Brian The EmpireAncient Egyptian mummies still smell nice, study finds14 February 2025Alex LoftusBBC NewsEven after 5,000 years in a sarcophagus, mummified bodies from ancient Egypt still smell quite nice, scientists have discovered.
Researchers who examined nine mummies found that though there was some difference in the intensity of their odours, all could be described as “woody”, “spicy” and “sweet”.
They say recreating the composition of the smells chemically will allow others to experience a mummy’s whiff – and help to tell when the bodies inside may be starting to rot.
“We want to share the experience we had smelling the mummified bodies, so we’re reconstructing the smell to be presented in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo,” Cecilia Bembibre, one of the researchers, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
During the mummification process, ancient Egyptians would surround the body with pleasant smells as an important part of preparing a spirit to enter the afterlife.
As a result, pharaohs and members of..
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Gaza plans put Egypt-US relations to tough test14 February 2025Yolande Knell in Jerusalem and Wael Hussein in CairoBBC NewsEgypt’s President Sisi is taking his own approach to negotiating with President TrumpIn the bustling heart of Cairo, coffee shops teem with Gazans who managed to flee at the start of Israel’s devastating war on Hamas. Although they have found safety, they remain worried about loved ones back home.
In the past few days here, Egyptian intelligence officials have been meeting Hamas leaders to shore up the shaky ceasefire. Tens of millions of Egyptians – tuning into the constant news updates – already feel their country’s intimate involvement in the war in Gaza.
But now – with President Trump’s surprise post-war vision, which proposes displacing two million Palestinians to “a parcel of land” in Egypt and Jordan, so that the US can take over the territory – they fear an existential threat.
Egyptians flocking to Friday prayers say Trump’s idea needs a reality check.
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Hamas releases names of hostages due for release on Saturday15 hours agoRaffi BergBBC NewsAlexander Troufanov (left), Yair Horn (centre) and Sagui Dekel-Chen (right) were taken from the same kibbutzHamas has released the names of three hostages due to be freed on Saturday in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel, after days of fears over the future of the ceasefire.
They are Russian-Israeli Alexander Troufanov, Argentine-Israeli Yair Horn, and US-Israeli Sagui Dekel-Chen.
Israel has said it will resume bombing if the three are not released on time. The warning came after Hamas said it was postponing the releases in response to alleged Israeli violations of the ceasefire.
President Trump said the ceasefire should be scrapped if Hamas did not release all the hostages held in Gaza by midday on Saturday.
Hamas hostages: Stories of the people taken from IsraelSince the ceasefire began on 19 January, 16 Israeli and five Thai hostages have been released in exchange for 766 prisoners.
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Two British nationals detained in Iran3 days agoPia HaroldBBC NewsCaroline HawleyDiplomatic correspondentUK ambassador to Iran Hugo Shorter met the British detainees at the prosecutor’s office in KermanTwo British nationals – a man and a woman – have been arrested in Iran, the Foreign Office has confirmed.
News of their arrest first came from state-run media in Iran which said they were in custody in the south-eastern city of Kerman, accused of unspecified security-related offences.
It did not name them but published a photograph of them with their faces blurred, meeting the British ambassador, Hugo Shorter, at the prosecutor’s office in Kerman on Wednesday.
The Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to Iran, saying that British and British-Iranian dual nationals are at “significant risk” of arrest, questioning or detention.
“Having a British passport or connections to the UK can be reason enough for the Iranian authorities to detain you,” the advice says.
Also at the me.. - Middle EastNews
Starved, threatened and abused: Parents of freed Hamas hostages give details of ordeal
Starved, threatened and abused: Parents of freed Hamas hostages give details of ordeal13 February 2025Alice CuddyTel AvivParents of four young female Israeli hostages freed from Hamas captivity in Gaza have told the BBC about how their daughters were abused, including being starved, intimidated and threatened by armed men, and forced to cook and clean.
