Daithí De Róiste, who is a councillor for the Ballyfermot and Drimnagh areas, said that people could suffer serious injuries from illegal fireworks, especially children and young people.
"We've seen a lot of instances up in Cherry Orchard where people have lost fingers over the past number of years, so people do need to be very careful. There's a reason these are illegal," he said.
He said that the council would be running firework displays in Drimnagh, Finglas and Ballymun, as well as other areas. "We would be encouraging families to go along to those and to bring the kids along," he added. "That way it's safety for everybody."
He added that illegal fireworks and bonfires destroy astroturfs and local parks and cost thousands of euro for the council to fix.
A spokesperson for Wexford County Council added the clean-up that takes place after Halloween was an "expensive issue".
The council said that many of the fireworks that were illegally for sale in Ireland had not passed quality control tests and may be defective.
Irish Independent
A man dressed as Freddy Krueger opened fire at a Halloween party and shot five people, according to KENS news.
The shooting occurred at a Halloween party in Texas at around 5am on Sunday morning.
Freddy Kruger is the horrifically-scarred, homicidal villain of the 'Nightmare on Elm Street' movies.
Three victims were taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries, according to KENS.
Violence also broke out a Halloween party in New York where two women were shot dead and five were injured.
According to KENS, none of the wounded have life-threatening injuries. The dead women have been identified as 20-year-old Tabitha Cruz and 18-year-old Omani Free, both of Newburgh, 70 miles north of New York City.
Online Editors
Donald Trump has intensified his attacks on Hillary Clinton's use of a private server, as she tried to move past the discovery of new emails and shift the election back to a referendum on Mr Trump's fitness for office.
Ms Clinton declared she's "not making excuses" for using her personal email address while in government. But she promised supporters at Kent State University that the FBI will reach the same conclusion as in July, when the bureau decided against prosecuting her for her handling of classified information.
"There is no case here," she said. "Most people have decided a long time ago what they think about all this. Now what people are focused on is choosing the next president and commander in chief."
She then pivoted to Mr Trump, casting him as unfit to be commander in chief and dangerous for national security.
"Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real crisis," she said.
Mr Trump, bolstered by FBI director James Comey's letter on the emails, believes he has momentum heading to the final full week of the campaign. But the electoral map remains challenging, forcing the Republicans to make some unlikely late forays into blue-leaning states in an effort to counteract the Clinton campaign's strength in banking early votes and organising for Tuesday's turnout.
"Hillary is likely to be under investigation for a very long time," he told cheering supporters in Grand Rapids. "She's unfit and unqualified to be the president of the United States, and her election would mire our government and our country in a constitutional crisis that we cannot afford."
He added: "How will Hillary manage this country when she can't even manage her emails?" He added that the former secretary of state would get the country into "World War Three".
On Monday, Mr Trump held a pair of rallies in Michigan, which last went for a Republican presidential nominee in 1988. The day before, he held an evening rally in New Mexico - his first since becoming his party's nominee - which is a state that has gone for the Republican party only once since 1988. And on Tuesday, he'll appear with his running mate Mike Pence in Wisconsin, which has not voted for a Republican president since Ronald Reagan's re-election in 1984.
The Trump campaign - which aims to make attacks based on the Clinton emails and "Obamacare" premium hikes the centrepieces of their argument - believes that white working-class voters in the Midwest could tip Michigan or Wisconsin his way, especially if he benefits from reduced enthusiasm for Ms Clinton in African-American strongholds such as Detroit and Milwaukee. New Mexico is seen as a longer shot, with Mr Trump's hard-line immigration stance a harder sell in a state with the highest percentage of Latino voters in the nation.
Mr Trump has consistently trailed in the polls in all three of these states, but his last-minute plays there this week reflect his need to flip at least one traditionally Democratic-leaning state. While Mr Trump has not given up on Pennsylvania - he will campaign there again on Tuesday - he remains behind, and a loss there narrows his path considerably.
Even if he wins the traditional battlegrounds of Ohio and Florida, he would almost certainly need to pluck one from the blue-leaning trio he is visiting early this week - as well as a state like New Hampshire, Nevada or North Carolina - in order to overcome Ms Clinton's map advantage.
And the ongoing fractures within the Republican party likely will not help: House Speaker Paul Ryan is not expected to appear with Mr Trump in his native Wisconsin.
