About 300 British troops have arrived in the troubled West African state of Mali at a time when the epicentre of the Islamic State group (IS) appears to have moved from the Middle East to Africa. In a three-year mission named Operation Newcombe they are joining a force of around 15,000 UN...

This month, the BBC has launched a major new series on Radio 4 called Mayday, the result of a year-long investigation into the mysterious death in Istanbul last November of James Le Mesurier, co-founder of the White Helmets. Each of the episodes takes the listener on a labyrinthine...

When the Arab revolts that were sweeping the region and toppling autocrats like dominoes reached Syria, Bashar al-Assad's days at the helm looked numbered. Ten years on however, he has defied the odds, surviving international isolation and the temporary loss of two thirds of the national...

Russia took on an active role in the war in Syria five years ago, saying it was fighting terrorism. What has it achieved and at what price? Experts give their assessments. Russia first announced military operations in Syria on September 30, 2015. The goal, Russian President Vladimir...