Syrian novelist Khaled Khalifa temporarily leaves Damascus for Zurich and examines how the new-found quiet makes him feel.

One might think that three by-elections were more than enough to give everyone a snapshot of the political situation in the country and a forecast of who would survive the political storm. Sadly, no.

If the point of naming storms is to deter people from venturing out, then the name Mildred is unlikely to work. A heatwave called Cerberus, on the other hand, is more frightening.

Parts of Italy could see highs of 48°C in the coming days, potentially reaching "the hottest temperatures ever recorded in Europe"

This episode in Britain's national life is more than just another instance of the silly season. The whole thing leaves a bitter aftertaste.

The passing of the renowned Czech author is a metaphor for the continued slow death of the novel genre

In its capital, once famed as the City of Light, it is now much darker. Paris is unable to achieve social and economic equality for millions of its citizens, sparking riots and disorder.