Ms Clinton's advisers and fellow Democrats, furious over the vague letter sent by FBI director Mr Comey to Congress on Friday, have been pressuring him to release more details about the emails, including whether Mr Comey had even reviewed them himself. The emails were found on a computer that appears to belong to disgraced former New York Representative Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of Huma Abedin, one of Ms Clinton's closest advisers.
Former Attorney General Eric Holder, who has been featured in an ad for Ms Clinton's campaign, described Mr Comey's actions as "deeply troubling" and a violation of "long-standing Justice Department policies and tradition", in an article published in the Washington Post on Monday.
A law enforcement official confirmed late on Sunday that investigators had obtained a search warrant to begin the review of Ms Abedin's emails on Mr Weiner's computer. The official said investigators would move expeditiously but would not say when the review might be complete.
In a letter to Congress on Friday, Mr Comey said the FBI had recently come upon new emails while pursuing an unrelated case and was reviewing whether they were classified.
Federal authorities in New York and North Carolina are investigating online communications between Mr Weiner and a 15-year-old girl.
Thank you, Huma! Good job, Huma. Thank you, Anthony Weiner!" said Mr Trump, as the crowd chanted the name of the New York congressman.
AP
Press Association
The fire brigade has quenched a second major gorse blaze in Howth, North Dublin this evening.
This is the second fire that they have dealt with in the area this week.
In a tweet Dublin Fire Brigade said they found fireworks and the remainder of a barbecue at the scene of the first fire.
A spokesman confirmed that the second blazer was brought under control at 2pm on Saturday.
Lighting an illegal firework in any place could carry up to a €10,000 fine and five years imprisonment.
The Dublin Fire Service are advising people to be careful in the countryside, especially in dry weather.
This time last night we were responding to gorse fire on Howth. 3 pumps for almost 4 hours. It was likely caused by fireworks found at scene pic.twitter.com/RMlhpNufC4
— Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) October 28, 2016
Online Editors
Businesswoman Petra Wolsey - wife of the Merchant Hotel boss Bill - has revealed her "terrifying" battle with severe postnatal depression that left her "borderline psychotic" and forced the couple to split for a time.
In an exclusive interview with Northern Woman magazine, the glamorous marketing director of the family's Beannchor hotel group described how she was plunged into profound depression after the birth of her daughter, Caoilinn, five years ago.
"I suffer from depression anyway, but this was the most severe I ever experienced," said Petra (42).
"When Caoilinn was born, it was easily the most terrifying experience of my life. I was getting borderline psychotic, in that I was having hallucinations, things were shivery, very unpleasant. Colours were a bit off, it was very strange.
"I was a lost soul. I felt like a small child dropped into a terrifying adult world, with no tools to cope.
"I was totally out of control."
Petra and Bill have just opened the hip new £4m Bullitt Hotel in Belfast city centre and are one of Northern Ireland's most successful power couples.
But Petra's struggle with depression put tremendous strain on their marriage. "It was very tough for Bill, too," she said. "It took him a while to realise that I was falling apart at the seams and we went our separate ways for a while. It was a crisis but we found our way back to each other."
Petra said it took her 18 months to recover, but admitted that she still struggles with depression, preferring a holistic approach to the condition, rather than medication.
"I'd rather deal with it through healthy nutrition - although I still have my bad habits, believe me - and acupuncture.
"In the back of my head, I have this mindset to put one foot in front of the other, to take one day at a time - or more so, one minute at a time - to get through. It's not a very nice head space to be in but it's workable."
Petra, who met entrepreneur Bill when she began working in one of his bars, is stepmother to his two sons from his first marriage, Conall (32) and Luke (29).
And she revealed that she gets on well with Bill's first wife Linda, who often babysits Caoilinn.
"I adore Linda - she's fab. She's a real character, we're good friends," said Petra.
Petra, who's 20 years younger than Bill, also told Northern Woman that the couple like to unwind by riding their Harley Davidson motorcycles and relaxing at their home in France.
"There's nothing I like better than getting out with him on our motorbikes - I've a Harley Davidson," she said.
"We're fair-weather bikers.
"We just cruise along - no, we don't race each other - and go for an ice-cream on the odd good summer's day."
