The world in brief

NATO called for a full investigation into the cause of an aeroplane crash in Kazakhstan that killed at least 38 of the 67 people on board. Russia has warned against “hypotheses” that it was hit by Russian air defences. The Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft had been diverted from landing in Grozny in Chechnya before attempting an emergency landing. Russian state media blamed a bird strike.

Syria’s new authorities said it would hunt down “militias” loyal to the ousted president, Bashar al-Assad, hiding in rural areas of the Tartus province. On Wednesday 14 of the new government’s policemen were killed in an “ambush” in the coastal area, a stronghold of Mr Assad’s supporters.