After years of Syrian insurgents and weaponry infiltrating Iraq, now the traffic goes the other way

Appreciation

The only survivor among five Britons abducted by gunmen in Iraq says he fears that lessons are not being learnt by the British authorities.

He was one of five men kidnapped in Iraq. Why is he the only one who made it home? By Kim Sengupta

The British Government is funding a number of organisations to compile details of human-rights abuses by the Syrian regime, which could be used as evidence in future war-crimes trials.

There is no proof that Bashar al-Assad's regime is using its heavy weapons to bombard Homs, the Russian Foreign Minister is said to have declared yesterday. Sergei Lavrov's comments on the besieged city came during a telephone conversation with the Foreign Secretary, William Hague, as the Syrian opposition reported dozens more dead and injured.

Training for combat missions set to reignite debate over safety of his fellow troops

A mission by a United Nations team to inspect Iran's nuclear programme – which could play a critical part in whether or not military strikes are ordered against Iran – began yesterday amid acrimony and tension.