Fighting in Latakia is marked escalation by Bashar al-Assad loyalists against Syria’s new Islamist-led government

About 125 civilians have been executed by government security forces in north-west Syria during a rolling two-day battle with loyalists to the ousted Assad regime, a Syrian war monitor reported on Friday.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), a human rights monitor considered independent and credible, documented “large-scale field executions of men and young adults, without any clear distinction between civilians and combatants”, in north-west Syria.

Researchers used 20,000 hours of recordings of great tits in Oxford to see how culture changes among populations

Which songs birds sing can – as with human music – be influenced by age, social interactions and migration, researchers have found.

Not all birds learn songs, but among those that do, individuals, neighbourhoods and populations can produce different collections of tunes, akin to different music albums.

Looking for a new reading recommendation? Here are some fantastic new paperbacks, from a vital portrait of urban Native American identity to gripping crime novels to the story of Britain’s first Black female MP

A very presentable bloody mary with smoky chilli undertones

This is a twist on the classic brunch drink. We serve it as part of our new “Slow Sundays” offering, and instead of the usual Tabasco, we use a house-made burnt harissa to add a real kick and smokiness.

Oded Oren, chef/patron, Oren, London E8

A very presentable bloody mary with smoky chilli undertones

This is a twist on the classic brunch drink. We serve it as part of our new “Slow Sundays” offering, and instead of the usual Tabasco, we use a house-made burnt harissa to add a real kick and smokiness.

Oded Oren, chef/patron, Oren, London E8

Trump’s abandonment of Ukraine has led even Farage to praise Starmer’s lead role in European diplomacy

Barely a day passes, it seems, without Keir Starmer talking to another European leader or preparing for a continental summit. The crisis over Ukraine has very much pushed the UK closer towards the centre stage than at any point since Brexit. But is this a new era or a false dawn?

One thing is certain: the optics of engagement have changed. Starmer never shared Boris Johnson’s almost active pride in stoking a row with Brussels, but particularly before the election his advisers were wary of reminding voters about his past as a diehard remainer.