A huge car bomb has blasted a convoy of coaches carrying evacuees from government-held towns in Syria, killing at least 39 people. It shattered coaches and set cars on fire, leaving a trail of bodies including children, as the convoy waited in rebel territory near Aleppo. Russian troops have reportedly moved to shield rebel evacuees … Read more
Egypt’s President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has announced a three-month state of emergency after attacks on two Coptic churches that left at least 44 dead. The measure allows authorities to make arrests without warrants and search people’s homes. It needs to be approved by parliament before it is implemented. So-called Islamic State (IS) said it was … Read more
Egypt’s President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has announced a three-month state of emergency after attacks on two Coptic churches that left at least 44 dead. The measure allows authorities to make arrests without warrants and search people’s homes. It needs to be approved by parliament before it is implemented. So-called Islamic State (IS) said it was … Read more
Two blasts targeting Coptic Christians in Egypt on Palm Sunday have killed at least 42 people, officials say. In Alexandria, an explosion outside St Mark’s Coptic church killed 13 people. Pope Tawadros II, head of the Coptic Church, had been attending Mass inside and was unhurt, state media reported. An earlier blast at St George’s … Read more
A US-backed force of Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters say they have taken full control of a key airbase held by the Islamic State group (IS) near Raqqa. Its capture is seen as a significant step in the fight to drive the jihadists out of the city, which has become their de facto capital. Talal … Read more
Syrian government forces have been making rapid advances into eastern Aleppo, forcing thousands of civilians to flee. The Syrian army captured Jabal Badro on Sunday, a day after seizing Hanano district, and is making in-roads in other neighbourhoods. Its aim is to divide the rebel-held east of the city in two. Some reports said several … Read more