Organisation For The Prohibition Of Chemical Weapons

The global chemical weapons watchdog said on Tuesday that samples taken from Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who claims he was poisoned by the Kremlin, contained a Novichok-type nerve agent.

EU leaders on Friday pledged to crack down harder on chemical weapons and step up efforts to combat spying, as Europe frets about threats from Russia.

Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov on Thursday said Moscow does not recognise new powers the international community has given the global chemical weapons watchdog.

India has voted against the draft decision on addressing the threat from chemical weapons use at a special conference of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) here, citing "incomplete consultations".

The international community on Wednesday voted to boost the powers of the global chemical weapons watchdog to enable it to name those behind toxic arms attacks in Syria, fighting off stiff opposition from Russia.

Global arms experts Wednesday confirmed chlorine was used in a Syrian town in February leaving residents fighting for breath, as the world awaits the results of a probe into last month's alleged poison gas attack on Douma.

A UN security team came under fire in Syria while doing reconnaissance for inspectors to visit sites of a suspected chemical weapons attack, and officials said it was no longer clear when the inspectors would be able to go in.

Inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) conducted an inspection at an undisclosed location in Russia in the past week, the Russian Defence Ministry's official newspaper said on Friday.

There are "extremely worrying" signs that the ISIS group may be making its own chemical arms and have used them already in Iraq and Syria, a global watchdog said Tuesday.

Syria today "categorically" denied using chemical weapons including chlorine gas in its four-year civil war, telling a global watchdog it is cooperating fully with efforts to destroy its stockpile.

Chemical weapons experts have determined that mustard gas was used in a Syrian town where Islamic State insurgents were battling another group, according to a report by an international watchdog seen by Reuters.

Myanmar has ratified the chemical weapons convention and will become the 191st member of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the body said today, another step in a rapid period of reform for the Asian country.

Britain said on Wednesday it would destroy a further 50 tonnes of material from Syria's chemical weapons stockpile, taking the total amount it has agreed to process to 200 tonnes.

Evidence "strongly suggests" Syria's government has used chlorine gas on three towns in mid-April in violation of the chemical weapons treaty Damascus joined last year, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday.

Security concerns and bureaucracy have caused President Bashar al-Assad's government to miss Tuesday's deadline for the removal of deadly toxins from Syria.

The global chemical weapons watchdog said on Tuesday that samples taken from Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who claims he was poisoned by the Kremlin, contained a Novichok-type nerve agent.

EU leaders on Friday pledged to crack down harder on chemical weapons and step up efforts to combat spying, as Europe frets about threats from Russia.

Russia's deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov on Thursday said Moscow does not recognise new powers the international community has given the global chemical weapons watchdog.

India has voted against the draft decision on addressing the threat from chemical weapons use at a special conference of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) here, citing "incomplete consultations".

The international community on Wednesday voted to boost the powers of the global chemical weapons watchdog to enable it to name those behind toxic arms attacks in Syria, fighting off stiff opposition from Russia.

Global arms experts Wednesday confirmed chlorine was used in a Syrian town in February leaving residents fighting for breath, as the world awaits the results of a probe into last month's alleged poison gas attack on Douma.

A UN security team came under fire in Syria while doing reconnaissance for inspectors to visit sites of a suspected chemical weapons attack, and officials said it was no longer clear when the inspectors would be able to go in.

Inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) conducted an inspection at an undisclosed location in Russia in the past week, the Russian Defence Ministry's official newspaper said on Friday.

There are "extremely worrying" signs that the ISIS group may be making its own chemical arms and have used them already in Iraq and Syria, a global watchdog said Tuesday.

Syria today "categorically" denied using chemical weapons including chlorine gas in its four-year civil war, telling a global watchdog it is cooperating fully with efforts to destroy its stockpile.

Chemical weapons experts have determined that mustard gas was used in a Syrian town where Islamic State insurgents were battling another group, according to a report by an international watchdog seen by Reuters.

Myanmar has ratified the chemical weapons convention and will become the 191st member of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the body said today, another step in a rapid period of reform for the Asian country.

Britain said on Wednesday it would destroy a further 50 tonnes of material from Syria's chemical weapons stockpile, taking the total amount it has agreed to process to 200 tonnes.

Evidence "strongly suggests" Syria's government has used chlorine gas on three towns in mid-April in violation of the chemical weapons treaty Damascus joined last year, Human Rights Watch said Tuesday.

Security concerns and bureaucracy have caused President Bashar al-Assad's government to miss Tuesday's deadline for the removal of deadly toxins from Syria.