Meanwhile, Petra is discreet about the VIPs, celebrities and pop stars that have stayed at the Merchant Hotel, located in what was once the Ulster Bank HQ building. But she mentions in passing the "fabulous" Shirley MacLaine, "lovely" Bill Murray, Tim Robbins and also Gabriel Byrne, who said The Merchant is his favourite hotel in the world.
Belfast Telegraph
Miriam O'Callaghan has told of her shock at learning she is one of hundreds of unsuspecting women whose photos have been edited on to pornographic images.
The RTE presenter was one of several Irish celebrities whose pictures were photoshopped and used on a site that carries adult content and attracts disturbing comments from users.
"It's pretty shocking to hear my face has been photoshopped in this way," Miriam told the Herald.
"The big problem is that those images are out there in the online world, without us knowing, and there's so little you can actually do about it right now."
The Prime Time host's image was found on the site along with Claire Byrne, Kathryn Thomas, Lucy Kennedy, Jenny Greene, Vogue Williams, Nuala Carey, Colette Fitzpatrick and Anne Cassin. Pictures of them all were superimposed on to images of naked women.
TV chef Rachel Allen said that when she learnt that her pictures had been used she saw some humour in it, but added that there needs to be more social media education.
"On a serious level, there absolutely needs to be laws," she said.
Disgusted
Other celebrities contacted by the Herald did not comment on the pictures, but it is understood they are disgusted and shocked.
The images emerged as part of an ongoing investigation into a site where women's pictures have been used in this way.
It was launched after a complaint was made by Katie Kirwan, a 19-year-old who spoke out earlier this year when pictures were stolen from her Facebook profile.
The Cork teenager was horrified when she discovered that photos of her taken when she was only 14 were on an explicit website.
Threatening and offensive comments were posted on the photos, which have been viewed more than a million times.
Ms Kirwan said a number of her friends had their images taken and manipulated as well.
"General comments - asking for my e-mail, asking for nudes of me, asking for all sorts," she told the Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk.
"There was edits of me with phallic symbols, for lack of a better description, and so I obviously was horrified."
Speaking to the Neil Prendeville Show on Red FM, she said she was horrified to think that someone had been tracking the pictures she uploaded to social media.
"They started posting me five years ago and then they stopped in September last year. They followed my life for so long and I had no idea," she said.
Ms Kirwan has strict privacy settings implemented on her Facebook profile, meaning the pictures were taken by one of her so-called friends.
"It's someone in our friends list. The scary thing is it could be anyone," she said.
It is understood that the same has happened to several young women throughout Ireland, whose images have been stolen and posted on explicit websites without their consent.
The website where Ms Kirwan's images were found also had anonymous users sharing images with each other and discussing what they would like to do to the girls depicted.
Graphic comments referring to rape, paedophilia and misogynistic abuse are said to have been discussed by the users.
A garda spokesman encouraged anyone who found their images being used in this way, or who suspected a crime had been committed, to report it.
Hatred
A person can report suspected child pornography or incitement to hatred (such as racist hate speech) online by using the reporting form available at hotline.ie, the spokesman added.
There are few laws in place at present to legislate against "revenge porn" or the manipulation of images in this way, but the Law Reform Commission recently recommended making the misuse of images in this way illegal.
Similar laws in the UK have resulted in convictions.
Herald
Rory McIlroy admits a third consecutive Race to Dubai title is now out of his hands after his withdrawal from the Turkish Airlines Open.
McIlroy did not give a reason when informing Tour officials of his decision on Saturday, but it is understood the world number two has security concerns surrounding the first of the three Final Series events.
An explosion in a car parked outside the Antalya Trade and Industry Chamber injured around a dozen people on Tuesday. The £5.7million Turkish Airlines Open will be held at Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort in Antalya.
Earlier this month, European Tour officials investigated reports from Turkish media th at two rockets were fired from a mountainous area close to the highway linking the city of Antalya to the resort town of Kemer.
Asked about McIlroy's withdrawal, a spokesperson for the European Tour told Press Association Sport: "We respect all decisions made by our members in relation to competing in tournaments.
"In terms of next week's Turkish Airlines Open, we are looking forward to the tournament and the start of this year's Final Series."
