Three heli-skiers feared dead on mountain

Three men are feared dead after being hit by a massive avalanche while on a backcountry heli-skiing trip in the US state of Alaska, say officials. Officials believe the party is buried in up to 100ft (30m) of snow, but no bodies have yet been recovered after Tuesday afternoon’s incident in the Chugach mountains about … Read more

India middle-class jitters amid stock market rout

Soutik Biswas and Nikhil Inamdar BBC Rajesh Kumar pulled out the bulk of his bank savings and and shifted to the stock market Two years ago, on his bank adviser’s suggestion, Rajesh Kumar pulled out his savings – fixed deposits included – and shifted to mutual funds, stocks and bonds. With India’s stock market booming, … Read more

Syria vows to destroy any remaining Assad-era chemical weapons

Syria’s foreign minister has told the global chemical weapons watchdog that the new government is committed to destroying any remaining stockpiles produced under ousted president Bashar al-Assad. Addressing a meeting of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, Asaad al-Shibani vowed to “put an end to this painful legacy, to … Read more