INTERNATIONAL

Russian jets are reported to have intensified attacks on Syrian rebel positions, hours before a cessation of hostilities is due to come into force. Russia said it was continuing to bomb “terrorists” in parts of Syria. Meanwhile, almost 100 rebel factions have agreed to respect the truce, the main Syrian opposition group has said. The High Negotiations Committee (HNC) said ...

Iranians are voting in elections for their country’s parliament and the Assembly of Experts, a clerical body that appoints the supreme leader. The poll is the first since Iran and world powers agreed a landmark deal over Iran’s nuclear programme. Reformists and moderates who back President Hassan Rouhani have formed a coalition called The List of Hope that aims to ...

Four people including the gunman have been killed in a series of shootings in the US state of Kansas, police say. Fourteen people were also injured in the shooting spree that took place in a number of locations. The suspected attacker was an employee at a lawnmower factory in Hesston where one incident happened, police said. He was later shot ...

Greece has recalled its ambassador to Austria amid sharp divisions among EU states over the migrant crisis. The move came after Austria hosted a meeting with Balkan states on the migrant issue, to which Greece was not invited. Greece called the move an “unfriendly act”. It said its ambassador was recalled for “consultations”. Ministers from EU and Balkan nations are ...

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said the global economy has weakened further and warned it was “highly vulnerable to adverse shocks”. It said the weakening had come “amid increasing financial turbulence and falling asset prices”. The IMF’s report comes before the meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors in Shanghai later this week. It said China’s slowdown ...

EU ministers meet in Brussels later amid warnings the migrant crisis could threaten the bloc’s survival. Austria and Balkan nations have agreed measures to restrict numbers, drawing criticism from Greece, where thousands have been left stranded after Macedonia blocked entry to Afghans. Meanwhile Hungary has announced a referendum on whether to accept mandatory quotas of migrants. More than 100,000 migrants ...

The operator of the Fukushima nuclear power plant hit by a tsunami in 2011 has admitted that it should have announced sooner that there was a nuclear meltdown at the site. The Tokyo Electric Power Company denied the meltdown for two months. The company now says the public declaration should have been done within days of the disaster. Experts have ...

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has easily won the US state of Nevada, cementing his lead in the race for party nomination. The billionaire now has three consecutive wins, after victories in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, who have been attacking each other this week, are vying for second place. Party officials said they ...

Chocolate maker Mars has widened its recall of Mars and Snickers bars to 55 countries, according to the AP news agency. It comes after bits of plastic were found in a product. The company initially issued a recall in Germany, but its believed to have spread to Britain, France, Belgium, Italy and Spain. Roel Govers, spokesman for Mars in the ...

The number of people killed in the cyclone that hit Fiji at the weekend has risen to 29, with officials warning the clear-up could take months. About 8,500 people are still sheltering in evacuation centres. Cyclone Winston has flattened many buildings in parts of the main Viti Levu island and Koro islands, Fijian officials said. The category five storm brought ...