News Archive

Migrant crisis: Concern rises as EU-Turkey deal looms

There is growing concern over a lack of preparation for the plan to send migrants back from Greece to Turkey, two days before it goes into effect. A BBC correspondent who has been to one of the registration sites in Turkey says there are few signs it

Palmyra: ‘Mass grave’ in recaptured Syrian city

Syrian troops have found a mass grave containing about 40 bodies in the city of Palmyra following its recapture from the Islamic State (IS) group, state news agency Sana reports. The grave containing the bodies of men, women and children was uncovered on the north-eastern edge of

Putin calls for end to Nagorno-Karabakh clashes

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for an end to fighting after clashes broke out in the disputed Caucasus region of Nagorno-Karabakh. TV pictures showed a burned out vehicle and craters after a night of gunfire and heavy shelling. Azerbaijan and Armenia accused each other of starting

Syrian army presses ahead with offensive after Palmyra victory

Operations launched against Isis in nearby towns says monitoring group, as Russia effuses about recapture of historic city A Roman theatre in Palmyra. Syrian archaeologists are beginning to arrive to assess the damage from Islamic State’s occupation of the city. Syrian government troops are pressing ahead with

Brussels attacks: ‘Fight the westerners’ text sent to youths in Molenbeek

Messages, feared to be from Isis recruiters, sent on Sunday after video online apparently showed young people celebrating attacks Molenbeek in Brussels. Youths complain that some employers will not hire anyone with a postcode from the area. Photograph: Alamy Young men in the Molenbeek district of Brussels

Five years on, cleanup of Fukushima’s reactors remains a distant goal

In the chaotic two years after its name became forever associated with nuclear disaster, the Fukushima Daiichi power plant “resembled a field hospital”, according to the man who is now in charge of the most daunting task the nuclear industry has ever faced: removing hundreds of tons

Islamic State defector brings ‘goldmine’ of details on 22,000 supporters

A disillusioned former member of Islamic State has passed a stolen memory stick of documents identifying 22,000 supporters in over 50 countries to a British journalist, a leak that could help the West target Islamist fighters planning attacks. Leaks of such detailed information about Islamic State are

Russia expects Syrian government to attend Geneva peace talks next week

President Bashar al-Assad’s government has said its delegates will attend peace talks on the Syrian conflict due to start in Geneva next week, Russia’s foreign ministry said on Friday. Damascus has yet to publicly confirm it will be taking part in the talks. Asked whether Russia, a

UN warns Isis is strengthening hold in Libya with ‘nationalistic narrative’

Islamic State has greatly expanded its control over territory in Libya, and the militants are claiming to be the key defense for the North African state against foreign military intervention, according to United Nations sanctions monitors. In their annual report to the UN security council, which was

North Korean leader Kim orders more nuclear tests: KCNA

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un watched a ballistic missile launch test and ordered the country to improve its nuclear attack capability by conducting more tests, the official KCNA news agency reported on Friday. The report did not say when the test took place but it was