Seventeen migrant workers were killed in a fire today in a market warehouse on Moscow's outskirts where they had been living, Russian emergency officials and media said.

A man from Uzbekistan who pleaded guilty to plotting to kill US president Barack Obama with an automatic rifle claimed he was acting at the direction of an Islamic terror group in his home country.

Britain's Anne Keothavong yesterday beat the world No 16, Dominika Cibulkova, 6-4, 6-1 at the Pattaya Open in Thailand.

No chamber group has done more to change the musical landscape than the Kronos Quartet, and its short Barbican residency bade fair to reinforce the point.

Top seed Andy Murray showed no mercy to doubles partner Marcos Baghdatis today as he cruised to a 6-2 6-2 victory in the quarter-finals of the ATP Brisbane International.

The West is turning a blind eye to a worsening human rights situation in one of the world's most repressive dictatorships, according to a report released yesterday.

What makes this so heart-warming is the fact that this young Uzbek singer has turned her back on global pop and returned to her musical roots.

The chairman of Bell Pottinger's parent group has launched an internal investigation after this week's controversy about the lobbying company.

Bell Pottinger suggested that a minimum age for child labour could improve Uzbekistan's reputation

Lord Bell last night sought to answer questions about Bell Pottinger's audit trail for the company's work in Belarus, after one of his most senior executives cast doubt on who had been paying for its work in Europe's last dictatorship.

Policy influenced 'where we think they have legitimate concerns'

Senior executives at Bell Pottinger claimed they could arrange meetings with the Business Secretary's special adviser on behalf of a client.

Bell Pottinger boasted of its "links" to the Royal Family to potential clients representing a brutal central Asian dictatorship and suggested that it might be able to organise a royal tour of the country on their behalf.

Exposed: Public relations firm's dealings with some of the world’s most controversial regimes