23/10/2016 Newsround

Afternoon, guys, Leah here with your lunchtime Newsround.

Turkey says it wants to play a role in supporting the Iraqi army

in the coming battle over one of Iraq's biggest cities.

Thousands of people are trying to escape from Mosul as the Iraqi

army tries to take back control from the group that calls

itself Islamic State.

Charities say children and families are likely to be

among the most affected.

Here's what you need to know.

Iraq, a country in the middle East.

Next to Syria.

The second-largest city in Iraq, Mosul, is controlled

by the extremist Islamist group that calls itself Islamic State.

Islamic State has killed a lot of people in Iraq and Syria.

It has also been behind deadly attacks around the world, including

the Paris attacks in France.

When they first started fighting, Islamic State took over

lots of land and cities in Iraq, and the Iraqi government

asked for help.

A couple of years ago, some countries, including the UK

and the US, began dropping bombs to help the Iraqi

army fight back against Islamic State.

It worked.

The Iraqi army began to win back big cities,

and they've been planning to take back Mosul for a long time.

Now, the battle has started, with 30,000 army troops and smaller

groups of fighters from the area.

Mosul is important because it's the last big city that

Islamic State controls in Iraq.

So if IS loses control of Mosul, it could be an important step

to ending their rule over large parts of Iraq and Syria.

But charities are worried about how the fighting will affect more

than 500,000 children and their families in the area.

Right now, there are 500,000 children trapped inside Mosul,

and parents have an impossible decision to make.

Either they stay and risk being killed by bombs and bullets,

or they try to leave.

What we need now are safe escape routes for children

and their families to escape from the fighting.

Right now, at reception centres in the towns near Mosul,

we see children arriving exhausted after two days

walking through the desert.

Many of these children haven't been to school for two

years under IS rule.

Over the past two years, many children have been

caught up in the fighting.

And forced to leave.

No-one is sure how long the fighting will last for,

but many Iraqis hope they can one day return to the place

that they used to call home.

And if you want to know more about what's happening in Iraq, take

a look at our new web guide.

And don't forget, if you're upset by this story

or by anything in the news, there's lots of advice

at over Newsround online.

OK, time for a quick round-up today's big sports stories.

In the cricket England have set Bangladesh a target of 286 to win

the test on day four.

It's getting tense, with Bangladesh only needing 48 more runs to win

with two wickets still in hand.

And in Formula one, Lewis Hamilton is on pole position

for the US Grand Prix later.

He's currently 33 points behind leader Nico Rosberg and needs

victory to keep his hopes of winning the title alive.

Here he is.

It is my first pole here, so it's been many years of trying.

And a lot of great people have tried to help me get that, so I'm very,

very happy for today.

And first, I want to say a big thank you to all the crowd.

I could hear the crowd cheering when I came across the line.

The energy on that slowdown lap from everyone was

much, much appreciated.

Next, it's nail-biting time for anyone who's watching

the Great British Bake Off.

Just three days until Wednesday's final.

Online we've been asking you who you want to win.

But first, let's get a reminder of the contenders hoping

to wear the baking crown.

From 12 hopeful bakers down to three aspiring Mary Berrys.

The Great British Bake Off is entering its final stage.

Let's take a closer look at the final three.

First up, Candise Brown, who has already cooked up three

Star Baker wins, more than any of

the other finalists.

Best bake?

This striking peacock show stopper in the quarterfinals has

made her a firm favourite to win the baking crown.

But Candise faltered when her cheesy fish pies leaked.

Next, Andrew Smith, a jet engine designer from Northern Ireland.

He was flying in desert week with his ice cream mousse cakes

on a Ferris wheel, but Mary and Paul were not so impressed with his plain

cake in botanical week.

And last but by no means least, Jane Beadle, the first to win

Star Baker, and she has been consistent ever since.

But has she got enough to wow the judges in the final?

I think this is pretty tricky for them.

May the best baker win.

Rachel says Andrew because he's very calm under pressure.

And finally, there's always time for a Panda birth on Newsround.

Here's giant panda Yaya holding her little cub.

It was all caught on CCTV a month ago at a zoo in China,

where keepers have been monitoring the pair closely.

They say the cub is growing well but doesn't have a name yet.

That's all from me guys, Newsround's back at 1.40.