Erstellt am: 3. 2. 2015 - 15:42 Uhr

Eastern Ukrainians "being shelled by both sides"

Ukraine humanitarian crisis, Kobane, Alexander Litvinenko, Moscow library fire, 99 lives and the cat genome project

Humanitarian crisis in Ukraine

Over 5,000 people have died, and over a million displaced in the conflict in Ukraine. In some eastern towns, residents are hiding in basements without food, water or electricity, terrified to come out.

EPA/Sergei Dolzhenko

In Mariupol, protesters have set up crosses in memory of civilians killed in the latest violence

People from the east of the country who have managed to flee to Kiev and other towns in the west have mostly found safety for the time being, but there is no long term solution in sight. The government seems unable or unwilling to give any substantial help. David Stern reports from Kiev.

The legacy of Kobane

Little is left standing in the Syrian town of Kobane, but there are no Islamic State fighters standing there: Kurdish forces have succeeded in driving them out. Shashank Joshi discusses the importance of the defeat for the Islamic State group.

Itar-Tass pool

When Vladimir Putin took over from Boris Yeltsin, he was an unknown quantity. For many, he still is.

Alexander Litvinenko inquiry

It reads like the ultimate spy thriller, and as details emerge of the career and connections of Alexander Litvinenko, the plot thickens by the minute.

The inquiry into the death of Litvinenko has been hearing testimony from his widow, revealing a complicated web of organised crime, power grabbing and assassination.

Espionage expert, Anthony Glees, gives his analysis of the evidence so far, and the connection between Litvinenko and Putin that led to Litvinenko defecting to Britain, and possibly to his death.

Russian library fire

A fire at Moscow's Institute of Scientific Information on Social Sciences threatened the world's most important collection of medieval Slavic texts and many other rare pieces. Tom Barton explains the significance of the collection.

EPA/Fazry Ismail

Cats of all types and breeds are welcome to take part in the "99 lives" project

The 99 cats project

How unlocking the genome of cats can help medical and veterinary science. Leslie Lyons at the University of Missouri explains the unique link between cats and humans.

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