McIlroy finished joint fourth in the WGC-HSBC Champions on Sunday, but trails new Race to Dubai leader Henrik Stenson by more than a million points after the Open champion was joint second in Shanghai to overtake Danny Willett in the standings.
" I guess it's out of my hands," McIlroy said. "I took the decision not to go to Turkey next week and those boys can battle it out.
"If I have somewhat of a chance going into Dubai that's great. But if not, I think over the course of the season they have had big wins and played well.
"They are two major champions, so I'm okay with that."
Willett is the only member of the top three scheduled to play in all three Final Series events, with Stenson joining his Ryder Cup team-mate in the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City.
Depending on exchange rates, the season-ending DP World Tour Championship in Dubai is set to offer around 1.2million points to the winner.
Press Association
Well, much good that 'Fiver Budget' did for Fianna Fáil, as its TDs sit becalmed in the opinion polls. And yes, the centre appears to be holding all right - provided you deem the centre to be the sum of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil.
There is better news for Enda Kenny himself, and not just because his party has not lost ground. He will take succour from the two-point increase for the shakey Independent Alliance, which should help settle them in Government.
It is an unsettling time for Sinn Féin which, like Fianna Fáil, is stuck in a rut. It is also bad news for Labour, which is below its abysmal general election standing of last February. It is good news for Independents of all hues, some in Government and most of them outside. They remain the choice of one in 10 potential voters.
But the real winner right now in this latest Red C opinion poll for the 'Sunday Business Post' is the clumsily named Anti-Austerity Alliance People Before Profit (AAA-PBP). That grouping is at an all-time high of 9pc, with a three-point increase.
Yes, three percentage points is within the margin of error. But Richard Colwell, the Red C boss, argues that a drilling into its support shows much for the AAA-PBP to be happy about.
It gets one in eight voters in the 18-55 age cohort and shows well with more affluent voters. While half its support is Dublin-based, it could extend into other urban areas, notably Limerick, Waterford and Galway.
There are grounds to suggest that it is damaging Labour and Sinn Féin. And that means it could also impact Fianna Fáil.
Let's not delay for long in again recalling that the election of AAA's Paul Murphy to Dublin South West in the by-election of October 2014 spooked Sinn Féin and caused the party to hurriedly harden its stance against water charges. This drove Fianna Fáil to do likewise and abandon water charges, which it had endorsed in October 2009.
At a time when our creaky-leaky Victorian water systems are screaming out for investment, this was lowest-common-denominator politics at its worst.
But it is life as it is - and we had better get on with things.
The AAA-PBP's rise is a real concern for Brendan Howlin and hopes of reviving Labour's fortunes, especially in Dublin. His support for repealing the Eighth Amendment on abortion and speeding up public pay restoration is not resonating with the public. His reasoned approach is passing by unnoticed.
The AAA-PBP's in-your-face call for an early referendum on the Eighth grabbed the headlines and upped its profile. The grouping's €25bn "money for everyone" Budget plan, funded by making the rich pay, clearly has a populist appeal - even if it is the road to national ruin.
This survey, which is consistent with the trend in recent polls for the 'Sunday Independent' and others, is a disappointment for Micheál Martin, though he is better than many at giving it "the only poll that counts is the election". The reality is that Fianna Fáil, via a very strident Willie O'Dea, drove the successful campaign for welfare increases. It had grounds to hope for some voter dividend.
But this outcome is also good news for Enda Kenny's 'KEGB' campaign, which has gone up a gear in the last 10 days. Lest you are wondering, that acronym stands for 'Keep Enda at Government Buildings'.
With Fianna Fáil stalled, and the Independent Alliance on the up, the Taoiseach will say a period of relative stability lies ahead.
The man now arguing that he is also the 'Minister for Brexit' will tell more restive colleagues that his presence is very definitely required to sustain stability.
Predictions, even by some moderate people within Fine Gael, that things will "heat up" after Christmas if Mr Kenny remains as leader, may well be tested. For now, the Taoiseach appears to be nailing his feet to the floor.
Away from immediate party interests, it remains clear that bar the odd detailed change, an early general election would deliver the same deadlock. The sum of the support for the Independent Alliance and other Independents, both inside and outside of Government, totals one in six voters.
