Disasters & destruction

Islamic State destroys ancient tombs at Palmyra

First confirmed damage by extremist group to historic site in Syria

UK to ratify Hague Convention—'at the first opportunity'

Commitment to protect cultural property during periods of armed conflict comes after destruction of antiquities in Syria and Iraq by Islamic State

Afghan street artist who fled Taliban gets first solo show in UK

Malina Suliman taught young people how to spray-paint in Kabul

Terrorists attack ancient Egyptian temple in Luxor

Suicide bomber among those killed after failed assault outside popular tourist site

Updated emergency ‘Red List’ of Iraq antiquities at risk released

New publication includes cuneiform tablets, cylinder seals, Assyrian reliefs and coins

Iraq’s ancient holy sites lost forever

The country’s monasteries and mosques have no place in the Caliphate

Nepal mourns and prepares to rebuild after heritage is destroyed in deadly quake

Prime minister appeals for $2bn after historic squares are reduced to rubble and ancient temples are damaged in deadly disaster

Three-year, $2.8m grant programme to rescue artists in conflict zones

Following similar fund for scholars, Institute of International Education with funding from Mellon Foundation launch project to aid persecuted artists and performers

Scholars rush to save a 5,000 year-old archaeological site

A new film looks at Mes Aynak, an archaeological treasure that may soon be buried

Islamic State seizes control of Palmyra

Syrian government forces withdraw leaving archaeological site under serious threat

Yemen’s historic sites damaged in airstrikes after ceasefire fails

Unesco chief condemns attacks, urges all side to keep heritage out of the conflict

Nepal’s cultural heritage celebrated in New York

The Rubin Museum of Art is showing art, organising tours and hosting events to help support the earthquake ravaged country

Louvre president shows solidarity with Iraq and Tunisia

Jean-Luc Martinez says attacks on cultural heritage marks "turning point" for universal museums

Lawnews

Chaos in the courts as insurers fight to recover Superstorm Sandy losses

Three lawsuits allege that a storage facility company, a subsidiary of Christie’s, failed to take proper precautions, despite urgent warnings

Museums in Europe and US draw up rescue plans for ravaged sites in Iraq

France takes the lead as calls grow for co-ordinated response after attacks by fanatics on Assyrian royal cities

Islamic State brings in bulldozers and explosives to reduce Nimrud to rubble

Assault on the seat of Assyrian King Ashurnasirpal II could be the worst case of deliberate destruction of an archaeological site in living memory

Clandon Park, a historic house in south of England, suffers devastating blaze

National Trust staff and firefighters salvage paintings and furniture but much is feared lost

Nepal’s most important heritage feared destroyed by catastrophic earthquake

Unesco assesses damage to Kathmandu Valley’s World Heritage Sites and Italy offers expert help

Islamic State video shows blowing up of Ashurnasirpal’s palace

This would be the greatest cultural loss since the Second World War

Cultural heritage at heart of propaganda battle in Iraq

Following vandalism at Mosul museum and Nergal Gate, Iraqi government says IS has destroyed ancient sites at Nimrud, Hatra and Khorsabad

Booksarchive

Lost libraries and broken Buddhas: war, iconoclasm and social media

The history of cultural destruction as a propaganda tool

Commentarchive

Development, tourism and neglect endanger sites as much as conflict and natural disasters

Does Unesco have the power to stop the decline of crucial heritage sites?

How to put Monet back together again: restoration after vandalism

Tiny paint flakes from damaged work give clues to artist’s technique

Tate finds 370-year-old bullet hole in Charles I statue

The sculpture was famously attacked by Parliamentarians shortly after the outbreak of the English Civil War