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[ad_1] Image copyright EPA After seven devastating years of civil war in Syria, which have left more than 350,000 people dead, President Bashar al-Assad appears close to victory against the forces trying to overthrow him. So how has Mr Assad got so close to winning this bloody, brutal war? A joint investigation by BBC Panorama and BBC Arabic shows for the first time the extent to which chemical weapons have been crucial to his war-winning strategy. Sorry, your browser cannot display this map Source: BBC Panorama and BBC Arabic research. Map built with Carto. 1. The use of chemical weapons has been widespread The BBC has determined there is enough evidence to be confident that at least 106 chemical attacks have taken place in Syria since September 2013, when the president signed the international Chemical Weapons Conven...

[ad_1] LONDON/THE HAGUE: Britain and the Netherlands accused Russia of running a global campaign of cyber attacks to undermine democracies, including a thwarted attempt to hack into the world’s top chemical weapons watchdog while it was analysing a Russian poison used to attack a spy. In some of the strongest language used by the West since the Cold War, Britain said Russia was acting like a “pariah state”. The accusations were backed by other Western nations, including the US, which said Moscow must pay a price. Russia denied what its foreign ministry spokeswoman called a “diabolical perfume co- cktail” of allegations by someone with a “rich imagination”. The British and Dutch accusations were unveiled as Nato defence ministers gathered in Brussels to present a united front to their Cold War-era foe. “This is not the actions of a great power, these are the actions of a pariah state,” British defence secretary Gavin Williamson said. Dutch security services said on Thursday they foile...

[ad_1] Dutch security services expelled four Russians in April over a plot targeting the global chemical weapons watchdog, officials said. The cyber operation by Russia's GRU military intelligence targeted the Organisation for the Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, Dutch officials said. The OPCW has been probing the chemical attack on a Russian ex-spy in the UK. It has also been investigating alleged chemical attacks in Syria. Russia has always denied carrying out any chemical attacks. [ad_2]

[ad_1] Scientists at Loughborough University have developed means of quickly testing possible victims of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear disaster or attack. The tests include breath and saliva analysis and drones that can measure toxic fumes or radiation in the air. The research is part of a European Union-funded project called TOXI-Triage involving 19 teams across the EU. The BBC's Security Correspondent Frank Gardner tried out the tests. Video by Claire Read. [ad_2]