Bleak assessment of climate change means world was facing 'a lot more unanticipated events'

Letter also denounces Belmoktar for failing to commit a single 'spectacular' terror attack in the Sahara desert

Where are you now and what can you see? I'm in the Dutch "highlands". No windmills but beautiful "Ruysdael" clouds drifting over.

A senior Islamist leader has “probably” died in fighting in the mountains of northern Mali, the French military said today.

Sarkozy, for good reasons and bad, is partly responsible for what is happening  in Mali

"The Uncatchable One", "Mr Marlboro", "One-Eyed Jack": Khaled Abu al-Abbas aka Mokhtar Belmokhtar isn't short of colourful name tags. Considering the fact that this battle-hardened jihadist cum smuggling don has been the southern Sahara's public enemy number one for the past decade or more, that's hardly surprising.

Eyewitnesses describe hostages seeking refuge under beds and in roof spaces as Algerian forces took matters into their own hands

MPs told groups linked to al-Qa’ida represent a 'large threat' needing a 'robust response'

The sands of time have not eroded the spirit of adventure which drives a race that delivers as much pain as pleasure

England 157-6 India 158-5 (India win by five wickets): India regain winning touch as the tourists’ bowlers are punished for their indiscipline

Apartheid-era hero Cyril Ramaphosa returns to frontline politics as deputy leader

Warm fronts expected to carry large amounts of red Saharan sand which, as the warm spell turns to rain and possibly even snow at the end of the week, will fall in liquid droplets that look like blood.

The Mauritanian President appeared on television to call for calm yesterday, hours after being shot by soldiers in what he said was an accident.