Thus Independents remain a powerful brand and it is interesting to note that Government participation has not really harmed that brand. Clearly, people like Finian McGrath are getting some credit for initiatives for the disabled. Things must also be helped by the impeccable performance of the other Independent ministers, Denis Naughten and Katherine Zappone, since entering Cabinet on May 6.
There has been a small dividend for the Green Party, perhaps related to its surprise Budget stance in favour of stay-at-home parents. We may see more surprises here in the future as the Greens look at some of their EU colleagues' unexpected stances on issues such as religion.
We might also spare a thought for the redoubtable Councillor John Leahy of Ferbane, Co Offaly, who was brave enough to take up the leadership of Renua. As that party's support slips below 1pc, we are reminded that it is murder for small parties in Ireland trying to gain a foothold.
So, that is the political party scene as we face into a very uncertain week for public services. This coming Friday, we could very well be without gardaí on the streets. And this day week, the bulk of secondary schools may be shut down indefinitely.
Maybe the "politics of protest" are not as alluring as they seem.
Irish Independent
Nobody likes you, Anthony Weiner. (Photo: USA TODAY composite; AP/AFP file photos)
All this time, we thought Anthony Weiner was just Huma Abedin's problem. Turns out he's Hillary Clinton's problem, too. Here's what's happening: FBI Director James Comey said Friday that while the FBI was investigating the former New York congressman's latest sexting scandal, it found new emails that could be pertinent to the previously closed investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server while secretary of State. Weiner is married to — and currently separated from — Abedin, a longtime Clinton aide who had access to the same device or devices. The FBI obtained a warrant Sunday to begin a review of the emails, but Comey is super vague on what he knows so far. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is saying, "I told you so." Dems are furious and say Comey owes it to the public to reveal more information. Sen. Harry Reid and other Democrats aren't just accusing Comey of making Clinton look bad — they also accuse him of covering up information about Trump and Russian hacking. Carlos Danger just blew up the presidential race. T-minus eight days.
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16 of 16 Hillary Clinton isn't the only Hillz in the __news Monday. Hilary Duff is here, too, and she is SO sorry for her Halloween costume. The star went out in Beverly Hills this weekend with her boyfriend, trainer Jason Walsh, dressed as a pilgrim and a Native American. She had on a short black outfit, and he wore a feather headdress and face paint. Then, Twitter. People called her "ignorant," "racist" and "out of touch." Duff tweeted on Sunday that she messed up and is sorry she offended anyone. Celebs apologizing for racist cultural appropriation is a Halloween tradition. See the stars who actually got it right this year.
Hilary Duff is apologizing for a couple's costume she and Jason Walsh donned Friday. (Photo: Michael Kovac, Getty Images for Casamigos Tequi)
The Chicago Cubs are two wins in Cleveland away from the biggest comeback in almost 40 years. The National League champs blocked the Cleveland Indians from out-right winning the World Series on Sunday night, forcing a Game 6 on Tuesday. Besides the Cubs themselves, no one is more pumped about Sunday's win than Bill Murray. The Cubs superfan was caught on the big screen at Wrigley Field, crying and flexing. Hey, when you've been waiting for a World Series win for 108 years, you do you.
Bill Murray: scene stealer. #Cubspic.twitter.com/9WUGrsM6Da
— Todd Vaziri (@tvaziri) October 31, 2016
If you don't know what's going on in Mosul right now, you should. For two weeks, Iraqi forces and their Kurdish allies have been converging on Mosul from all directions to drive the Islamic State from Iraq’s second-largest city, the last major city in Iraq held by the group. On Monday, Iraqi special forces advanced on Mosul from the east, taking heavy fire but entering the last Islamic State-held village before the city’s eastern limits and clearing a path that was followed by army units. Since the offensive began, Iraqi forces have made uneven progress. The operation is expected to take weeks, if not months.
Iraqi families who were displaced by the ongoing operation by Iraqi forces fighting the Islamic State group are seen near Qayyarah, south of Mosul. (Photo: Bulent Kilic, AFP/Getty Images)
Warren Buffett tells you how to turn $40 into $10 million. Sort of.
Michael Phelps is hitched. These photos, tho.
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Michael Phelps and Nicole Johnson posted wedding photos to Instagram after it was revealed they were married in June. Time
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This is a compilation of stories from across USA TODAY
Contributing: Associated Press
