Call to protect ancient Syrian city

A Syrian official has called on the international community to protect the 2,000-year-old ruins of the ancient city of Palmyra, now threatened by advancing Islamic State militants.

Maamoun Abdulkarim, Syria’s director-general of antiquities and museums, said that the US-led coalition, which has been striking the extremists in Syria since September, should expand its raids to hit IS fighters battling government forces at the gates of Palmyra.