Militants linked to the Islamic State (IS) terror group have increased their attacks in recent weeks against military forces and civilians in the desert region of Syria.

Russia has rejected as slander a Czech media report of an alleged poisoning plot against Prague officials, including the city’s mayor, as the Czech counterintelligence agency refuses to comment on the allegations.

A survey by Russia’s main state-funded pollster shows that trust in Russian President Vladimir Putin fell in March to its lowest in 14 years.