They recounted how the hostages were held in underground tunnels and buildings, witnessed physical abuse and were made to participate in Hamas propaganda videos, including, in one case, by faking her own death.
They said the women found strength through sharing stories, drawing and keeping a diary.
None of the women have given interviews to the media since their release, and their parents say the full details of what they endured are still emerging. There are also things they can’t speak about due to fears it could put the hostages still in Gaza at risk.
Three of the four women whose parents spoke to the BBC were female soldiers kidnappe.. -
Hamas says it will continue releasing Israeli hostages under Gaza deal2 days agoDavid GrittenBBC NewsIsraeli hostages’ families demanded their release at a protest on a highway in Tel Aviv on ThursdayHamas has said it is committed to implementing the Gaza ceasefire deal with Israel and will continue releasing hostages as scheduled, raising hopes that a resumption of the war can be averted.
Following talks in Cairo, the Palestinian armed group said mediators from Egypt and Qatar had confirmed they would “remove obstacles”. Egyptian and Qatari reports also said gaps had been bridged.
An Israeli government spokesman did not comment on the reports but stated that if Hamas did not free three living hostages on Saturday then the ceasefire would end.
Israel’s prime minister made a similar ultimatum on Tuesday after Hamas said it was postponing releases over what it claimed were Israeli violations.
Hamas said these included a failure to allow in the agreed amounts of vital humanitarian aid, in.. -
Israel seeks another extension for Lebanon withdrawal, source says7 days agoHugo BachegaMiddle East correspondentReporting fromBeirutAn Israeli tank was photographed near the southern Lebanese border town of Blida last weekIsrael is seeking another extension of the deadline for the withdrawal of its troops from southern Lebanon, a Western diplomatic source says, a request that is likely to raise new concerns in a country with a history of Israeli occupation.
Israeli forces had been due to pull out next week but the source told the BBC Israel wanted its military to stay in five positions there for another 10 days, till 28 February.
The ceasefire deal that ended 14 months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah was brokered by the US and France and came into force on 27 November.
It requires the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon and the removal of Hezbollah fighters and weapons from there too.
At the same time, thousands of Lebanese soldiers were expected to be deployed.. -
Confusion clouds efforts to save Gaza ceasefire4 days agoYolande KnellMiddle East correspondentReporting fromJerusalemRushdi AbualoufGaza correspondentReporting fromCairoMany displaced Palestinians have returned to the ruins of their homes in the northThe Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has looked shaky since it came into force on 19 January but now looks the closest yet to totally falling apart.
A senior Egyptian source told the BBC that regional mediators Egypt and Qatar were “intensifying their diplomatic efforts in an attempt to salvage the ceasefire agreement”.
A top-level Hamas delegation has now arrived in Cairo for talks “to contain the current crisis”, a Hamas official told the BBC. He reiterated his group’s “full commitment” to the terms of the deal.
On Tuesday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the ceasefire will end and the [Israeli military] will resume intense fighting.”
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‘We are tired of war’: Israelis and Gazans fear ceasefire collapse8 days agoGabriela Pomeroy & Maia DaviesBBC NewsIsrael has warned Hamas it will resume its military operations in Gaza if the Palestinian armed group “does not return our hostages by Saturday,” sparking fresh anxiety for people on both sides of the conflict.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks came after Hamas said it would not free more hostages until further notice, claiming Israel had violated the terms of the three-week-old ceasefire deal.
With the fragile agreement to end the fighting under growing strain, Israelis and Palestinians have shared their fears of its possible collapse with BBC News.
On the streets of Khan Younis, Gaza’s second largest city, 21-year-old Imad Qudaih said “tension and fear” dominate.
“No one wants war to return again,” he said from the southern city, where conditions remain “extremely difficult”.
Imad said there was anger about Trump’s proposal for Gazans to leave the strip,.. -
Since taking office, Donald Trump has talked about what he would like to see happen in Gaza but said there are “no guarantees” that a ceasefire will stand.